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Working in local government brings with it its fair share of surprises, not least over bank holiday periods. And this Easter was no exception for Stratford on Avon DC.

On Maundy Thursday, at about 4.45pm, a planning application was received. Nothing unusual there. But this was for a traveller site on a greenfield area in a rural part of the district. 

Again, this was not an issue until Good Friday morning, when travellers turned up and started converting the site. The calls came flooding in from local residents, expecting immediate action to prevent this unauthorised development.

Soon, we established that the site was owned by the people who were rapidly occupying it – and additionally, the site lay close to a government minister's house.

Working at a pace of which many television production crews would be proud, the site had electricity and water, together with pitches marked by fencing, all within 72 hours. By Easter Monday, the national press had discovered this, and managing the media presented an extra dimension to the job.

Tuesday brought forth an early meeting with senior management and group leaders to outline potential actions.

Getting the necessary information to take the correct enforcement action is essential to ensure taxpayers' money is not put at risk. Expectations of local residents and councillors are high, with people demanding an immediate stop to the activity... there must be a magic wand available.

By the time you read this, we will have reached a decision on whether to take out a High Court injunction, issue a stop notice, or take no action at all. 

All actions carry with them risks, and knowing the decision is of utmost importance to local residents and the media means we must get it right first time.

So, how does an operational incident like this help districts show their worth? By acting calmly, quickly and decisively, managing risks and communicating well, we deal effectively with local issues for local people. 

This year has been an interesting one for Stratford DC, with floods, major fires and eco-towns putting this famous place in the news.  Mind you, in exceptional cases such as these, we can only do our best, even though resolving the issue finally always takes time.

Oh for a magic wand... now what a way to improve local government's reputation.

Paul Lankester is chief executive of Stratford-on-Avon DC