Four travellers sites are expanding illegally, it has been claimed.
Planning officers at Basildon Council are investigating complaints from residents about suspected unauthorised developments at Hovefields Avenue site, Wickford, Cranfield Park Avenue and Harrow Road, both in North Benfleet, and Sadlers Farm, Bowers Gifford.
Residents fear Cranfield Park Avenue, now the borough’s second biggest site, is fast becoming another Dale Farm.And everyone can see it except those who are supposedly paid enormous salaries to prevent it:
One man,43, from Pound Lane, Bowers Gifford, who regularly travels past both the Sadlers Farm and Cranfield Park Avenue sites, said: “There are about 20 caravans on the site at Sadlers roundabout when the limit is supposed to be eight.
“They are taking the Mickey because on Monday they knocked down one of the outside walls and started laying hardcore, so they must be extending the boundary as well.”
He said several pitches were being developed in a field east of Cranfield Park Avenue, where there are already about 20 pitches. Meanwhile, at Hovefields, where a series of illegal sites were demolished between 2005 and 2010, the council has received reports one traveller is buying up land there and wants to expand the site which has 16 authorised pitches.
A woman, who also would not be named, said: “The council enforcement officer I reported it to said there was not much they could do anymore to stop this because there is a national shortage of sites and they need to build more anyway.”"Oh but wait!" you cry, "It's not the council's fault, it's the justice system for putting hurdles in their path!"
Really?
Although the Dale Farm eviction was successful, several stragglers from that eviction remain illegally camped in Oak Lane next to the neighbouring legal site.
The council has failed to move them on despite defeating all legal challenges in its way last year.Hmmm.
Last autumn the council, which has around 140 pitches already launched a consultation asking for owners of any land that could be suitable for new sites, or existing traveller sites that could be expanded to come forward. The ongoing study came after studies found the authority needs to provide between 170 and 240 more traveller pitches over the next 18 years.
Stuart Hardwick Carruthers, a former civil servant who helps travellers get planning permission, suspects the council will allow the new unauthorised developments to remain until the consultation is over and may eventually approve them.
He said: “With the council having to provide that sort of number of pitches, any that get built in the meantime without permission will just reduce the long-term requirement, so it is likely to be a nod and a wink and eventually they will get approved.”So they'll spend money on a consultation that will be ignored. Gosh. Why do people always fall for this?
7 comments:
It's time the so-called travellers were made to stay in one place so they can be tracked down by HMRC and may to pay their bloody taxes IMHO
There's too much pussy footing around with these people. They're parasites and tax dodgers who make ordinary people's lives a misery wherever they camp.
I don't really understand all this. They're not travelling, they're staying. Caravan sites are legal in Britain. If they want to live in caravans, why not just set up a legal caravan site and live on that? Why do we need "traveller sites" at all? It's just living in a caravan, isn't it?
This all boils down to travellers being an ethnic minority. Which they aren't of course, but there's a well-funded branch of the equality industry which will ensure they stay that way.
Deal with THOSE parasites and the rest will fall.
I can only suggest that the local residents give up trying to control this through the court process, and resort if they can to more direct action.
It's the only thing these people understand. Otherwise they will just bully you into submission again whist the council, Police and Courts do absolutely f**k all.
I'm not a fan of 'filth gypos'. I have had run ins with their like whilst living in the West Midlands. They are thieves, parasites and vermin. They shouldn't be placated but irradicated. Napalm and Tabun are too good for them.
Two choices.
1) If they stay on site for more than two days get them for full council tax and any other taxes you can think of with five years - no remission - hard labour for each non payment to run consecutively.
2) Roll out the armoured bulldozers and remove all illegal vans, cars and junk and then charge then for doing the work with two years hard labour - no remission - if they don't pay up.
That way they might just learn not to take the mick.
"There's too much pussy footing around with these people."
Fully agree.
"Why do we need "traveller sites" at all? It's just living in a caravan, isn't it?"
OMG! Hate crime!
No, it's a whole way of life. A culture.
In the bacterial sense...
"That way they might just learn not to take the mick."
Or up stakes & head for Brighton... :)
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