Residents of an idyllic Essex hamlet dating back to the Bronze Age are bracing for a second unauthorised traveller encampment after travellers constructed a site over the Bank Holiday weekend. The village of Willows Green, near Felsted, is still reeling from the destruction of a field that was home to rare wildlife, which locals say was 'concreted over and colonised' despite advance warnings to Uttlesford District Council.
Travellers Using New Tactic to Avoid Removal
It has emerged that travellers are using a new tactic to frustrate attempts to move them on from unauthorised sites. They are setting up encampments on land they already own, preventing police from intervening. A source told the Mail on Sunday that 'two traveller cousins' bought the land in Willows Green last year from a farmer. The source explained: 'They know that police can only clear a site if it is on public land or if they are called in by the landowner. Then it is up to the local council to take civil action, and it depends on how tough that council is.'
Residents Express Fear and Anger
One resident described the setup of the camp as 'one of the fastest and most efficient' operations she had ever witnessed. Travellers ripped out ancient hedgerows to access the site, and within hours, a convoy of diggers, lorries, and low loaders had completely concreted over the field. Locals say the area was an 'irreplaceable wildlife haven' home to protected species like great crested newts. Over subsequent days, travellers constructed 12 pitches, moved in static caravans, and erected large wooden gates.
Resident Tracy Williams, 42, previously said some neighbours had been 'threatened' and were scared to leave their homes. She stated: 'You see this happen in other locations and you think: "I'd hate for that to happen here" — and lo and behold, out of nowhere, it's happening. I've seen some of my neighbours in tears. Some have had altercations already with some of the travelling community. They've been threatened and are scared to come out of their homes. This is not acceptable.'
Council Criticised for Inaction
Uttlesford District Council, which residents say failed to heed warnings about the planned development, belatedly took out an injunction against the travellers, which they are now appealing. The council was heavily criticised for not sending an official to speak to more than 700 concerned locals at a parish council meeting. One resident accused the council of showing 'complete and utter contempt for locals.' The council had claimed it was unable to prevent the development, but other councils, including Basildon in Essex, have successfully invoked legislation to stop such plans.
Second Field at Risk
Now, residents in nearby Great Leighs have alerted Uttlesford to a second field they fear travellers plan to move into at the end of the month. They say a traveller, convicted of hare coursing and banned from five counties, bought the field from a local farmer last summer after planning permission was repeatedly refused. Residents claim that permission granted to run a water supply to the field, allegedly for an animal trough, is 'just cover for installing utilities ahead of an unauthorised development.'
In a letter seen by the Mail on Sunday, residents called on Uttlesford to take immediate legal action 'to learn from previous mistakes at Willows Green' and to save the field before it is 'irreversibly altered.' They say the council failed to respond to the letter but when asked for an acknowledgment, said they were 'considering their options around any further appropriate actions.'
A council spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on plans to stop a second encampment but said it 'understood the concern' the traveller site at Willows Green had caused. The spokesman added: 'The council has served a temporary injunction on the site. This restricts further development and any residential occupation of the land while the council progresses with ongoing planning enforcement investigations. A hearing is scheduled to take place in the High Court next week where the injunction will be reviewed. As legal proceedings are ongoing, we will not be issuing further comment at this time.'
An Essex Police spokesman said: 'We're aware of the current situation in Willows Green and have reached out to partners, including Uttlesford District Council and Felsted Parish Council. We've also spoken personally with nearby residents and understand their frustrations. As this is currently a planning matter, it does sit with the local planning authority.'
