Travellers stir up controversy in Corringham - Essex

From the Enquirer

Thurrock Council has defended itself against charges that it has “dithered” over dealing with Travellers who have camped in Corringham.

Earlier this month, Travellers pitched up near the Five Bells roundabout in Corringham.

Conservative councillor for Corringham Cllr Mark Coxshall said "As the Council dithered on how to respond, the number of Travellers has doubled, and now the Council has to go to court to try and remove them. We do not want Travellers illegally settling in Corringham.

“The Council has made a real mess of this by not nipping the issue in the bud. Now they have to go to court to try and remove them, and that could take forever - has the Council learnt nothing from Dale Farm? We all know how this goes. The Travellers are already starting to bed in for a long stay, arranging things like permanent power and water. Soon they will start building walls and fences.

“Travellers need to comply with the law like everyone else, if everyone built property wherever they fancied, there would be anarchy with buildings popping up on any available piece of land. The law needs to apply to equally to all, so I call on Labour-led Thurrock Council to stop picking and choosing who they enforce against and show that they are on the side of hard working residents who do the right thing. The Travellers should do as their name suggest - travel; if they want to settle, they should go the same route as anyone else, buy a house or rent one.”

Conservative Councillor for Homesteads, Cllr James Halden said “I have repeatedly said to the Council to seek advice from the Conservative administration in Basildon who took a very courageous stand against the illegal Traveller site at Dale Farm.“

A statement from the Council said: “In recent weeks, Thurrock Council has dealt with two Traveller incursions. The first was at One Tree Hill which was promptly dealt with by an injunction being served on the land. Upon hearing of the Council's intention, this site was vacated and has remained so since.

“The second site relates to land adjacent to Willow Cottage, Corringham. This is more complex, not least because the land is owned by those camping on it and the time that passed before the breach being reported to the Council. It was reported to the Council on 11 April, visited by officers and then passed on to the Essex County Traveller Unit which confirmed it would take the case on. However, on 17 April it was passed back to the Council and a day later planning enforcement officers re-visited the site and made contact with the occupiers.

“A planning application has been submitted but is not sufficient in detail to be considered valid.

“A report is being prepared with a view to serving an Enforcement Notice. A meeting was also been set up between planning enforcement and the occupier's planning agent.

“The Enforcement Notice is now being considered by the department.”