'Disgust' at Basildon council leader's nomination for top award

Dale Farm Travellers and supporters are planning to protest against the 'disgusting' nomination of Basildon Council’s Tony Ball for a ‘leader of the year’ award.

Councillor Ball has been shortlisted for the ‘Leader of the Year’ category in the 2012 Local Government information Unit (LGiU) and CCLA Councillor Achievement Awards.

According to the LGiU, the winner of the award will need to prove "outstanding commitment to their role as council leader as well as strong relationships with community groups."

Eva Potts, a member of the Traveller Solidarity Network, said: “To say he deserves an award is absurd and disgusting; Tony Ball does not serve communities, he wrecks them.”

Cllr Ball has received worldwide media attention during the eviction process at the illegal Travellers site in Dale Farm, Essex, in October last year.

A total of 51 illegal sites have been cleared since then, at a cost of nearly £5 million for the council.

Dale Farm Travellers and supporters have expressed anger at the nomination. They are now asking LGiU to drop Tony Ball from their list of nominees and are planning a protest outside the awards ceremony at Westminster City Hall on 27 February.

Protesters plan to present Cllr Ball with an alternative award for “Community wrecker of the year”.

Eva Potts, a member of the Traveller Solidarity Network, said: “Tony Ball spent over £7 million making 83 families homeless; he has torn apart a community, leaving them in desperate circumstances, while wasting public money that could have been spent constructively on public services in Basildon.

Dale Farm resident, Mary Sheriden, said: “If they reward Tony Ball for what he’s done to us, then what hope can we have? We’ve been living like in a refugee camp since the eviction – if we had somewhere else to go we would, but this land is all we have.”

In a statement, Cllr Ball said: "The Dale Farm site clearance was certainly a very challenging time for all involved. I am very honoured to be shortlisted for this award."

The ceremony will see a total of 11 awards up for grabs. Eric Pickles - who promised last year that a Dale Farm saga would not happen again in the country - will give a keynote speech.