Travellers pen open letter to council leader - Essex

From the Basildon Echo

TRAVELLERS facing a second eviction from Dale Farm have urged Basildon Council to approve plans for a new site to take their most vulnerable.

In an emptive letter to council leader Tony Ball the Irish Travellers called on plans for a 15-pitch site on land off Gardiners Way, Basildon, to be approved before anyone else is evicted from Crays Hill.

Around 20 families are still living illegally in caravans in Oak Lane next to the former site cleared last October.

The letter also calls on Mr Ball to meet them before anyone else is thrown off the site, a full council debate and no more evictions until new sites are found.

It came after the council issued questionnaires to families illegally living in the caravans asking for personal details which councillors will consider when voting later this year over whether there should be another eviction.

The families claim all previous times they supplied information about medical and children’s schooling needs fell on deaf ears.

The letter said: “You have crippled this community. You have torn down our community centre and chapel and you are now asking us to put together for you information that has largely been in your hands for the past seven or eight years.”