Britain’s traveller land-grab blitz published: The communities below siege from ‘unlawful’ traits that experience left locals ‘powerless’ to forestall them

Land-grabbing travellers are blitzing Britain, seizing secluded plots of geographical region ‘illegally’ to show them into huge caravan parks – with a brand new map lately laying naked the size of the disaster now blighting the country. 

Over the previous two months, ratings of communities throughout the United Kingdom have noticed unauthorised camps bobbing up in remoted fields, prized rural inexperienced belts and secure nationwide parks.  

The blight has affected villages and cities in Buckinghamshire, West Sussex, Nottinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Gloucester, Devon, Worcestershire, Cheshire and in  Hampshire’s New Forest, MailOn-line has discovered.

Terrified locals say they’re ‘powerless’ to behave, with some frightened of reprisals for talking out towards the shameless flouting of strict making plans rules. 

Meanwhile, livid MPs have lambasted the travellers’ brazen ways, which they are saying makes a ‘mockery’ of the construction advancement regulations hundreds of thousands of law-abiding Britons are pressured to abide by means of. 

However, the ones breaching the principles have insisted they’re doing it on account of the national glut of professional websites, and the ‘stigma’ nomadic citizens within the traveller and gypsy communities face staying on the street aspect. 

‘We need to make a house the place we will be able to carry our kids, giving them get admission to to schooling and scientific amenities that we by no means had rising up, we simply need to enhance our kids’s futures and our households’ dwelling requirements,’ one traveller stated. 

In the gap of a couple of weeks, a minimum of 9 ‘unlawful’ websites have seemed throughout the United Kingdom – all reputedly the use of a ‘carbon reproduction’ modus operandi. However, that is feared to be simply the top of the iceberg, with many extra having been arrange in earlier years.

It’s noticed the ones in the back of the builds sporting out ‘military-style’ operations to swiftly assemble new traveller traits prior to officers can give up them, remodeling rural plots of box and grassland into sprawling, concreted caravan parks. 

In Devon, a bunch of suspected travellers introduced a blitzkrieg initially of ultimate week, the use of diggers and business equipment to successfully demolish a former pony box in simply 24 hours, leaving citizens horrified.

‘This is an atrocity… it is devastated the geographical region with completely no concept for the hurt it’ll purpose,’ one livid 47-year-old lady, who lives in the community, advised MailOn-line. 

‘We really feel completely powerless at this time… It’s one rule for one a part of society and every other rule for the opposite.’ 

A identical advancement happened at the outskirts of Burtonwood, close to Warrington, in Cheshire, when bulldozers, excavators and HGVs took simply 72 hours to show a six-acre box into a big gravel automotive park over the past May financial institution vacation. 

‘I’ve by no means felt so impotent as a councillor in now not with the ability to do one thing,’ native flesh presser Stuart Mann stated. ‘It was once an army operation when it comes to how [the travellers] completed it.’ 

In the Worcestershire village of Hagley, greater than a dozen vehicles arrived on one box at 3.30am on Good Friday in April, running in the course of the night time to show it right into a caravan park, with hard-standing, fencing or even a youngsters’s play space put in. 

‘We’re scared… we really feel completely powerless at this time,’ one 42-year-old resident advised MailOn-line. ‘Everyone has needed to up their safety now. 

‘All this has took place within the area of 48 hours. They have been so speedy. I’ve by no means recognized anything else to occur so speedy. It was once insane. 

‘They arrived at 3.30am. It was once continuous. They arrived with lorry after lorry. Nobody knew what to do. Everyone was once calling 101.

‘It’s made everybody really feel somewhat uneasy. People are frightened about their protection.’ 

Sleepy villages dotted round Nottinghamshire have additionally been focused. In Balderton, a bunch of travellers used excavators, diggers and big vehicles to flatten a plot of land ‘dangerously shut’ to a big high-speed railway line. 

The works happened right through May’s VE Day financial institution vacation and was once finished in simply 3 days prior to council officers have been in a position to serve an enforcement realize ordering the remainder development to be halted. 

‘We felt ill. Your abdomen drops out,’ one native stated. ‘We concept this was once our perpetually house. We love the neighbours – then all at once they flip up and construct a traveller camp on our doorstep. It’s going to scale back the worth of homes right here.’ 

A identical advancement happened a couple of miles north, between the within sight villages of Weston and Egmanton. An enormous 40-pitch caravan web site was once constructed over the Easter financial institution vacation in April with out making plans permission.

The web site, in a box off the A1, was once additionally completed in a couple of days, with tarmac roads and fences put in. Locals stated they’d additionally noticed septic tanks sunk, electrical energy and water illegitimately attached, and key drainage dykes stuffed to create the web site get admission to.

In Buckinghamshire, the agricultural village of Lee Gate was once focused over the May financial institution vacation, with diggers levelling a box with out permission prior to 5 caravans and a static cell house seemed.

The remoted group is only some miles clear of the previous houses of Hollywood A-listers Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, who as soon as owned a belongings in Gerrards Cross – dubbed the ‘Beverly Hills of Buckinghamshire’.

Other former superstar neighbours reportedly integrated the ‘Prince of Darkness’ Ozzy Osbourne, Oasis mega famous person Noel Gallagher, and past due British TV icon, Cilla Black.

An enforcement realize has been served by means of the native council. Meanwhile, frightened citizens are braced to level a group assembly on June 24 to finalise a battleplan to take on the travellers’ unauthorised construct.  

One horrified neighbour, who requested to not be named, discovered in regards to the surprising encampment whilst on vacation within the Canary Islands together with his spouse. 

‘Our neighbour messaged us pronouncing other folks with diggers, vehicles – you identify it – had arrived at 5.30am and have been sporting out paintings,’ he stated. 

‘They simply barged in the course of the fence with a digger and constructed their very own gate since the street with shared get admission to to the sphere was once too slim. 

‘When we discovered we have been horrified. It was once completely disgusting. 

‘Police have been there inside of an hour however they could not do a lot to forestall it. 

‘The council put a give up realize there. But the entire space has been flattened, six pitches created. Now we are caught with them.’

In the Bedfordshire the town of Felmersham, travellers moved onto a box they personal in Pavenham Road over the Easter vacation and at the moment are in the hunt for to make it an enduring camp.

Bedfordshire Borough Council served the crowd with a brief give up realize which bans them from spreading stones, gravel or tarmac at the land.  

The council has since won a retrospective making plans software for a transformation of use of the sphere, which, if licensed, would see 5 residential pitches for 11 cell houses and 4 caravans, parking, groundwork and landscaping.  

During the VE Day financial institution vacation initially of May a shocking patch of secure West Sussex geographical region, within the middle of the South Downs National Park, was once devastated by means of travellers.

The tranquil plot off Blind Lane, in Lurgashall close to Petworth, was once reworked right into a construction web site as heavy equipment ploughed in the course of the box with out making plans permission, turning it into gravel automotive park, with 10 caravans later showing there. 

It’s unclear who was once answerable for the unauthorised advancement. It has precipitated felony motion from Chichester District Council, which served a give up realize ordering all works to stop.  

Andrew Griffith, Arundel and South Downs MP, was once appalled by means of the unauthorised advancement and feared it was once simply one in all a sequence of ‘landgrabs’ going down national. 

‘These are obviously planned and meticulously deliberate operations,’ Mr Griffith, the Conservatives’ Shadow Business and Trade Secretary, advised MailOn-line.

‘In the Lurgashall case it took some distance too lengthy for the native council to behave leaving ratepayers and citizens on the mercy of this devastating making plans blight.

‘It is obviously foreseeable that financial institution vacation weekends are the instant of utmost risk and but that is when the town halls fail to verify personnel quilt.’

He added: ‘It makes a mockery of a device the place all of us soar thru long and dear hoops to put in a dormer window when such brazen breaches occur unchecked.’ 

Across the Sussex border and into Hampshire, the New Forest has additionally been impacted. 

Residents dwelling within the quintessentially British group of Burley have lashed out over the unauthorised advancement at the outskirts of the village.

Those in the back of the venture were accused of shamelessly flouting making plans regulations by means of paving over a part of a box and putting in numerous caravans and cell houses. 

It’s ended in a months-long row, with a judgement on whether or not a retrospective making plans software to permit it to stick or now not, set to be made in a question of weeks. 

However, it has sparked a fierce backlash, with one ex-minister raging the ones in the back of the scheme will have to have their ‘civil rights… forfeited’ over the flagrant rule spoil. 

One villager fumed: ‘The travellers have proven entire fail to remember for the group… It’s a degree of disrespect. They have are available in and destroyed secure lands with out permission.’

The wooded area idyll, nestled between Southampton and Bournemouth, is house to about 1,350 other folks and is closely reliant on tourism in the summertime. It has no railway station, one number one faculty, a village store and a sporadic bus carrier. 

Those dwelling there are fiercely protecting in their ancient house’s unspoilt, herbal setting and feature been left outraged by means of the gypsy advancement.

The web site, on a former pony box off Ringwood Road, was once transformed with out permission a number of weeks in the past. It’s a stone’s throw clear of the posh Burley Manor resort, which is a medieval Grade II-listed construction.

Those at the camp have since submitted a retrospective making plans bid for 2 static caravans, two traveling caravans, parking, bin and cycle shops, e-bike charging issues, boundary fencing, and an extension of present hardstanding.

MailOn-line understands the web site is house to 2 households, who personal the land.

The proposals – which might be but to be determined by means of the New Forest National Park Authority (NFNPA) – precipitated a livid reaction, with dozens of objections lodged.

Local Tory MP Sir Desmond Swayne may be amongst the ones attacking the improvement, which he says had ‘alarmed’ his constituents.

‘It’s now not been helped by means of the slightly competitive signal submit, that moves concern into the group,’ he added. ‘What type of persons are those, who’re hanging up this intimidatory signal telling other folks to ‘stay out’ or the canine gets you’?’

A cut-off date for a choice at the software is July 2 – then again, officers on the NFNPA hope to have made a judgement prior to this date.

However, former minister Sir Desmond feared the debatable scheme might be licensed at the foundation of ‘human rights’, permitting travellers to stay at the land as an alternative of dismantling all of the paintings that has already been undertaken there.

Hitting out, the New Forest West MP advised MailOn-line: ‘When you spoil the legislation you will have to forfeit your civil rights. Breaches within the legislation – even in making plans rules – will have to now not be whipped thru at the foundation of human rights.’

The software has been submitted by means of Michael Chalk and Tom Butler, who continue to exist the web site with their households. 

Planning marketing consultant Tony White, who’s representing the pairs’ advancement bid, advised MailOn-line: ‘Nationally councils have constantly failed to satisfy the statutory responsibilities to offer websites and pitches to satisfy the known wishes of gypsies and travellers.

‘Faced with more difficult policing powers to forestall roadside preventing, many gypsies and travellers really feel they’ve no selection however to transport directly to their very own privately-owned land prior to acquiring making plans permission and are regularly pressured to take action on account of prejudice they stumble upon when roadside.

‘The web site previous to the 2 younger households transferring on, consisted of a brick constructed solid bock, massive space of hardstanding and paddocks, they’ve performed little or no paintings to facilitate the profession of the web site, all of which is able to and might be got rid of will have to they be unsuccessful within the making plans procedure.

‘It is recognised that some citizens may have issues in regards to the alternate or by means of travellers transferring in within sight, however Mr Chalk and Mr Butler have largely been made to really feel very welcome within the village and are having a look ahead to their youngsters attending the native colleges and the households integrating with the settled group.

‘Mr Buttler want to upload that they need to reassure the ones citizens who’ve expressed to the Mail they’ve fears or issues, that it is just Mr Chalk’s circle of relatives and my circle of relatives, that intend to are living right here and we need to make a house the place we will be able to carry our kids, giving them get admission to to schooling and scientific amenities that we by no means had rising up, we simply need to enhance our kids’s futures and our households dwelling requirements.’

Mr White added the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (Amended) incorporates provisions to ‘regularise unauthorised works, thru retrospective programs and lawful advancement certificate’.

‘These are utilised for plenty of causes and by means of all sectors of communities, however I will guarantee you, that any resolution at the making plans software, may not be swayed or influenced by means of the candidates having moved directly to their belongings forward of the verdict,’ he stated.

The information comes because the selection of ‘unlawful’ traveller websites being arrange throughout the United Kingdom continues to jump, with native councils an increasing number of not able to take away them.

New making plans coverage introduced by means of Labour housing secretary Angela Rayner in December will pressure councils to unlock inexperienced belt land for travellers to create everlasting encampments if there’s an ‘unmet want’. 

At provide neither brief or everlasting travellers websites are allowed on inexperienced belt land as they fail to qualify as ‘very particular instances’ – however this is about to modify. 

In the authentic session printed to the National Planning Policy Framework in August, the record states: ‘We intend our proposals to toughen the discharge of inexperienced belt land to deal with unmet wishes for traveller websites.’

The reaction to the session, printed in December, made transparent that proposals will have to now not be considered ‘irrelevant’ in circumstances the place there’s an ‘unmet want’ for the kind of advancement – together with traveller websites. 

In January this 12 months South Gloucestershire Council introduced the positioning of 100 new traveller websites, lots of them on treasured greenbelt places.

The plan additionally contains safeguarding 15 present spaces for travelling showpeople – and one new web site for travelling showpeople in Pucklechurch.  

The native authority was once reprimanded by means of a central authority making plans inspector again in 2022 for a ‘historical past of coverage failure’ after failing to offer enough land for travelling communities.  

The council has since proposed the ‘increasing or intensifying’ of numbers of already-existing websites and the introduction of 14 emblem new places over the following 15 years.

That contains the safeguarding of greenbelt land in Pucklechurch and Hambrook for traveller communities to are living on. 

Meanwhile, in Darlington a brand new web site for travellers and Gypsies in Darlington has been licensed after a litany of delays and refusals.

Previously making plans workplaces stated the Neasham Road web site was once ‘now not in a sustainable location’ and could be ‘visually intrusive inside of an open geographical region location.’

The preliminary proposal known as for 5 amenity structures, 5 cell houses and 5 traveling pitches – however that was once lowered to 2 of every kind in amended plans submitted to the council in August 2024. 

A making plans file stated: ‘This small advancement would give a contribution in opposition to the supply of providence Gypsy and Traveller websites inside the borough. 

‘The location of the web site was once thought to be to be sustainable by means of the making plans inspector (as was once the adjacent web site extra just lately by means of every other Planning Inspector) and the visible affect of the revised advancement isn’t enough to justify a reason why to refuse the making plans software.’ 

The applicant stated the wish to cope with a shortfall of Gypsy and traveller overrode any concerns of herbal attractiveness or environmental issues, calling it ‘a vital subject matter attention that may override any restricted panorama affects.’ 

The new websites also are on no account limited to rural greenbelt places despite the fact that as London is ready to get it first new everlasting pitches in over 30 years. 

It was once introduced in November ultimate 12 months that Haringey’s Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) group have been because of be passed new land to continue to exist. 

After a ‘complete evaluate’ of doable places, the native authority stated they may accommodate six everlasting pitches on vacant council land. 

Councillor Sarah Williams, Haringey cupboard member for housing and making plans, stated: ‘I’m extremely joyful to be pronouncing proposals for creating the primary new Gypsy, Roma and Traveller websites within the capital for 3 a long time.

‘Not best is it a becoming transfer for our borough, which prides itself on being welcoming and various, it additionally aligns totally with our dedication as a council to offering 3,000 new, inexpensive and nice high quality houses for the long run. This contains specialist housing to satisfy the desires of all of our communities.

‘The Gypsy, Roma and Traveller group are a few of the maximum discriminated towards teams in the United Kingdom and face important demanding situations in having access to housing that meets their cultural wishes.’

A brand new web site has additionally been deliberate for Lewisham in southeast London, the primary within the borough because the earlier location close down in 2009. 

As smartly because the proliferation of recent traveller camps, data displays that increasingly enforcement notices are being issued towards pitches, which regularly include a number of cell houses erected on personal land.

In Cheltenham, the council handled seven unauthorised websites ultimate 12 months – in comparison to none in every of the 3 years prior to that.

And in a similar way, Wokingham’s borough council issued 8 enforcement notices towards unauthorised traveller websites in 2023, up from only one in 2022. 

Meanwhile in Wiltshire, the council dealt had handled 4 unauthorised traveller websites by means of the tip of October ultimate 12 months, in comparison to none the 12 months prior to that. 

Speaking up to now to MailOn-line at the situation of anonymity, one making plans enforcement officer stated: ‘Over the previous 5 years and for sure off the again of Covid there was a pointy build up within the unauthorised advancement that we’re seeing. 

‘Most of the enforcement appeals that we’re coping with at the present time fear traveller websites that experience regularly long past up over the gap of an extended weekend.

‘But this can be a national factor – maximum different councils are all having identical problems.’ 

The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils around the country, stated government have been in the hunt for to clampdown on unauthorised landgrabs. 

An LGA spokesman stated: ‘Tackling them calls for a multi-agency reaction and suitable sources to toughen this.

‘Councils take their making plans enforcement powers severely and paintings not easy to stability the desires of all contributors in their communities. 

‘Where making plans regulations were breached, councils will search to take suitable and proportionate motion.’