Dale Farm Eviction: Date Set

5 September 2011, 11:00 | Updated: 5 September 2011, 15:39

Travellers living illegally on the site near Basildon are being told bailiffs will move in on Monday 19 September.

Dozens of families who choose not to voluntarily leave Dale farm before then will be forcibly moved off the UK's largest illegal travellers' site.

It follows a High Court ruling last week which means the eviction could now take place.

The row between Basildon Council and around 400 travellers has being going on for a decade.

Letters are being issued to travellers affected with details as to what happens now.

Tony Ball, Leader of the Council said: “We have always made it clear that this was a last resort for us, and it is
with reluctance that we have been forced to take direct action to clear the site. We have sought a negotiated settlement and exhausted the legal system for almost ten years. In that time the travellers have refused to budge leaving us with no alternative to the action we are now about to take.

“By taking this action we are not discriminating against travellers. They are being fairly treated in the same way as we would any other resident of the local area who built on or developed greenbelt land without permission.

“We now have a difficult task which we need to carry out in an orderly and lawful fashion with safety the key priority for both the travellers and those involved in the operation. We still hope the residents of Dale Farm will reconsider their position and use the final two weeks notice period to move off the site peacefully.

The electricity supply to the site will be cut off for safety reasons while the clearance takes place but water will be left running
until the site has been cleared.

Travellers who need electricity for specific health and welfare reasons have been encouraged to contact the Council prior to the 12th September.