BASILDON Council has urged MPs to lobby for local authorities to have greater discretionary powers to remove illegal encampments at the next parliamentary debate.

Councillor Gavin Callaghan, who is the leader of the policy and resources committee, has asked Stephen Metcalfe, MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, John Baron, MP for Basildon and Billericay, and Mark Francois, MP for Rayleigh and Wickford to raise the ongoing issue of illegal encampments in the borough at Parliament.

He asked the MPs to push for greater discretionary powers to remove larger encampments where disturbance, criminality and environmental damage is predicted or experienced.

The debate, which is due to take place in the House of Commons today, comes as Basildon Council continues to take enforcement action against unauthorised sites, particularly in the Hovefields site in Wickford.

In the latest action, the council rejected a planning application for the change of use of land next to Jessomine, for nine caravan pitches with associated parking and hardstanding.

Mr Callaghan said: “Basildon has unprecedented levels of widespread unauthorised encampments.

“The Essex County Traveller Unit responds to this as best it can, but the limitations of the legislation require it to take repeated action against the same families flouting a well-known legal loophole which requires the ECTU to start a fresh court action at each new location they move to.

“To make matters worse the land is commonly left in a disgraceful state. Clean-ups have cost the council £40,000 in the last financial year alone.

“Basildon Council routinely seeks support from the High Court through injunctions to prevent or punish planning breaches but there are no guarantees of an effective remedy. This is why we believe a general review is needed to investigate how the law can be made simpler.

“At a time of severe cuts to Basildon Council’s budget and future financial uncertainty, I must ensure the council operates as effectively as possible.

“Therefore, I strongly urge the borough’s three MPs to support the council and raise our long-held concerns in Parliament.”