Basildon Council has been granted major new powers to seize caravans and other vehicles, and move travellers on immediately if they have illegally camped in certain areas within the borough.

The council applied for High Court injunction on Tuesday, October 10 and it was finally granted this week. The injunction applies to industrial areas and the council’s privately owned land between Pipps Hills and Burnt Mills, Rushley Park and the grounds of Laindon’s St Nicholas church which were left in a terrible state earlier this year by travellers.

The council can now move unauthorised encampments with immediate effect and seize property, including caravans and vehicles. The council can request courts to increase penalties for contempt of court, which includes fines or imprisonment. However, these powers only apply to areas covered by the injunction. Nevertheless, David Harrison, mayor of Basildon, is delighted with the progress.

He said: “This is a good step forward, and the first time the council has been granted these powers to remove illegal encampments on industrial land. I am very happy with it. “This is a very good start for us, we’ve worked very hard to get our application to the High Court. I want to thank our officers, and also the High Court. They’ve come to our side and given us the injunction. I hope they will deal with Hovefields in the same quick manner as they have done now.”

Len Gridley, 65, a resident who lives in Crays Hill near the notorious Dale Farm site, said: “It’s important for council to have these powers because whenever travellers camp on our parks they leave a great deal of mess behind. That’s why the law needs to change because it’s costing council a lot of money to clean up their rubbish.

“The council is not victimising or targeting anyone, they are just doing what’s right.”

Since the beginning of 2016 to date, there has been a total of 77 encampments in the borough - and most of them were in Basildon’s commercial areas.

The council has also spent thousands of pounds to clear up the mess that was left behind in Rushley Park. Residents were furious as travellers left tons of rubbish in front of St Nicholas Church in Laindon.

Since April, the council has forked out more than £40,000 on disposing fly-tipping waste after evicting encampments.