FEARS are growing about an unauthorised traveller site, by a graveyard, being given retrospective planning permission.

Travellers are applying to live on the land where they have created an unauthorised development.

They have now had their application validated, meaning the plan has been made public on Basildon Council’s website.

Unauthorised travellers first arrived on the site in Church Road, Bowers Gifford, near Pitsea Cemetery, on December 10.

So far fences have been built and an area has been surfaced with hardcore - without planning permission. Now residents fear the application will be approved and then nothing will stop the site rapidly expanding.

Initially three caravans were situated on the land, with the planning application applying for four caravans to be based on site.

A family have bought the small plot of land they are on, but residents fear that the site will balloon onto the open land next to it, particularly if they are granted planning permission.

Bob Morris, 57, who lives on neighbouring Pound Lane, said: “Everything that is on the site is unauthorised, they had no planning permission, if they broke the rules once, what is to stop them doing it again? We know if they get planning permission, even if it is just for that little patch, it will expand. It will grow and grow and we all know what comes next.

“If you let these families settle they will never leave. And it seems that Basildon Council are in favour of catering to them, but what about us residents? Do I want to see caravans every day? Definitely not. There is a lot of open space next to that site, I think they use to be football pitches, so god knows how many caravans and plots they could squeeze on there. I have a horrible feeling that we could be facing another Dale Farm situation, and then what?”

The land is behind the Gun Pub on London Road, and banks on to the A13. The planning application requests a change of use of land for one static caravan and three touring caravans.

Stephen Ward, UKIP Councillor for the ward, said: “Unfortunately there is nothing stopping them growing, which is a concern.

“We had a large discussion about this site at council, and the powers that be have insisted they are looking at how to stop them.

“They are not integrating themselves. This is self-imposed segregation. The public cannot act like this, so it is disproportionate and creates a conflict. We need a proportionate statute that says, yes buy the land, but if you build on it without permission you will face conviction.”