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11:23am Monday 23rd June 2008
A CONTROVERSIAL community centre put up at Europe's biggest illegal traveller site near Billericay may be moved to the village school.
Essex County Council is in talks about moving a log cabin, put up at Dale Farm without planning permission, to Crays Hill Primary School, where many of the camp's children go.
The unauthorised St Christopher's centre, which doubles up as an IT school and chapel, made headlines after the Echo revealed it had been funded with a £12,000 grant from the county council.
Lord Hanningfield, county council leader, who previously said he would try to get the funding back, said talks were under way with Basildon Council about a new location.
He said: "We are trying to find a suitable place where it could be given planning permission which would be acceptable to both councils.
"The school has been suggested as possibly acceptable to everyone and that would suit me."
Lord Hanningfield said new procedures had now been brought in place to prevent a reoccurrence of money being given ouyt for unautorised developemnts like the centre.
He also said the staff involved in the blunder could face disciplinary action.
Basildon Council leader Malcolm Buckley was adamant the centre could not stay at Dale Farm.
He argued there could be difficulties getting permission elsewhere, because of lack of toilet facilities, but if it goes to the school the county council would make the final decision.
Meanwhile, US human rights volunteer James Dasinger, who was living at Dale Farm and due to teach IT to secondary school children at St Christopher's, has returned to the USA and will not be returning.
Dale Farm campaigner Grattan Puxon said: "He went back to finish his MA and was due to return, but his now concentrating on a career in human rights.
"We still want to get lessons up and running and hope the Advocacy Project are sending over another volunteer, who may be a woman this time.
"There have been some technical problems with the computers, but they are in place.
"There has also been a children's painting competition held there and the women are using it for regular rosary prayer meetings."
JuliaM, Essex says...
2:50pm Mon 23 Jun 08
He also said the staff involved in the blunder could face disciplinary action.Only 'could'...?
DB, London says...
4:30pm Mon 23 Jun 08
Steve W, Wickford says...
5:00pm Mon 23 Jun 08
Kim Gandy, Rayleigh says...
5:43pm Mon 23 Jun 08
Vernon, Basildon says...
5:55pm Mon 23 Jun 08
bonzer, essex says...
6:39pm Mon 23 Jun 08
Jes, says...
7:30pm Mon 23 Jun 08
meldrew, benfleet says...
7:43pm Mon 23 Jun 08
Kim Gandy wrote:Kim,
1. If it is going to be moved to the school, then it should be made available to the rest of the community for IT lessons - as it has been paid for out of taxpayers\' money. 2. \"Staff involved in the blunder\" - this little exercise was pushed through by Cllr Mardner of Greenwich Council, according to sources I spoke to at Essex CC. He was the one behind it. But nobody could tell me who signed the cheque. I wonder why. 3. I also wonder why interfering American do gooder Dasinger really has returned to the US, especially as he was so hell bent and passionate on helping these people. Could it just be that their use of slaves on the site didn\'t sit comfortably with his human rights principles? There are a lot of things I wonder about the apparent reticence of the authorities to deal with this outrageous mass contravention of the law and the despicable and provocative way these people conduct themselves. I also wonder at the sanity of their supporters, both at the site, behind closed doors and on these forums. Because anybody who hasn\'t seen through their barefaced and audacious illegal conduct by now, has to be a brick short of a load. Or is it a slab short of a driveway.
mick, essex says...
9:21pm Mon 23 Jun 08
Ethan, nr dole farm, next to their spa and beauty rooms says...
10:10pm Mon 23 Jun 08
midnight warrior, Wickford says...
12:20am Tue 24 Jun 08
Ebony, says...
3:16am Tue 24 Jun 08
meldrew wrote:Meldrew/Baldeagle or whatever you call yourself today
Kim Gandy wrote: 1. If it is going to be moved to the school, then it should be made available to the rest of the community for IT lessons - as it has been paid for out of taxpayers\' money. 2. \"Staff involved in the blunder\" - this little exercise was pushed through by Cllr Mardner of Greenwich Council, according to sources I spoke to at Essex CC. He was the one behind it. But nobody could tell me who signed the cheque. I wonder why. 3. I also wonder why interfering American do gooder Dasinger really has returned to the US, especially as he was so hell bent and passionate on helping these people. Could it just be that their use of slaves on the site didn\'t sit comfortably with his human rights principles? There are a lot of things I wonder about the apparent reticence of the authorities to deal with this outrageous mass contravention of the law and the despicable and provocative way these people conduct themselves. I also wonder at the sanity of their supporters, both at the site, behind closed doors and on these forums. Because anybody who hasn\'t seen through their barefaced and audacious illegal conduct by now, has to be a brick short of a load. Or is it a slab short of a driveway.Kim, Good to see more of your arguments for common sense here. 1. Totally agree that the building should be used by the people who paid for it. If it goes to the school the cost should be deducted from the Essex CC education budget for that school. 2. I am still awaiting even an acknowledgement from Lord H. after asking who authorised spending my money! 3. American do-gooders need to look at their own record on human rights first Native Americans and the folks in Alabama might warrant some support from his ilk. Mind you Guantanamo Bay might have some nice cheap land where the travelling people could build and be undisturbed. 4. I am convinced that there must be some agenda behind the lack of action taken against these groups. I am digging for information within the true blue Castle Point Borough Council and believe me all those who scream we need to ditch socialism and the loony left would be very surprised to know what has been going on here. My latest find was Rokker Radio a BBC sponsored 2 hour slot each Sunday Night 7:00 pm till 9:00 pm. especially for Roma folk. You have never heard so much blatant one-sided clap trap in all your days. Listeners are told how us settled folk (actually Jake the presenter called us a racist name starting with G . which I took great pleasure in reporting to Ofcom) have historically abused the Roma and must be educated in their culture. You really have to tune in, its priceless. They even sent people off to schools to showcase their music which turned out to be some appalling corruption of an old English nursery rhyme played on the bell on stick and toy cupboard drum More seriously an audio clip of a traveller eviction taken from the short film made to influence the EERA process was played followed by the usual bleating about all they wanted was to build a home on their own land, no mention of all the breaches of the law leading up to that rare action of last resort. Keep up the fight Kim.
Sally, Crays Hill says...
9:02am Tue 24 Jun 08
Meldrew, benfleet says...
10:54am Tue 24 Jun 08
Meldrew, benfleet says...
10:55am Tue 24 Jun 08
Meldrew, benfleet says...
11:01am Tue 24 Jun 08
mick, essex says...
11:57am Tue 24 Jun 08
Ebony, says...
12:45pm Tue 24 Jun 08
Meldrew wrote:gentle cultured people?
Ebony, I smell a red herring here - another diversion to whip things up into a slanging match. Like, I suspect, many of my fellow indigenous English I felt hurt and upset by the continued use of the racist language used by the bigoted presenter on Rokker Radio. You should realise that to us gentle cultured people the word G.... iplies someone who is disgusting, greedy and obese and is a foul and racist comment on our community. My life is perfectly OK thanks but the fascist supporters of outlaws in our homeland are threatening our peaceful and law abiding culture. As to \"black people being victims here\" if you read the comments properly you would have discovered I was referring to the treatment of black people in the USA and suggesting the American \"students\" might do better to look nearer to home. As to the crack about poor old Baldeagle and me - Look he\'s just a good mate who happens to share the same views - just like you and your \"pals\" on here. All written with tongue firmly in cheek, which you probably don\'t understand either...
Ebony, says...
12:58pm Tue 24 Jun 08
Poor old Ebony, says...
2:36pm Tue 24 Jun 08
ebony, says...
3:23pm Tue 24 Jun 08
Grillopad, benfleet says...
4:37pm Tue 24 Jun 08
Grillos in the mist, Control and C HQ says...
5:04pm Tue 24 Jun 08
Grillopad wrote:I'm waiting for the joke about wearing clothes from primark.
E.Boney Sorry guy you really lost it now. did you see them slaves down at Dale Farm they was white man!
Ebony, says...
5:20pm Tue 24 Jun 08
Grillos in the mist wrote:Mel, you're sad and lonely, in addition to being bald
Grillopad wrote: E.Boney Sorry guy you really lost it now. did you see them slaves down at Dale Farm they was white man!I'm waiting for the joke about wearing clothes from primark. I bet he f@rted in his pants with laughter while he was typing it.
meldrew, benfleet says...
6:06pm Tue 24 Jun 08
GRILLO HUNTER, Everywhere says...
12:36am Thu 26 Jun 08
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undertaker, crays hill says...
1:40pm Mon 23 Jun 08
It would fit in well with their garish dwellings which are owned by those poor homeless people at dale farm.