Legal travellers' plots are not wanted (From Echo)

Legal travellers' plots are not wanted

6:05pm Thursday 10th July 2008 in News By Jon Austin

A GROUP of traveller plots are not selling in Basildon - despite the district having one of the highest demands for legal sites in the country.

Basildon is home to about 170 unauthorised caravans - the fourth highest in the country - and Europe's biggest illegal site at Crays Hill.

Yet four new, legal caravan pitches remain empty, nearly two years after they went on sale.

It is claimed there is a shortage of 4,000 legal caravan pitches for gipsies and travellers nationally, yet no one bid for the plots in Meadow Lane, Wickford.

There was no reserve price for the plots with guide prices of between £25,000 to £55,000 for the new homes.

Chelmsford Council created the pitches in 2005, during a £500,000 revamp of the Runwell site, in north Wickford, funded by taxpayers.

It advertised the plots nationally, including in the Traveller Times magazine, inviting open bids where people could name a price.

Travellers in Basildon have paid as little as £2,000 for illegal green belt plots.

Basildon Council leader Malcolm Buckley said it made a "mockery" of suggested need levels.

He said: "With Basildon's level of demand, it seems implausible legal homes with no reserve price cannot sell.

"It fuels the theory travellers prefer to buy green belt, at £2,000 to £10,000 a plot, and then try to get permission for economic reasons."

Ryan De'ath, Chelmsford Council spokesman, said: "Initially, inquiries were received, but no plots were sold. There was no reserve price set, but the council had the ability and discretion to decide over any bids that were unreasonably low.

"There are currently no plans to remarket them."

Grattan Puxon, who campaigns for travellers at Crays Hill and founded the Gypsy Council, argued no-one from Dale Farm would want to leave relatives for another site.

However, he said he was surprised there had been no interest across Essex.

He said: "Everyone feels they have invested their money in Dale Farm and are committed to staying.

"I would have expected some interest across Essex. We can raise the fact they are available at the next Gypsy Council meeting."