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Crunch vote due on Dale Farm evictions

4:00pm Thursday 10th February 2011 in Basildon By Jon Austin

COUNCILLORS will decide next month whether to spend as much as £3million evict ing hundreds of travellers from their Crays Hill campsite.

Basildon Council is planning to hold a special full council meeting on March 14 to allow members to discuss plans to clear the Dale Farm camp.

If councillors decide to go ahead, notices will then be served on the travellers.

However, the eviction itself is likely to be delayed until after the royal wedding on April 29 because many Essex Police officers will be tied up guarding the festivities.

Council leader Tony Ball said councillors should know before the meeting whether Government cash will be available to help foot the eviction.

It should also be clear if Essex Police has succeeded in securing as much as £10million from the Home Office to cover the cost of involvement.

Mr Ball, who has previously promised to resign if the eviction fails to go ahead this spring, promised: “We will continue, whether we get the funding or not.”

He said next month’s meeting would set a provisional timetable for the eviction, though it remains unclear if the actual date will be announced in advance.

After a debate, councillors will then be asked to vote on serving notices, which would then give the 96 families on the site 28 days to move and avoid forced eviction.

The vote will come just two weeks after a meeting in Westminster between the council, Basildon and Billericay MP John Baron and traveller representatives.

The meeting is due to review progress towards finding sites outside Basildon borough to which the travellers can move to avoid eviction.

Grattan Puxon, a campaigner for the travellers, said a search was still on. An application was also being prepared for a small site in Basildon. He would like the actual date of the eviction announced in advance. He claimed hundreds of people had signed an anti-eviction petition and many would form a human shield to block the way for bailiffs and police.

Comments(16)

Shirley Knott says...
4:08pm Thu 10 Feb 11

vote toget tem out, or you'll get voted out. As that annoying pretend meerkat says 'simples'

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Nebs says...
4:14pm Thu 10 Feb 11

Apply for costs as well. Then if you find that any of them have any money, you will be able to get it.

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Shirley Knott says...
4:18pm Thu 10 Feb 11

"He claimed hundreds of people had signed an anti-eviction petition and many would form a human shield to block the way for bailiffs and police. "

the SPG or whatever they're called could come over and get some practice cracking heads for the next time there's a demo in London, nice day out for them. Peterloo all over again

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Dids says...
4:37pm Thu 10 Feb 11

Hope to god Basildon Council does NOT give out the date of the eviction and let them be prepared,just turn up in the middle of the night with bulldozers,SAS and Paratroops it will only take half hour then

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jolllyboy says...
4:44pm Thu 10 Feb 11

They MUST be voted out or it will be open house for all and sunry to set up anywhere. Some of them have houses to go to anyway.

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el caballero de la noche says...
5:43pm Thu 10 Feb 11

Are they gone yet, if not why not they are in breach of OUR planning laws.

The fact is the Councillors that failed in their statutory duty to get rid of them within days, like all other councils have should be made bankrupt for failing to act.

IF they fail this time Basildon will have travellers from all over Europe settling there.

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thelonewhinger says...
5:56pm Thu 10 Feb 11

Thanks to Mr.Editor for allowing all us "racists" to comment on this delicate subject:
Firstly - What's all this "IF we decide to go ahead?" Surely the whole point of years of Court action was to achieve the very thing that nobody seems to have the guts to do...Get em out!
Secondly - I am disappointed but not suprised that the various Gypsy Wedding episodes shown on TV have not attracted more attention from the police or HM Customs & Revenue or even the race relations people.
I suggest that anyone who even remotely cares that these scum are openly flouting laws which all other sections of society must abide-by take a few minutes to write to their MP and demand to know why no action is being taken against those appearing in the documentary. Rather than attract sympathy to their cause the scenes we have witnessed may rebound on them!
Genuine settled English Gypsies should hang their heads in shame if they continue to support these Irish mafia.

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god 2011 says...
7:04pm Thu 10 Feb 11

why the hell is this costing 3 millon pound im absoutley amazed could they give us a break down on what exactly the money is being spent on all you need is 50 heavys cost 50 grand job done utter ridicolous country this pathetic

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midnight warrior says...
7:10pm Thu 10 Feb 11

The big fat GW series has certainly opened peoples eyes to the truth or should I say lies. In the last episode, how the bloke Patrick proudly told eveyone that he is paid by the council (in other words the tax payer) to look after a legal gypsy site beggars belief. Why? this council should be investigated. He purchases (I use the term loosely) a brand new car every 6 months and refurnishes his home on a regular basis with mega money gear. He doesn't need the money obviously because he has alternative incomes which I am sure the taxman is aware of (NOT). I just hope these people are investigated because this is happening all over the country including Dale Farm.

Can't wait to watch the eviction on TV and see justice done for everyone in the area.

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mindboggles says...
7:12pm Thu 10 Feb 11

I'd really love to know how it could cost so much as well. Any chance of getting that break down of costs, Echo? And the police need up to 10 million on top of the 3 million the council claims it will need to spend - gobsmacking.

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InTheKnowOk says...
9:14pm Thu 10 Feb 11

If it was up to me I would break down the 3 million between each and every illegal caravan owner and make them pay it all back because after watching that gypsy programme on tuesday nights i'm fecking livid at the antics these people get up to.
Also now we know exactly how much money they have to spend on cars, trailers, wedding dresses, venues, helicopters and such like, it shows the sort of income they must be making so there is no excuse for them not to buy or rent a place like the rest of us and pay all the necessary bills that go with it.

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gardenman says...
12:33pm Fri 11 Feb 11

paying the price for years of pussyfooting around by wimpish councils.Direct action is all these scumbags recognise,they are in it for the money.The compensation culture recognising so called persecuted minority groups is an absolute farce.Let some squaddies have some target practice,and rid us of this vermin

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geezer, innit says...
12:48pm Fri 11 Feb 11

how many houses/flats do you think the council could get built on that plot? Sell 'em off and recoup the dosh spent clearing out the rubbish

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RobertFS says...
4:22pm Fri 11 Feb 11

why are they still there??????????? is this total incompetance by the council and their legal advisors? Send them back to Ireland. they are parasites they are not welcome here!
has anyone a good word for them? NO

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John T Pharro says...
4:37pm Fri 11 Feb 11

geezer, innit wrote:
how many houses/flats do you think the council could get built on that plot? Sell 'em off and recoup the dosh spent clearing out the rubbish
Sounds like a good idea, but would probably cost more than £3m to decomtaminate the ground after they (hopefully) get evicted.

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melady says...
7:15pm Tue 8 Mar 11

Is planning permission something only working class people have to apply for because all I keep seeing lately is state scroungers and the wealthy doing what they like, after all if you are a grafter and pay your taxes theirs nothing better for the system to get its teeth into, why should we all apply for planning when you read all this nonsense with the council and the way they perform, it's a joke, Grattan Puxon needs a reality check, how much longer does he think people of this country will want to keep all the ones who only want to take and put nothing back

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