Weather
Illegal traveller camp hails MP's intervention (From Basildon Recorder)
Get involved: send your pictures, video, news and views by texting ECHONEWS to 80360, or email us »
Illegal traveller camp hails MP's intervention
3:00pm Tuesday 9th June 2009
TRAVELLERS are backing a bid by MP John Baron to find them new sites.
A committee met at Dale Farm to discuss Mr Baron’s visit to the camp before announcing he was pressuring the Government to find land outside Basildon to temporarily house families.
Mr Baron was once criticised by travellers due to his tough stance on illegal development. They are now keen to work with the Tory MP Campaigner Grattan Puxon said: “This was a turning point.
“Mr Baron previously campaigned vigorously against a small number of families moving to Pitsea. We welcome this new stance, and believe this is an idea we can develop with him.”
Mr Puxon said plan A remained staying at Dale Farm, but the option was a “welcome plan B”, although it would need to be permanent.
He added: “Basildon Council is still under obligation to identify land for 66 pitches, so we would also be prepared to seek funding through Dale Farm Housing Association to purchase land it may set aside.”
Mr Baron has previously said finding another site for a group that has broken planning laws would be a reward, and discriminate against people on housing lists.
His website still features an article in which he slams regional plans to create more sites based on the number of illegal pitches.
Yet he maintains he has not softened his stance, and just wants to avoid a messy eviction.
Mr Baron also claimed the Government had finally accepted travellers must leave Dale Farm.
In February 2007, the Government quashed an appeal by families for planning permission.
Yet Mr Baron says it has never publicly said they must go, until he received a letter from Iain Wright, Communities Minister, saying the council “must” enforce planning law to move them on.
Len Gridley, 50, from Oak Road, Crays Hill, a staunch opponent of the camp, was critical of Mr Baron: “Like all politicians, this is as two-faced as it comes. What side of the fence is he on?”
More Echo News stories
- Off the wall gran is a wannabe Jacko
- Neighbours delighted by youth care home closure
- Have your say over council land sell-off
- Exhibits gathering dust after Motorboat Museum closes
- Planned development cash for playground
- Garages are being demolished at last
- Rugby teams battle in memory of Aaron
- Veterans to fight plan to axe Gurkhas from Army
- Will will not be moved say travellers
- Volunteers’ tears and shock at state of horse found wandering on road
Your Say Your Basildon
boom, basildon says...
4:07pm Tue 9 Jun 09
undertaker, crays hill says...
4:28pm Tue 9 Jun 09
Deadjim, Billericay says...
4:34pm Tue 9 Jun 09
“Plan A” is a complete non-starter following the Court of Appeal and House of Lords decisons.
The assertion that “Basildon Council is still under an obligation to identify land for 66 pitches” is simply not true .The Council is not under an obligation currently to provide any additional pitches and is apparently very determined to resist any pressure to do otherwise when the Government makes the final decisions in the Autumn .
All additional pitches in the Region will course need to adhere to the Government’s guidelines of around 15 pitches per site.
As for Mr Baron, pressuring the Government to provide temporary land outside the district should have taken place years ago, when it first became clear that the legal process would eventually support the Council’s position. It is appalling that this sort of research has not been carried out already .
Fortunately, Mr Baron is not in the decision making loop and it is the Council alone who have the clear obligation ,as the Minister rightly says, “to enforce the Law”. Failure to do so would invite justified claims of maladministration.
shallotman, Basildon says...
4:38pm Tue 9 Jun 09
boom, basildon says...
4:45pm Tue 9 Jun 09
Ironman, billericay says...
4:48pm Tue 9 Jun 09
These Itinerants can sure spot an opportunity when they see one.
What a farce.
Forget the next election, it will be the same ol', same ol'
There was a listing of the BNP's manifesto in the Mail today. I can't argue with any of it (and I was a Socialist).
steve@eastwood, Eastwood says...
6:41pm Tue 9 Jun 09
Round the diddy coys up and shoot the scum!
Biker One, Basildon says...
7:01pm Tue 9 Jun 09
wotsit, southend says...
8:27pm Tue 9 Jun 09
typhoon32, Southend says...
9:47pm Tue 9 Jun 09
shallotman wrote:hahaha
Must be an election on the horizon.
Dream on dreamer.
Why keep banging on about elections.
I promise half of you are stuck up Camerons rear end
bumper, sorry its not my town or village says...
10:02pm Tue 9 Jun 09
i bet you live miles way tho .
mp more like two faced muppet.
bronte, Rayleigh says...
10:31pm Tue 9 Jun 09
Fupo, Wickford says...
10:34pm Tue 9 Jun 09
midnight warrior, wickford says...
11:00pm Tue 9 Jun 09
E$$ex77, says...
10:20am Wed 10 Jun 09
thelonewhinger, benfleet says...
11:40am Wed 10 Jun 09
As MP for the district containing the largest development by "travellers" in the country he has repeatedly missed the opportunity to highlight the problems and misery that such no-go communities bring to an area. He was (and still is) ideally placed to rally support in parliament to seriously rethink the concept of special housing provision solely on the basis of a contrived argument of "race" "culture" or "ethnic identity".
Will we ever see politicians stand up and speak out on contentious subjects or are they all so in fear of being labelled bigots or racists. Even when a democratic vote selects a BNP candidate we still allow his opponents to physically and verbally attack and ridicule him. It is shameful that we are becoming a nation of sheep.
Ironman, billericay says...
1:28pm Wed 10 Jun 09
No one wants to rock the boat whenever Immigration or Benefits are mentioned.
These seem to be in the top concerns that the electorate want sorted. But in this so-called democracy, nothing gets addressed.
Winston Smith, Airstrip One. Oceania. says...
5:26pm Wed 10 Jun 09
Ironman, billericay says...
10:57pm Wed 10 Jun 09
Winston Smith wrote:All the Tory Boys & fat cats in Billericay. That's who!
This could go in the book as the textbook method for committing political suicide. Who the hell will vote for John Baron now?
mpgrays, Grays says...
10:28pm Thu 11 Jun 09
John Baron
Local Advertisers
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
Winston Smith, Airstrip One. Oceania. says...
4:04pm Tue 9 Jun 09