Basildon Council sunk secret group appointed to solve Dale Farm crisis

[mark at tlio.org.uk]

The Homes and Communities Agency have confirmed in a letter to Richard 
Howitt MP that their offer of land and funding for alternative sites 
for the Dale Farm community was rejected by Basildon Council in 
October 2010.

A news scoop seemingly not important enough to be coveredby BBC South 
East or London Tonight regional news.


Basildon Council sunk secret group appointed to solve Dale Farm crisis
Posted on September 13, 2011 by dalefarmsupport
Ref: 
http://dalefarm.wordpress.com/2011/09/13/basildon-council-sunk-secret-group-appointed-to-solve-dale-farm-crisis/

The Homes and Communities Agency offer of land and funding for 
alternative sites had been rejected by Basildon.

In letters from the Homes and Communities Agency, made public today, 
it is revealed that Basildon District Council withdrew from the 
official group tasked to find a housing solution for the Dale Farm 
community. This left no plan for the Travellers’ welfare following any 
eviction.

  The ‘Alternative Sites Working Group’ met from November 2009 to 
August 2010 and included Basildon District Council, Essex County 
Council, the Government Office for the East of England, plus the 
former leader of Reigate and Banstead Council and chairman of the 
Local Government Association Task Force on Gypsies and Travellers (As 
confirmed in a letter from Homes and Communities Agency to local MEP 
Richard Howitt, 31 August 2011). They met in secret at the request of 
Basildon Council. Basildon District Council withdrew in October 2010 
and refused to deal with group, over “an alleged breach of 
confidentiality on details of sites being discussed by the Working 
Group” (As stated in an email from Homes and Communities Agency to 
Dale Farm Support Group, 12 Sept 2011).  This stopped its work in 
finding alternative Traveller sites.

  Dale Farm resident Kathleen McCarthy said, “This is shocking, 
Basildon Council have put their prejudice above finding a solution to 
the needs of the Dale Farm community.”

  The Homes and Communities Agency, noted that, “[w]e are willing to 
place any of our land in Basildon at the Council’s designation as a 
Gypsy and Traveller site(s). We are willing to identify and invest 
capital to establish the pitches on such land.”

  However, one planning application on HCA land near the current Dale 
Farm site has already been rejected by Basildon Council on the stated 
grounds of road safety.

  Dale Farm resident Kathleen McCarthy continued, “The behaviour of 
Tony Ball, leader of the Council, makes life for us impossible. He 
pulled out of the official process to find a new fully legal site, and 
when we try ourselves, he blocks our proposals for new sites, even 
when we have full HCA backing. Next weeks’ eviction is about 
prejudice, pure and simple.”

  The revelations coincide with open letter to the government and 
Basildon Council that the Council must suspend the eviction and find 
an alternative culturally acceptable solution to making Dale Farm 
residents homeless. It was signed by  the Chief Executive of the 
Children’s Society, Director of Liberty, and MPs Andy Slaughter and 
Andrew George plus 59 others. (Guardian, 13 September 2011, P33)

Questions have been raised about the motivations for pushing for the 
eviction as plans are revealed for 900 homes on greenbelt land in the 
neighbouring district to Basildon. Plans for homes on Jotmans Lane 
Benfleet have the support of Tory councillors, and face a final vote 
on the 27th September, after a report by a government inspector 
highlighted the need for more homes.(Basildon Echo, 13 September 2011, 
P7)