A group of travellers descended on Sundridge, Kent over the Easter weekend, occupying a field that was sold at auction in September or October. The field was sold for £167,000, with a reserve price of £60,000. The travellers used diggers and machinery to convert the green space into a hardstand caravan site without planning permission. Sevenoaks District Council issued a Temporary Stop Notice for the site on Tuesday night.
In Sundridge, a static caravan loaded onto a lorry became wedged in a country lane on Sunday, blocking the road until 4am Monday. One local, James Evans, was arrested for obstructing an officer or police or highway during the incident. Residents in Sundridge accused police of 'aiding and abetting' the travellers.
Meanwhile, in Flamstead, Hertfordshire, a group of travellers arrived on Thursday, driving machinery onto green belt land near Friendless Lane. The first caravans appeared at the site on Easter Sunday morning. Hertfordshire Constabulary is investigating allegations including threatening behaviour, criminal damage, road traffic offences, and illegal felling of trees at the location.
Dacorum Borough Council issued a temporary stop notice for the Flamstead site on Saturday. Travellers in Flamstead allegedly wielded iron bars, damaged cars, and rammed a police car.
In Alfold, Surrey, a group of travellers arrived over the Easter weekend, transforming a rural field into a caravan site. Waverley Borough Council issued two 'stop notices' for the site under the Town and Country Planning Act.
An interim injunction has been issued by the High Court for the Alfold site, ordering travellers not to further develop the camp pending another hearing. Surrey Police stated no criminal offences have been identified at the Alfold site, and it is a planning permission issue led by Waverley Borough Council.
The travellers chose the Easter weekend to move in because council offices were closed over the bank holiday, making authorities slower to react.
Reactions from residents have been sharply critical, particularly in Sundridge where accusations of police complicity have emerged.
The situation creates a 'two-tier justice' system where travellers can breach planning laws and later apply for retrospective permission.
Several unknowns persist in the aftermath of these incidents. The land ownership in Flamstead remains unclear, and it is uncertain whether specific criminal charges will result from the ongoing police investigation. It also remains uncertain whether travellers will apply for retrospective planning permission at the Sundridge, Flamstead, and Alfold sites, and what the timeline for legal resolutions might be.