The Easter weekend saw a coordinated series of land grabs by travellers in Sundridge, Kent; Flamstead, Hertfordshire; and Alfold, Surrey, leading to swift enforcement actions and outcry from local residents. In Sundridge, a one-acre field owned by the parish council was sold at auction in September or October for £167,000, with a reserve price of £60,000, to Miles Martin Connors, according to multiple reports. Travellers moved onto the field over the holiday, using diggers and machinery to convert it into a hardstand caravan site, as reported by six media sources. Residents accused police of 'aiding and abetting' the travellers, and Sevenoaks District Council issued a Temporary Stop Notice for the site. In a separate incident, a static caravan on a lorry became wedged in a country lane in Sundridge, blocking it until 4am on Monday, multiple reports indicate. James Evans, son of parish council chairman John Evans, was arrested for obstructing police by telling locals to ignore requests to move cars, according to four media sources.
In Flamstead, travellers moved onto a field on Thursday of Easter weekend, with caravans arriving on Sunday, as reported by six media sources. The site is within the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and travellers concreted over large patches of land, submitting a planning application for 14 plots and 42 caravans, according to multiple reports. Construction vehicles filled with aggregate and equipment began descending onto Flamstead village around 6pm on Thursday, destined for a site known as Cotton Spring off Friendless Lane, research from two sources shows. Flamstead Parish Council confirmed no known planning permission had been granted for the development. Residents claimed travellers wielded iron bars, damaged cars and a police car, and used 'sheer force' to access the site, while Hertfordshire locals said they were subjected to violent abuse and threats hurled at them by travellers first making their arrivals on Thursday night.
Police are investigating allegations in Flamstead including threatening behaviour, criminal damage, illegal tree felling, and road traffic offences, according to police statements. Hertfordshire Constabulary confirmed a police presence was posted in Flamstead during and following the incident. On Sunday, Dacorum Borough Council confirmed an emergency injunction had been applied for and granted by the court to halt building, and the council served papers on site prohibiting any unauthorized works or use of the site, a DBC spokesperson said. The council also issued a temporary stop notice for the Flamstead site. Lawful protests occurred from some residents on Sunday night, with suggestions a fallen tree was used to block the road, now removed, and an altercation between those in construction vehicles and villagers is said to have taken place, with protesters eventually dispersing, according to research from two sources. Residents alerted Dacorum Borough Council and MP Victoria Collins to seek a solution, research indicates.
In Alfold, travellers moved onto a field on Thursday of Easter weekend, creating a 17-plot 'gated community' with caravans and static homes, as reported by six media sources. The travellers own the land but did not have planning permission, according to two media sources. Waverley Borough Council issued stop notices for the site, but work continued, and an interim injunction was issued by the High Court, preventing further development pending a hearing on April 21. Surrey Police said no criminal offences were identified at the Alfold site, treating it as a planning issue. Images from the encampments showed aggregate laid down and construction vehicles on site, with further pictures showing caravans and cars on the land, according to research from two sources. Photos evidence claims that Friendless Lane was blocked by vehicles heading to and from the unauthorized building site.
Councils in England have a statutory responsibility to assess accommodation needs for Gypsies and Travellers and identify land for sites, and travellers can apply for retrospective planning permission after unauthorised developments, as reported by multiple media sources. The Easter weekend was chosen for these land grabs because council offices were closed, slowing enforcement, according to six media sources. Travellers have brought in bulldozers and ripped up green belt land in the hope the local council will be too slow to react over the holiday, research from two sources indicates. Visual evidence from the incidents includes images showing aggregate laid down, construction vehicles on site, caravans and cars on the land, and blocked lanes, as documented by multiple sources.
Key unknowns remain, including who owns the field in Flamstead where the unauthorized development occurred and the exact number of caravans and static homes at the Alfold site. The status of planning applications for the Flamstead and Alfold sites is unclear, and specific criminal charges filed and total arrests across all three counties have not been confirmed.