Dale Farm, apparently, consists of two sites. One has planning permission. The other does not: because it is within Basildon’s ‘green belt’.
The site was originally developed by travellers from England. However, the part of the Dale Farm site for which no planning permission had been obtained belongs to a family called the Sheridans. The Sheridans come from a town called Rathkeale, near Limerick in Ireland. The Telegraph reports:
The travellers admit they originally came from southern Ireland but deny any current connection.
New documentary evidence collected by local residents suggests that one couple living on Dale Farm are on the deeds of a home in Rathkeale.
Another couple, who recently married in London, own a plot of land in Rathkeale and have planning approval to build a marital home and another property.
Others appear on the electoral register in the Irish town.
The Sheridan family were hopeful that the plot of land that they had bought would be granted planning permission, and engaged in lengthy litigation with Basildon Council on the issue. They were ultimately unsuccessful.
Planning disputes are never fun, and tend to result in heightened passions on all sides. Those who own property object to being told what they can and can’t do with it. Those who live near property owned by others look to the local authority to enforce the law. Most of us will have friends or relatives who have been involved on one side or other of a dispute like this. The best advice, of course, it to ensure that legal and planning advice is taken when property is bought.
Now the site has been cleared, although a few protestors remain.
There is a wider question: that of the adequacy of local authority provision for travelling families. However, it has no direct bearing on the question of planning law raised by this dispute.
However, in the view of Amnesty International, this enforcement of planning law is a matter which raises fundamental human rights concerns:
There has been a lack of genuine consultation consistent with international human rights standards on options for alternative culturally adequate housing for those affected. While some have been offered ‘bricks and mortar’ housing, many do not want this, and the Council has not offered alternative culturally adequate housing to all those residents facing eviction.
Amnesty International is asking people to take action to help stop the eviction, at www.amnesty.org.uk/dalefarm
A slight loss of perspective.
