Dale Farm residents lose eviction battle

Traveller families at Dale Farm have lost a High Court battle against eviction.

A High Court judge ruled on Wednesday afternoon that Basildon Council can now go ahead and clear 49 illegal plots at the UK's largest traveller's site which houses an estimated 400 people.

The travellers had previously tried to stop their removal from the site, in Essex, with three applications for judicial review.

However, the third judicial review was refused by the High Court.

Mr Justice Ouseley, sitting in London Wednesday, ruled they had delayed too long in challenging Basildon Council's decision to take direct action against them.

In September, the council brought in bailiffs to clear the site, but they were prevented from clearing the site after lawyers for the travellers obtained a high court injunction.

The eviction and the accompanying police operation are expected to cost the council an estimated £18 million.

[Gallery: Dale Farm eviction in photos]

Tony Collins, a director at an Essex-based planning consultancy Collins and Coward ,commented on the High Court ruling. He said: "While the anguish of the Dale Farm residents is no doubt both genuine and understandable, this judgment is a reiteration of what the case is all about - planning law.

"Amid all the talk of human rights and the emotive subject of eviction, it has been easy to lose sight of the core dispute, which is one of planning law.

"It's about unauthorised development on Green Belt land.  The rules on this are clear, and apply to everyone.  Suggestions that the traveller community is being unfairly targeted are greatly overblown.

"These homes should never have been built, and now the due legal process has been followed, they must go.  To let them remain would set a clear precedent of ignoring unauthorised development in the Green Belt."