Residents of a quaint Essex hamlet may have thwarted an attempt to establish an unlawful caravan site by confronting individuals who allegedly pretended to be broadband technicians conducting survey work.
The alert was raised in Willows Green, Essex, following the discovery that Edward Myles Anthony Connors, an Irish traveler with a family history of unauthorized developments, purchased a nearby field for £150,000 in cash.
Community tension had already peaked after a separate group of travelers illegally set up a 12-pitch caravan site on another field just 300 yards away during the May Day bank holiday weekend.
Determined to prevent another unauthorized site, locals have maintained vigilant surveillance over the land, promptly reporting any dubious activities to Uttlesford District Council. Their diligence paid off when the council obtained an emergency High Court injunction to halt any development.
Mrs. Justice Alison Foster issued a temporary injunction on Saturday, restricting Mr. Connors and ‘persons unknown’ from initiating any development on the site without proper planning permission until a comprehensive hearing is conducted.
Concerns escalated last Wednesday when signs appeared, indicating a road adjacent to the field would be closed from May 26 to May 31 for a water company to connect a water supply intended for ‘drinking troughs for horses.’
That same day, a local woman watched a group of men turning up in a white van seemingly surveying the site. She left her home and confronted them while recording the moment.
In audio obtained by the Daily Mail, a man with an Essex accent is heard claiming he is doing work for a broadband company and that residents should have been notified. He says he will speak to his supervisor and return with paperwork within ten minutes.
A photo of one of the fake workmen, who appeared in Willows Green last week
The men went away after they were confronted by a local resident
A traveller site appeared over the May bank holiday weekend in the village of Willows Green, Essex
However, he never returned, and the broadband company in question has confirmed to the Mail that none of its teams were in the area at the time.
The woman told the Mail afterwards: ‘They looked like they were marking out an entrance but after I spoke to them they just left and never produced any paperwork.’
DVLA checks on the pair’s vehicle show it was untaxed since April 30 and neither of them were wearing uniform.
The woman confirmed she had passed information about the incident to the council before the injunction was granted on Saturday.
She added: ‘We did it. We told the council everything that had happened near the field and now an injunction is in place.’
The first plot at Willows Green was illegally developed in a ‘military-style’ operation that began on May Day.
Within hours of the council closing, an army of workers and around 30 vehicles pulled onto the land.
Using lights and generators, diggers began turning over grass ready for hardcore and asphalt.
The May bank holiday development was part of a trend that sees travellers build unauthorised developments over long weekends when council enforcement teams are at home.
They then apply for retrospective planning permission in a bid to make them permanent.
Uttlesford District Council failed to act to stop the first site despite being warned that travellers were planning to import thousands of tonnes of hardcore to the field, but the authority has been praised for securing the injunction preventing building work on the second field.
Residents had feared Mr Connors or his associates would use the upcoming bank holiday on May 25 as cover to start work.
A man who lives by the original site said: ‘You could say the council has learnt from its mistake and accepted it can do something before work starts and jumped on top of this one. I just hope the injunction works.’
The council finally served a stop notice against further work on the first field on May 5, but work continued until it secured a temporary High Court injunction a day later.
The injunction bans Anthony Mongan and persons unknown from carrying out any further work.
Last week Mr Mongan submitted a retrospective planning application for a traveller site of 12 pitches, each housing a mobile home, day room and touring caravan.
However, after the planning department requested further information from the applicant, it was withdrawn.
Residents claim there has been some further development after the injunction was served.
There was a hearing at the High Court in respect of the interim injunction at the first site on Wednesday, May 13.
Members of Felsted Parish Council attended the hearing on behalf of villagers.
Martin Mongan advertised for a plot in Willows Green before the first field went on to be concreted over
The parish council reported in a news update: ‘It was said that there are 14 families interested in the site and their solicitor said that as her clients were illiterate and so numerous, while she was agreeable for the injunction to be continued she needed to be allowed time to gather her evidence in rebuttal for which a period of a minimum of 6-8 weeks was required.
‘After a brief adjournment to allow the judge to consider the defendants’ evidence, which apparently raises welfare needs and human rights, the judge has ordered that the Injunction now continues in place until a new hearing date of 18 June.’
An Uttlesford Council spokesman said: ‘The circumstances at the two sites were legally different. In the first case, the council did not have sufficient evidence of an imminent breach to justify pre‑emptive court action before works began.
‘However, once activity occurred at the first site, along with further information on the second site, this provided clear evidence of a credible and immediate risk of further unauthorised development in the area. That change in circumstances meant the legal threshold for urgent injunctive action was met. As a result, the council was able to apply to the court, and an injunction relating to the second site was granted on Saturday.
‘The council continues to monitor both locations and will take proportionate and lawful action where the evidence supports it.’
An Affinity Water spokesperson said: ‘Affinity Water is aware of a request for a new water connection at this location. As a water company, we have a legal duty to provide connections where a valid application has been made. We do not have powers to make judgements on land ownership or planning matters.
‘We have not received any formal instruction from the local authority or other relevant bodies to prevent the connection from going ahead.
‘We continue to work with local partners and will comply with any legal requirements or directions provided to us.’
