A construction boss who sought more than 100 lorry loads of building materials before the May Bank Holiday has been connected to an alleged “traveller land grab” in which a wildlife haven was bulldozed.
Karl Kavanagh, 48, is the owner of Hampshire-based KK Construction, a firm that advertises a “full range” of building services, including groundworks, driveways and home extensions.
In May, Kavanagh posted in a commercial Facebook group seeking more than 100 lorry loads of aggregate for delivery to developments in Horley, Surrey, and Horsham, West Sussex, before the Bank Holiday weekend.
At the time, he said he did not know exactly where the materials would be used, while acknowledging he could not rule out the possibility that they might be destined for traveller sites.
It has now emerged that vehicles belonging to his company were seen over the August Bank Holiday at Sawbridgeworth in Hertfordshire, where diggers and workers moved onto a field on the Friday after council staff had left for the day.
Angry local residents responded by setting up a protest camp as tarmac was laid and fencing erected, despite the work having no planning permission.
Vehicles owned by Karl Kavanagh, 48, who runs the Hampshire-based building company KK Construction, were filmed being escorted away from the Sawbridgeworth site by police
Footage shared on Facebook captured residents cheering as machinery owned by KK Construction was driven off the site
A police officer is seen talking to Karl Kavanagh, left, and a traveller at the site in Sawbridgeworth
An emergency High Court order was issued at 10.30pm on Saturday, temporarily preventing any further development of the site or occupation by caravans.
But construction work continued on Sunday and into Monday morning, as hundreds of residents staged peaceful protests beside the site.
The council then returned to court and secured a strengthened injunction, including powers of arrest for anyone who breached it, which was served on those occupying the land on Monday.
Footage shows residents cheering as Mr Kavanagh’s machinery was finally driven away from the site.
The businessman was previously found to be advertising for 100 loads of crushed aggregate for a development in the Horley area of Surrey over the Saturday and Sunday of the last May Bank Holiday.
He followed this up with another post the next day, saying tipper lorries were needed in Horsham from Saturday to Monday at £200 a load.
At the time, Mr Kavanagh claimed not to know what the material was for.
He said: ‘I’m a subcontractor. I don’t know what it’s for. I’m just trying to organise it for a main contractor we do a lot of building work for. I was just asked to put up the posts as a registered building company.’
An aerial view of the illegal travellers camp in Sawbridgeworth that was foiled by protesters
He said he could not rule out the loads being destined for traveller sites, as some firms would be willing to provide the materials ‘if money was involved’. He refused to provide contact details for the main contractor.
Horsham Council and Reigate and Banstead Council were alerted to the posts, with the latter launching an immediate investigation.
There was no apparent development in the Horley area over the weekend in question. But at nearby West Chiltington in West Sussex, heavy machinery moved onto a field on Friday.
Work continued throughout the weekend and, despite the presence of both council officers and police, a caravan site was developed near the world-renowned Nyetimber sparkling wine estate.
Mr Kavanagh could not be conclusively linked to the unauthorised development at West Chiltington. And when he was asked about the site in Sawbridgeworth, he initially claimed not to know his vans were there.
After being informed that he had been pictured at the site, he declined to make any further comment.
The developments follow a trend that has seen travellers swoop in to lay pitches on the Friday night before bank holiday weekends.
This gives unscrupulous developers near free rein to do what they like until Tuesday morning, by which time concrete has often been laid and caravans moved in.
In May, travellers paved over a field near the world-renowned Nyetimber sparkling wine estate in West Sussex
Construction work continued at an illegal traveller site on greenbelt land in Essex over the bank holiday weekend
Local residents gather at the site of the land grab in Sawbridgeworth over the weekend
Wooden posts and a caravan had been left at the site when Our News Outlet visited on Wednesday
Planning permission is then sought retrospectively, prompting a lengthy and costly legal process.
KK Construction has an active social media page which regularly shows photos of projects it has completed across the South East of England, alongside glowing testimonials from customers.
Mr Kavanagh is a director of 15 other active companies involved in construction or property development. Most give the registered office address as a detached bungalow that sold for £530,000 early last year.
East Herts Council said of the situation in Sawbridgeworth: ‘We will continue to work closely with Hertfordshire Police and our other partners to monitor the site and prevent any further unauthorised works.’
