"If this new policy of turning a blind eye to Travellers is to continue, no public park or open safe space will be safe from illegal traveller incursions" - Kerry Smith

ESSEX County Council has confirmed it is currently operating a policy of not moving Travellers on from unauthorised encampments because of government guidance.

The council was responding to a plea from a Basildon and county councillor to move Travellers off land managed by Thurrock Council at Beacon Field in Langdon Hills Country Park.

Thurrock Nub News has been following the situation on the park, where Travellers have now been encamped since last Friday (5 June). The longevity of their stay mirrors that of an unauthorised camp in Aveley, which was in place for nine days as Thurrock Council declined to move them on.

Thurrock has given no specific statement about its actions – or lack of action – in Belhus, nor has it given a clear cut statement of what its policy is at the moment. While the council has said it is following government guidance, it said yesterday (Wednesday, 10 June) it still wanted to move Travellers on where possible. However, it used the Essex Travel Unit run by Essex county Council as its agents dealing with Traveller matters and their policy appears to be different.

In a story we published last evening, the council touched on its policies which included the statement "Thurrock Council continues to work with unauthorised encampments to make sure they can be moved on across the borough, in a way which is compassionate, understanding and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic."

Council leader Rob Gledhill appeared to make it clear he still wanted Travellers moved on where possible and yesterday he made a call to Essex County Council , which owns the land at Langdon Hills Country Park to move on the Travellers there.

He said: "I will be speaking to the Leader of Essex County Council in relation to this and make it clear that their lack of action has impacted the state of the car park."

The call to move on Travellers was also made by Basildon District and Essex County councillor Kerry Smith, who 'demanded action' and asked Essex to: "Enforce the law by ensuring all illegal traveller incursions are dealt with, rather than this new policy of misusing Covid-19 as an excuse to avoid action.

"If this new policy of turning a blind eye to Travellers is to continue, no public park or open safe space will be safe from illegal traveller incursions.

"Therefore, I call on you both to restore the important work of ECTU working with the Police to stop travellers taking over public spaces at a time when they are needed most."

Essex County Council leader David Finch responded by saying: "There is national guidance on UEs during covid 19 which suggests that they should not be moved unless the overall risk of them staying where they are exceeds the risk posed by moving them and associated potential infection spread. Whilst there is a gradual and phased easing of lockdown, thus far no update has been received which has changed this national position.

"Our local Essex Covid-19 position statement is consistent with this national guidance, and states that: "direction to leave will be considered/issued in the most serious cases, where the risk of leaving the encampment in situ, is greater that the risk posed to the public by moving them".

"Police inspection on 1st June and again yesterday afternoon 8th June suggested that the site (Langdon Hills) was clean and tidy, there was no evidence of antisocial behaviour and, as a result, the unauthorized encampment does not meet the criteria to be moved on according to current national guidance.

"I am however assured by Essex Countywide Traveller Unit staff that the situation is being closely monitored and if the situation, or national guidance changes then action can consequently be considered.

"I do appreciate that this is not the response you were looking for but we do need to observe national guidance both in terms of movement of unauthorized encampments as well as general public health guidance on reducing unnecessary movement."