Residents in Willows Green, Essex, protested outside Uttlesford District Council's offices demanding eviction from an unauthorized traveller site that has been occupied for four months. Around 60 locals confronted the council, citing concerns over the site's impact on agricultural land and the lack of action to remove two families who have been living there without threat of eviction. The protest comes just days after a similar site in nearby Sawbridgeworth was cleared following a swift response from authorities. According to resident Tracy Williams, 50 loads of hardcore were dumped onto the field over the May bank holiday weekend with little intervention from the council or police.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
- See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source
Enraged villagers have questioned why an illegal traveller site has been allowed to remain in place for months - while another just 17 miles away was cleared within hours.
asserted
miles → see → hours
Travellers dumped truckloads of hardcore onto the field in Willows Green, near Felsted, Essex, without consent and under the cover of darkness, over the May bank holiday weekend.
uncertain
Travellers → dump → weekend
Around 60 residents have now confronted Uttlesford District Council over the unauthorised site which has remained for four months - only to be told the travellers were not stopped because there had been no racism or threats of violence during the incursion.
asserted
travellers → confront → incursion
Locals were also angry the council had failed to remove two families from the site who have been left to live there for four months without the threat of eviction.
asserted
who → fail → eviction
Some 50 loads of hardcore were dumped onto the field in Willows Green four months ago with the council and police doing little to stop it.
asserted
council → dump → it
Their response lies in stark contrast to that of East Herts District Council over an illegal development in Sawbridgeworth last weekend.
asserted
response → lie → Sawbridgeworth
After hardcore was dumped onto wetland, and fencing and pitches set up, authorities in Sawbridgeworth swiftly took matters in hand through court and police action.
asserted
authorities → dump → action
By the end of the weekend, no one had moved into the site.
asserted
one → move → site
Up to 60 locals protested outside Uttlesford District Council's offices on Thursday night
Residents held up banners voicing their concerns at the council's lack of action
Local Tracy Williams, 43, spoke with several councillors on behalf of Willows Green residents
Ms Williams said the council 'did nothing' to stop travellers from dumping truckloads of hardcore at the site in Willows Green near Felsted in Essex
The site in Essex has been allowed to remain for four months
At the meeting this week, Willows Green resident Tracy Williams, 43, scolded the council for doing 'nothing'.
asserted
Williams → protest → nothing
She said: 'That bit of land was beautiful.
asserted
bit → say → land
It's agricultural land and it's been illegally built on.
asserted
it → build → ?
They went on the Friday night.
asserted
They → go → night
They bussed in workers.
asserted
They → buss → workers
It went on over the whole bank holiday weekend, four days.
asserted
It → go → weekend
They were working hard, day and night.
asserted
They → work → ?
The council was doing nothing.
asserted
council → do → nothing
They had just shut down.
asserted
They → shut → ?
They did nothing.
asserted
They → do → nothing
When I phoned the emergency line, it was only for gas leaks.
asserted
it → phone → leaks
I arranged the residents on the Sunday and when we went down there the police asked what was going on.
asserted
what → arrange → Sunday
They were driving vehicles at us and we called the police.
asserted
we → drive → police
We must have had between 25 to 30 people there.
asserted
We → have → people
The police attended.
asserted
police → attend → ?
'We made the point that we are a nice community of residents and I advised everyone that we should leave as I did not want to put anyone in danger.
asserted
I → make → danger
The developers initially entered the site by breaking the chain on a metal gate down a quiet lane, the Daily Mail was told.
asserted
Mail → enter → lane
They then tore out a section of hedge leading to the main road and erected huge wooden and metal gates.
asserted
They → tear → gates
More than a dozen pitches were established.
asserted
pitches → establish → ?
Residents living on the once-quiet lane beside the site say they can now hear the sound of generators most of the time.
asserted
they → live → time
The four-acre plot of land was ripped up by around 30 lorries and diggers back in May
Sherrie Smith, chief executive of Gypsies and Travellers Essex, is seen during a protest outside Uttlesford District Council's office on Thursday evening
It is unclear however where sewage is going or how water is supplied to the site.
uncertain
water → rip → site
Willows Green resident Andrew Madders said: 'In Sawbridgeworth, East Hertfordshire Council acted swiftly, giving residents the decisive, coordinated response expected when unauthorised development risks irreversible harm.
asserted
development → say → harm
It raises a simple question for Willows Green.
asserted
It → raise → Green
Councillors repeatedly told residents there was a pending court action regarding proceedings against the illegal developers for contempt of court, and as such were unable to speak openly.
asserted
Councillors → tell → court
Chair of the meeting, councillor Neil Gregory said: 'This matter is under the High Court and you will understand if people are extremely guarded in their responses.
asserted
people → say → responses
That's not to obfuscate or avoid responsibility.'
asserted
That → obfuscate → responsibility
Councillor John Evans, who has responsibility for planning matters in the area, said: 'We do need to be guarded in what we say for obvious reasons.'
asserted
we → have → reasons
Residents speaking to a police officer at the Hertfordshire site days earlier
A police officer speaks to two travellers who set up the camp in Sawbridgeworth over the bank holiday weekend
Residents heard that Uttlesford District Council applied for a High Court injunction to stop the traveller site at Willows Green, but it had been ignored.
asserted
it → speak → Green
By contrast, when East Herts Council's injunction for the site in Sawbridgeworth was ignored, it swiftly sought a second injunction which gave police greater powers to stop the illegal development.
asserted
which → ignore → development
Councillors argued the situation in Sawbridgeworth was different because that protest had seen racism and threats of violence.
asserted
protest → argue → violence
Cllr Evans said: 'The judge was satisfied in Sawbridgeworth that there was a risk of potential physical harm to individuals and that included racial and stereotypical abuse and threats of violence.'
asserted
that → say → violence
Residents sat quietly for the majority of the council meeting - although one shouted 'what rubbish!' at one point - to which the chair threatened to throw the residents out of the meeting.
asserted
chair → sit → meeting
…and 22 more, not listed.
