Dale Farm

[1Loretta]

First of all I don't know anything much about the situation there other than what I have heard on the news during the past few days but on BBC breakfast this morning they interviewed that bailiff Jamie something who is on TV and what I thought was really weird is that his firm are not dealing with this particular thing and he has nothing whatever to do with it but he said he had been down there over the weekend - why? is being a bailiff not just his job and business but his passion in life as well? says it all really!

[tomtubby]

I think that you will find that a company of bailiffs by the name of Constant & Co have the contract with the council. They will be calling upon the services of some other bailiff companies. I do not think that JBW Group are involved. Jamie Waller did say on TV this morning that he had been to the site last night and I would think that this was to do with the fact that he knew that he was being interviewed this morning so wanted some background info.

[rebel11]

It's actually 'Dale Farm', 'Dove Farm', I've changed the title.

[toofiegap]

what the odd thing is that the travellers own the entire land its just bthe planning premission bit, on the way back from popping out on the radio one of the travellers has apparently rigged the gate so if the bailiffs go in she hangs herself.

[tomtubby]

It is claimed that many of these "travellers" own property in Ireland. I would like to know who is paying their legal fees for the many court hearings that are taking place !!

[havinastella]

what the odd thing is that the travellers own the entire land its just bthe planning premission bit, on the way back from popping out on the radio one of the travellers has apparently rigged the gate so if the bailiffs go in she hangs herself.

 

This is not odd.

 

Many sites are brought by travellers as 'green belt' land. It is very cheap to buy as you cannot normally get planning permission to build houses etc.

 

They then concrete and lay services within hrs and move residents in, charging a rent, as they know they can defend any legal action for about 10 years (Dale Farm).

 

This is a win win, as they get 10 years of rent and can then sell the land for what they brought it for, or the land would become 'brown belt' and can be built on and they sell it for astronomical profit. This is the reason Basildon Council MUST and have won this case.

 

Jogs

[josephbloggs]

Has anyone seen the dispatches programme on this subject tonight. Interested to hear thoughts on this ive got very strong views myself.

The book titles gypsy and traveller law is a very interesting read for anyone interested in the subject.

[rebel11]

The latest is that they want it designated a 'World Heritage Site'.

[ploddertom]

The latest is that they want it designated a 'World Heritage Site'.

 

Someone been at the wacky baccy & mushrooms then!

[rebel11]

Residents of the UK's largest illegal travellers' site have applied to English Heritage to gain official protection status for the scaffolding gateway at the entrance to the site.

The gateway at Dale Farm near Basildon, Essex, adorned with posters and banners, has become an "emblem of the struggle for travellers' rights", according to the applicants.

The structure has been in place at the former scrapyard for five years and acts as part of the defence against bailiffs, a Dale Farm Solidarity spokesman said.

Resident Kathleen McCarthy said: "We're here to fight for our rights to a normal family life, for our children to get an education and for us to have security for our homes.

"The tower is all that stands between ourselves and the bailiffs. As long as it remains standing, we know that there are people outside our community who still care about our rights."

The English Heritage website says that it designates the status to "protect and celebrate England's historic buildings, monuments, parks, gardens, battlefields and wreck sites, by highlighting their special interest in a national context."

The clearance of Dale Farm was due to begin last week but an injunction preventing bailiffs moving in is currently in place while legal appeals are heard at the High Court.

[ploddertom]

Hadn't realised that, my apologies.

 

PT

[rebel11]

No problems, I'm not easily offended, It's an easy mistake. You haven't got the address of the Heritage People, this site could do with some protection from spammers.

 

Hadn't realised that, my apologies.

 

PT

[seanamarts]

The land that the travellers bought was never green belt, it was a scrap yard. The council stopedp it from being a scrap yard. The council had been placing hard core on the land then concreted it over with out the land owners permission, he was unable to sell the land so the travellers bought it, there was already a site next to the scrap yard that had travellers on it with planning permission and had been there for a number of years. The council cannot turn this land back to green belt because it was never green belt in the first place.

Jamie Waller just like the limelight.

[caledfwlch]

I thought evictions had to be carried out by Court Bailiff's, ie those on the employment books and paid a weekly wage by the court/ministry of justice?

 

If its private, then I look forward to them being pelted with the human faeces the travellers are storing ready for the bailiff invasion.

[Flickyhecky]

Wow! That looked like the most illegal eviction ever!

[ShinySheen]

That’s what I thought ….the police seemed to be doing all the work …..saying that they were executing an High Court Writ I think there is some sort of clause in their regulations were the Police can give assistance …..i may be way out though I’m just a beginner on here but learning fast

Wow! That looked like the most illegal eviction ever!

[outlawla]

Anyone see Basildon's MP, John Baron on the news last night (Daily Politics or Newsnight)?

 

Rough transcript of interview:

 

Families have broken the law we mustn't forget that, we cant have in this country a law for one group of people and a law for another group of people......

 

Look! What the local constituents want and the law abiding majority is to see the law enforced fairly and equitably otherwise it is the law abiding majority that is being discriminated against. If we were to allow these travellers to stay having broken all the laws, what message do think that sends out to everybody else? Everybody would say well if they can do it why can't we get away with it and, er, we'd have chaos.

Well it only follows that these comments will be pretty much mirrored by Basildon council's leader, Cllr Tony Ball. Ironically they labour the point about how the law and justice should be meted out equally, shouldn't this then apply to councils and their Council Tax enforcement operations?

 

It will be interesting to find what a bit of delving into Basildon council will unearth and if there are similarities with NElincs council.

 

The Great Council Tax Robbery

 

Residents caught out with unlawful Council Tax penalties.doc

[seanamarts]

Its been a sham at the very beginning. Tony Ball and his cronies are all a bunch of liars!!

[gstanny]

the goverment should be ashamed at the way this eviction was handled.

[sillygirl1]

Jamie Waller was on TV again this morning about the issue - I can't put into words here what I think about the man because it would bring the site into disrepute - and get me Cagbotted.....

[natalie]

It is claimed that many of these "travellers" own property in Ireland. I would like to know who is paying their legal fees for the many court hearings that are taking place !!

 

Most of the legal work is done on a pro bono basis, a bit like the people who offer advice here, law students, solicitors, barristers have all got involved because they think what has happened here is an absolute disgrace.

 

If anyone saw the Panorama documentary, it shows the eviction in all its dispicable glory, with the police once again helping out in a civil eviction.

[outlawla]

I understand in circumstances surrounding bailiff operations such as the Dale Farm Eviction, Police are in attendance to keep the peace.

 

It was apparent to anyone that not only were the Police not performing this function, they were in fact aggressively causing a breach of the peace and taking on the role traditionally associated with bailiffs.

 

Considering this, I wonder what specific laws Basildon Council have broken for undertaking this operation, and will Basildon District Council be legally challenged and prosecuted in the courts?

 

It always makes me wonder how in these kinds of situations, authorities seem to magically produce the numbers of Police officers they require? Even more puzzling is how this is possible when there are never enough available to serve the public? Are they a special breed trained as riot officers for this kind of action, bog standard officers carrying out normal duties or possibly willing parties found on the streets prepared to undertake this kind of work in exchange for payment or enjoyment?

[ploddertom]

I understand in circumstances surrounding bailiff operations such as the Dale Farm Eviction, Police are in attendance to keep the peace.

 

It was apparent to anyone that not only were the Police not performing this function, they were in fact aggressively causing a breach of the peace and taking on the role traditionally associated with bailiffs.

 

Considering this, I wonder what specific laws Basildon Council have broken for undertaking this operation, and will Basildon District Council be legally challenged and prosecuted in the courts?

 

It always makes me wonder how in these kinds of situations, authorities seem to magically produce the numbers of Police officers they require? Even more puzzling is how this is possible when there are never enough available to serve the public? Are they a special breed trained as riot officers for this kind of action, bog standard officers carrying out normal duties or possibly willing parties found on the streets prepared to undertake this kind of work in exchange for payment or enjoyment?

 

Of course the reply will also be that they took the action they did to prevent a breach of the peace. Of course it was planned in advance as a lot of the woodentops were from areas as far a field as N Wales!

 

PT

[natalie]

 

Considering this, I wonder what specific laws Basildon Council have broken for undertaking this operation, and will Basildon District Council be legally challenged and prosecuted in the courts?

 

Hopefully, although there are other priorities at the moment. Anyone who actually went to Dale Farm and saw the community will know how devastating this has been for them. ALL the primary age children were in school... every day, they had the potential of being the first generation to be literate and educated. Basildon Council were obstructive (there are several complaints in about them flatly refusing FOI requests) and were determined they were not going to give an inch to help these people.

[seanamarts]

It sickens me what councils do, they are allowed to make mistakes, break laws and regulations and expect Joe public to bare the brunt of it all. I thought this country fought wars so that it could be a free country. Instead we are governed by double standard councils who prey on the poor,sick and those who dont fit in to their way of thinking.