End of the road for Dale Farm?

Gypsies and Travellers living on the largest Travellers site in Britain at Dale Farm near Wickford in Essex, have lost their latest legal battle against eviction. The commuity of 1,000 Irish Travellers was initially given a temporary reprieve by the High court after Basildon Council ordered them to leave the site at Dale Farm. But in January, the decision was overturned after an appeal by the council.

But now three senior law lords have dismissed an appeal by the Travellers to challenge the ruling. Lord Justice Pill who was sitting with Lords Justices Lloyd and Moses said that in his view the council had acted "lawfully" in the stance it had taken.

Gratton Puxon of the Dale Farm Residents Association said: “People are in shock after being turned down by the Lords and are asking that if the worst comes to the worst, that supporters will join them in stopping the bulldozing of their homes.”

He added that the community were investigating whether to take their case all the way to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, but that it would probably take two years for the case to be heard.

In the meantime, the community is investigating other ways to keep the bailiffs at bay. They are appealing for human rights monitors to come forward if Basildon District Council presses ahead with it’s desire to forcibly clear the site.

Last month, a United Nations committee is called on the Basildon District Council to freeze its plans to bulldoze Britain's largest Traveller community. Yves Cabannes, Chair of the UN Advisory Group on Forced Evictions, visited Dale Farm in April and told residents that they should not have to negotiate with the Council while under the threat of eviction.

"We have heard you say you want to stay where you are," said Mr Cabannes, who is also a professor at University College London. "We support you in that."

A spokesman for Basildon District Council said they "Fundamentally, these cases are about the need to uphold planning law for the benefit of the whole community while taking full account of the needs of individuals who require a place to live in accordance with their cultural heritage.”

"The council expects to have further discussion with the travellers on how best to achieve an orderly withdrawal from these sites."