Uttlesford District Council has been criticised for failing to remove travellers from an unauthorised 12-pitch site in Willows Green, Essex, where a field was covered with hardcore and caravans were installed over the May Bank Holiday. Residents accused councillors of inaction despite a permanent High Court injunction, while the council said delays in receiving the court’s sealed order and written judgment had restricted its ability to pursue further enforcement.

The council issued a temporary stop notice four days after around 30 vehicles and heavy machinery arrived, and obtained an interim injunction on 7 May, which became permanent on 18 June. At an emergency meeting attended by protesting residents, claims were made about threats and intimidation, while councillors’ absences were criticised; the case was contrasted with nearby Sawbridgeworth, where authorities swiftly prevented a similar unauthorised site from being occupied.