Residents in Rochford, Essex, have reacted with fury after a group of travellers continued unauthorised work on greenbelt land near Greensward Lane throughout the Bank Holiday weekend, defying a council stop notice. The group arrived on the privately-owned site on Friday, shortly after the local council closed for the long weekend, and began digging up turf without planning permission. The episode is being cited as the latest example of a wider pattern in which travellers carry out land grabs while council enforcement is offline, later seeking retrospective planning permission once work is complete.

Rochford District Council issued a temporary Stop Notice on Saturday, but residents reported that works were still ongoing nearly two days later, with footage showing around a dozen caravans, trucks and diggers on site. One nearby resident described "20 lorries" arriving on Saturday and workers active through the night, while another criticised the group for having "zero planning permission" while other residents must follow the rules. The council said officers had visited to gather evidence, with police present when the notice was served, though Essex Police confirmed the matter is a civil rather than criminal issue. The case echoes a similar incident in May at Willows Green, near Felsted, roughly 20 miles away, where travellers bulldozed a wildlife spot and are now seeking retrospective permission for 12 mobile homes following a High Court injunction.