Fears field sold by farmer near historic Felsted could be turned into unauthorised traveller site

RESIDENTS of a parish which hosts an historic school attended by Oliver Cromwell's sons will be on red alert over the bank holiday weekend amid fears a nearby agricultural field could be targeted for the construction of the country's latest unauthorised traveller site.

Felsted is best known for the stunning private school of the same name founded in 1564 by Richard Rich, the first Baron Rich, who served as Lord Chancellor of England during the reign of King Edward VI from 1547 to 1551.

All four of Oliver Cromwell's sons attended and in more recent years the school has educated several top cricketers, including England internationals Derek Pringle, Nick Knight, John Stephenson, and Jordan Cox, plus England rugby union player Max Malins.

Yet, homeowners in the north Essex village are now concerned it could also rank among a series of rural settlements to also host an illegal traveller encampment.

They fear for the fate of the four acres of green belt land, currently a wildlife haven for protected great crested newts where rare albino fallow deer have also been seen.

The field is in the historic hamlet of Willows Green, one of a number of green settlements around the village that saw development from the Bronze Age.

It was sold by a farmer to a real estate company for £125,000 a year ago.

Since then, it is believed it has been marketed as about ten smaller plots with fears some have been purchased by members of the travelling community.

A local council source suggested there could be plans afoot to import thousands of tonnes of hardcore to the site to construct the base of a mobile home park, before moving on static caravans.

The source said: "We understand that someone from within the travelling community has been trying to arrange the delivery of thousands of tonnes of hardcore to the site this."

However, Uttlesford District Council, the local planning authority, has taken no preemptive action, such as issuing an Article Four Direction, which can restrict permitted development rights and prevents even the erection of fences on the land, so can be a first line of defence.

Bank Holiday weekend developments are a modus operandi that has been used by some members of the travelling community at various sites across the country over the past three decades.

Military style operations usually commence once the local district council's offices close on the Friday, before a retrospective planning application, for the work already completed, is handed to the authority when it reopens.

Three councils across the south east were left taking legal action after the Easter bank holiday weekend after different traveller groups set up new unauthorised sites in Surrey, Kent and Hertfordshire.

At one of the locations - a four-acre site at Alfold in Surrey - an interim injunction has been issued following an emergency application from Waverley Borough Council to the High Court after 17 pitches for caravans were created without planning permission.

It ordered the Travellers not to further develop their camp pending another court hearing.

Sevenoaks District Council issued a stop notice to halt work after the illegal construction without planning permission of a traveller site began at a green belt site in Church Road, Sundridge over the Easter weekend.

And, about 16 pitches were developed on an area of outstanding natural beauty at Flamstead, Hertfordshire, without permission over the same weekend causing Dacorum Borough Council to apply for an emergency High Court injunction.

Even if planning applications are refused, it triggers a series of legal appeals during which human rights lawyers argue the council in question is not meeting traveller site provision in the area amid a claim of a drastic national shortage.

Richard Freeman, Chair of Felsted Parish Council's Planning Committee, said: 'Members of the parish council did hear the rumours you refer to and this was referred to Uttlesford District Council, as it is the council that could take any action, but we were told there is not really any action they can take until something happens so the law is really against us. Residents will be keeping their eyes and ears open over the weekend and will report anything suspicious to Uttlesford Council immediately.'

The site is registered as being owned by UK Real Estate and Land 2 Limited, which paid £125,000 cash to the previous owner for the land on April 29 2025, with an overage deed arrangement to pay him more if its value were to increase.

The company has been dormant since being set up in May 2023 and was dissolved after a voluntary strike off on April 28 this year.

A planning application was made by one of the new smaller plot owners, not from the traveller community, for a three-bedroom residential log cabin in December.

It was rejected by the council as being inappropriate development in the countryside and due to the likely presence of the newts.

Several neighbouring households objected to the planning application amid concerns over how the land was being sold as smaller plots.

One wrote: 'The agricultural field in question was sold off in a number of small parcels very recently... on a speculative basis. We are very concerned that if this application is approved, then the other owners of the various land parcels will want to follow suit.'

Another said: 'There is a regular free transit of a herd of deer including rare albino deer.

'The question of sale and division of the field into lots were advertised from a London Agency and did not mention that this land had any permission to convert to residential from agricultural.. I am suspicious of (the) intention with this proposal.'

Uttlesford Council was asked if enforcement officers would be on standby over the weekend with a hotline for residents to call.

A spokesperson said there was an online form to report planning breaches and added: 'We are aware of local concerns regarding the land, however, at this stage no breach of planning control has occurred. The site is not subject to an injunction or Article 4 Direction.

'Planning enforcement is a reactive service – this means the council can only take formal action once a breach has taken place. It cannot act before a breach has occurred.  

'Should unauthorised development occur, we will respond in accordance with our planning enforcement plan.'