Willows Green residents plan protest after losing patience with Uttlesford Council and its 'continued lack of action' over illegal traveller site racked up over Bank Holiday

RESIDENTS who have lost faith in the alleged inaction from a council that has been accused of failing to take action against an illegal traveller site have said they will stage a peaceful protest outside its offices.

The planned protest follows four months of growing anger in the hamlet of Willows Green, near Felstead, Essex, over what residents describe as a "gross failure" to take effective enforcement action against the unauthorised development of agricultural land north of Mole Hill Green Road.

The unauthorised works began over the early May Bank Holiday weekend, between 1 and 4

May 2026.

UK News and Investigations revealed ahead of the unauthorised development that Uttlesford Council had been warned a few weeks earlier that thousands of tonnes of hardcore were due to be delivered to the field over the Bank Holiday weekend, but it did not appear to take any preemptive action or put any emergency contingency plan into place.

As soon as work began, on the evening of May 1, residents reported to the council extensive engineering works, the laying of hardstanding and the arrival of caravans and mobile homes on land which had no planning permission for residential development.

However, the council had no emergency reporting system for planning breaches in place and, as a result, did not respond until the Tuesday afterwards.

The council served a Temporary Stop Notice on 5 May, which came into effect the following morning.

The council then obtained an interim High Court injunction on 7 May, prohibiting further development, residential occupation, the arrival of additional caravans and the installation of services without lawful planning consent.

That injunction was subsequently made permanent in June. However, residents say the development and residential use of the land have continued.

The protest is set to take place outside the council’s offices in Saffron Walden on Thursday 3 September, ahead of a meeting of the authority’s Scrutiny Committee.

Local people say they plan to gather outside the council offices from 6pm carrying banners calling on the council to enforce its own planning rules and demanding an end to the delays surrounding the site.

A spokesperson for Willows Green Action Group said: "Evidence assembled by the local community includes dated photographs, aerial images and reports documenting caravans and mobile homes remaining on the site, the arrival of further units, washing lines, domestic refuse, generators and activity consistent with continuing residential occupation.

"Despite residents repeatedly supplying evidence and raising concerns, they say they have seen no meaningful enforcement capable of bringing the unauthorised use to an end.

"At Thursday evening’s Scrutiny Committee meeting, members of the local community will put questions directly to councillors about the handling of the case, the apparent failure to enforce the injunction effectively and the absence of clear accountability for the continuing situation.

“For four months, residents have watched an unauthorised development become increasingly established while the council has failed to take the decisive action its own legal orders appeared to make possible.

“The lack of action, lack of accountability and lack of effective enforcement is embarrassing for Uttlesford District Council. Residents have gathered evidence, reported suspected breaches and repeatedly asked for intervention, but the community is still waiting for a meaningful resolution.

“This protest is about saying that enough is enough. Planning rules must apply equally to everyone, and court orders must mean something. We are asking the council to explain publicly what it has done, what it has failed to do and exactly when effective enforcement action will now take place.”

Residents have also pointed to the contrast with the council response to a recent unauthorised development at Sheering Mill Lane in Sawbridgeworth over the late August Bank Holiday weekend just gone, which has intensified their frustration.

East Herts District Council became aware of unauthorised works on Saturday 29 August. In contrast to Uttlesford, it sprang into action over the Bank Holiday and served a Temporary Stop Notice shortly after 10.45am that morning and obtained and served a High Court injunction later the same day.

When work reportedly continued, the authority returned urgently to court and secured an amended injunction shortly after midnight on Monday 31 August. Police subsequently entered the site and those with unauthorised access left peacefully.

The Willows Green Action Group spokesperson continued: “Nobody is suggesting that every enforcement case is identical, but residents cannot ignore the stark difference in urgency.

“East Herts acted over a Bank Holiday weekend, returned to court when its first order was not respected and worked with the police to secure a swift outcome. At Willows Green, residents have been living with an apparently continuing unauthorised development since the first May Bank Holiday.

“Uttlesford residents deserve the same determination, urgency and visible leadership. We need action, not more explanations for delay.”

The protest will take place outside Uttlesford District Council, Council Offices, London Road, Saffron Walden, Essex, CB11 4ER, ahead of the Scrutiny Committee meeting beginning at 7.00pm on Thursday 3 September.

The protest will be peaceful, and residents are asking supporters to remain respectful while making clear that the community will no longer accept continued delay.

Read the council's latest statement on the situation here.

UK News and Investigations Opinion

Residents of the village of Willows Green have finally had enough but it is surprising it didn't come sooner. Uttlesford Council did what many local authorities do and managed to allay concerns from the public over its continued apparent lack of action.

Villagers became split with some wanting to go public with their anger much sooner, but others feared that upsetting the council could stop the authority from helping them.

But now, after saying they have supplied evidence of the continued unauthorised occupation of the site for months and seeing no response, they have united and now see peaceful protest as their only option.