Court to rule on Dale Farm site

[Win2Win Racing]

The High Court is to decide later whether residents can be evicted from Dale Farm in Essex, the UK's largest illegal travellers' site.

More... (http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-england-essex-15028629)

[barneymather]

Many were surprised that the (temporarily static)travellers claim to have the entrance to Dale Farm declared a listed building and thus prevent the removal of the occupants was rejected by English Heritage.

The Heritage Minister John Penrose said: "Although clearly a structure which is significant for the travellers at Dale Farm, the tubular steel, wood and rubber construction holds no special architectural or historic interest and does not therefore meet the criteria for listing."

The tubular steel Mr Penrose was referring to is scaffolding and the wood largely consists of discarded crates (Gawd knows what the rubber bits are - boxes of sub-standard johnnies probably), hence some might say trying to place that contraption alongside stately homes is a bit of a sauce.

I dunno if the travellers are just using every possible option to stay put/stop travelling or if they know the game's up and are just taking the 'hit & miss'.

[vegyjones]

If they make it a legal traveller site, problem solved.

[Win2Win]

They should move it next to Vegy's house :thumbs

[scoobydoo]

Ah leave em alone, they own the damn site anyway. There are slightly bigger problems in the UK at the moment I reckon. :ermmm

[barneymather]

I've never known any gypsies/travellers, but I don't have a problem with them. However, I think what annoys locals whom travellers set up camp beside is that it's illegal to just plonk down your goods and chattels wherever you feel like it and a bit cheeky to expect everyone else to put up with it as you say it's your way of life.

I'd also have more sympathy for the travelling community if they paid taxes (as I and millions of others have to on less than wonderful wages), as they're clearly earning money - cars and especially big cars/4x4s don't run on fresh air.

I'm afraid that the travelling community want to have their cake and eat it - saying they're travellers but remaining on the same site for years on end and earning money or signing on but not paying anything back into society. In the real world, that ain't going to happen and nor should it. Of course, there's many outwith the travelling community who pay zilch into society and I wouldn't defend them either.