A group of travellers is seeking retrospective planning permission for 12 mobile homes in Willows Green, Essex . This follows a May 1 Bank Holiday incident where a wildlife field was rapidly concreted over while local authorities were closed.
The May 1 Bank Holiday concrete pour in Willows Green
Residents of Willows Green witnessed a coordinated operation on May 1, as an army of workers and approximately 30 vehicles descended on a wildlife spot near Felsted. According to the report, the group used diggers and lights to lay hardcore and asphalt just hours after the Uttlesford District Council had closed for the long weekend. This timing appears calculated to minimize immediate interference from local government officials.
The speed of the development left the community in shock, especially since a national newspaper had previously warned that a land grab in the area was being plotted.. Despite this warning, Uttlesford District Council did not respond for more than four days. While a High Court injunction was eventually secured to halt further work, the physical transformation of the landscape had already occurred.
Edward Myles Anthony Connors' £150,000 land purchase
Land Registry records provide a financial trail for the site, showing that a man named Edward Myles Anthony Connors paid £150,000 for the plot on June 17, 2025. The purchase was linked to an address at the Kents Field traveller site in Banstead, Surrey. This connection suggests a familiarity with the legal complexities of land use and planning disputes.
The Kents Field site in Banstead, Surrey, serves as a historical precedent for the current situation in Essex. That site was developed without planning permission starting in 1995 by the wider Connors family and was only granted permission for three mobile homes and touring caravans after a protracted series of legal appeals. This history indicates a long-term strategy of establishing residency first and negotiating legality second.
The 40 per cent retrospective approval loophole
The current application for 12 mobile homes, utility infrastructure, and access roads in Willows Green is part of a broader systemic trend. as the report notes, lawyers for traveller communities often argue that the standard planning process is biased, claiming that roughly 90 per cent of initial traveller site applications are rejected. in contrast , retrospective applications—those filed after the site is already built—see an approval rate of 40 per cent or higher.
This statistical disparity creates a perverse incentive for the "build now, apply later" approach. By creating a fait accompli, developers shift the burden of proof and the cost of removal onto the local council. For residents like Tracy Williams, this creates a sense of injustice, as those who follow the rules and pay council taxes feel disadvantaged compared to those who bypass the system entirely.
James Cleverly's 'build now, apply later' critique
James Cleverly , the Conservative MP for Braintree, has condemned the application, arguing that this cynical approach to planning should not be successful.. Cleverly has expressed support for the Uttlesford District Council's position that the retrospective application does not invalidate the existing High Court injunction. Furthermore, the Conservatives have pledged to block retrospective permissions for any traveller sites constructed without prior authorization.
Despite the political outcry,several critical details remain unverified. While the report mentions that Uttlesford District Council and Essex Police were approached for comment regarding the latest developments, their specific current responses to the 12-home application have not been detailed. It remains unclear whether the council intends to pursue full demolition of the concrete foundations or if they will enter into a negotiated settlement similar to the Kents Field case.
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