Costs of Dale Farm Travellers Site evictions raised in Parliament
9 June 2011 – The Government has defended its contribution to the costs of evicting of travellers from the UK’s largest unauthorised encampment, at Dale Farm Travellers Site in Basildon.
In House of Lords debate on 8 June 2011, Earl Attlee explained the Government’s financial undertakings in relation to the proposed eviction:
“the Home Office has agreed to set aside contingency funding, up to a maximum of £4.65 million, to assist with the costs of policing the proposed evictions at Dale Farm. The final grant awarded will be agreed after the operation and will only cover the costs incurred. In addition, the Department for Communities and Local Government has committed to provide up to £1.2 million to Basildon Borough Council to support the evictions at Dale Farm”.
Earl Attlee went on to reject criticisms that this was a wasteful commitment of public resources:
“there will be no need for any expensive police operation if those served with eviction notices leave within 28 days having exhausted all their appeal rights under our well developed system of justice and the rule of law. Why should one community group be allowed to flout our planning laws by suggesting disorder and thus an unaffordable police operation while a lone family or individual is easily required to comply?”
