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The Advocacy Project helps marginalized communities to tell their story, claim their rights and produce social change. We recruit graduate students to volunteer as Peace Fellows with partners.

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Partners > Europe > Dale Farm Housing...

Dale Farm Housing Association

Photo Credit: Susan Craig-Greene Photo Credit: Susan Craig-Greene Photo Credit: Susan Craig-Greene



Dale Farm, often referred to by the Travellers as Oak Lane, in Crays Hill, Essex, is the largest community of Travellers in the UK, home to an estimated 1,000 residents. About half of the site at Oak Lane is made up of legal plots (referred to by residents as the passed yards up the front) owned by a mixture of Irish Traveller and English Roma families. Residents of the other half at the back of Dale Farm, 86 families all of Irish Traveller heritage (mostly Sheridans, McCarthys, Quilligans and O’Briens) on 52 yards and one square mile of land, have been embroiled in an ongoing legal struggle since they moved onto the small plots of land they own in 2002. Basildon District Council (BDC) have continuously denied the residents’ numerous planning applications and appeals by maintaining that they are not allowed to reside on green belt land. Throughout the process, the residents have received unending enforcement notices ordering the removal of their homes from their land. The Travellers maintain that the decision to deny their planning consent has nothing to do with preserving the "green belt" and everything to do with politicians bowing to local prejudice against Travellers and wanting them out of their constituency. The fact remains that 90% of planning applications from Travellers and Gypsies are refused by councils in the UK. 

As BDC was set to carry out an eviction and demolition of the yards in May 2005, residents sought a Judicial Review of this action. They won a major victory on May 9, 2008, when High Court Justice Andrew Collins halted the eviction proceedings, and ordered the Basildon Council to find land for the Travellers. But this decision was overturned by the Court of Appeal in January 2009 and the residents’ appeal to the House of Lords was denied in May that year. Since this decision, BDC has made it clear that their extensive and expensive eviction operation is imminent and that the Travellers should expect the arrival of the 28-day notice letters any day. In June 2010, BDC made their intentions clear by using the bailiff company Constant & Co. to bulldoze several pitches at the nearby Hovefields Drive site. On 14 March,2011 Conservative BDC Councillors voted to spend £8 million of local taxpayers money to move ahead with the eviction  (See Basildon Council documents from the meeting and the Gypsy Council press release in response to the decision).  In April, Eric Pickles (Communities Secretary) announced the surprise decision to give Basildon Council £1.2 million to put towards the eviction. As of early June 2011, the Home Office has now committed £4.65 Million to assist Essex Police cover the estimated £10 million they require to carry out the eviction.  The Travellers are mounting a new legal challenge to the eviction.
 


The Dale Farm Housing Association seeks to protect the rights of Travellers living at Dale Farm and is committed to legalising the status of Travellers who have been denied the right to develop land they own. The Association has around 100 members, all of whom pay a contribution, and is led by Richard Sheridan, the organisation's president. Grattan Puxon, Secretary of the Association, serves as a liason between the members and their legal team, assists them in political campaigning and produces ongoing news bulletins on their situation. Despite legal setbacks, the Association maintains that the Travellers should be allowed to stay until Basildon District Council makes sites available elsewhere.

The Advocacy Project began working with the Association in June 2005, following the decision by Basildon District Council to evict the 86 families from Dale Farm. AP Fellows seek to assist the Association in its work, to ensure the Travellers' message is heard through their blogs and to build capacity within the community at Dale Farm through education. Zach Scott was the first AP Peace Fellow to work with the Dale Farm Housing Association, in the summer of 2007. James Dasinger  volunteered as a Peace Fellow at Dale Farm in 2008, and AP Executive Director Iain Guest wrote blogs on his visit to Dale Farm in February 2008. Susan Craig- Greene, a UK resident local to the site, is the newest Peace Fellow and continues to work with the families at Dale Farm. Follow Susan on twitter (she posts daily updates on Dale Farm), check out her blog and find more photos of Dale Farm residents on her photoshelter site.



  Watch the Save Dale Farm Video








Working with partner organisations, the Dale Farm Housing Association is continuously launching  innovative and effective actions. The Association’s use of information for advocacy has become increasingly sophisticated, as the following recent successes demonstrate:





Meetings/Events/Protests

Thursday, 16 June 2011 at 5 p.m. - Meeting chaired by Lord Avebury in Committee Room 4, Houses of Parliament

See the Save Dale Farm website for more details.

The Latest News from Grattan

June 13, 2011
- Dale Farm Eviction: Report Claims Council May Be Acting Unlawfully by Dale Farm Solidarity
May 30, 2011 - Dale Farm May Be Saved by New European Plans by Grattan Puxon
April 26, 2011 - MPs Want Dale Farm Eviction Called Off by Grattan Puxon
April 3, 2011 - Dale Farm: "No Pasaran!" by Grattan Puxon
March 15, 2011 - Dale Farm Legal Challenge to £13 Million Eviction Operation  by Grattan Puxon
February 16, 2011 - Council of Europe Visit Raises Dale Farm Spirits by Grattan Puxon
December 28, 2010 - MP Seeks Dale Farm Talks as Eviction Plan Falters by Gratttan Puxon
December 8, 2010 - Basildon Labour Group Leader, Lynda Gordon, sent Grattan this e-mail stating that the group is opposed to the forced eviction of the Dale Farm Travellers.
November 11, 2010 - Dale Farm May Be Winning the Battle for Commonsense by Grattan Puxon
Here is the complete archive of news bulletins.

Get Involved

Join Camp Constant, a group of friends and supporters of Dale Farm who will live at Dale Farm to support residents if the 28-day notice letters are issued.

Become a Human Rights Monitor. See the Dale Farm Legal Monitors facebook page for more details.

Sign the petition to stop the Dale Farm Eviction.

Follow Susan, AP's Peace Fellow at Dale Farm, on Twitter and subscribe to her blog to keep up-to-date on all the latest Dale Farm news. 

Join the Save Dale Farm facebook group, follow their tweets and share these with your friends.

Write letters or send e-mails to members of Basildon District Council and Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities.




The Latest Local News
13 June, 2011, Travellers' Fresh Hope over Eviction, Basildon Echo
9 June, 2011, Lord Avebury Criticised Multi-Million Pound Dale Farm Eviction, The Enquirer
7 June, 2011, Campaigners Still Think Europe can Halt Dale Farm Evictions, Basildon Echo
3 June, 2011, Dale Farm Eviction Expected Within Weeks after Essex Police Secured Government Funding, The Enquirer
3 June, 2011, Home Office Pledges £4.65 Million to Help Crays Hill Eviction, Basildon Echo
27 May, 2011, Paris Stage to Host Dale Farm Protest, Basildon Recorder
23 May, 2011, Hundreds of Protesters Vow to Mass at Dale Farm during Eviction, Basildon Echo
20 May, 2011, A Third Approval for Travellers' Eviction, Basildon Echo
19 May, 2011, Committee Votes to Take Direct Action at Dale Farm, Basildon.gov.uk
12 May, 2011, Laindon Says No to 'Another Crays Hill, Yellow Advertiser
10 May, 2011, School 'Will Survive' Dale Farm Eviction, Basildon Recorder
4 May, 2011, Residents Object to Travellers' Site Application, Basildon Echo
27 April, 2011, Crays Hill: Promise to Turn Gypsy Camp into Community Woodland, Essex Chronicle
17 April, 2011, Injunction is Served to Stop People Living on a Greenbelt Site, Basildon Echo
13 April, 2011, World Watches as Dale Farm Evictions Loom, Basildon Echo
13 April, 2011, Human Shield will Protect Dale Farm on Eviction Day, Essex Chronicle
25 March, 2011, Will Whitehall Help Fund Crays Hill Evictions, Basildon Echo
17 March, 2011, Summer is the Earliest Families Expected to Go, Basildon Echo
15 March, 2011, Dale Farm Should Be Made into Mobile Home Park, Basildon Echo
11 March, 2011, Crays Hill Travellers Poised to Launch New Appeal, Basildon Echo
10 March, 2011, Counting the Cost of Eviction Crays Hill Travellers, Basildon Echo
9 March, 2011, Land Eyed by Travellers Should Become Allotments, Basildon Echo
9 March, 2011, Essex Police Want  £9.2 Million for Crays Hill Traveller Eviction, Basildon Echo 
5 March, 2011, Dale Farm Eviction to Cost £18 Million, Basildon Echo
1 March, 2011, Neighbours Concerned as New Traveller Camp Planned for Laindon, Basildon Echo
26 February, 2011, Euro Welfare Team to Visit Dale Farm Camp, Basildon Echo
23 February, 2011, Dale Farm Gypsies Hopes Turn to European Delegation, Essex Chronicle
10 February, 2011 Crunch Vote Due on Dale Farm Evictions, Basildon Echo
2 February, 2011, Don't Waste £13 Million on Eviction, Just Give Us Time to Move, Say Travellers, Essex Chronicle
31 January, 2011, Last Bid Attempts to Halt Traveller Evictions, Basildon Echo
26 January, 2011, Last Talks to Avoid Evicting Travellers, Basildon Echo
19 January, 2011, Traveller Eviction Features in Wedding Show, Basildon Echo
7 January, 2011,  Fears of a Standoff if Travellers told Exact Date of Eviction, Basildon Echo
5 January, 2011, Travellers in Talks with MP, Brentwood Gazette

The Latest National/International News
7 June, 2011,£37,000 a Head Set Aside for Kicking Travellers Out of their Homes, Morning Star
3 June, 2011, Dale Farm: Home Office Pledges Cash for Eviction Costs, BBC News
31 May, 2011, New Hopes and Fears for Irish Traveller Site, Independent Catholic News
6 May, 2011, London's Big Fat Gypsies, London Evening Standard
27 April, 2011, New Website Substitutes 'Jews' in Headlines about Gypsies and Travellers, The Guardian
22 April, 2011, The Day Westminster Went to Traveller City, The Independent
16 April, 2011, Eviction Battle Looms at UK's Biggest Gypsy Site, Russia Today
13 April, 2011, Eric Pickles: Time for Fair Play for All on Planning, Communities and Local Government Press Release
13 April, 2011, Eric Pickles: Gipsies Could Take Advantage of Royal Wedding Bank Holiday to Set Up Illegal Camps, The Telegraph
12 April, 2011, UN Officials Visit UK Travellers' Site, BBC News
26 March, 2011, We Just Want to be Left Alone to Live Our Lives, Irish Times
25 March, 2011, Dale Farm Travellers Eviction: The Battle of Basildon, Guardian
25 March, 2011, London Gypsy Orchestra Builds Cultural Bridges in Wake of Dale Farm Evictions, New Statesman
16 March, 2011, Dale Farm Eviction Threatens Gypsy Way of Life, Guardian
15 March, 2011, Essex Council Criticised over £8 Million Plan to Evict Travellers, Guardian 
15 March, 2011, Basildon Council Votes to Evict Dale Farm, Travellers' Times
14 March, 2011, Basildon Council Votes to Clear 86 Traveller Families, BBC News
14 March, 2011, Gypsies Braced for 'War' as Bulldozers Move In, Independent
11 March, 2011, Day of Reckoning for Dale Farm Travellers?, Travellers' Times
6 March, 2011, Clearing Essex Traveller Site to Cost £5 Million, BBC News
17 February, 2011, Our Big Fat Gypsy Eviction, Timeout London
30 January, 2011, Dale Farm: The Battle to Save Britain's Largest Traveller Community, Independent
21 January, 2011, This Middle England Village is the Gypsies' Deep South, Guardian
24 October, 2010, Violent Battle Feard as I,000 Travellers Are to be Evicted from UK's Biggest Gypsy Site, The Telegraph
28 August, 2010, Government Tightens Rules on Traveller Sites, Guardian
12 August, 2010, Dale Farm's Gypsies: Travellers' Travails, The Economist
1 August, 2010, New Wave of Evictions Threatens Gypsies, The Observer
27 July, 2010, Dale Farm Travellers: "We Won't Just Get Up and Leave", Guardian

The Latest Online News/Articles/Blogs
9 June, 2011, A to Z of the Dale Farm Struggle, Audacity.org
8 June, 2011, Campaigners say 'Lives at Risk' if Dale Farm Eviction Goes Ahead, forcedtoroam blog
28 May, 2011, Comment by Ruth Barnett on Article by Jon Austin in the Basildon Echo, Roma Daily News
11 May, 2011, An EU Framework for Roma Integration by 2020: a New Departure or Much Ado about Nothing? by Bernard Rorke, European Policies Initiative
11 May, 2011, Gypsy Life, Gypsy Tears, Freedom Press - Good piece on the history of Travellers and the evolution of UK law that have prevented them from travelling
27 April, 2011, The Big Society: Gypsies and Travellers Not Included? by Felix Columbidae, Roma Buzz Aggregator
17 April, 2011, Pickled Fairness? The Big Fat Gypsy Prejudice, Hull Republic Blog
16 April, 2011, Dale Farm: Pickles' Pogrom by Ian Abley, Roma Buzz Aggregator
12 April, 2011, Dale Farm: Right to Shelter Disregarded by Sayed Iqbal Mohamed (Chair of the  Organisation for Civic Rights), Roma Buzz Aggregator
8 April, 2011, Dale Farm: We Sit On Our Arses, Jay Stringer's Blog
24 February, 2011, Delegation Set for Dale Farm Visit, Human Rights Europe
25 January, 2011, Travellers Resist Biggest Eviction of Homeless, Indymedia UK
24 January, 2011, Dale Farm Prepares to Resist, Freedom Press

The Latest Videos/Documentaries
8 June, 2011, Lord Avebury Asks about Policing Costs and Proposed Dale Farm Eviction, Parliament TV
7 June, 2011, Funding Set Aside for Dale Farm Evictions, BBC News
22 May, 2011, Gypsies Being Evicted in the UK, LiveLeak.com
19 May, 2011, Travellers Move On, ITV Anglia
11 May, 2011, Travellers: A Generation of Children Growing Up, Knowing They are not Wanted, The Guardian
15 March, 2011, Dale Farm Travellers, a great multimedia slideshow by Mary Turner, YouTube
14 March, 2011, Report on Dale Farm Traveller Eviction, ITV News
See Siege of Dale Farm and other videos on Human Rights TV website
25 August 2010, Dale Farm Travellers Say They Refuse to Be Evicted, BBC News
25 August 2010, Uncertain Times for Travellers and Gypsies, BBC News UK
27 July, 2010, Waiting for the Bulldozers: the Women of Dale Farm, Guardian
30 March, 2010, Dale Farm Travellers, Indymedia London

The Advocacy Project and Dale Farm in the News
18 June, 2010, A US Visitor's View of Life at Dale Farm, Basildon Recorder (be sure to check out the comments)
16 July, 2010, Photography Student Susan Craig-Greene Captures Travellers' Lives, Billericay Gazette
8 March, 2008, Dale Farm: The Travelers' Travails, Washington Post - article by Iain Guest
22 August, 2007, Zach Scott Wraps Up His Blog From Dale Farm, Basildon Echo
6 June, 2007, US Student's Traveller Site Visit, Basildon Echo

Dale Farm has recieved a significant amount of news coverage.  Click here for our full archive of coverage by the media

For journalists interested in Dale Farm, here is the Dale Farm Solidarity Press Pack.



ICT community center: The Essex Council on Racial Equality has provided funds for a community center, including some computers. AP will be working with the Association to develop ICT training for women and children that will hopefully encourage participation in school. 

In April 2011, The Advocacy Project began an exciting new project entitled Dale Farm: My Community, My Family, which is designed to encourage the children of Dale Farm to tell their story through photography. The aim is not only to engage the children in photography, but also to improve their basic literacy and ICT skills by teaching them how to manage digital photos and to write and post their own blogs.






Dale Farm Housing Association
Secretary Grattan Puxon

The Advocacy Project 
Dale Farm Peace Fellow  Susan Craig-Greene

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