A resident living next door to a traveller caravan site in Essex has slammed his "oblivious" local council after a surge in mobile homes and traffic nearby - in apparent contravention of planning regulations - sent his property value plummeting.
Mike Paterson, 58, from Bowers Gifford, just outside Basildon, lives close by the site on Grange Road - which he fears may be expanding despite having been slapped with a "temporary stop notice" by Basildon Council.
Paterson has said he has filed 25 reports to the council after witnessing "dozens" of lorries delivering hardcore - broken down concrete, bricks and rubble used to build foundations - at "all hours of the day".
The 58-year-old has expressed concerns that the influx of building materials will only bring more travellers nearby, which could leave him unable to sell his home.
The green belt site on Grange Road in Bowers Gifford has come under fire from residents over expansion fears (file photo on right)
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At present, only five static caravans are permitted on the Grange Road site per planning restrictions levelled by Basildon Council.
But Paterson said the green belt site, which he claims had initially hosted six static caravans, has expanded in recent years.
He slammed the council, saying he believed it was "entirely oblivious to how bad the situation is".
The 58-year-old told the Basildon Echo: "The caravan site is not meant to be here, but somehow it has been allowed to grow.
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Basildon Council has said it was "currently investigating a possible breach of planning law"
"As a result, I do feel I have to sell my house - but I have lost so much property value... I used to be proud to live here but what this has been allowed to come to is simply disgusting."
He said the "unbelievable" amount of vehicles passing along the area's "narrow and broken" roads was causing too much noise and bringing too many people to the site.
Paterson added: "I also feel annoyed as it seems that people can do anything they want down here.
"People can build all kinds of unauthorised developments down this road. We used to joke that this is 'the road that time forgot'."
Another resident claimed his property value had also taken a hit thanks to the developments, adding that "illegal camps" had been cropping up on the green belt land for years.
Basildon Council has said it was "currently investigating a possible breach of planning law" through the developments.
It's understood that the authority has also reached out to residents via email to inform them that that the "temporary stop notice" was an "interim injunction" to guard against the apparent planning breaches.
Basildon Council told GB News: "On Wednesday, May 29, 2024, Basildon Council obtained and served an injunction on an unauthorised development in Pitsea.
Basildon Council was made aware of unauthorised development within the green belt land off Lower Avenue, Pitsea [the site to which residents were referring].
"The site within the green belt land does not have planning permission for this use, and therefore is a breach of planning control under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
"Basildon Council issued a Temporary Stop Notice on Friday, May 24, requiring them to cease development works on the land, however this was not complied with.
"On Wednesday, May 29, 2024, Basildon Council obtained an injunction in the High Court prohibiting further unlawful development.
"Basildon Council will continue to closely monitor the situation."