Residents of Sawbridgeworth, a town in Hertfordshire, successfully defended a local wildlife sanctuary from an attempted illegal land grab by travellers over the August bank holiday weekend. The confrontation culminated in a High Court injunction that ordered the removal of individuals and machinery from the Sheering Mill Lane site.
The incident began on Saturday morning when dozens of travellers arrived with diggers and began flattening a large patch of greenery, which serves as a floodplain and habitat for muntjac deer. The council was alerted by a local councilor, and by Saturday afternoon, an urgent application was made to the High Court for an injunction. While an initial order was granted and served, it was ignored, and work continued.
In response, hundreds of residents gathered at the site, some camping overnight to prevent further development. The community's efforts were met with goading and intimidation from some of the workers on site. The scale of the community's resistance prompted a significant police presence.
Escalation and Injunction
By Sunday afternoon, approximately 500 residents had assembled. The council worked through the night to secure an amended High Court injunction, granted and served around 12:30 a.m. on Monday. This updated order provided police with the authority to arrest anyone carrying out prohibited work on the land, including bringing caravans onto the site or occupying it for development. The injunction is in effect until September 15, pending a court hearing.
On Monday morning, police entered the site and evicted around 20 individuals. The removal was met with cheers from residents who had maintained a vigil. A large police presence remained in the area on Tuesday, with machinery being seized.
Environmental Concerns and Community Response
Residents expressed devastation over the damage caused to the wildlife habitat. Long grass was replaced with rubble, and concerns were raised about increased vulnerability to flooding due to the site's location on a floodplain. Many described the destruction of the habitat, home to protected wildlife such as bats and newts, as a "total destruction of nature."
Local authorities, including Mayor Angus Parsad-Wyatt and MP Josh Dean, commended the community's swift action and spirit. Dean stated his intention to raise the issue with the government to advocate for stronger powers for local authorities to combat such activities. Hertfordshire Constabulary confirmed that all individuals with unauthorized access left the site peacefully following the amended injunction, and no arrests were necessary.