Essex field allegedly concreted illegally by travellers listed for sale on Facebook

A caravan plot on a field that travellers allegedly concreted over without permission has appeared for sale on Facebook, the BBC has learned.

The four-acre (1.6-hectare) site in the rural hamlet of Willows Green near Felsted in Essex has sparked an ongoing dispute with locals since May 1. One of its 12 plots was listed online for an undisclosed price, with the advertisement noting its proximity to Braintree and London Stansted Airport.

The seller, based in Milton Keynes, did not respond to requests for comment.

Residents reported witnessing what they called a "military operation" involving about 30 lorries that delivered fencing, hardcore and septic tanks to the site under cover of darkness.

Braintree Conservative MP Sir James Cleverly accused those behind the work of "gaming the system" by conducting it over a bank holiday weekend, when Uttlesford District Council offices were closed.

Facebook posts from March, viewed by the BBC, showed the plot seller seeking truck drivers' help. "About 20 trucks - we've got 120/150 loads we need collected from Dagenham (east London)," the seller wrote. "If you can supply the amount of trucks and able to do the job, give me a private message."

Locals said rare albino deer, great crested newts and badgers inhabited the field before construction began.

Uttlesford District Council labeled the work an "alleged unauthorised development" and issued a stop-work order on Wednesday. The council had denied planning permission in February for a three-bedroom log cabin on the site.

A planning officer ruled that the cabin would "significantly harm the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside."

The council's planning website lists no pending applications for construction on the field.

Public records show UK Real Estate and Land 2 Limited bought the agricultural land for £125,000 ($160,000) on April 30, 2025. The BBC could not reach the company, which Companies House records indicate dissolved two days before the purchase.

The Facebook seller did not reply to the BBC, but traveller rights campaigner Sherrie Smith said the group was "trying to be as accommodating and friendly" as possible. She added that they had halted construction and aimed to follow the council's order.