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There was plenty of media coverage and the following is an excerpt from an article in the Telegraph:

Mark Greening of Residents Against Inappropriate Development, a group based in Newent, Gloucestershire, said of yesterday’s meeting: “It’s the start of something big to put more pressure on politically and to show that this is not just a local issue for communities, it is a national issue.

“This is the first national conference of its kind. The gipsies and travellers have a collective approach to these things and so should we.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for everybody involved in such issues across the country to come together, share information and demonstrate to politicians that the respectable, settled communities do care.”

Residents’ groups from across the country have launched a united call for reform of the law on travellers’ sites.

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Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman rejected claims of ‘gipsy racism’ yesterday after pledging to take tough new action against illegal traveller sites.

Ms Spelman clashed with a travellers’ leader as she defended villagers in her Midlands constituency who have staged a round-the-clock demonstration for more than six months against an encampment on greenbelt land.

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We’re an action group from Newent in Gloucestershire, set up to coordinate the local residents’ response to the unauthorised occupation and development of just under 6 acres of agricultural land on Southend Lane.

Our Aims.

• Oppose Enforcement Appeal APP/P1615/C/09/2107067 lodged against the Forest of Dean District Council’s order which gave 28 days notice that the site must be returned to its original condition and be vacated within 12 weeks.
• Assist the FODDC and Gloucestershire County Council in their efforts to make proper provision within the Forest of Dean for Gypsies, Travellers and their families, so they don’t feel they have to resort to breaking the law in order to set up home.

The prime minister has pledged to give councils more powers to help them deal with illegal traveller developments.

David Cameron was asked what he would do to help residents in two Warwickshire villages where travellers have illegally built on private land.

He said he would introduce the Localism Bill to give all local authorities more power over local planning decisions.

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GIPSIES have told officials their illegal site in Newent is sinking into the mud.

The travellers at Southend Lane say they need to keep shipping in lorry loads of stone to stop the infrastructure sinking any further.

Angry residents have been alarmed by the number of lorries arriving at the Newent site which the travellers have been told to quit by January 31, 2012.

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A PLANNED eviction of nearly 90 families from the illegal Dale Farm traveller site could cost up to £10million in policing costs alone.

The proposed operation is expected to last at least two weeks and Essex Police have calculated it will result in a minimum bill of £2million, rising to £10million if violence flares.

The potential high costs are being blamed as one of the reasons Basildon Council is controversially selling off playing fields to fund the town’s £38million Sporting Village, as the council may need to get a loan to cover the eviction policing bill.

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Essex local council plans to evict all the travellers from Europe’s biggest gypsy camp – the controversial Crays Hill site near Billericay.

Around 1,000 travellers have been given their marching orders while Essex police and the council draw up plans to evict them.

But hundreds of supporters have pledged to fight the eviction, and there are fears that the process could take two weeks and cost £10 million in police wages.