Residents have railed against an unauthorised development in the middle of a hotspot for wildlife.
A huge parcel of green belt land in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire had already been bulldozed by the time a court injunction had been issued to halt the work on Saturday.
Hundreds of locals gathered at the building site, accusing developers of exploiting the bank holiday weekend to push ahead with the work.
The BBC reported that some 400 people assembled at the site, where excavation had begun on Saturday morning – just as the local council offices were closing for the holiday.
A bird’s eye view of the site shows several caravans parked on the land, where excavators had already started digging and fences erected.
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The High Court injunction bans any ‘works or activities which are or could serve as being preparatory works or activities to enable or support development’ on the land on Sherring Mill Lane, with anyone failing to comply facing arrest.
Nearby residents have voiced concerns that, given the land is used as a floodplain, their homes would be directly at risk were it to be developed.
Amy Panter, 19, said the developers had ‘lined up and exploited’ loopholes to start the work.
In a statement, East Hertfordshire District Council said a court order had been issued to stop the development at 10.45am on August 29, with the site secured by 10.30pm that evening.
Council officers said they would be monitoring the site including outside of business hours to ensure work does not recommence, the local authority confirmed.
A spokesperson added: ‘We will continue to work closely with Herts Police and our other partners to monitor the site and prevent any further unauthorised works.
‘Anyone with concerns about further activity at the site should report these to the police by calling 101.’
Josh Dean, the Labour MP for Hertford and Stortford, said he was ‘appalled’ by the development and called for new powers for councils to stop unauthorised works.
He said: ‘I’m appalled by the flagrant disregard for the rules and the damage that has been done to our environment. I want to see these works brought to an end as soon as possible.
‘I am in contact with East Herts Council, Hertfordshire Police and other local stakeholders. I want to help in any way I can, and I have offered my full support to help to respond to this situation.’
Harlow Fencing, which provided equipment for the unauthorised build, said it had been misled about the nature of the project and had supplied the materials ‘in good faith’.
The company said it had stopped all deliveries to the site by the time concerns were raised at 9am on Saturday.
The case is due to be heard at the Royal Courts of Justice on September 15, however the council said it was pressing for an earlier hearing.
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