DEALING with illegal traveller sites in Wickford has raised “complex and difficult issues” for council officers, leading to the appearance of inaction, it is claimed.

Basildon Council chief executive Bala Mahendran made the claim in an open letter to Chris Walsh, whose parents live in near the controversial Hovefields site, in Hovefields Avenue, Wickford.

The site has seen significant development taking place in recent months, despite a High Court order banning any further work being granted in October.

Residents have dubbed the site Dale Farm Mark II and say travellers are planning to create up to 50 plots on the land. It comes after more than 30 lorries at a time were seen delivering hardcore.

Mr Walsh has written several open letters to Mr Mahendran, complaining about a lack of action being taken despite clear breaches of the court order.

In the latest, he said councillors have taken criticism “personally” and left residents feeling “immensely frustrated” with the lack of information.

He said: “Not only have the residents association proved themselves to be beyond reproach when issued with sensitive information, that is not for press publication, they have also lent massive amounts of assistance to both the council, and their planning team by providing them with the information their planning officers are too ‘intimidated’”.

Mr Mahendran replied: “It is often not in the public interest for the council to give prior notice of its intentions or discuss the detailed consideration of individual cases until after decisions are made and actions taken as this might otherwise prejudice potential action.”