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Homeowners in a picturesque village say they have been driven to 'despair' after an illegal traveller site was set up on a field already at the centre of a row over waste dumping.
asserted
site → see → dumping
For more than a year, residents of Peopleton, Worcestershire, have been plagued by an illegal waste operation, that has seen hundreds of tonnes of stinking rubbish dumped at a site on the outskirts of the village.
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hundreds → plague → village
The operation is run by convicted criminal John Bruce, who was jailed in 2002, and again in 2018, for his disgraceful record of tipping at unlicensed sites around the county.
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who → run → county
But locals say the village has now descended into a fresh state of 'lawlessness' after an unauthorised traveller encampment was set up over a weekend in July, while the local council offices were closed.
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offices → say → July
Lorries and diggers owned by Mr Bruce have reportedly been seen carrying out work at the site, which is located on a plot of land off the A44.
uncertain
which → own → A44
Locals have claimed he previously used the same site to dump around 200 tons of waste, which came from the illegal rubbish processing plant he operates just across the road at Stone Arrow Farm.
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he → claim → Farm
Residents say very little action has been taken to shut down the traveller pitch, and it appears to be a case of people who flout the rules being able to 'get away with whatever they like'.
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they → say → whatever
Aerial photographs show the farmland has been tarmacked over and several caravans moved in, despite a stop notice being issued and enforcement action taken.
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action → show → ?
An aerial view of the illegal traveller site that has been set up in Peopleton, Worcestershire
Image from earlier this year shows an aerial view of a waste tip in Peopleton
Lorries and diggers owned by Mr Bruce have been seen carrying out work at the site, which is located on a plot of land that he previously used to dump around 200 tons of rubbish on
At the end of last month, electric gates and CCTV cameras were also installed.
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gates → set → month
Locals have also reported seeing sun loungers and deckchairs outside the caravans.
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Locals → report → caravans
One man, who wished to remain anonymous, said: 'After the waste dumping and now the traveller site, lawlessness is probably the best way to describe the village right now.
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lawlessness → wish → village
These people, seem to be able to get away with whatever they like.
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they → seem → whatever
It does appear that if you follow the rules, then you can't actually get anywhere.
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you → appear → rules
But if you're prepared to flout the rules, then you're allowed to carry on regardless.
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you → flout → rules
The travellers have been allowed to carry on blissfully and it appears that the council and police are absolutely powerless to do anything.'
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council → allow → anything
It is understood the diggers arrived at around 6.30pm on Friday, July 24, and that work began at around 7am the following morning.
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work → understand → am
Locals said they were unable to get hold of the council until the Saturday, at which point they were told that nothing could be done until Monday.
uncertain
nothing → say → Monday
The man continued: 'Well by Monday, there was a whole encampment.
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man → continue → Monday
Retrospective planning then went in to keep the caravans there.
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planning → go → caravans
John Bruce pictured running along a beach in a rare social media photo
Image shows waste from the processing plant.
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Image → picture → plant
It is similar to what was dumped on the site which is now a traveller pitch
An aerial view of Peopleton, a quintessentially English village with a medieval church, family run pub and a shop staffed by volunteers
Residents say very little action has been taken to shut down the traveller pitch, and it appears to be a case of people who flout the rules being able to 'get away with whatever they like'
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they → dump → whatever
'They were given an enforcement notice, but carried on building against that enforcement notice.
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They → give → notice
They have fully moved in.'
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They → move → ?
Another local said: 'We are just expecting more travellers to turn up now.
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travellers → say → ?
There's half of the land that has actually been developed on but part of the site is still lying empty.
'
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part → be → site
'Agencies are not willing to stick their head above the parapet and do something, they just won't.'
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they → stick → something
A temporary stop notice has been issued by Wychavon District Council which prevents any further development of the site.
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which → issue → site
The occupants have also submitted a retrospective planning application.
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occupants → submit → application
The incident follows a trend that has seen travellers swoop in to lay pitches over weekends, when council offices are closed.
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offices → follow → weekends
This gives unscrupulous developers effectively free rein to do what they like until Monday morning, by which time concrete has often been laid and caravans moved in.
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caravans → give → morning
Planning permission is then sought retrospectively, forcing local authorities to kick them off an area already built over, in frequently lengthy and costly processes.
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permission → seek → processes
Locals told the Daily Mail that in addition to the traveller site being set up, the illegal waste operation in the area has been allowed to continue.
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operation → tell → area
In January, we first reported that Stone Arrow Farm, which is located just across the road from the traveller pitch, was being used to deposit rubble, wood and various forms of household rubbish.
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which → report → rubbish
An aerial view of the illegal waste processing operation at Stone Arrow Farm, which neighbours say is blighting their lives with noise, traffic and pollution
A digger, which appears to be the same one carrying out at the traveller site, is listed for sale on Mr Bruce's website, UK Plant
Stone Arrow Farm pictured earlier this year, with the waste operation taking place on the left and the lorry park on the right
A stop notice was served by the Environment Agency last January.
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notice → say → Agency
An additional Planning Enforcement Notice was issued by the local council and some of the waste was subsequently carted off.
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some → issue → waste
Yet the wagons full of rubbish continued to arrive.
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wagons → continue → rubbish
A number of other illegal waste tipping sites have also been identified in the area.
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number → identify → area
These include Mill Lane, near Wadborough, between Worcester and Evesham, where a long brown pile of rubbish was left rotting in a field.
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pile → include → field
Closer to Evesham itself, meanwhile, a mass of processed rubble - mainly building material - was spread into a long strip along the edge of a field at Haselor Lane.
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mass → process → Lane
Dumping illegal waste is so profitable - generating as much as £2,500 per truck - it has been embraced by organised criminal gangs.
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it → dump → gangs
…and 9 more, not listed.
The Aporia
