June 17, 2009, Basildon, UK: The Basildon Council has agreed to lengthy negotiations with the Dale Farm Travellers before evicting them from their homes in southeast England, a local newspaper has reported.

The Echo, which has extensively covered the Dale Farm crisis, reported June 16 that an agreement has been made for traveller spokesman Richard Sheridan to lead a group in negotiations with council officials.

Coucil Chairman Tony Ball said agreeing to the talks would not stop the Council from pursuing eviction orders against the Travellers, but that it was in everyone’s interest for the Travellers to leave by choice and avoid the costs of a forced eviction.

The Dale Farm crisis began in 2005 when it was determined the Travellers were living on Green Belt land that is environmentally protected from development. Eviction orders were issued in 2005 and 2007. The most recent threat began after the UK Court of Appeal ruled in January that the Travellers could be legally evicted.

The Travellers and their advocates argue that the Travellers are defined as a distinct ethnic group by British law and have long been targets of discrimination in the UK. The wholesale eviction of about 90 Dale Farm families would also interrupt the education of the Traveller children and create a health crisis.

The Advocacy Project (AP) has supported the Travellers since 2005 and previously sent two Peace Fellows to Dale Farm.