November 4, 2008, Basildon, UK: The Dale Farm Travellers enjoyed a legal victory recently, when the British High Court quashed the Basildon District Council’s decision to demolish their Saint Christopher’s community center.

Basildon District Council leader Malcolm Buckley has announced that Basildon will not contest the judicial review.

But for the Travellers, who have struggled against eviction since 2005, the fight to save their community in Southeastern England is far from over.

The Basildon Council voted twice, in 2005 and 2007, to evict the Travellers, claiming they are living illegally and without planning permission at Dale Farm. Those eviction orders were halted in May by Judge Andrew Collins of the British High Court, but an appeal of that decision is pending Dec. 5.

The Council is confident the decision will be reversed and their eviction plan will be allowed to proceed. Mr Buckley has already been quoted in a local newspaper, the Basildon Echo, as saying: “Following that hearing, the council expects to be in a position to enforce its decision to clear the unauthorized development at Dale Farm.”

The Travellers plan to hold a rally Nov. 11 outside Basildon’s town hall, where a council committee is “formally reconsidering options” about Dale Farm. That evening, a public meeting will be held at the Saint Christopher’s Centre at 5 p.m., followed by the rally at 7 p.m.

Grattan Puxon, spokesman for Dale Farm Housing Association, said a group of Roma are coming from London to support the rally, and that about 150 children who use the Centre would also participate.

The group has also placed a request with the United Nations advisory group on forced evictions, which is due to meet in Beijing this week. The Travellers have asked that Dale Farm be placed on the international register of forced evictions. If successful, this would mean a UN observer would be present at any forced eviction, which could be a deterrent to future eviction orders.

The Advocacy Project (AP) has worked with the Dale Farm Housing Association since 2005, and continues to support the Travellers in their struggle against eviction.