Traveller groups have exploited the Easter bank holiday weekend to illegally establish caravan camps while municipal offices were shut. In Sundridge (Kent) and Flamstead (Hertfordshire), work was carried out to level fields and lay concrete and hardcore without planning permission. Local authorities are unable to respond promptly due to the holiday, and enforcement procedures can take months.
Conservative MPs are calling for a change in the law to prevent retrospective planning applications after clear breaches. According to sources, heavy machinery was used in some cases.