The leader of Basildon council has said authorities will now "get on with the difficult job of clearing Dale Farm" after a meeting between Travellers facing eviction at the Essex site and the local council broke up without resolution this morning.
Dale Farm representatives met a delegation from Basildon Council at 11.30am at the Essex Police compound at Barleylands, near the site.
The talks were seen as a last attempt to resolve the planning dispute peacefully after travellers lost a high court bid to stay on the six-acre site.
Basildon Council has warned that the site clearance could start at any time.
Tony Ball, leader of the council, said: “The meeting broke up without any significant progress being made and with the majority leaving the meeting after just over ten minutes — this was very disappointing.
“Traveller comments since the meeting indicating that the council were not willing to negotiate only demonstrate that they were unrealistic in their expectations in the first place.
“This meeting was never going to be a negotiation about if or when, it was about how. And this was made very clear when the meeting was arranged.
“We now believe that those who want to leave peacefully have already done so and those who are left have made it clear that they have no intention of co-operating with the council. Resistance and violence as some are now suggesting will be in nobody’s interest — especially not the travellers or their families.
“We now must get on with the difficult job of clearing Dale Farm in as safe and dignified a manner as possible — and that is what we will now do.”
PA