This is the construction tycoon helping travellers build illegal encampments across the countryside – including a bank holiday ‘land grab’ that bulldozed a wildlife haven.
Karl Kavanagh, 48, was previously exposed by the Daily Mail for arranging large deliveries of aggregate to unauthorised sites in Surrey over the May Bank Holiday.
It has now emerged he is also linked to another land grab in the town of Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, last weekend – before it was seen off by locals.
Vehicles owned by Kavanagh’s Hampshire-based building firm, KK Construction, were filmed being escorted off the site by police.
Photos also appear to show Mr Kavanagh speaking with police officers at the illegal encampment.
In footage posted on Facebook, residents can be heard cheering as his machinery was driven away after an injunction was imposed warning that anyone who continued work at the site could face arrest.
The destruction of the wildlife haven began on Friday after council offices closed for the Bank Holiday weekend and heavy machinery was brought onto the land.
An emergency High Court order was issued at 10.30pm on Saturday, temporarily preventing any further development of the site or occupation by caravans.
But construction work continued on Sunday and into Monday morning, while hundreds of residents staged peaceful protests alongside the site.
The council then returned to court and secured a strengthened injunction, including powers of arrest for anyone who breached it, which was served on those occupying the land on Monday.
Vehicles owned by Karl Kavanagh, 48, (pictured) who runs Hampshire-based building firm KK Construction, were filmed being escorted from the Sawbridgeworth site by police
HERTFORDSHIRE: In footage posted on Facebook, residents can be heard cheering as the machinery owned by KK Construction was driven away
HERTFORDSHIRE: A police officer is seen talking to Karl Kavanagh (left) and a traveller at the site in Sawbridgeworth
Kavanagh was previously found to be advertising on Facebook for 100 loads of crushed aggregate for a site in the Horley area of Surrey over the Saturday and Sunday of the last May Bank Holiday.
He followed this up with another post the next day, saying tipper lorries were needed in the Horsham area from Saturday to Monday for the price of £200 a load.
When the Mail called him, Mr Kavanagh claimed not to know what the loads were for, other than the fact they were for sites in Horley and Horsham.
He said: ‘I’m a subcontractor. I don’t know what it’s for. I’m just trying to organise it for a main contractor we do a lot of building work for. I was just asked to put up the posts as a registered building company.’
He said he could not rule out the loads being destined for traveller sites as some firms would be willing to provide the materials ‘when money was involved’.
He refused to provide contact details for the main contractor.
The Mail alerted Horsham Council and Reigate and Banstead Council to the posts, with the latter launching an immediate investigation.
There was no apparent development in the Horley area over the weekend in question, but, at West Chiltington, West Sussex, near Horsham, heavy machinery moved onto a field on the Friday near the world-renowned Nyetimber sparkling wine estate.
HERTFORDSHIRE: An aerial view of the illegal travellers camp in Sawbridgeworth that was foiled by protesters
WEST SUSSEX: In May, travellers paved over a field near the world-renowned Nyetimber sparkling wine estate
Work continued throughout the weekend and despite the presence of both council officers and police, a fully fledged caravan site was developed.
When contacted for comment about the site in Sawbridgeworth, Mr Kavanagh said: ‘I’m not going to comment. I didn’t even know my vans were there.’
The developments follow a trend that has seen travellers swoop in to lay pitches over Bank Holiday weekends, when council offices are closed.
This gives unscrupulous developers effectively free rein to do what they like until Tuesday morning, by which time concrete has often been laid and caravans moved in.
Planning permission is then sought retrospectively, forcing local authorities to kick them off an area already built over, in frequently lengthy and costly processes.
Elsewhere on Friday, travellers started building another caravan site on greenbelt land in Rochford, Essex.
About 20 lorries filled with hardcore arrived over the weekend to form the base and work continued despite Rochford Council serving a Stop Notice on Saturday.
Residents who have lost faith in the local council due to their perceived inaction in stopping the travellers have said they will stage a peaceful protest outside its offices.
ESSEX: Construction work continued at an illegal traveller site on greenbelt land over the bank holiday weekend
HERTFORDSHIRE: Local residents gather at the site of the land grab in Sawbridgeworth over the weekend
HERTFORDSHIRE: Wooden posts and a caravan had been left at the site when the Daily Mail visited on Wednesday
The planned protest follows four months of growing anger in the hamlet of Willows Green, near Felstead, Essex, over what residents describe as a ‘gross failure’ to take effective enforcement action against the unauthorised development of agricultural land.
An Uttlesford Council spokesperson said: ‘We recognise that residents feel strongly about this issue and fully respect their right to take part in peaceful protest and to make their views known.
‘The council has made clear its position in previous statements and continues to pursue this matter through the appropriate legal and planning processes.
‘As proceedings are ongoing and future action may be dependent on court decisions, it would not be appropriate for the council to comment on, or speculate about, potential enforcement measures. Doing so could prejudice current or future legal proceedings.
‘We understand the frustration felt by local residents and remain committed to using the powers available to us to address unauthorised development in accordance with the law. Further updates will be provided when it is appropriate and lawful to do so.’
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