The Daily Mail can reveal that a week before to the start of building over the May bank holiday weekend, a traveller suspected of being engaged in converting a wildlife haven into an unlawful camper park boldly disclosed plans for the site.
In a Facebook post, Martin Mongan sought “off-plan” buyers for one of the unbuilt caravan spots, emphasising the location’s closeness to Stansted Airport and the Essex town of Braintree.
Before it was built in the same manner without planning approval on May 1, hours after council offices closed, the married father of two shared architect’s drawings of the location, which was still a grassy field at the time.
The land grab was a part of a pattern in which tourists construct unapproved developments on long weekends while local law enforcement officers are at home. In an attempt to make them permanent, they then submit an application for retrospective planning clearance.
According to Mr. Mongan’s drawings, the site is close to the village of Felsted and consists of twelve identical plots, each with enough for a touring caravan and what appear to be two mobile homes.
There are two entry points connecting the site to neighbouring roads, and the pitches are encircled by amenities. The development is now well under way, according to aerial images.
Next to his post, Mr. Mongan, an Irish wanderer with Galway connections, wrote, “Plot for sale.” Braintree is five miles away. Stansted Airport is fourteen miles away. No pricers. Send me a message if you’re interested.
Out of the twelve pitches, one was marked as for sale.
In a military-style operation on Friday night, he covered an image of the four-acre field with the same caption before it was covered with concrete.
Martin Mongan highlighted the location’s closeness to Stansted Airport in a Facebook post advertising for “off-plan” customers for one of the unbuilt caravan spots.
BEFORE: The field is thought to be home to protected great-crested newts prior to the May bank holiday weekend. There have also been reports of rare albino fallow deer.
AFTER: A four-acre field was overrun by labourers on Friday, only hours after the district council in the area shut down.
The Mail can also reveal that on May 31, Mr. Mongan attempted to set up massive supplies of hardcore—solid materials placed on the ground prior to building work—to the Braintree region.
“Any truck drivers available over the Easter bank holiday weekend Friday and Saturday in the Braintree area about 20 trucks,” he tweeted. We need to pick up 120/150 loads from Dagenham. Please send me a private message if you can provide the necessary number of vehicles and are capable of completing the task. “Cheers.”
He reportedly offered tens of thousands of pounds for the task, but until the May bank holiday, no one was available to do it.
On Tuesday, visitors to the location reported that two relatives now owned the land in the quaint Essex hamlet of Willows Green.
They said that because the family were in dire need of a place to reside, the land was created illegally.
Since 90% of traveller site planning applications are denied, traveller activists have long claimed they are forced to take advantage of planning regulations. In comparison, at least 40% of those created in the past are accepted.
But the idea of a cohesive community looking for a place to reside is called into question by the fact that Mr. Mongan was marketing one of the pitches for sale to outside parties.
“The cheek of it trying to sell a plot without any planning permission before it is built,” remarked one irate neighbour of the new location. Speculative development: “Uttlesford Council needs to be aware of this and what is really going on because this seems to be more of a commercial venture than about housing needs.”
Mr. Mongan, an Irish tourist with Galway connections, said he uploaded the advertisement on someone else’s behalf.
The Mail can also reveal that on May 31, Mr. Mongan attempted to set up massive supplies of hardcore—solid materials placed on the ground prior to building work—to the Braintree region.
The Mail exclusively disclosed on Thursday of last week that Uttlesford District Council and Felsted Parish Council had been informed ahead of time that the site could be illegally built during the bank holiday.
However, the district council, which is in charge of enforcing planning, stated that it was powerless until construction began.
“We are aware of local concerns regarding the land, but at this stage no breach of planning control has occurred,” the statement read.
The council can only formally take action after a breach has occurred because planning enforcement is a reactive service. It cannot take action prior to a breach. “We will respond in accordance with our planning enforcement plan should unauthorised development occur.”
An army of labourers, cars, and equipment arrived on the property within hours after the council closed on Friday.
Diggers started churning over the grass in preparation for concrete and asphalt using lights and generators. There were about thirty vehicles, vans, and machineries on the property today.
The next morning, as startled residents woke up to the nightmare, work went on. The district council didn’t respond until Tuesday.
James Cleverly, a local Tory MP, tweeted a video from the site’s gate on Saturday, making him the sole public official to visit.
After that, he uploaded a letter he sent to Steve Reed, the Secretary of State for Housing Communities and Local Government, requesting that the legislation be changed to stop tourists from being given retroactive permission to visit unapproved locations.
Over the past 25 years, numerous locations have been developed nationwide using this method of operation.
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In order to prepare the ground for a concrete and tarmac base, vegetation was torn up. Aerial photographs taken on Sunday revealed that barriers had already been put in place while excavators continued to lay debris.
On Friday, under the cover of darkness, over thirty vehicles—including cars, trucks and multiple diggers—were transported onto the pitch.
It doesn’t seem like the council has a backup plan in place.
Residents claimed that until the authority released a statement on Tuesday, they were unable to get in touch with council representatives.
“Uttlesford Council is aware of the alleged unauthorised development on land near Willows Green and understands the concern this has caused locally,” the statement stated.
Before taking into account all of the available enforcement options, officers are working quickly to evaluate the behaviour on the scene and collect evidence.We wish to reassure residents that the situation is of utmost significance and that necessary action may be taken in accordance with our statutory powers, but we are limited in the details we can share at this time due to the possible actions that may follow.
According to his Facebook site, Mr. Mongan is from Milton Keynes.
A business card he shared on Facebook with the same mobile number he used to promote the pitch suggests that he works in the used and scrap auto industries.
Several companies that are allegedly situated in the council-run Willen Traveller Caravan Site in Newport Pagnell use the same number.
Mr. Mongan can be seen on vacation with his wife and kids in a number of Facebook pictures.
Mr. Mongan claimed he had just posted it on behalf of someone else, although he did respond to the number on his advertisement for the plot.
He indicated that any enquiries concerning the site should be directed to the occupants and denied any involvement in the illegal development.
He indicated it was a terrible line, so we texted him more questions about the location, including how it would affect nearby homeowners, but we never heard back.
The district council ultimately served a stop notice at the location on Tuesday night, stopping any additional development.
Chad Brady, a convicted heroin dealer, was named as a former director of the business that purchased the pitch. He was photographed outside Hull Crown Court last year.
Residents claim that while a large portion of the equipment has been removed from the site, fencing construction work was still ongoing yesterday.
“The council should now be enforcing the stop notices,” one person stated.
UK Real Estate and Land 2 Limited is listed as the land’s owner.
On April 29, 2025, the company paid the land’s prior owner £125,000 in cash, with an overage deed agreement to pay him extra if the land’s worth increases.
One of its directors, according to Companies House data, is 31-year-old Yorkshireman Chad Brady.
Last year, Brady was identified before Hull Crown Court as the head of a profitable cocaine trafficking business in the coastal town of Bridlington.
After recruiting his own sister to work as a £150-per-day runner, the blatant criminal was apprehended after sending out bulk advertisements to the community.
He was given a two-year suspended prison term, 200 hours of unpaid labour, and ten days of rehabilitation after admitting to having cocaine with the intent to provide.
In January of last year, Brady resigned as a director of UK Real Estate and Land 2 Limited due to the ongoing legal proceedings. He is the director of three operational businesses, one of which bills itself as a yoga school, and seventeen other liquidated businesses.
David Malcolm Kaye, a director of almost 500 companies, the majority of which have been dissolved, and Lauren Anne Connell, 31, who has directed 33 dissolved companies and four active ones, are also listed.
A request for comment about the revelations has been sent to Uttlesford District Council.
