Unauthorised airport car park grows despite stop notice
An unauthorised car park near Stansted Airport continues to operate despite an enforcement notice from the local council. Customers have reported poor service, damage to vehicles, and chaotic conditions at the site.
Why it matters
It illustrates the challenges local authorities face in enforcing land-use regulations against businesses that operate in legal grey areas.
Image source, John Fairhall/BBC Image caption, New Farm, near the village of Elsenham, Essex, started offering alternative parking to Stansted Airport in early 2025
An unauthorised car park near Stansted Airport has grown by nearly two-thirds since it was served with an enforcement notice to shut, a BBC investigation has found.
The facility was set up in early 2025 at New Farm, near the village of Elsenham, Essex, offering an alternative, cheaper option to nearby Stansted Airport.
But customers described scenes of "mayhem" when they returned from holiday to find overcrowded transport, along with damaged and dirty cars and long waits for collection.
The business directors and a service provider linked to the site have not responded to requests for comment and Uttlesford District Council, which issued the notice, said it would continue to monitor until an appeal was heard.
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