Residents fear travellers are planning to buy a plot of green belt land and turn it into a caravan site.
An acre-and-a-half plot, in Vanderbilt Avenue, Rawreth, was being sold at auction today at the Essex County Hotel, Aviation Way, Southend.
Residents and other landowners in the area claim travellers have already had a £160,000 offer for the site turned down.
Now they fear the travellers will make the highest bid when the land goes under the hammer.
One landowner, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "If they buy that land, what are they going to do? They are going to set it up as a caravan site."
The guide price suggested by Dedman Auction, the firm organising the sale, is £90,000 to £95,000.
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