Proposed site for travellers blocked by council

Plans for a residential site for travellers in Surrey have been blocked, despite concerns over unmet targets.

Runnymede Borough Council's planning committee had been recommended to approve the eight-pitch site in Hurst Lane, near Virginia Water.

Before rejecting the application, the council's head of planning warned the meeting that the borough's lack of traveller sites left it wide-open to costly legal challenges.

But the proposals, which had received 30 letters of objection, were rejected on safety and sustainability grounds.

Applicants for such sites are able to appeal in Runnymede as there is a lack of identified housing sites – and that has led to the borough losing every traveller case when challenged through the courts over the last five years, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The Hurst Lane proposal was to change the use of a strip of land opposite Padd Farm to a residential caravan site, with space for eight pitches that would each include a static caravan, touring caravan and parking for two vehicles.

Councillor Elaine Gill said the issue of unmet need remained, but that did not mean every patch of land should be given over.

She said: "There are going to be other ribbon gardens that are going to lend themselves to this use and I do not think that Hurst Lane is sustainable."

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.