During day one of a controversial public inquiry, an Alfold Parish Councillor admitted under cross-examination that he was opposed to gypsy and traveller sites and the development of Dunsfold Garden Village.

The failure of this huge brownfield aerodrome site earmarked for thousands of new homes progressing has scuppered Waverley’s five-year housing land supply. Local opposition caused delays that have triggered developments in the countryside elsewhere in the borough, including the huge expansion of the adjacent villages of Alfold.

An eight-day public inquiry into a Dunsfold Gypsy site has started

Some testy moments during the Dunsfold Public Inquiry

Cllr Chris Britton – a resident of Stovolds Hill and Chairman of Alfold’s planning committee, was questioned by one of the appellant’s barristers about his attitude toward gypsies and travellers. An ethnic group protected under the Human Rights Act and other legislation.

Cllr Britton refuted the allegation saying he was speaking for the gypsy community as well as the Stovolds Hill settlement where he lives. (Though he didn’t mention he lived there.)

The Gypsy Community of Lydia Park and New Acres has subsequently refuted any suggestion that he was representing them at the Inquiry.

Referring to anti-social behaviour incidents alleged by Mr Britton, Counsel Mr Stephen Cottle said that the planning authority confirmed it was not alleging that the appellants or their children had anything to do with them.

Cllr Britton stressed he was not making allegations against any specific individual, merely mentioning a matter of fact about a situation in the community. But he did say where it may have come from, where the significant expansion of unauthorised development occurred over the past two years.

Said Mr Cottle: If Nottingham, which happens to have one of the worst records of ASB incidents in the country, I would not necessarily correlate the arrival of a new particular family to acerbate that specific problem, would I? He referred to the owner of nearby Thatched House Farm, who had written saying he got on well with the whole gypsy community.

Barrister Mr Alan Masters said the Facebook pages in the urban area where he lived were updated hourly, if not daily, with anti-social incidents happening up and down the country.

Mr Cottle then referred to Waverley’s Local Plan, which stated that a new settlement of 2,600 new homes would be built nearby. The plan included health and education facilities, infrastructure, and employment.

“I would say this is on your doorstep, Cllr Britton.” 

Britton then attempted to argue the considerable distance between Stovolds Hill and the new garden village, which he admitted he had also strongly objected to. He also claimed the garden village wouldn’t be built for many years, so its facilities would not immediately benefit the community.

Mr Cottle argued the appeal sites were equidistant between the Stovolds Hill settlement and the new garden village. He said if told someone in a different part of the country – that his wife and his two older children and their spouses—just six adults—that a person in the local community believed that the arrival of his family was going to dominate the development of 2,600 homes adjacent to them, they would be baffled.

He continued, “The land in question has not been included in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).” Mr Britton said his council and others would argue for its inclusion.

Before the Inquiry was adjourned due to the Inspector’s ill health, he was asked if he was speaking about the newts on the site or if Bramley Parish Council was to cover this village, in whose parish the Stovolds Hill site is included. 

It is believed the eight-day Inquiry will not reconvene until March.