299-home plan slammed as 'snouts in trough'

Aug 26 2008 By Ed Saunt

Land at Long Lane

Developers who want to build 299 homes on Green Belt in Stanwell have got their "snouts in the trough", says a furious Spelthorne councillor.

John O'Hara launchedt the broadside as he chaired a planning committee meeting on August 20 which voted unanimously to reject the application by housebuilder Fairview Homes.

It had been seeking permission to build on a 4.6ha plot of land by Long Lane recreation ground and says it will now appeal to the Government to overrule the council's decision.

Cllr O'Hara said: "I thought it was a grossly unfair application in that the developer knew that we were bound to refuse it. The people of Stanwell have been subjected to a lot of stress by this.

"It's totally unfair on the people of Stanwell and the council and it's typical of developers who want to get their snouts in the trough. This is not the way to deal with development.

"They haven't thought at all about the impact of it on the people of Stanwell and local services such as the doctors and the schools."

The application was refused on the grounds that it would be an inappropriate development of Green Belt land but the developer argued that the land was wrongly classified and that the council's planning policy was ‘out-of-date.’

But, along with opposition from councillors, the proposals faced objections from local residents, Surrey County Council, the County's archaeology officer and Natural England.

June Thomson, of Long Lane, said the plans had been hanging over the heads of people in Stanwell. She added: "It just seems to be dragging on and on and we don't know what's going to happen.

"We thought we were in the clear after the planning meeting but it seems like the developer just won't give up. They don't realise there simply isn't the capacity to build that many houses and not destroy the area."