Extra caravan pitches at Cranleigh Gypsy site - Surrey

From Get Surrey

EXTRA pitches on the Stovolds Hill Gypsy site have been approved in the face of strong public opposition, on the condition that a financial contribution from occupants is paid.

An additional 35 permanent pitches and 15 transit pitches will be allowed on the New Acres site, which has been a caravan park since the 1970s, subject to a ‘planning infrastructure agreement’ from the site owners.

It was a tightly-packed public gallery that awaited the decision of Waverley Borough Council’s eastern planning committee on Wednesday (October 10), with speakers from all sides, including parish councils, neighbours and Travellers themselves.

Caroline Berkeley, who lives in Hall Place, just off Stovolds Hill, said there was already an ‘extreme shortage’ of reception class places, as well as dangerous traffic and frequent accidents at the junction near the caravan park.

She said: “Many of the current population of Travellers are related to each other, which encourages community spirit.”

Adding new pitches for touring caravans would “encourage more transient inhabitants”, she added, which would have an impact on the outside community, as well as on the surrounding roads, which are not suitable for HGVs. Cllrs Alan Ground and Charles Orange, chairmen of Dunsfold and Hascombe parish councils, both spoke in support of her sentiments.

Site owner Susan Brazil, who has lived at New Acres for 38 years, said that the travellers wanted to “live a nice life quietly”.

“They don’t want to be in a small caravan – I have had people on there for 20 years. It’s like we are somebody different, but we’re not.”

Their presentations were followed by a fervent response from Cllr Mary Foryszewski, whose ward covers the site, who insisted she was not dismissing the opinions of her constituents.

“I can’t express enough my genuine understanding and my awareness of the public opinion on both sides,” she said. “I do daily take on board the comments.”

However, she added that she believed there was ‘ignorance’ on both sides and that the need to respect different cultures should ‘go across the board’.

It was a site visit on October 8 that made up the minds of many councillors, it seemed, as one by one they spoke about the ‘established, permanent, lawful, well-kept and well-policed’ New Acres site.

Cllr Maurice Byham said that until he visited New Acres in person, he tended to use the phrase ‘availability, not sustainability’, but that Monday’s visit had been ‘an education’. “I now withdraw that phrase from my mind,” he said, adding that it was indeed a very well-policed and established site with a “strong family spirit”.

However, there remained some dispute among councillors over whether the occupants of the site should have to pay towards its expansion, with Cllr Jenny Else suggesting that if it was a ‘regular building site’ the developers would be asked for a financial contribution.

Cllr Brett Vorley added: “They should be made to pay their way on the basis that they claim to be equal.

“These ‘equal people’ should be made to pay council tax. Everyone’s got human rights and it should only be fair that everybody pays their way.”

He was reminded by committee chairman Cllr Brian Ellis that the existing permanent pitches at New Acres already do pay council tax, and it is expected that the additional pitches would too.

An infrastructure payment of £250,000, as calculated by planning officers, could “limit the viability” of the site and affect whether it goes ahead, said Cllr Richard Gates, who accepted that Waverley had not provided enough Gypsy pitches to meet the demand.

A revised figure will be drawn up by officers and put to councillors for their approval.