Heated meeting over Byfleet Gypsy plans - Surrey

From Get Surrey

HUNDREDS of people returned to Byfleet village hall to make their feelings known about a Gypsy family’s bid to build on green belt land.

They had been turned away from a meeting the week before as the hall was packed to the rafters, such is the level of concern in the village.

The Byfleet, West Byfleet and Pyrford Residents’ Association met residents for a second time on February 18 to discuss the application, submitted to Woking Borough Council on January 12 by a Romani Gypsy family, to turn land south of Murray’s Lane in Byfleet into four pitches with associated works, including four day rooms, hardstanding and a septic tank.

The residents’ association confirmed that 225 people turned up to hear what had been discussed at the previous meeting and were given an opportunity to have their say.

Councillor Anne Roberts said: “The fact that the hall has been filled completely shows how serious this is.” She confirmed that the council had now received 684 representations on the issue, rising from 491 the week before.

Peter Groves, group scout leader at 1st Byfleet, spoke for a second time about his concern over what was going to happen with the land.

Cllr Ashley Bowes, chairman of Woking Borough Council’s planning committee, told the meeting he would be keeping an open mind while he assessed the application.

“What you say will be taken into account and we will certainly consider it,” he said.

Cllr Bowes assured those in attendance that the fact the land was green belt was of ‘paramount importance.’

“The process is continuing,” he said.

Woking MP Jonathan Lord, who had also attended the first meeting, added: “Tempers were running extremely high last week.

“Please make sure you are not trying to tar one part of the community – the Traveller community – with some sort of brush,” he said.

Councillor Esther Watson Green shared her thoughts on the application at the meeting.

“I am Byfleet born and bred, as were my parents and my grandparents,” she said.

“This application is totally inappropriate and I do hope that officers will realise this.”

The general concern from members of the public was the fact that the application was to build on green land.

One Byfleet resident said he did not want to see ‘a replica of Dale Farm’ in the village.

Concerns were also expressed over children from the Gypsy family needing places in already over-subscribed schools.

Speaking on Tuesday, vice chairman of the residents’ association, Richard Thomas, 68, of Elmstead Road, West Byfleet, said: “It was a successful meeting that was well attended by the general public and elected members and did what it said on the tin.”

On leaving the meeting, Jonathan Lord told residents: “Long live our precious green spaces.”