Woodland's fate hangs in the balance
The future of ancient woodland near an idyllic viewpoint remains in the balance, following a fractious planning hearing.
Controversial plans to build an eight-bedroom mansion and swimming pool on land near Gravelly Hill, Caterham, sparked fury in July last year.
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Green: Ancient woodland dating back over 400 years may be disturbed if planning permission is granted for building work on Gravelly Hill, Caterham, warn campaigners.
Photo no CCRdf210709a by Danny Fitzpatrick.
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Application: The Harris family want to build on family land at Gravelly Hill, Caterham, but are meeting with opposition Photo No df050210
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Worried: Campaigners are concerned about building work and access to what may be an historic site.
Photo no CCRdf210709a 3by Danny Fitzpatrick
Neither side could claim victory following an appeal hearing at Tandridge District Council's offices in Station Road East, Oxted on Thursday last week, as the hearing into Ten Acre Shaw, Caterham, was adjourned.
But campaigners remained hopeful planning permission will not be granted. Conservative councillor Beverley Connolly, Harestone Ward, said: "Creating this huge great monstrosity on the land will desecrate it. How are they going to access the site to do their building work?
"And the effect on wildlife and trees must not be ignored either, how many trees are going to be desecrated too?"
Local historian Gwyneth Fookes was also concerned about damage to a potentially rich historic site which could benefit from careful excavation. She said: "There is an ancient boundary bank going all around the land."
And Chris Windridge, Chairman of A Better Caterham, present throughout the hearing, told The Mirror: "I don't think its an appropriate thing to build on the Green Belt."
Yet despite the sometimes confrontational nature of the hearing, owners Jack, Gemma and Peter Harris were all smiles as they posed for photographs outside the council offices with their legal advisor John Kendrick.
Mr Jack Harris said: "We want to see the land put to good use. We were brought up there when it was called Hill Top, and I know those woods backwards. The family moved there in 1922. But it's all overgrown now."
The hearing will resume on June 8, at Tandridge District Council Offices on Station Road East, Oxted.
In the meantime, consideration will be given to the amount of traffic the build would create, the affect on wildlife including bats, badgers and dormice, the affect on ancient woodland and how construction traffic might access the site.
Comments
by Kevin Hall, Caterham Reigate Toowoomba
Wednesday, February 24 2010, 11:26PM
“Green belt means just that. How bent are the greed bandits trying it on with all too often insider help, duly gratified, by Council.
There is no case as there is plenty of land in Surrey which is legal to build on.
These creeps have stolen our schools, playing fields, barracks, hospital and now target our land. Theres a plot in Burntwood Lane with the ack ack installation tower which would be a better site.”