Letter: Wanborough Fields Appeal Refused, Landowners Must Comply or GBC Must Enforce

Published on: 22 Sep, 2021
Updated on: 23 Sep, 2021

From: S Callendar

Vice chair of Wanborough Parish Council

Over the last couple of days (September 19), we have heard that the Planning Inspectorate has refused three landowner’s appeals in Wanborough Fields.

Containers and building materials on Wanborough Fields in March 2021 in contravention of enforcement notices served on the owners of the sites.

Anyone passing by the smaller field along Westwood Lane would appreciate the awful eyesore that has been created on green belt and Area of Great Landscape Value (AGLV) agricultural land.

Well, it’s all got to go.

The wooden barn, the JCB, the trackway, bunds, the shipping containers, pipes, sheds, vehicles and hard standing are all covered by Enforcement Notices and the landowners have now got two months to get the land back to its original state. If they don’t, then GBC will have to take action to ensure compliance.

The planning inspectors put great store on the open landscape of the green belt, the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the AGLV and none of the landowners were able to demonstrate agricultural use.

All of the fields are subject to an Article 4 Direction which means that planning permission is required for any development. Planning approval has not been given for any structures in any of the fields and every planning appeal has been refused.

This is all very good news when it comes to protecting the green belt. Current and potential landowners should take note.

Thanks to the residents of Wanborough, Wanborough Parish Council, Guildford Borough Council and the support of many groups and people from around the borough, we have successfully fought off those who don’t care about the landscape and think they can do whatever they like on it.

Well, this just demonstrates they can’t.

Responses to Letter: Wanborough Fields Appeal Refused, Landowners Must Comply or GBC Must Enforce

Bernard Corrie Reply

January 30, 2022 at 4:36 pm

There is a camper van on the site now and it appears people ling in it. There is also more rubbish that can be seen up in the field.

No one seems bothered about enforcing the law. It was promised, in December, that Guildford Borough Council would clear the site. Just more empty words it seems.

The new owners of the fields could not care less and will just carry on doing what they want regardless of threatened enforcement action.
- Daniel Hill Reply
  
  January 31, 2022 at 3:47 pm
  
  Unfortunately this lack of enforcement action is very common with GBC and SCC. Then Councillors rub salt into the wound by telling everyone what a “good job” their doing.
  
  It might be worth talking to some of the Pirbright residents. I know at one stage they were trying to raise money so they could take the council to the High Court due to the failure in their duty as a planning authority to take action against the occupiers at Stoney Castle. It might be easier to raise the money if you work together.