Battle over development ramps up with new injunction

A local authority in Surrey has obtained a legal injunction as it bids to stop an unauthorised development progressing in the village of Alfold.

Waverley Borough Council (WBC) has gone to the High Court after two temporary stop notices, issued earlier this month, were seemingly ignored.

The interim injunction meant "nothing further can be brought onto the land," which currently hosts a number of mobile homes and touring caravans, the council said.

The people on the site have previously declined to comment to the BBC, except to deny any wrongdoing.

The WBC spokesperson said: "Officers visited the site on 2 April and again on Friday 3 April.

"Temporary stop notices were served but were not complied with, and we are aware that further works were carried out over the Easter weekend."

They added that the council had not been aware that the site, which "appears to be owned by those occupying it," was intended for such use.

Additional action would now be taken to reverse any unapproved work already done and prevent more planning breaches.

A planning application has been submitted, the spokesperson added, but it was "not capable of being validated at the current time".

Surrey Police previously said it had been made aware of the situation after receiving reports of a large number of vehicles and people in a field on Loxwood Road.

However, the force added that, as it was a planning permission issue, the council were the lead agency on the matter.

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