CONTROVERSIAL plans to build ten homes in the green belt on a former allotment site have been submitted.
Last year Burstow Parish Council won a long-running battle to sell the 'field garden' land at Burstow Garden Allotments – formerly Hunters Moon Allotments – for development.
This followed a hotly disputed High Court ruling in November.
The ten-home development would take up a third of the 1.24 hectare allotment site, with the rest remaining as allotments.
Displaced allotment holders who fought against the council's plans are being relocated to a nearby site.
A report, submitted to Tandridge District Council with the application argues the scheme "can make a huge contribution to the village" of Smallfield, which sits within the Burstow parish.
As well as meeting housing needs, the report claims the new homes will maintain the viability of local services such as shops and schools.
The document, by firm ECE Planning, states: "While the proposed development site is located within the Metropolitan Green Belt (MGB) which, incorporates the entirety of Burstow parish, with the exception of Smallfield, it is considered that the economic benefits of the proposed rural affordable housing exception sites outweigh the adverse impact."
The site sits 3km to the south of Smallfield, on the border with Mid Sussex and just 200 metres north of the village of Copthorne.
The proposed development from the English Rural Housing Association comprises four one-bedroom flats, four two-bedroom flats and two three-bedroom houses.
Parking will be provided at the site, with two spaces for each house, while the four one-bed flats will share six spaces with two additional visitor spaces.
The Burstow Parish Housing Needs Assessment identified a requirement for 31 new homes in the area and Burstow Parish Council calculates there are 59 families in the area needing a home.
Jeannie Crobsy, clerk for Burstow Parish Council, said: "We would dearly like anyone to come forward with connection to Burstow that would be interested."
But residents in Copthorne have already begun voicing their objections.
One resident, a Mrs J Sargant, said: "I completely object to this planning proposal for the Hunters Moon Allotments."
"It is completely inappropriate that this land should be to provide affordable houses for people of Tandridge when the land is more in Copthorne."
