Residents in a Buckinghamshire village have been left furious an ‘illegal’ road was built on a green belt land surrounding their homes.
People living in the Chilterns village of Coleshill, claimed that builders began illegally building a makeshift track of rubble, including a broken toilet seat and heaps of rubbish, through the green belt field.
The builders began illegally building a makeshift track of rubble, including a broken toilet seat and heaps of rubbish, through the green belt field.
Buckinghamshire Council were quick to put a stop to the building, but locals feel as though the damage has already been done.
One anonymous resident told MailOnline: ‘It’s spoiling the field.
‘What a waste. It’s just sad to see a nice country field destroyed. You feel powerless just watching it happen.’
Another local told of her grief at the land being destroyed.
She added: ‘It’s a lovely spot. You’ve got barn owls, muntjacs, badgers and foxes. I saw a deer and her fawn standing on the road just looking sad.
‘People think they can build on it. (I spoke to) a Lebanese, a Jordanian, two Russians, a German, New Zealander and an Indian guy.
‘They say they are going to build a house here. They seriously think that.’
Locals though, are still unsure who actually owns the land – and why they tried to build a road there.
Some suspect that the land’s previous owner may have sold it to foreigners, unaware that it is illegal to build on green belt land.
Local Conservative councillor Carl Jackson hit back at those who began constructing the road.
Within hours of being contacted about the building, Mr Jackson had visited the land with a planning officer to put a halt to it.
He told MailOnline: ‘Ultimately, the council has got to work within the National Planning Policy framework.
‘I’m not worried now, it will be thrown straight out because it’s green belt. Off you pop.
‘My concern is when the new rules come in, will that make it harder to turn down?
‘A lot of the worst stuff has been covered but you can see it sneaking out the edges.
‘It’s a patchwork quilt. This used to be all grass.’
The Council have been unable to restore the land to its former beauty despite their invention.
With little information about who owns it, locals fear those who created the first eyesore are not being held accountable.
Disputes about roads and land are not uncommon in villages, however.
Last month, residents in Furneux Pelham, Hertfordshire, were told to fork out £100,000 if they wanted to fix a series of nearby potholes.
One resident called the local council ‘terrible.’
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