PEOPLE who live near a disused rubbish dump are delighted that it seems to be no longer proposed to be a new Traveller site.

Surrey Heath Borough Council included the old tip at the end of Broadford Lane in Chobham in a list of land that could be used to fulfil its obligation to provide more pitches for Travellers, Gipsies and Travelling Showpeople.

However, the patch of land no longer seems to be in the running, as the council is intending to look at increasing the size of the Swift Lane Traveller site in Bagshot.

The possibility of allocating the Broadford Lane land for 13 to 15 pitches in the borough’s latest local plan alarmed local residents and prompted a large number of objections.

Surrey Heath has also been considering potential land next to the Travelling Showpeople site of Bonds Drive in Pennypot Lane, Chobham, and at Diamond Ridge Woods, Camberley.

A council spokesman said: “it is clear that the existing Swift Lane site does have further potential, and therefore will be considered as a site allocation in the new local plan.

“Given the significant constraints identified with the other sites, none of these are being recommended for inclusion in the plan at this time. The council will of course be required to review this in the future if further relevant information becomes available.”

Objectors to using the old Chobham tip say the land oozes “unknown substances” associated with the rubbish dumped there over many years.

It is alongside the Chobham sewage treatment works from which effluent has overflowed several times recently and the access road is too narrow.

A nearby resident said: “The old tip is totally unsuitable for any sort of residential use so we are delighted that it is not on the current list for a Travellers site.

“However, the council is saying that it is not being considered at this time. Does that mean that it could be reviewed and targeted again in the future? We just don’t know.”

The local plan, which is being redrafted following last year’s consultation period and changes in the Government’s policy on housing targets for local authorites, sets out strategies and policies to guide development in the borough up to 2038.