Families in a picturesque Kent village are expressing fury and a sense of profound unfairness after a traveller site constructed without planning consent was granted permanent approval four years later. Locals in West Malling, near Tonbridge, allege the planning system has been 'gamed', transforming treasured Green Belt land into a multi-million-pound asset for those who initially flouted the rules.
From Green Field to 'Grey Belt' Controversy
The saga began in 2020 when a field in the quiet, rural area was sold for £105,000. The land was designated as open countryside and part of the protected Green Belt. In 2021, an application to build two stables was submitted and rejected. However, residents state that shortly after, an unauthorised traveller site was rapidly established on the plot.
By the end of 2021, the field featured caravans, two mobile washrooms, a septic tank, and dog kennels. Locals reported trees being cut down and roads blocked during the development, describing the sudden arrival as an 'awful shock' that shattered their rural idyll. Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council issued an enforcement notice in July 2021 to halt the unlawful development.
A Lengthy Planning Battle and Policy Shift
The landowner successfully appealed the enforcement notice in 2022, securing temporary permission for the site. The conflict reached a pivotal moment on December 3, 2025, when the council made the site's permission permanent. A key reason cited for approval was a documented lack of traveller pitches in the local area.
This decision was heavily influenced by a significant shift in national planning policy. In December 2024, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner introduced new rules compelling councils to release Green Belt land for traveller sites if an 'unmet need' exists. This policy also created the concept of 'Grey Belt', land within the Green Belt where development is now more permissible. The West Malling site has been reclassified under this new designation.
The financial implications are stark. According to property website Zoopla, part of the field could now be worth as much as £1.4 million, leading residents to claim the travellers have been made 'millionaires overnight'.
'One Law for Some': Residents Voice Their Anger
The permanent approval has ignited fierce criticism from local residents, with 54 submitting formal objections last December. They argue the process sets a dangerous precedent and demonstrates a two-tier planning system.
One anonymous resident fumed: 'It's not fair. It's outrageous... Everyone else in this country, if they want to build a house, they have to buy a bit of land, and they build according to what the council allow them to build. And this lot here... well they just do what they want. It's like they are above the law.'
A female neighbour echoed the sentiment, stressing her issue was with inconsistency, not the occupants' background: 'What I can't stand is the inconsistency and the unfairness of it. If I bought some land and tried to build on it – I'd be given a notice straight away. They've now set a precedence that anyone could just go and rock up anywhere.'
A spokesperson for Tonbridge and Malling Council defended the decision, stating they initially opposed the site through enforcement and by refusing a planning application. However, they emphasised that the government's new Grey Belt policy left the planning committee with 'no legitimate planning grounds on which to refuse the application' when it was recently considered.
The case in West Malling is not isolated. It reflects a wider pattern across the Home Counties where land is purchased, developed without consent, and then retrospective permission is sought, often leading to lengthy and costly legal battles for local authorities.
