‘Get off my land!’ Kenley Hayes Lane woodland mystery

Mystery and intrigue surrounds the sudden clearance of a patch of Kenley woodland and the erection of a 'Private Property, Strictly No Admittance' sign.

The land, to the West of Hayes Lane, behind Frobisher Close and Driftwood Drive, has now been enclosed by a makeshift brushwood barrier.  The area borders the public footpath from Hayes Lane to Old Lodge Lane.

Veteran rambler John Monnery, who has walked across the land for more than 50 years, found his way barred a few weeks ago by a group of Irish workmen clearing the ground who warned him in no uncertain  terms – ‘this is private land’.

He immediately feared that a travellers’ invasion was planned, especially in the wake of the Dale Farm closure and the colonisation of the Lion Green Car Park in Coulsdon.

Now that the warning sign is up – at a height that deters removal by ramblers - there’s growing suspicion that a developer is preparing a planning application for executive homes.

But Croydon Council confirms this is highly unlikely.  A planner told me today (28 November 2011) that the land is ‘Local Open Land’ and surrounded by Green Belt.  They also confirmed it is privately owned.

So, where does this leave concerned local residents? One suspicion is that the land-owner has a long game plan – perhaps 50 years hence when pressure on homes in the region will for force a rethink of local planning laws.  Any other ideas, anyone?

See this link to the Council’s Unitary development Plan – planning.croydon.gov.uk