Locals of a quaint English village have been left fuming after an illegal road was built on green belt land surrounding their homes.
People living in Coleshill, in the Buckinghamshire Chilterns, were dismayed to see a makeshift track built of rubble and scrap including old toilet seats turning a lovely field into an eyesore.
Although Buckinghamshire Council were quick to send a planning officer who stopped the rest of the road being built, it has already created a scar on the landscape.
Yet despite the council stopping it being completed, many locals are still unsure who really owns the land and why they tried to build a road there.
Speaking to MailOnline, locals said they couldn’t believe their eyes when a procession of trucks and lorries started trundling over the fields.
They believe the person who used to own the land may have sold it to foreigners who believe they can build homes on the plots, and could need a road for trucks to access the site.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity because of their proximity to the field, one local said: ‘Why are there not houses dotted all over the fields? Because it’s not allowed, that’s why.
‘It’s spoiling the field. What a waste. It’s just sad to see a nice country field destroyed.
A mysterious road has been built on a green belt field in Buckinghamshire
The dirt track has carved a muddy scar through the beautiful countryside
Locals usually have a stunning view of the Chilterns but instead have been plagued with lorries building the road
Diggers and trucks helped build the road, which was constructed using waste material
‘You feel powerless, just watching it happen.’
Another told of her grief at the land being destroyed. She said she had spoken to a number of people who had bought plots in the field with a view to build homes there.
She said: ‘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.
‘The Jordanian guy who bought one of the plots said he got planning permission but it was just the overage. It’s agricultural land.’
Carl Jackson is the councillor for the ward where the mysterious road was built.
He told MailOnline it was far more difficult for planning officials to demand the field is returned to its former state than it is to stop it being built.
Conservative councillor Carl Jackson (pictured) was called to the scene and helped stop the road being built any further
However, he said he was worried it could spell trouble for locals if new planning laws allow for building on the green belt
The village of Coleshill is set in the stunning Buckinghamshire countryside
Locals told MailOnline they were shocked at the road appearing on a nearby field
There were suggestions the mysterious road could be to cater for horses moving onto the land
The first layer of the road had rubbish strewn about the ground
Locals contacted him when workmen started to lay down the road.
Within hours he was out at the site and quickly got a Buckinghamshire Council planning officer down with him.
He said it had been ‘worrying’ to see a line of ‘bulldozers and HGVs’ dumping waste on the field.
However, he praised the Council’s Planning Enforcement Team for their swift action to stop the road being built further.
The road has deep tire tracks from the HGVs and trucks that went along it
Councillor Jackson was greeted with scrap material thrown on the ground when he first saw the road
There was also an old toilet seat and what appeared to be part of a window frame used as a base for the road
The village of Coleshill boasts a beautiful church in a peaceful setting
He said: ‘My objection will be in in about three seconds if they do [apply for planning permission to build homes.]
‘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.
However, despite the Council’s intervention, the road has remained as a scar on the landscape, with locals unsure what will happen next to their beloved countryside view.
And with little information about who really owns the land, locals fear there is a lack of accountability on whoever created the nasty eyesore in the first place.
Peter Strachan is Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning and Regeneration.
He said: ‘Buckinghamshire Council has been made aware of these works and has investigated, advising that the necessary planning permission should be sought for this development.
‘The council takes breaches of planning control very seriously and will make use of the full spectrum of enforcement powers where necessary and appropriate, should any breach be found to have occurred.’
