Travellers have invaded our tiny village FIVE times in 9 months – now there are no-go areas… & we’re scared of backlash

FUMING locals say five traveller sites have appeared in their tiny village in just nine months, with some claiming they are now too scared to use certain roads. Residents say the bucolic and peaceful existence in Sandway, Kent, has been ruined and blame the council for not doing enough to tackle the situation. The land around The Wishful Thinker pub is being sold and mobile homes are being moved onto the land Credit: SWNS An aerial view of the new arrival, a site next to the Wishful Thinker Credit: SWNS One resident, who asked to not be named, said: “Obviously we are not happy. It has lowered the value of our houses. It has changed the area. I won’t go down certain roads anymore.” They added: “Residents don’t want to talk because we live here and we don’t want backlash. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! “If I put my name to it they are only down the road so they could come and look into my barn.” Locals say there are now six unauthorised sites in the immediate area, with another three authorised sites in nearby Lenham Heath. The village of Sandway is very quiet and picturesque Credit: SWNS An aerial view of a travellers site next to homes in the village of Sandway Credit: SWNS One site in Warren Lands has been used by travellers for several years. But residents claim five more sites have appeared within the past nine months. The latest is near the Wishful Thinker pub and work there began in May. Residents say they immediately reported the work to Maidstone Borough Council. Most read in The Sun But when a council officer visited, they concluded the land had been requested for horse grazing and there had been no breach of planning permission at that stage. Locals claim that on the next bank holiday weekend a team moved in. They say several hedges were removed, fresh water pipes installed and a large mobile home brought onto the land. The landowner has since submitted a retrospective planning application. An aerial view of Warren Lands Credit: SWNS An aerial view of an existing site with a mobile home, and next to it a site which is awaiting decision Credit: SWNS But residents say they feel they are being held to a different standard. Sarah, 35, moved to the village just over a year ago. She said: “It is just a bit annoying really. They just keep appearing. “It doesn’t look very nice. Every time I walk down the road I see another one. It doesn’t seem that there is much that can be done.” She added: “It is frustrating that I have to go through planning permission to paint my door and they can put a stonking great mobile home there and it is all fine.” A 43-year-old man fears more sites will appear unless the council takes action, claiming they were damaging the area and having a “detrimental effect” on house prices. He added: “Nobody wants to live here knowing that there could be more travellers moving in. “They throw foul water out into the streets and they burn big fires. From an environmental point of view, it is very bad. It looks like a scrapyard.” An aerial view of the new arrival, a site next to the Wishful Thinker Credit: SWNS An aerial view of The Wishful Thinker pub Credit: SWNS Another resident, who has lived in the area for 44 years, said: “They need to live somewhere. There aren’t any sites for them to go to, and they aren’t allowed to keep moving. “It doesn’t bother me. I haven’t seen any problems.” Lenham Parish Council chairman Cllr John Britt confirmed there were six sites in and around Sandway. But he said the wider issue was the lack of a clear council policy setting out where Gypsy, Traveller and Showpeople communities could settle. He said this was unfair to both travelling and settled communities, with the relevant local plan policy missing since the last formal assessment in 2011. Cllr Britt said the responsibility lay with Maidstone Borough Council as the local planning authority to assess development needs and create a local plan. A formal complaint has now been lodged by residents calling on the council to act. A Maidstone council spokesman said: “We understand the concerns raised and are investigating both the planning issues and the complaint. “Officers are currently reviewing all available evidence before determining the most appropriate course of action and it would not be appropriate to comment further while those investigations are ongoing.”