PUSHING ahead with plans to establish Harrow's first caravan and camp site is a "ridiculous idea", one neighbour has said.
Yesterday Harrow Community Sports' planning application to change the use of 2.2hectares at Broadfields Country Club in Headstone Lane, Harrow, was validated by Harrow Council and the public consultation will begin.
Locals complained when the opening of the 75-pitch caravan and camping park, designed to revive the fortunes of the country club, was touted in February 2012.
Melanie Trim, of Headstone Lane, told the Observer:  "It’s incredible that despite all the objections last year Harrow Community Sports have decided to go ahead and request planning approval for this ridiculous idea. "I have today attempted to access the documents relating to the application but Harrow Councils planning computer is ‘down’ and so the documents attached to the application are not available to see at the moment. "The community around Broadfields will again rally and object to these plans. Nothing has changed since last year and if Harrow Community Sports could act in the spirit of their name there is still plenty of demand to use the football pitches that they have destroyed over the last couple of years. "I’m still intrigued as to what Sport England’s stance will be on this change of use from playing fields to a campsite."
Harrow Community Sports would demolish the existing buildings on the earmarked land so it could build a single storey reception block housing toilets and showers, and a waste water disposal building, and the resulting campsite would be be licensed to the Camping and Caravanning Club GB.
A buffer zone between the camp site and surrounding properties would be created by planting trees and scrubs on the boundaries to create a buffer zone.
The application stipulates vehicles would enter the campsite via Headstone Lane and exit via Broadfields, where double yellow lines would be introduced to create passing points with the loss of six on-street parking spaces.
The transport statement says the park would likely boast full capacity during July and August and remain at approximately 65 per cent occupancy, or less, during the other months.