Waverley Conservatives have accused the council of not doing enough to stop unauthorised caravan sites popping up across the borough.

It comes, they say,  as Government statistics released in December show the borough, with 162 unauthorised caravans, has the second-highest number of unapproved traveller sites in the UK.

They said urgent action needs to be taken to address what some residents see as a loss of control over planning enforcement with communities left to watch while damaging breaches are carried out.

The council said the figures were skewed by one site – where action is being taken –  and that there was no evidence to suggest the issue was as widespread as claimed.

The council leader, Councillor Paul Follows, said the borough investigates every reported breach prioritising cases that cause the greatest harm to communities.

In December a motion was passed that asked the executive to consider whether additional measures, including potential out-of-hours planning enforcement, could strengthen the council’s response.

This will now be fully costed before a final decision is made.

The Conservative group said the motion reflected the mounting concern that unauthorised developments are increasingly carried out during evenings, weekends and Bank Holidays, deliberately exploiting the absence of enforcement officers and leaving communities to deal with the consequences.

They say residents who contact the council during these periods are frequently told to wait until Monday by which point the harm is often already irreversible.

Waverley currently does not operate out-of-hours planning enforcement.

However the council said there was no evidence that the majority of enforcement breaches happened at this time.

Cllr Michael Goodridge (Conservative:  Bramley and Wonersh) said: “When unauthorised works can take place over a weekend with no intervention, it shows a council that is reacting too late, rather than preventing harm to our rural landscape and huge legal and rectification costs further downstream.

“Councils already have powers to act swiftly – a Temporary Stop Notice can be issued at any time and does not require court action.

“The powers exist – but without proper out-of-hours arrangements, they are simply not being used when it matters most.”

Conservative group leader Cllr Jane Austin (Bramley and Wonersh ward), said: “Our rural Waverley communities are at the forefront of a nationwide escalation of these planning breaches.

“Waverley Borough Council must not wait for national reform before strengthening its own local response.”

“This is about fairness, the rule of law and protecting communities. Responsible residents should not be disadvantaged because the Council lacks the tools – or the urgency -to act when it matters.”

Cllr Paul Follows, leader of Waverley Borough Council said he did not accept the suggestion the council was failing to act on planning breaches.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “The figures being referenced appear to come from the national caravan count and largely reflect activity at a single site at Lydia Park, rather than widespread unauthorised development across the borough.

“The council is actively taking enforcement action at this site, including serving breach of condition notices and enforcement notices, and pursuing matters through the appeals process.

“There is no evidence that caravans at Lydia Park were brought onto the site outside normal office hours, and linking these figures to out-of-hours enforcement is therefore not supported by the evidence.

“In December, councillors from across the chamber supported a motion asking the executive to consider whether additional measures, including potential out-of-hours planning enforcement,  could strengthen the council’s response.

“Officers have been asked to bring forward a fully costed report so that any decision is evidence-based, proportionate and represents good value for residents.

“The council investigates every reported breach and takes enforcement action where it is expedient, proportionate and in the public interest, prioritising cases that cause the greatest harm to communities.”