Residents are “genuinely scared” of the impact a 1,700-home development could have on road safety in the area, an appeal has heard.

Taylor Wimpey submitted plans for the land, near the A3 and M25 junction works, and close to the villages of Ripley and Ockham, to Guildford Borough Council for a decision.

But while the borough council’s planning committee said in July it would reject the plans, the decision was taken out of its hands by an appeal to central government by the developer because Guildford had taken too long to come to a decision.

An ongoing appeal into the application heard residents’ concerns regarding the impact of the proposed development on the surrounding area.

These included worries about the sewage system, the wildlife in the area, traffic on the roads and the impact on local services such as healthcare and schools.

Ockham resident Richard Neish said villagers were “genuinely scared of the impact of the proposed development on local road safety”.

He described Ockham Lane, which runs to the south of the site, as a “narrow, winding country lane, enclosed by hedgerows, with no streetlights”.

He said there were “frequent blind spots and infrequent pavements” and described attending an accident when a truck had overturned having lost control on a “tight, icy bend in the road” before hitting a hedgerow and flipping.

Mr Neish had helped the driver from the truck’s cab.

Time ran out on the appeal day to hear from all the residents who wished to speak, so the inspector added another date for them to talk, on Tuesday, October 31.

Taylor Wimpey’s representative, James Maurici KC, said the plans for the site included “extensive road infrastructure for speed reduction”.

He told the inquiry: “What we’ve heard today is a large number of local people objecting to that for various reasons, aesthetic or perceived issues about noise or air quality, whatever it may be.

“If you have roads that are already being used by cyclists, where cars speed when they shouldn’t, then the solution is road speed reduction infrastructure. No wonder the county council supports it.” 

Plans for the site could include a secondary school, primary school and up to two nurseries.

But July’s planning committee meeting heard that a secondary school would be dependent on the county council establishing if there was a need for one on the site.