HIGHWAYS England has been accused of “breaking its word” by residents opposing a plan to build an A3 salt depot on farmland, compulsorily purchased by the agency for the Hindhead Tunnel project.

Kier Highways – acting on behalf of the Highways England – has applied to Waverley Borough Council to demolish the existing buildings and build a 16ft high concrete store for 1,500 tonnes of road salt at Hindhead Hill Farm.

The Bedford Lane site, which is situated in the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, has been left to deteriorate since the tunnel was built in 2011 and now contains a “significant amount” of contaminated imported fill, including old fuel tanks.

A Living Water Ecological Treatment System will be installed to dispose of contaminated surface water at the depot from a a planned vehicle wash-down bay. A saturator bay and an office are also included in the plans.

A supporting statement said it would “greatly improve" the network’s resilience in times of severe winter weather.

“Due to the relatively minor expected usage of the site, the proposals are not expected to lead to an unacceptable increase in traffic movements to and from the site," the statement continued.

“As such, this will not compromise the highways network or local residents in the vicinity of the site, but will actually be of overall benefit to both.”

Neighbouring resident Tony Kelly objected on the grounds that, if approved, the depot would be used by 38-tonne gritting lorries with access via a public bridleway that also serves his own house.

He said: “Living around 165 feet from the site I am, of course, an objector and can confirm that all the local residents in Thursley are objectors. The closest resident is less than 30ft from it.

“This is an horrendous proposal, not in keeping with the local area’s status as an Area of Outstandng Natural Beauty, it dramatically affects local residents as a building and activity.

“Highways England have broken their word and promise made at the tunnel inquiry in 2005, which was to revert the land to agriculture. It will be noise and light polluting.

“There will be a negative visual impact and the risk of salt pollution in run-off water. The impact will be felt by local farmers and their livestock."

And he added: “Compounding these problems the planning application takes virtually no account of the impact and unsafe use of Bedford Lane and Boundless Road for access to the proposed works by 38 tonne gritting lorries operating continuously for 24 hours, day after day, in bad weather.

“These lanes are narrow, single tracks crossed by public footpaths and used by residents, walkers, horse riders, cyclists and farmers including a section of the Greensand Way and a public bridleway.”

Mr Kelly said if Highways England was going to be allowed to “ride roughshod” over local objectors due to a perceived need for a salt store, it would be better to relocate a depot with access directly off the A3 and landscaping to provide “proper screening from noise and light pollution”.

Neighbouring farmer Robert Ranson has also objected. He said: “I understood at the Hindhead Tunnel planning inquiry the then Highways Agency agreed to put Hindhead Hill Farm back to agriculture when they had finished with it.

“This is a serious issue because it has a local history of riding roughshod over our local planning department.

“ I am seriously concerned about the pollution risks. Since Highways England have owned the land at Hindhead Hill, there have been at least three major incidents involving flooding of my land.

“Add salt to this and we could have a very serious situation both in terms of my silage clamps and the land to the north of them.

“They plan to put up a fairly enormous shed and have outside wash-down facilities. In times of heavy rainfall, the run-off will not soak away and is therefore likely to find my farm to run on to.

“This is an area of outstanding beauty in a green belt area and we do not need a salt depot or another set of offices in the middle of it.”