William Lewis, who is using his farmland near Dorking in Surrey as a temporary car park, accommodates up to 50 vehicles that are used to transport soldiers, injured service members, and medical professionals.
Lewis’ actions have come into conflict with Mole Valley District Council (MVDC), which claims he is violating planning permission regulations by storing these vehicles on his property.
Despite the council’s warnings, Lewis, who has made seven trips to Ukraine since the war began, has vowed not to pay the fine and would prefer jail time to bring attention to the issue.
MVDC has been in contact with Lewis and asked him to address the situation. If he does not comply, he risks a £1,000 fine.
Since February 2022, Lewis has been involved in delivering humanitarian aid, including ambulances and generators, to Ukraine. He offered his land after an agreement between the Mayor of London and the charity British Ukrainian Aid (BUA) allowed the donation of non-ULEZ compliant vehicles to aid efforts.
Lewis has provided his field for the temporary storage of these donated vehicles. However, MVDC acted after receiving complaints about the high number of cars on his land. The council asserts that the land, which is designated for agricultural use and lies within an Area of Great Landscape Value, requires planning permission for such use.
Councillor Margaret Cooksey, cabinet member for planning at MVDC, explained that the storage of 50 to 55 cars represents a material change in land use. Lewis has been asked to complete a Planning Contravention Notice (PCN) and could face a £1,000 fine if he fails to respond.
The council noted that the land is to be used for vehicle storage only until the end of August 2024, and Lewis was advised to apply for planning permission if he wishes to continue using it for this purpose beyond that date.
