A FAMILY which once owned green belt land in Brockham have spoken of their support for plans to develop the site.
Paul Hunt Developments wants to build 44 homes on the five-acre site in Kiln Lane, which includes 22 affordable properties.
The district council rejected the developer's application in October but a decision on the proposal by the planning inspectorate is expected soon.
The land was once owned by Brockham resident Trevor Lloyd's family. His grandfather-in-law Cornelius Johannes van Rijn had bought six acres of land at Kiln Lane to start a horticultural business in the mid-1940s.
"At the time, the land was considered prime for development and a potential site for future housing," said the Nutwood Avenue resident.
"When the land was purchased the green belt didn't exist – the plot acquired this status in the 1960s and the family didn't opt for their land to become part of the green belt.
"We had always assumed that if and when the horticultural business no longer traded, the vision of Cornelius Johannes van Rijn would come to fruition and the plot would be developed for housing."
The plan has faced stiff opposition from residents, the Campaign to Protect Rural England and Brockham Parish Council.
Government inspector Jon Papworth is visiting Kiln Lane on Tuesday morning. A decision on the appeal is expected by June.
The application will be debated by Mole Valley District Council planning committee on Wednesday night.