Surrey approves development of Anniedale-Tynehead neighbourhood

SURREY (NEWS 1130) – It’s been a long time coming for residents of a Surrey neighbourhood, who say they’ve been waiting years for safe drinking water and sewage systems.

Frustrated families packed Surrey city Monday night, demanding development in a major neighbourhood near Guildford.

For long-time residents like Jennifer Chen, the approval of development in the area of Anniedale-Tynehead has been years in the making.

Chen has lived in the neighbourhood for more than forty years and says the area lacks the most basic necessities.

“What we’re hoping to see is things like city water, city sewers, street lights, sidewalks, public transportation,” she adds. “All of those things that we pay a lot of tax dollars for.”

She says a lack of utilities makes the most basic things challenging.

“What it means without city water is that when the power goes out you can’t flush your toilets, you don’t have drinking water. What it also means without street lights is that there’s a ramp in crime, drug deals happen in our Street.”

She says residents have been waiting for development for years and that delay has caused some landowners to let their property fall into disrepair.

But the fight is not done, while council has approved the development application, the destruction of the wooded area nearby would require the ministry of forests approval before any construction can begin.