THE leaders of a Muslim group, which stages annual festivals in Tilford attracting more than 20,000 followers, are looking for an alternative venue following the disruption caused by this year's event.
Leaders of the Ahmadi branch of Islam recognise their annual Jalsa Salana festival each July has outgrown its venue of the last 20 years and have agreed to discuss capping numbers for next year's event if a suitable alternative venue cannot be found.
They knew before this year's festival there would be traffic chaos after learning they would not be able to use one of their usual fields for parking.
And this year's unusually high official attendance of 22,500 - significantly lower than some touted figures of up to 40,000 - together with Transco laying a gas pipeline through the village meant traffic gridlock was inevitable.
Senior members of the UK Ahmadiyya Association addressed concerns about the festival, held on the last weekend in July, at a meeting of Tilford Parish Council last week.
Nasser Khan, one of the association's six deputy amirs (or deputy leaders), told the council and about 30 members of the public that all 32,000 UK Ahmadis are invited to attend the three-day event every year. This year's take-up rate of invitations was higher because followers were eager to see their new leader, appointed following the death of his predecessor in April, address his first festival.
Mr Khan told the meeting: "We would like to make it easier on ourselves and our neighbours in Tilford. We were cocooned in that area. It wasn't pleasant and some people did suffer. We're actively looking for an alternative venue."
Mr Khan said the 'Islamabad' site in Sheephatch Lane, which has been a base for leaders of the community since 1984, has been convenient for many Ahmadi because they are based in south-west London. The association has considered alternative venues, including Twickenham rugby stadium, but has not found anywhere suitable.
Mr Khan, two fellow deputy amirs of the UK Ahmadi Association and Munir-Ud-Din Shams, another follower of the Islam faith who also sits on the parish council, heard about traffic jams heading all the way through Elstead to the A3, residents blocked in by traffic and Ahmadis defecating in public and swearing at villagers when told to adhere to traffic diversion routes.
Alexa Barrow, of the Rural Life Centre, said there were fewer visitors to the venue's key fundraising Rustic Sunday event, which coincided with the last day of the Muslim festival. She said people were put off by media reports of traffic congestion in the village.
Despite the complaints the council meeting was conducted in a friendly manner with parish councillors and members of the public stressing their goodwill towards the Ahmadi community.