Parking

Help save our local riverside car park

The WLARC car park, with the River Thames in the background

The Environment Agency (EA) proposes to replace some much used local riverside parking with a hot food and drink concession, right next to the Weybridge Ladies Amateur Rowing Club (WLARC) at the end of Thames Street, Weybridge. The EA has applied to Elmbridge for planning consent for this change of use of part of the car park, EBC 2025/0385.

The deadline for comments to Elmbridge is 27 April 2025.

Most residents and visitors we have spoken with think the proposed change would be a very bad idea.
Here are some reasons why:

This popular small car park, in riverside Green Belt, is often fully parked, so removing some spaces would disadvantage riverside visitors
The EA plans are inaccurate on number of spaces: the area shown for change of use would in practice remove much more than two parking spaces
The EA plans fail to show the Thames Path and National Cycle Route 4, which both pass through the middle of the car park
Any queue for food, or standing by the vendor site, would dangerously obstruct the footpath and cycle path
There is nowhere to sit and eat, so food would be eaten on the hoof, resulting inevitably in litter along the riverside
The EA has a history of failing to maintain this car park, so there is good reason to believe they would fail to manage daily clearing of litter
A hot food vending concession here would be out of keeping with the many healthy riverside activities for which people visit this location
There are already two excellent food-serving pubs and two riverside cafes within 200 metres, each with ample seating for their customers
The application site is Class 3 Floodplain, directly adjacent to the river, and part of the car park was flooded in 2003 and 2014.

Help save our car park by objecting by 27 April to Elmbridge Planning Application 2025/0385 at
https://www.elmbridge.gov.uk/planning/find-or-comment-planning-application.
You can use the QR code below for direct access to the application details:
https://qr-code.click/i/680a17b88e317

EBC Planning Application 2025/0385 – Car Park South West of Weybridge Ladies Rowing Club Walton Lane Weybridge KT13 8LU – change of use from car park spaces to hot food and drink concession.

Update

We note that a different part of the Environment Agency has objected to this Environment Agency planning application, on the grounds that it is in Class 3 floodplain, and the application has no Flood Risk Assessment yet.

We also recall that a corner of this car park was flooded in 2003 and again in 2014.

It is still very important to object for all the other applicable reasons, to prevent an amended application with a favourable Flood Risk Assessment simply getting around that objection.

Some background

The history of this car park is one of serious neglect by the EA

Elmbridge Borough Council believed it owned this land for many decades. EBC tended it, collected waste from three EBC-owned bins in the car park, and by 2008 had allocated capital for improvements. Then in 2009 the EA registered ownership, as part of its major riverside land registration for the Lower Thames Flood Risk Management Strategy.

When Elmbridge then withdrew its bins on losing ownership, the EA refused to arrange for waste collection from the site, telling Elmbridge, ‘we are not in the business of managing car parks’. Which left some of us wondering why the EA had registered ownership. Subsequently an agreement was made for EBC to provide and empty three bins and provide a weekly clean up.

Elmbridge also used to maintain the adjacent stretch of riverbank, and kept it immaculately, but the the EA registered ownership, and has rather neglected its upkeep. See before and after pictures of the riverside.

Improvement funding

Some years later, local Weybridge residents worked closely with Thames Landscape Strategy and Elmbridge BC in framing a well-conceived and practical improvement plan, to resurface the dangerously uneven and neglected car park, and create a viewing platform on the sloping land overlooking the river, and remove self-seeded saplings and scrub, opening up the view towards Shepperton weir.

This excellent landscaping project was awarded a grant of circa £72,000 capital funding from the Elmbridge Community Infrastructure Levy.

However the project foundered, we understand because of lack of agreement from the EA about paying for future maintenance of the car park, and the funding has lapsed.

Overall this is a sad tale of neglect by the EA. And now the added insult and injury of a ‘hot food and drink concession’ diminishing the parking facility for visitors, and changing the character of this length of riverside, to the dismay of many.

History suggests that the EA will do nothing effective to manage the daily use of the concession and ensure that all the resulting litter it creates along the riverside is cleared up.

Residents and visitors alike hope to enjoy our beautiful and largely unspoilt lengths of local riverside. This application takes no account of their needs and expectations

St George’s Junior School neighbours event

St George’s Junior School is extending an invitation to neighbouring residents to join an ‘Open House’ drop-in event between 6pm and 8pm on Thursday 28 September.

This will be a social and informational evening for our local community, open to all neighbours of the school. It will include an opportunity to learn more about the school’s parking plans, plus optional tours of the school site.

See the invitation above for more details.

St Catherine’s Beales Lane – demolition to start

Work is due to start on the Beales Lane St Catherine’s site in the week beginning 31st January, preparing for demolition of the old buildings. This is subject to acceptance by Elmbridge Borough Council that all preconditions have been met, including a comprehensive Construction Transport Management Plan (see below). We are happy to note that the landmark Yew Tree on the corner is being carefully protected.

The Planning Inspectorate allowed, on appeal, the high density development of 28 flats on the site, to be built in a style unlike anything else in the area. Elmbridge had refused consent for this very controversial development, following many objections from local residents: concillors concluded that the proposed building was out of keeping and would have a negative impact. PPDRA submitted a comprehensive objection to the proposals, summarsing local concerns, which received a response from the applicant.

There was huge disappointment locally at the appeal decision. The Planning Inspector came to a different conclusion from Elmbridge and allowed the development, despite acknowledging that the Elmbridge refusal was a reasonable judgement call and soundly based in planning law. It seems that good local planning decisions are increasingy being overturned on appeal by the central planning inspectorate.

Local residents are now especially concerned about retaining access to their homes while this major new development takes shape — Beales Lane is very narrow and is the sole vehicle access for around 40 homes — and the way it will add to local parking stress.

PPDRA has been in continuing contact with the developers to share local concerns about the need to moderate the negative impact of constuction work.

The Planning Inspector included a detailed condition around construction transport:

Extract from Appeal Decision APP/K3605/W/19/3237800

SCHEDULE OF CONDITIONS

…

5) No development including groundworks and demolition shall commence until a Construction Transport Management Plan (CTMP) has been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority.

The CTMP shall include details of:

(a) parking for vehicles of site personnel, operatives and visitors;
(b) loading and unloading of plant and materials;
(c) storage of plant and materials;
(d) programme of works (including measures for traffic management);
(e) provision of boundary hoarding behind any visibility zones;
(f) HGV deliveries and hours of operation;
(g) vehicle routing;
(h) measures to prevent the deposit of materials on the highway;
(i) before and after construction condition surveys of the highway and a commitment to fund the repair of any damage caused;
(j) no HGV movements to or from the site shall take place between the hours of 07:45 and 9.15 am and 15:00 and 17:30, nor shall the contractor permit any HGVs associated with the development at the site to be laid up, waiting, in local residential roads during these times; and
(k) on-site turning for construction vehicles.

Thereafter the approved development shall be undertaken in accordance with the approved CTMP.

WeyBetterWeybridge – PPDRA comments

Imagine breathing life back into Weybridge town centre, with better coordinated community facilities, enriched by our green open spaces… The WeyBetterWeybridge project is looking to do just that, in the redevelopment of the Weybridge Hospital site and the library site.

PPDRA has provided comments to the project, from residents in the Portmore Park area, on what would help make it a success.

For the project to succeed, we see it as imperative that:

Community use of both sites is retained and enhanced for people of all ages
- with increased youth provision and facilities for young people
Better linkage is achieved between the sites
- with pedestrians’ needs put ahead of passing motorists.
The massing of buildings is harmonious with the setting
- remain close to Church Street on the South (library) site
- allow the open space behind to stay sheltered from road traffic noise and pollution.
All the green space and tranquility of Churchfields is retained and safeguarded
- the open view of St James’ Church from Churchfields is conserved
- the togetherness of park, allotments and church respected.
The green space between the North site and Portmore Park Road is safeguarded.
Facilities are multi-functional and flexible
- maximise use and differing needs across age groups
- make available for extended hours
Car parking provision is sufficient, but not intrusive or dominant
- e.g. with undercroft parking on the North (hospital) site

We understand that the project is considering multiple possibilities. We want to see community facilities on these town centre sites, and not to lose them to other purposes, such as high density housing or commerce. And we want to ensure our green open spaces are not lost or diminished.

View to St James’ Church from Churchfields Recreation Ground (across Churchfields Car Park), Easter 2021

It is key to retain the natural open views from Churchfields park, towards the Church and allotments
- building in the southern two thirds of the car park would have an overbearing and negative impact on the open character of Curchfields park and allotments
Any new buildings on the South site should extend no further south than the office building adjacent to the entrance to Churchfields car park
New building on the Church Street library site should fit with our characteristic Weybridge town centre gabled street scene
New build on the North site could cover most of the hospital site
- incorporating extensive undercroft parking
There would be strong opposition to a tower block or excessive height
The North site can benefit from a green and tranquil aspect across the Youth Centre field.

PPDRA’s comments for weybetterweybridge share local residents’ thinking on facilities needed, young people’s needs, linking the sites, traffic, parking issues, nearby town centre improvements, and more.

You can download a copy of our full PPDRA comments for weybetterweybridge here

Houses to replace garages in Grenside Road?

Residents have mixed views about a planning application to build four terraced houses on the site of 22 lock up garages in Grenside Road (EBC 2020/3495). While new homes would be welcome, and would look much smarter than the current garages, the resulting loss of parking spaces for local residents is a serious worry.

Unfortunately, the application seems misleading about parking – it claims there are ZERO spaces at present (where even the application’s own photos show parked cars) and that it would be creating four additional parking spaces: ‘Existing spaces 0, Proposed spaces 4’. In reality, it would be taking away spaces used by current residents, and giving some of them to the new homes.

The application’s Transport Technical Note explains that ‘the garage site is within private ownership therefore cannot be relied upon for off-street car parking’. It does not mention the currently used parking spaces on the access road, where the ‘new’ spaces are proposed. Strangely, it even gets the site location wrong – it shows the development site covering part of the Broadwater Path and a large patch of St George’s Junior School land.

What is needed is some coordinated action to ensure Grenside Road residents have somewhere to park – for example, on-street in Grenside Road, where currently places are taken by heavy school-related parking during termtime. If suitable controls can be brought in, then residents may even welcome the addition of smart new homes.

The challenge is that while planning consent is given by Elmbridge Borough Council, on-street parking controls are decided by Surrey County Council. Yet Surrey have repeatedly refused to acknowledge that the parking issues (and traffic issues) in Grenside Road are serious enough to require effective action – despite evidence like the photos accompanying this article.

PPDRA strongly supports residents’ attempts to get the parking issues looked at again, in the light of this planning application.

Wey Road parking restrictions proposed

A controlled parking zone (CPZ) is proposed in Wey Road and Round Oak Road, “to increase space for short stay visitors to Weybridge by discouraging all day parking by non-residents in these roads”. Surrey is inviting comments on the proposals by 2 October 2020.

Surrey County Council has put forward these proposals as a late addition to the previously drafted Weybridge parking review, in what we understand is an exceptional move in response to a request from residents in these roads.

We have heard very diverging comments on the proposals from local residents, and will make a summary of these available online.

Details of the Wey Road and Round Oak Road CPZ proposals are available on the Surrey County Council website, with the statement of reasons being the primary document, and the weybridge parking review drawings showing what is described in the statement of reasons.

If you would like to object, support, or comment on the proposals, you must do so by 2 October 2020, by either:

filling in Surrey’s online survey, or
writing, quoting ‘Elmbridge parking review’ to: Parking Team, Hazel House, Merrow Depot, Merrow Lane, Guildford, GU4 7BQ.

UPDATE – SCC Elmbridge Parking Review January 2021 findings and decisions

Wey Road, Round Oak Road

Overview:

Objections: 140
Other comments: 6
Support: 24
Final decision: do not proceed.

Analysis summary

11 objections (58%) and 8 comments in support (42%) from Round Oak Road residents
29 objections (66%), 12 comments in support (27%) and 3 other comments (7%) from Wey Road residents
76 out of 79 responses (96%) from outside of the two proposals roads were objections

Conclusion

Given that the analysis shows residents to be against the scheme and would be even if considerable amendments were made to it, and that non-residents were vehemently against the proposals, we have decided not to proceed with any changes to parking in Wey Road and Round Oak Road at the current time.

Portmore Park Road closure for repair during school holiday

Portmore Park Road is to get a better surface. THE WORK HAS NOW BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR THE SCHOOL HOLIDAY
It will be closed between Thames Street and Balfour Road on five days for Surrey Highways to carry out resurfacing works.

** UPDATE 8 AUGUST – RESURFACING WORK DONE! **

New start date 5 August: Postponed from 16 July 2019, to avoid a clash with the last week of school term.
Parents need car access to St Charles Borromeo in the last week of term to collect children’s possessions. Surrey County Councillor Tim Oliver has been extremely helpful in getting the road closure date changed to accommodate school access.
RESURFACING NOW DURING THE SCHOOL HOLIDAY.
Duration: 5 days (Monday – Friday only), road closed from 9.30am – 4pm.

Look out for advance warning signs on site for any date changes or check www.roadworks.org and @ElmbridgeLC on Twitter.

Surrey Highways say they will make sure people can get to and from their house or business when it is safe to do so. Please talk to a member of Surrey Highways staff on site if you need help – they say “talking to our staff can solve most issues”.

The full length of Portmore Park Road will need to be closed to complete the areas of resurfacing.

Surrey Highways have been given extra funding to repair roads which have suffered damage due to bad weather. The money has been used to form a programme of works called the ‘Severe weather recovery programme’ which we are delivering as quickly as possible to try to bring the worst affected roads in Surrey up to an acceptable standard.

More information is available at www.surreycc.gov.uk/roads-and-transport.

Surrey are giving residents as much notice as they can, but as the programme is moving quickly are not always able to give as much warning as we would like.

Delays in work

Work is sometimes delayed by bad weather. Surrey Highways will keep residents updated on any changes via the advance warning signs.

Parking

It is essential to keep the road free from parked vehicles. Please park somewhere else otherwise your vehicle may be towed away to a nearby road.

Noise

There will be some noise but Surrey Highways say they will try to keep this to a minimum.

Beales Lane plans cause concern for residents

Plans for a three storey block of 17 flats and 11 houses in Beales Lane, with 53 bedrooms, are being considered by Elmbridge Borough Council (application 2019/0386). Over 100 objections have been registered with Elmbridge. Read our PPDRA letter here.

Bigger, higher, denser, closer to road

The new block would replace the existing St Catherine’s buildings (lacking merit but inconspicuous, total 27 bedrooms) with a significantly taller block, of more than twice the mass, with its bulk much closer to the road.

See the photo and plans above to get a feel for the proposed scale. It is 55% higher from ground to rooftop compared with present, towards the Thames St end.

The plans propose parking spaces for 28 cars behind the block, accessed via a height-limited entrance mid-building.
The style of the proposed building is quite unlike other properties in north Weybridge. Some residents feel strongly that it is wrong for the location.

Many are concerned about the excessive bulk, and negative impact of the proposed development on the streetscene, traffic and parking – that it would transform the character of Beales Lane, and not in a good way.

Open, light, green and small scale

Residents are worried that the character of Beales Lane will be lost. Beales Lane is green and open towards its Thames Street end. The St Catherine’s buildings are low and mostly set well back. Their layout is staggered so it doesn’t impose.

The houses opposite are a traditionally styled 1998 development, in keeping with the character of Weybridge.

It is currently a pleasant suburban lane, leading to the historic small cottages of Church Walk.

The new building would present a much larger and more dominating profile along its length, and project closer to Thames Street. It would be a massive difference.

The current St Catherine’s building as seen from Thames Street

The proposed building would be 55% higher, far wider and project much closer to Thames Street

Below we list some objections to the development plans, raised by local residents.

How to give Elmbridge your views

Comments to Elmbridge Borough Council are invited by 29 March, but will be accepted after that. The application will be decided by the South Area Planning Sub-committee. To register your comments, search for 2019/0386 at www.elmbridge.gov.uk/planning

It is helpful if objections are on grounds that relate to relevant planning legislation / relevant sections of EBC Local Plan. Below are relevant issues of worry to local residents. We list things that Elmbridge Borough Council must consider in deciding planning application 2019/0386:

Oppressive bulk and mass
- The proposed development is EXCESSIVELY MASSIVE compared with neighbouring properties
- It is taller, with its bulk closer to the pavement, and would dominate a road that is currently open and spacious
- Its bulk and mass would be excessive for this suburban site.
- Beales Lane leads to the historic riverside small scale cottages of Church Walk, the contrast is stark
Lack of fit with local streetscene
- The proposed is quite unlike other buildings in the area, in appearance and style as well as scale
- North Weybridge is characterised by Victorian/Edwardian dwellings with traditional roofs and lots of gables
- The proposed vertical and rectangular lines might look fine as worker accommodation in Rotterdam, but don’t fit well here
- It would have a very negative visual impact, transforming Beales Lane
  - from a light, open, airy road with chimneys the highest points & St Catherine’s largely set well back
  - to a visually narrower street dominated by a high, massive, alien building along its south edge
Excessive density
(not a likely winner, given current pressure for increasing density, but worth arguing)
- This is a much higher density than neighbouring dwellings
- It squeezes a large volume of habitable space (11 new houses and 17 new flats, 53 bedrooms) onto the site
- The floor area and number of bedrooms doubles
Loss of privacy
- Neighbouring residents are concerned about loss of privacy, especially in their back gardens
Loss of light
- Neighbouring residents are concerned that the proposed high building will block their light. Some question the measurements supplied in the application, for the height of windows opposite.

Visitor parking being used by school parents for child collection; note narrow roadway

Impact on safe traffic flow, safe delivery access, and safe manoeuvring, given lack of turning space
This is a Surrey matter (so it is worth also writing to our SCC councillor, tim.oliver@surreycc.gov.uk, on this aspect). We are surprised that Surrey Highways has no objection
to the prospect of large vehicles having to reverse out of Beales Lane into Thames Street (a road which Surrey’s own figures show carries around 5700 vehicles a day) right next to a school crossing:
- Beales Lane is directly opposite the entrance to St George’s Junior School, so there are special safety factors
- As sheltered elderly housing (27 bedrooms), there were previously very few residents’ vehicles associated with St Catherine’s
- Beales Lane/Church Walk is a cul-de-sec with no turning circle
- It gives resident and delivery access to circa 43 homes (apart from St Catherine’s)
- Delivery and traffic flow would be greatly increased by 17 new flats and 11 new houses (53 bedrooms)
- Currently the St Catherine’s visitor parking space is used for turning by delivery vehicles and visitors
- It is heavily used at school drop-off/pick-up times (scores of vehicles using it to turn)
- The proposed design would remove current turning facilities, and mean large vehicles having to reverse into Thames Street, which carries high traffic flows and has a school crossing adjacent to St Catherine’s; reversing vehicles would risk the safety of pedestrians including school children and obstruct traffic flow
- The design does not allow headroom for vehicles higher than approx 2.5 metres to access the rear parking, so big delivery and removals vans would have to park up obstructing narrow Beales Lane
Impact on parking
- 28 parking spaces are proposed to serve 28 dwellings (9 x 1 bed; 13 x 2 bed; 6 x 3 bed)
- 40.5 spaces would be required to meet Elmbridge Parking Standards:
  - Development Management Plan – Appendix 3: Elmbridge Parking Standards (DM21 – Access and Parking)
    1 bed residential unit : 1 space per unit
    2 bed residential unit : 1.5 spaces per unit
    3 bed residential unit : 2 spaces per unit

Learn more and register your comments

The number of people who comment is crucial to the future of Beales Lane and Church Walk.

Search for 2019/0386 at www.elmbridge.gov.uk/planning.

Comments to Elmbridge BC are invited by 29 March, but will be accepted after that. Use the comment form on the EBC website or email tplan@elmbridge.gov.uk.

The application will be considered by councillors on Elmbridge Borough Council South Area Planning Sub-committee.

If you feel it is important that they are all aware of your comments, you can email them directly:

Cllr Barry Cheyne (Chair) Oatlands and Burwood Park
Cllr Mrs Dorothy Mitchell (Vice Chair) Cobham and Downside
Cllr James Browne Cobham and Downside
Cllr Andrew Burley Oxshott and Stoke D’Abernon
Cllr Oliver Chappell Oxshott and Stoke D’Abernon
Cllr Andrew Davis Weybridge Riverside
Cllr Michael Freeman Weybridge Riverside
Cllr Peter Harman Weybridge St George’s Hill
Cllr David Lewis Oxshott and Stoke D’Abernon
Cllr Mrs Charu Sood Weybridge St George’s Hill

bcheyne@elmbridge.gov.uk; dmitchell@elmbridge.gov.uk; jbrowne@elmbridge.gov.uk; aburley@elmbridge.gov.uk; ochappell@elmbridge.gov.uk; adavis@elmbridge.gov.uk; mfreeman@elmbridge.gov.uk; pharman@elmbridge.gov.uk; dlewis@elmbridge.gov.uk; csood@elmbridge.gov.uk;

Traffic and parking issues are the responsibility of Surrey County Council, who will prepare a consultation report in relation to planning application EBC 2019/0386.

The Surrey County Councillor for Weybridge is Tim Oliver
tim.oliver@surreycc.gov.uk

You can download a pdf copy of our March 2019 newsletter about application 2019/0386 here

Flats or Flats & Houses?

Some residents are puzzled by the reference to 17 flats and 11 houses in the planning application, when the drawings appear to show a single large block of flats, arranged over three floors.

Below is an extract from the 2019/0386 Application Form

PPDRA Traffic & Parking Survey 2018-19

Is your road used by rat run traffic? Are there parking issues in your road? Or is everything fine as it is?

If the answer to any of these is ‘yes’, and you live in north Weybridge, please join in our survey.

PPDRA is gathering information about traffic and parking in our residential roads, and how they affect residents.

Your experience, good or bad, is what matters!

It is quite comprehensive online survey, so please set aside ten or 15 minutes, less if you are speedy
(you can skip questions if they are not relevant to you).

Click here to start our local Traffic & Parking survey online

Your experience of traffic and parking in your road can help inform future local Council decisions.
All personal information will be kept confidential, and any reports will not identify individuals.
You can view our Privacy policy here.

Online completion of the survey is preferred, as the results are automatically calculated.
If you need a paper version, you can download a pdf copy of the survey to print out, or phone 01932 844449 and request a copy (NB it looks long on paper, with spacious layout!)

Grenside Road school parking

Parking and turning on private land, obstructing residents

Residents of Grenside Road face school traffic and parking issues which need help from Surrey Highways.
Grenside Road is a cul de sac with no turning space, so things can get fraught when large numbers of parents park up on the pavement and neighbouring land, wait with engines running, then try to turn around and drive out.

The private access to residents’ parking spaces and lock up garages is often obstructed by parents parking and manoeuvring and trying to turn around to depart from Grenside Road.

The school’s use of the Grenside Road gates as a secondary entrance is in line with Surrey’s policy of multiple access points. But the road lacks the parking controls expected around a school entrance. There are still no zigzags or special parking restrictions around this entrance, despite the optimistic comments made by an outgoing councillor, before last year’s Surrey County County local elections, about Surrey making safety improvements in Grenside Road.

St George’s Junior School is trying to make sure parents are considerate, but official parking restrictions from Surrey would allow traffic wardens to enforce better behaviour. PPDRA will continue to draw this to the attention of the new County Councillor, Tim Oliver. Action is needed to improve a situation residents find unacceptable.