Portmore Park & District Residents Association

Supporting local heritage, quality of life and community

Elmbridge ‘No objection’ to Weybridge Library Hub plans – with reservations

Elmbridge Borough Council has registered ‘No objection’ to the Surrey County Council plans for Weybridge Library Community Hub redevelopment, with reservations. Surrey has the right to permit or refuse its own plans on Library redevelopments, following due consultation.

Reservations

However, the Elmbridge BC Officer Report requests “that greater consideration is given for the creation of increased community space provision on the first floor, e.g. enlarged kitchen/servery along with break out seating areas for community groups“, and that there is a ‘missed opportunity’ around the treatment of the entrance from Churchfields.

This EBC judgment aligns with some strong local feeling in Weybridge that the Community Hub element requires more space and facilities, and a more thoughtful approach to creating a flexible community Activity Hub on the first floor, to help it become an appealing community destination.

Library vision good, but Community Hub limited

The Library element of the redevelopment proposals, drawing on the Carnegie model, seems very positive in creating a Library which will enable and promote more community involvement, and bring increased cultural, social and learning interaction.

But the small community ‘Activity Hub’ on the first floor misses the opportunity to go beyond the limitations of the current first floor community hall (apart from adding toilets). The majority of the first space is taken up with tightly fitted traditional office desks and chairs, in a large open plan ‘Business Hub’ and in meeting rooms. It even seems to move away from adaptable community use by proposing to turn two potentially flexible current spaces, a Tea Room and Staff Room, into small traditional office-style meeting rooms.

Yes, residents want to see facilities for local business use. But is this an effective design, when there is a golden opportunity to create a well designed integrated Community Hub within the Library building, supporting multiple local activities?

Surrey County Council has a statutory duty to provide Library services, but not wider community facilities, and that rather shows in the proposed design. 

Here is the existing Weybridge Library first floor plan.

Community input overlooked?

During the public consultation phase there were many suggestions about how to make a first floor Community Hub a more desirable community destination, through increasing its space and enhancing its facilities, e.g. by:

  • Extending its space laterally, incorporating doors onto a new open air terrace on the roof of the planned single storey extension, with outdoor seating and tables
  • Increasing the flexibility of the internal space, to accommodate more varied activies
  • Enhancing its catering potential by expanding the kitchen area
  • Offering cafe facilities for visitors, to make it a local destination
  • Providing controllable shading for the west facing windows, to reduce the room’s greenhouse-like summer heat, without reducing its admirable winter light

Support for a more appealing Hub

Proposals for enhancing the plans and shaping the Hub more around what people want received strong support in the WeyBetterWeybridge Stakeholder Reference Group. A visiting Surrey County Councillor at one meeting said that a terrace would be a great idea and a significant improvement. It would greatly enhance the potential income from letting the space for social functions, since many people want the option of access to a terrace and fresh air for function guests.

A Surrey County Council Officer who presented draft plans agreed that a terrace would be an achievable addition to the Activity Hub, at modest extra cost (including repositioning some rooflights), and suggested that it could be added to the planning application as a minor amendment.

Joined up thinking needed

Subsequent local discussions have gone further, and suggested a far more integrated approach to the design of the building’s interior layout, combining the Library and Community Hub and Brooklands Radio elements in a way which would be much more inviting, appealing and engaging. This seems entirely in line with the aims of the Carnegie model, which is an inspiration for the redesign and extension into a community hub.

Improving access from Churchfields

The EBC Officer Report also suggests improving the design of the the access from Churchfields.
“The approach from the rear car park / pedestrian footpath is an important secondary access. Whilst some improvements have been made to the approach over the existing arrangement, it is considered that this is a missed opportunity to create a more welcoming space with better permeability/ connectivity through the site which would help encourage an increase in footfall and activity within the area. It is considered that this could be improved further by creating a more prominent accessibility entrance at the rear with an enhanced landscaped setting with a seating area through the relocation of car parking spaces to the main car park.”

This aligns with views of the Stakeholder Reference Group about the significance of this entrance, and the fact that this area of the Library exterior is the most tranquil and sheltered from A317 traffic nuisance.

Note that Elmbridge stated that its ‘No objection’ was ‘subject to consideration of the issues above’ listed in the Officer Report.

An opportunity for improvement

We hope that the Surrey plans for the refurbishment may yet be amended, to achieve a more effective and appealing Community Hub by exploiting the great potential of an extended and improved Library building.

At the very least the first floor Activity Hub design must be improved, something which can be done at modest cost if incorporated now while there is the opportunity. Preferably the entire redesign of the building will be revisited, to offer an integrated community hub which is closer to what the community wants. But it is entirely up to Surrey County Council to decide this.

What currently seems unclear is how to get effective feedback to Surrey County Council about the proposed plans, other than by contacting our councillor for Weybridge Division, Tim Oliver.

We are still seeking clarification on how residents can make publicly visible comments on this Surrey County Council planning application.

 

 

PPDRA Community Meeting 20 Sept 2023

Find out what’s happening around north Weybridge at our PPDRA community meeting and AGM
> 7:30pm – 9pm, Wednesday 20th September 2023, CPP Parish Hall, Portmore Way, KT13 8JD.

Our theme is positive local activities:

Guest speakers:
> Susan Wills MBE, Assistant Director, Art, Culture, Heritage & Libraries, SCC.
> Tim Oliver, Leader, Surrey County Council, divisional member for Weybridge.
> Representatives from local voluntary community groups and clubs, sharing information about local activities you can participate in.

A great opportunity to find out more about current and future community activities in our town.

All interested Weybridge residents welcome

We hope to see you there!
And if you are part of a local community group/club/activity and would like to contribute to the meeting, please do contact us and participate.

Download our latest PPDRA newsletter and meeting flyer

After 20 years of portmore.org.uk website, we have now finally set up something on FaceBook:

Weybridge Library Community Hub Redevelopment Plans

Surrey County Council’s consultation planning application (2023/2312) for Redeveloping Weybridge Library as a community hub is now on the Elmbridge Borough Council website.
This is a consultation, as the Library planning application will be decided by Surrey itself.
Update 1 Sept: the full set of 25 plans is now listed on the EBC website, up from the 2 originally listed.
Update 17 Sept: The Elmbridge BC decision on the consultation application is “No objection”.

Application Headlines

Address: Weybridge Library Church Street Weybridge Surrey KT13 8DE
Description : Consultation from Surrey County Council: Change of existing library, museum, public hall (Use Class F1) and Brooklands Radio (Class E) to new community hub to include library with single storey infill extension (Use Class F1), youth support (Use Class F2), flexible community/commercial including public hall (Use Class F1/E) plus external alterations to existing elevations, installation of photovoltaic panels and roof top plant and associated parking and landscaping.
Application Type : Surrey County Council Consultation
Status: Registered. Not decided by EBC. Please contact the relevant authority to make a comment.

Surrey County Council Cabinet on 27 June 2023 approved capital spending to fund the Weybridge Library Community Hub redevelopment.

There is some useful information in the comprehensive Report on WEYBRIDGE HUB REDEVELOPMENT presented to Surrey Council Cabinet on 27 June 2023.

Surrey also provide a summary of the options considered.
The original long list of options to deliver Weybridge Library Community Hub included a complete re-build of the existing building and alternative leasehold or freehold acquisitions to re-site the building.
These options were discounted due to the cost and carbon footprint to deliver a new build and limited alternative sites capable of delivering the spatial needs of Council Services.

WeyBetter Weybridge drop-in event 25 May 2023

A WeyBetter Weybridge drop-in event on 25 May 2023 will give an update on the latest plans for Weybridge Library and Hospital site.

The drop-in session on Thursday 25 May between 4pm-7pm on the 1st floor, Weybridge Library, Church Street, Weybridge, KT13 8DE, will display near-final plans, and give residents a chance to discuss them with the design team.

Here a quick preview of what we expect:

  • The hospital plans should be a finalised version of the plans shared at the last event, with some minor adjustments in response to feedback
  • We understand that the Library expanded ground floor plans will contain a lot of good thinking to make it an appealing and engaging interactive community space, which should be very welcome
  • There will be community hub plans for the first floor — we hope these plans may now include a roof terrace above the proposed ground floor extension, which would make the ‘Activity Hub’ event space (the room where the drop-in session is being held) more appealing in future by giving direct access to a private open air terrace.

Here is what Surrey County Council say about the event:

“Following previous events that have been held in relation to the new healthcare facility and library developments, we now have final proposed designs that we would like to share with you.

The event will be the opportunity see these designs ahead of the submission of the two planning applications in the coming weeks.

Members of the project team who are leading on the planning applications, will be at the event to answer any questions you may have.”

WeyBetterWeybridge – Public Exhibition of Plans 20 May

On Friday 20 May residents will at last get an opportunity to view and discuss plans for Weybridge Hospital replacement, 2pm – 7pm at St James, following years of behind the scenes work by the WeyBetterWeybridge programme. Community facilities and road improvements are also on the agenda.

NHS, Surrey County Council and Elmbridge Borough Council representatives will be on hand to answer questions and listen to residents’ views, as will our local MP.

Surrey County Council announced the event on their website on 11 May.  Here is the full text of their announcement:

WeyBetter Weybridge public exhibition to update on plans to create a state-of-the-art community and health and wellbeing hub for local people

POSTED BY  ⋅ 

On Friday 20 May, Surrey County Council, North West Surrey Alliance, NHS Surrey Heartlands Clinical Commissioning Group and Elmbridge Borough Council are hosting a public exhibition in St James Church, Weybridge. Dr Ben Spencer, MP for Runnymede and Weybridge will also be in attendance to speak to residents.

The event is to share the work to date that has been undertaken on the re-development of community and health services in the area, along with a series of planned road improvements.

The town centre development includes plans to build a brand new health campus, and a planned redevelopment of the library to create a modern, purpose-built space that will be a vibrant hub for the local community for generations to come.

Residents of Weybridge and the surrounding area are invited to come along between 2-7pm to hear an update and get an idea of how the site could look, find out about the type of services that could be provided, have the opportunity to speak to key decision-makers and share their initial feedback.

Leader of Surrey County Council, Tim Oliver, said, “I’m delighted we’re able to host this event and present plans to local people for the renewal of their town and facilities. The WeyBetter Weybridge programme is a unique opportunity to deliver modern facilities across a range of services to meet the needs of residents now and into the future, ensuring no one is left behind.”

Jack Wagstaff, Place Leader for North West Surrey Health and Care Alliance said: “This event gives us the opportunity to update local people on the work that has been happening in collaboration with our partners to develop and modernise services in Weybridge.

“This is an exciting opportunity to deliver a brand new, first-class, health facility as part of a much wider vibrant community hub for local people and our staff.” The event will be held in the church from 2-7pm and people can visit at any time. If people are unable to attend the event itself, the information will be located in the library until the end of May and available online after the event <insert link>.

Local leaders will be at the event to talk to local people and hear their views. Leaders include:

  • Tim Oliver, Leader of Surrey County Council
  • Dr Ben Spencer, MP for Runnymede and Weybridge
  • Marie Snelling, Executive Director for Customer and Communities, Surrey County Council
  • Ian Smith, Designate Chair for the Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board
  • Jack Wagstaff, Place Leader, North West Surrey Alliance

This event is an opportunity for us to share our progress to date on the planned transformation of the site and our early ideas on how the space could work and look. As the WeyBetter Weybridge programme develops, there will be plenty of opportunity for local people and partners to have their say to ensure the proposals meet the needs of local people and local communities.

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WeyBetterWeybridge project reframed

The WeyBetterWeybridge project has resumed, and we are pleased to see it is consulting more local groups and residents. The reframed project brings together Surrey Heartlands CCG (NHS), Surrey County Council and Elmbridge Borough Council, to explore how to make the best use of the Weybridge Hospital and Weybridge Library sites to create something of lasting benefit to the local community.  You can read PPDRA comments for the project here.

A large Stakeholder Reference Group (SRG) has been set up to help support the development of the program’s proposals. This includes a cross-section of local residents, and representatives of community groups including the Weybridge Society and PPDRA, local schools, churches, businesses, NHS and the councils.

The PPDRA comments in September drew on views from residents in Portmore Park & District, and in October the PPDRA Chair suggested a (unifying) vision for a successful outcome for WeyBetterWeybridge. Other visions are possible!

The underlying principles are important. The idea of more integrated community facilities is highly appealing, if they can be delivered:

  • without losing irreplaceable things which residents value, like public green open space
  • without increasing parking stress, and
  • without changing the character of Weybridge with overbearing buildings.

A previous radical option, publicised by HLM Architects on 21 March 2021, fell short on several counts. We are assured that the reframed project is taking a different approach.

We look forward to new proposals which the whole community can embrace, which will benefit Weybridge residents long into the future.

POSTPONED to 4th Sept: Midsummer Madness community event at Churchfields

The June 26th Midsummer Madness community event at Churchfields has been postponed to 4th September, because national Covid restrictions have not yet been fully lifted. But we understand that the Monument Green market is likely to go ahead on 26th June with social distancing, subject to Elmbridge approval.

The new date for the Churchfields community event activities of 4th September is expected to include the Brooklands Museum car display, St James bell tower tours and cream teas, all community stalls, live music and performances, and picnic-in-the-park at Churchfields recreation grounds. On Saturday September 4th it is hoped residents and local organisations can finally gather for a post-lockdown family fun day and town-wide social event!

Please note however that Weybridge’s market fayre at Monument Green will likely take place as scheduled on June 26th, with market stalls, live acts and DJ music from Brooklands Radio. Ruth Langford will be on hand to open the festivities and shopping at noon. All activity in this area will be properly socially distanced and manned in accordance with current regulations. It is waiting for the final go-ahead from Elmbridge Borough Council and will update soon.

Weybridge residents are invited to continue to support our local businesses and keep up community spirit as we move our way out of lockdown and to make a note of the new September 4th date in their diaries.

Weybridge Midsummer Fayre & Market

Weybridge’s (and perhaps Elmbridge’s) first post-lockdown public event, Midsummer Madness – Weybridge Fayre & Market was scheduled for Saturday 26th June, subject to the Government lifting sufficient lockdown restrictions. UPDATE: NEW DATE 4th September

 

The Artisan Market starts at 10 am and runs till 4 pm, and will be located outside Waitrose and on Monument Green. The Community part of the event will be located at the southern half of Churchfields Car Park and will run from 12. noon until early evening.

This event is being organised by the Weybridge Town Business Group, Weybridge Society and the WeyBetterWeybridge Regeneration Project, with support and participation from Brooklands Museum, Brooklands Radio and Elmbridge Borough Council.

The goal of the event is to promote community spirit and give local businesses a boost as we move out of Covid restrictions — so the main aim is ‘fun for all the family’ and encouraging ‘buy local’. It is also an opportunity for the regeneration project to present a vision for the future of Weybridge town centre, for charities and community organisations to display their activities to the public and attract new volunteers, and to generally promote civic-mindedness and environmental awareness, as we will also be encouraging the use of local pedestrian and cycle routes.

Vicki Macleod is seeking members of the community willing to give an hour (or more) of their time to be Weybridge Fayre Stewards, at the car park.

If you are willing to be involved, please get in touch with Vicki at vmacleod@elmbridge.gov.uk

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

 

Local Plan Consultation – PPDRA comments

The Elmbridge Local Plan consultation has given Weybridge residents an opportunity to comment on options which will shape the character of our town and borough over the next 15 years. Government demands that EBC finds space for around 9400 new homes mean there are no easy choices: any of the options on offer will have effects which residents may not like.  PPDRA has submitted the following comments:

ELMBRIDGE LOCAL PLAN CONSULTATION 2019 – SUBMISSION

This is a submission in response to the Elmbridge Local Plan Consultation of behalf of the committee of Portmore Park and District Residents Association.

We have studied the indicative options put forward by Elmbridge Borough Council in public documentation and at the Weybridge consultation meeting, and we have informally canvassed preferences within the local community in north Weybridge.

Overview

In summary, we would support a sympathetic ‘optimising’ of urban areas – subject to some caveats, below – and a small degree of development on some ‘weakly performing’ Green Belt land so long as it minimises any negative impact on existing residents (indicative Option 2, with Option 5 in reserve).

We strongly oppose the options of ‘intensifying’ urban areas or wholesale release of Green Belt.

We have a question about how residents can help influence the evolution of the character of our town as housing density increases. We would also like more Local Green Spaces designated.

Rationale

1/ Intensifying urban areas in the way described in Option 1 would have an extremely negative impact on quality of life and the character of Weybridge and other Elmbridge towns. It would be wholly unacceptable.

North Weybridge is characterised by open and green settings, local open spaces, gabled buildings in Victorian and Edwardian style, and low rise development even in high density areas (e.g. terraced cottages), with larger buildings set well back.  Intensification would significantly reduce the quality of life and damage the character of our town. It would remove some key reasons for living in Weybridge. A number of existing residents have told us they would want to move away.

2/ Large Green Belt release (Option 3) would again be a wholly unacceptable option. It would change the character of the whole borough, and make Elmbridge a much less desirable place to live.

3/ A small amount of development on Green Belt land appears unavoidable. It is essential this only affects weakly performing Green Belt, and is planned in a way which has minimum negative impact on existing residents: e.g. by incorporating wildlife corridors and local green spaces to soften the impact and give some visual separation of new development from old; also ensuring truly adequate infrastructure ahead of development.

We would support the level of Green Belt development suggested in indicative Option 2. We have concerns that, if larger areas of Green Belt are selected (as indicated in Option 5), developers will simply build on Green Belt first, before tackling more difficult brownfield/infill sites. But we recognise the value – if there is to be any building at all on Green Belt – of the kind of analysis underlying Option 5.

While we recognise that the ‘performance’ of Green Belt needs to be judged against defining criteria, we consider that some mechanism is also needed for residents to offer input into how Elmbridge categorises the significance of specific areas of Green Belt.

For example, the strips of Green Belt separating Weybridge from Walton are highly significant in preventing the two towns appearing to be simply part of one endless conurbation. They help define the towns. Some of these areas of Green Belt also have significant local amenity value, as well as being important to the landscape and urban identity (e.g. Cowey Sale, Desborough Island, the Grotto Road Recreation Ground and land at Broadwater Farm, Oatlands Park and allotments).

4/ ‘Optimisation’ of towns must not include development which leads to damaging intensification (including over dominant infill) and loss of character.

Some of the Proposed Urban Sites in Weybridge would significantly damage the character of our area.  For example US401, the prominent triangle of green space between the southern end of Grenside Road and Thames Street, has significant value in shaping the character of the area: it is visible from the Monument Green Conservation Area, and maintains a continuation of visual green and open character into the southern section of Thames Street.

5/ Local green spaces are essential to the character and quality of daily life in Weybridge.  Losing any green spaces would remove some key reasons for living in Weybridge. We would like to propose further green spaces in north Weybridge including:

  • green space between Grenside Road and Thames Street (US401), reason described above
  • the Grotto Road Recreation Ground (i.e. the football field at the end of Grenside Road) which while already protected to some extant as Green Belt has high amenity value
  • Cowey Sale Open Space, Walton Lane (Green Belt with high amenity value)
  • Darnley Park Open Space
  • Desborough Island, Walton Lane (Green Belt with high amenity value)
  • Finnart Close Open Spaces
  • ‘The Grotto’ Marlborough Drive
  • Walton Lane Open Space (by Canoe Club & car park – riverside Green Belt with high amenity value)

Who shapes the future character of Weybridge?

At the 27 August consultation meeting, we were advised that a Neighbourhood Plan was really only useful where large scale development/redevelopment was planned. We were also told that with an increase in housing density, the character of a town would inevitably change.

Our question then is, how can residents help shape and moderate that change in the character of Weybridge, if not through a Neighbourhood Forum and Neighbourhood Plan?

Previous Elmbridge Local Plans have characterised sub-areas of towns in some detail – e.g. characterising Portmore Park Road as a ‘Suburban Boulevard’ – which has helped guide councillors in making decisions about granting consent to planning applications which affect character.

At present, planning officers can give advice based on national planning law and housing ambitions, with apparently insufficient regard to local factors such an application’s impact on the character and openness etc of a specific locality (e.g. St Catherine’s, Beales Lane, Weybridge).

We are currently in a position where applications which local residents and councillors consider to have deleterious and damaging impact on the character of our town (such as Bridge House, High St Weybridge) can appear to be voted through by councillors from other towns, without the benefit of any strong specific guidance about making new developments fit with the character of our town.

Is there some way in which the local knowledge of residents and local councillors, and their aspirations for future development of their neighbourhood, can contribute to a formal source of such guidance on local character?

Download a pdf of our Local Plan Consultation submission here