Planning

Highways hitch delays Weybridge Hospital rebuild

Weybridge Hospital fire July 2017

Weybridge Hospital / Health Centre past and future

More than seven years after Weybridge Hospital burnt down, hopes of the replacement Weybridge Health Centre plans (EBC 2024/3065) receiving consent this month were dashed by a mix up over a secondary pedestrian and cycle entrance.

A proposed new active travel entrance via Portmore Way received strong objections. Planning consent will now be delayed at least until July 2025, the earliest date that Elmbridge Borough Council can consider a slightly revised application.

Why was a Portmore Way entrance proposed?

The NHS Property Services 2024/3065 plans for the Health Centre building and landscaping looked excellent in most respects, but for the unexpected pedestrian and cycle entrance via Portmore Way.

It seems Surrey Highways had insisted the plans should include a Portmore Way entrance, to give easier active travel access for those of us who live in north Weybridge — access previously made easy by Footpath 20 (FP20) from Portmore Park Road to Minorca Road.

Justified objections

This single aspect understandably brought fifty objections, around the undesirable impact of opening up a completely new access from Portmore Way on safeguarding the primary school, and on church parking. This means the planning application has to wait to be decided by a planning committee of councillors, rather than be decided quickly by a planning officer.

A Portmore Way entrance would also bring practical issues and further potential delays, as the hospital site is a metre higher than Portmore Way, and separated from it by mature trees.

So it would mean tree felling, purchase of carbon offset, and also, outside the NHS land, the design and construction by Surrey of a zig-zag sloping connecting path and handrails on Surrey Highways’ adopted Portmore Way land, plus provision of street lighting. How long would that take? And where is the budget?.

Why not Footpath 20 / Minorca Road?

The Surrey Highways’ intent was good, but their active travel solution ignored (or was unaware of) the fact that there was already a much-used active travel route from north Weybridge, via dual use FP20 from Portmore Park Road to Minorca Road, giving — prior to the fire — convenient direct (and level) pedestrian and cycle access into the Hospital site via the pavement which curves from Minorca Road into the site’s NHS land.

Weybridge Hospital Minorca Road entrance in 2016 with pedestrian pavement access

Extract from 2024/3065 Transport Assessment showing Minorca Road access in 2016, with pavement entrance

We are told by NHS Property Services that, while non-emergency vehicle access to the site will be blocked here, there was no intention in the Health Centre 2024/3065 plans to prohibit use of this FP20/Minorca Road pavement pedestrian and cycle entrance. They were simply preventing motor vehicle acccess other than emergency.

Surrey has a history of forgetting FP20. In 2009 it had fallen off their radar and lacked any maintenance schedule. It was becoming very overgrown despite daily use by many residents. But these days it is clearly shown on Surrey’s official online map as FP20, and it is in their dual use pedestrian/cycle active travel scheme. It is a very convenient active travel route from Portmore Park Road.

Amended plans coming

NHS Property Services is very willing to amend its plans and remove any reference to a Portmore Way entrance, which was not part of the original concept, and make it explicitly clear that active travel access will be restored via FP20 / Minorca Road. It will need Surrey Highways approval, and then Elmbridge planning consent.

The revision will mean submitting updated plans to Elmbridge Borough Council after consulting relevant bodies, plus the statutory 21 days for public comment.

Lobbying Surrey County Council

Following discussions of the issues with our Weybridge Surrey County Councillor, Tim Oliver, we have been told that if NHS amend their plans to make it clear they include pedestrian [and cycle] access from a FP20/Minorca Road entrance, the issue should be resolved without the need to open up a new entrance via Portmore Way.

Local support will help

Given the 53 current objections, it would be really helpful to have at least as many letters of support for the revised plans. And then we may at last get a proper Health Centre to replace our much missed Weybridge Hospital.

You can read a full case against having a Portmore Way entrance in this document [2MB pdf], which was shared with SCC Councillor for Weybridge, Tim Oliver, along with the following covering note:

To Tim Oliver from Miles Macleod, 10 April 2025

Submission re Surrey Highways view on Portmore Way vs FP20/Minorca Road for active travel access (EBC 2024/3065)

Tim
Thank you again for your very prompt and helpful responses on this. The highly negative impact of creating a new Portmore Way access is an extremely important topic locally, as is avoiding any further unnecessary delay in rebuilding the hospital.

I attach a submission summarising what we believe is a very strong case for an active travel entrance to Weybridge Health Centre via Minorca Road & FP20 and NOT via Portmore Way. This was compiled after meeting with representatives from the local community, the church and school in Portmore way, NHS Property Services, NHS Surrey Heartlands and an EBC councillor. Please do look at it, and share with Surrey Highways.

I understand that NHS Property Services will be submitting amended documents showing no access from the Portmore Way site boundary, and reinstating the former pedestrian and cycle access from Minorca Road. The hope is that this updated application can be considered and accepted by EBC planning (sub-)committee in July, so that construction can at long last start this summer. Plainly it would be helpful if Surrey Highways are supportive. Further delay would be hugely unpopular.

The Transport Assessment will also be modified accordingly, but I note that even in the current version para 5.3.8, limiting Minorca Road access to ‘emergency vehicles only’, sits under a subheading ‘Vehicular Access’, and would not therefore apply to pedestrian and cycle access. I understand from NHS Property Services that there was no intention to prohibit pedestrian and cycle access from Minorca Road.

I hope the attached submission proves sufficiently persuasive for Surrey Highways to revise their view. It seeks to be self explanatory, but failing that, I would very much welcome a meeting to discuss the issues with you and Surrey Highways.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards,
Miles
———————
Miles Macleod

Response from Tim Oliver, 14 April 2025

Miles
I have discussed the matter with […] the officer at SCC dealing with the application. His simple point is that in the absence of pedestrian access from Minorca Road the existing footpath would mean a long loop round via the High Street to access the site. If the NHS are now saying, there will be pedestrian access then I think the matter will be resolved without opening up a route from Portmore Way.
Kind regards
Tim

Tim Oliver OBE
Leader of Surrey County Council

Watch for updates

Once the amended plans are submitted, we will update this posting accordingly, and we hope the revised plans will receive strong local support.

Weybridge Library Hub – Drop-In Event 25 Jan 2024

Plans for Weybridge Library and Community Hub will be on show at Weybridge Library in a Surrey County Council engagement event on 25 January 2024 from 4:00 – 7:00pm. This is for anyone who wants to find out more about the plans for the new Weybridge Hub and the timetable for the refurbishment of the library due to open in Spring 2025.

There will also be co-design opportunities for children and their parents and carers during the scheduled rhyme-time and story-time activities between 11:00-11:30am on 25 January and 30 January.

Residents who attended PPDRA Community Meeting in September 2023 will be aware of very positive plans for a modern flexible library. This is a chance to learn more, and talk with those behind the plans.

The Weybridge Hub plans also include space for targeted youth support and accessible community spaces for hire, and commercially lettable space, although some residents feel that these Hub elements of the proposals miss opportunities to create a really positive local community hub and fall short of community aspirations. What are your views?

At the event, information will be available on all the improvements and collaboration taking place to create the new Hub and partnership work being undertaken with Elmbridge Borough Council to provide a library provision during the refurbishment works. Attendees will be able to view approved plans for the library and input their ideas to the look and feel of the library and future event programming of the library space. Video content showing a 3D walkthrough of the plans for the improved library area will be shown.

Surrey County Council staff will be available during the afternoon event to answer questions.

The building works will include comprehensive external refurbishment of the existing structure, a single storey infill of the rear courtyard to expand the ground floor and full internal refit of all interiors providing accommodation for a variety of services and partners.

More information will be available in the library and online from the 25 January 2024. Whilst staff will be available at the drop-in session from 4-7pm, the information boards will remain in the library and online for comment until the 7 February 2024.

PPDRA comments on plans for Weybridge Library

The following comments on the Surrey County Council plans for Weybridge Library Community Hub have been sent by PPDRA to SCC Leader and Councillor for Weybridge, Tim Oliver.

Dear Tim,

Below are some comments from the Committee of Portmore Park & District Residents Association on the Surrey County Council plans for the Weybridge Library building, as set out in the Consultation Planning Application submitted to Elmbridge (EBC 2023/2312) which offered no opportunity for public comment.

We believe the comments below reflect feelings widely held within the local community, and hope that you and the Library Community Hub design team will give them genuine consideration.

Support for aims

We strongly support the use of the Carnegie model to guide and inspire redevelopment of Weybridge Library as a library and integrated community hub.
We are delighted that Surrey County Council has allocated budget for this.
We believe that there is a great opportunity to create an appealing, engaging and popular new library and integrated community hub in the current library building, if a more community-centred design is developed.

Disappointment with current plans and process

We are very disappointed that the current SCC plans for the library building show a lack of imagination and integration, and appear to ignore community input, particularly in the proposals for hub elements on the first and second floors, which seem like little more than refurnishing existing rooms.
We implore SCC to reconsider, and to reshape the design with more community involvement (which we understand is already envisaged for finalising the ground floor library element).
We are disturbed by the opaque planning process by which SCC can grant itself planning consent, without any clear opportunity for public comment on the current plans: EBC says “please consult the relevant authority”, yet the SCC website doesn’t suggest how to do that.
We want to avoid a repeat of the 2004 New Walton Bridge fiasco, when SCC spent hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money awarding itself planning consent for a deeply flawed, oversized bridge and twin-loop junction design, and on trying to fend off public opposition (happily unsuccessfully, as a public inquiry imposed a much better bridge and junction design which conserved valuable riverside public amenity land and saved Weybridge residents from the extra rat run traffic the twin loop junction would have invited).
We hope for a planning process for the Library Hub where evidence and community input and comments are recorded and publicly visible (an essential element of the EBC planning process).

What a better design can offer

We hope to see an integrated library and community hub created, with:
1. Appealing, inviting entrances from Church Street and Churchfields
2. More open and flexible design of the hub elements to meet multiple community uses, creating a desirable destination for all kinds of local residents
3. Outdoor spaces as well as indoor spaces (including a terrace, and a landscaped seating area by an improved Churchfields entrance, as recommended by Elmbridge Borough Council)
We hope for a design which makes the first floor of the Community Hub a more desirable community destination, through increasing its space and enhancing its facilities, e.g. by:
1. Extending its area laterally, incorporating doors onto a new open air terrace on the roof of the planned single storey extension, with outdoor seating and tables (thereby, as a visiting county councillor observed, making it a far more profitably lettable space for functions)
2. Enhancing its catering potential by expanding the kitchen area (in line with comments from Elmbridge Borough Council), not reducing it
3. Offering cafe facilities for visitors, to help make the hub a genuine local destination
4. Increasing the flexibility of the internal space of the whole first floor, making it more open and adjustable to accommodate more varied community activities
5. Providing controllable shading for the west facing windows, to reduce the main room’s greenhouse-like summer heat, without reducing its admirable winter light
6. Reconsidering the design and location of a business hub element, to make it better suited to use by multiple small businesses and individuals (the current design looks outdated and inappropriate), and thereby enhancing income.

Wider community involvement

We support suggestions by the Weybridge Society for bringing the building to life by having a visibly operating Brooklands Radio live broadcast studio on the ground floor, as part of a more open plan, integrated and flexible hub design, shaped with the help of community input.
We support the views of local EBC councillors that it is essential to have wider community involvement in defining and shaping local community facilities which will serve Weybridge into the future.

Transition arrangements

There are strong local concerns about negative impact on the Centre For The Community of transition period proposals to relocate Library services there, displacing current activities.
We wish to see transition achieved in a way which avoids negative impact on the Centre For The Community.
We would support a proposal to relocate library books to the former bowling green pavilion (subject to relocation of current services provided there to other EBC owned properties) for the duration of any works, with the more socially interactive library services relocated to the Centre For The Community.

Lifetime management costs

We wonder if sufficient consideration has been given to the longer term benefits of investing more now in energy efficient measures (e.g. triple glazing, insulation, heat recovery, etc), which could significantly reduce lifetime energy costs.

Thank you again for suggesting that comments are sent to you, in your role as our county councillor.

We sincerely hope that there will now be an opportunity for proper public input into the creation of an amended and improved design for the community hub within an extended library building: a design which is much more community-centred and user-centred than the current proposals.

Kind regards,
Miles Macleod

Chair, Portmore Park & District Residents Association

Positive PPDRA Community Meeting and AGM

Our Portmore Park & District RA community meeting and AGM on 20th September was well attended and had a very positive mood. Around 60 people, including five local councillors, were there despite horrible weather — a deluge from the remnants of Hurricane Lee.

First we heard participants describe numerous local community activities and groups, each outlining very positive voluntary activities which help make our local community a lovely place in which to live and participate. Then we heard guest speaker Sue Wills MBE speaking about the inspiration and plans for the new Weybridge Library, and finally Surrey County Council Leader Tim Oliver gave an update on local matters.

All our speakers were very well received. We look forward to a positive future for the Weybridge Library and Community Hub, and rapid development of new health facilities on the Weybridge Hospital site.

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.

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.

Walton Lane Open Space designated a Local Green Space

We are delighted that Elmbridge Borough Council has now recognised Walton Lane Open Space as a designated ‘Local Green Space’ in its 2023 Draft Local Plan, submitted to the Planning Inspectorate.

This follows a PPDRA objection to the omission of this space from the 2022 EBC Draft Local Plan list of Local Green Spaces , an objection we submitted as part of the formal Regulation 19 Consultation.

The Local Green Space designation should help give lasting extra protection against any building development on this significant and much used local green open space.

Extract from Elmbridge Draft Local Plan SA Addendum 2023

M4.2 ENV3 46 Additional Local Green Spaces to be designated:

Stoke D’Abernon Memorial Park; Walton Lane Open Space; Kingston Grammar School Playing Fields/ Ditton Field, Thames Ditton

To improve accuracy and ensure soundness and compliance with NPPF para. 101 and 102.

No- these additional sites do not affect the SA of the policy.

New Proposals for Weybridge Business Park – Exhibition 14+17 June 2023

Bridge Industrial are preparing a new planning application to redevelop Weybridge Business Park.

UPDATE 14-06-23: view new Weybridge Business Park proposals (pdf 3MB)

A new architect and design team have been appointed to redesign the scheme taking on board feedback from the local community following the resounding refusal of the application for a massive Amazon-style distribution centre next to the historic Wey Navigation — plans which received hundreds of local objections and objections from public bodies such as the National Trust.

The previous refused scheme was described as “just crazy” by local residents interviewed by the press, because of its impact on local quality of life and on traffic flows through neighbouring communities.

Public Consultation

Bridge Industrial want to hear your comments on the new proposals, and are staging a public exhibition, to be held in Building 6, Weybridge Business Park, KT15 2UP on Wednesday 14 June, 4pm – 8pm and Saturday 17 June, 10am – 2pm.

This will be an opportunity to meet the Bridge Industrial team, view the proposals, ask any questions you have and provide your feedback.

We note that Bridge Industrial describe the adjacent site as “Industrial”, whereas it houses the Waterside Trading Estate with commercial suppliers such as Screwfix, Toolstation, Easy Bathrooms, Wilson Electrical, Brewers Decorator Centre etc. There are adjacent residential properties, and the overall atmosphere is tranquil and far from industrial, with a charming riverside walk, moorings and waterside pub.

How to contact the developers

If you have any questions or would like more information then please get in touch with the developers:
Phone: 0800 092 0426
Email: weybridgebusinesspark@londoncommunications.co.uk

Reactions to previous application

Runnymede Borough Council refused that previous planning application for the following reasons:

Refusal Reasons for Planning Application – RU.22/0776

Application Number: RU.22/0776
Site Address: Weybridge Business Park Addlestone Road Addlestone Surrey KT15 2UP
Property Address: Weybridge Business Park, Addlestone Road, Addlestone, Surrey

Reasons 1

The proposed ‘Building 100’ by reason of its position, form, scale, mass and significant bulk would result in an overtly prominent, dominant and visually overbearing form of development which would have a detrimental impact to the character and appearance of the area. This is contrary to Policy EE1 of the Runnymede 2030 Local Plan (2020), Runnymede Design Guide (2021), the National Planning Policy Framework (2021) and the National Design Guide (2019).

Reasons 2

The proposed use would result in a loss of residential amenity to surrounding residential properties. This loss of amenity would be due to due noise and disturbance from both the on-site operations as well as disturbance from the likely significant numbers of comings and goings of large goods vehicles that the proposed uses would attract, particularly at anti-social hours of the day and night. This is contrary to Policy EE2 of the Runnymede 2030 Local Plan (2020), the National Planning Policy Framework (2021) and the associated National Planning Policy Guidance relating to Noise and disturbance.

Reasons 3

In the absence of a completed legal agreement the proposed development has failed to secure the provision of the necessary infrastructure needed to make this development acceptable in planning terms. The proposed development is therefore contrary to policies SD3, SD4, SD5 and EE9 of the Runnymede 2030 Local Plan (2020) and the National Planning Policy Framework (2021) and its associated guidance.

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.”

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.