FEDORA’s policy on Green and Grey Belt development
Oxshott is fortunate to be surrounded by Green Belt. As explained in previous emails FEDORA has produced a map of the sites and established some key information which was shared at the public meeting on 22 May. Regrettably the combination of new Government policy and the lack of an approved Local Plan for Elmbridge means we think it would be prudent to regard all of these sites as potentially at risk of being put forward by their owners for development. Two sites, Clouds Hill Farm in Oxshott and a site to the southwest of Polyapes Scout Camp in Stoke D’Abernon, referred to as The Paddocks, are currently in play.
Our recent survey and contacts we receive show that whilst almost nobody welcomes the principle of Green Belt being released for development, views are mixed on the need for more housing and the implications of possible development at individual sites. FEDORA has therefore set out its approach to how it will respond to development proposals reflecting both our decision not to take a position which could divide opinion amongst residents and the need to use most effectively the limited resources that we have. A paper describing our role and what this means in practice is can be found here . Further comment on Clouds Hill Farm and The Paddocks is below.
Clouds Hill Farm
We are still waiting for a formal outline application to be made for development of the Clouds Hill Farm site. This is now expected to be available for consultation in two to three months’ time but this is uncertain.
A development of the expected scale will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the already stretched infrastructure of the village, which has received no significant investment over many years despite continued development such as Treetops, Willoughbys and also several smaller sites to the south of the village. This inevitably brings into question the sustainability of the site for major development. Key to this consideration will be whether the site will be designated as grey belt rather than green belt, a topic we discussed at the last public meeting on 22 May.
An issue of widespread concern to Oxshott residents is the increased traffic on the A244 and the impact on road safety (vehicles and pedestrians) and air quality. FEDORA is in contact with the relevant Surrey CC officials and our local councillors to ensure they are aware of the concerns of local residents when they review the application. FEDORA has also appointed an independent transport and highways expert to examine the proposals and support our contact with the relevant planning authorities.
In addition, we have met with and offered to support a number of residents who live close to the site and have very specific concerns relevant to the impact on neighbouring properties. They are currently considering what approach they wish to take.
We will provide further information as soon as it is available.
The Paddocks
The advised time limit for comments has now expired and the application is under consideration by Elmbridge, although some statutory consultees have not yet responded. The Elmbridge planning website shows over 1,000 objections have been received, c40% of which are classified as sensitive and not public and c60% available to view.
Significant issues to be addressed have been raised by several of the statutory consultees. These are not objections per se, but issues to be addressed before the application can be approved. The most significant of these relevant to Oxshott residents relate to transport and highways and are similar to those raised in FEDORA’s response here. As part of their consideration Elmbridge will need to assess the merit of objections and work with consultees and the applicant to assess whether mitigating measures can be taken to adequately address the issues raised. This process is likely to take several weeks, possibly months.
We are in contact with the Stop the Paddocks team and will seek to leverage their experience.