by admin | Apr 18, 2015 | Beryl Harvey Field, Conservation, Cranleigh, Cranleigh Parish Council, Development
The Beryl Harvey Field in Knowle Lane, was donated to the people of Cranleigh in perpetuity by Mr Gordon Harvey in memory of his late wife to be used as a public open space. It is owned by Cranleigh Parish Council on behalf of, and for the benefit of, the Cranleigh Community.
The Chairman of Cranleigh Parish Council, Mr Brian Ellis, has recently spoken to Waverley Borough Council about selling the land for housing in the village. In a time of growing urbanisation in Cranleigh it is extremely important that we protect public green open spaces. This land is already owned by the community for the community let’s not lose it!
The next working party is on 10th May 2015 at 10am, please come whether a keen conservationist or simply just fancy an hour or two in the open air with like minded people! Children are welcome but must be supervised by an adult at all times. Bring your gardening gloves as we will be bramble clearing!
The site consists of two acres and has been managed by Cranleigh and District Conservation Volunteers, headed up by Tony Fox, since 1987 as a wildlife area, with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Co-operative Society Ltd and the Gatwwick Airport Community Trust.
The site was originally all laid out as allotments. However from the early 1980’s these were confined to the lower third of the field and are highly sought after. In 1986, with the support of the Parish Council and Waverley Borough Council, the remainder of the land was set aside for conservation purposes. The field hosts a wide variety of wild spring flowers from roses and bluebells to Cowslips and many Common Spotted Orchids. The pond dug in 2000 also attracts local wildlife including a wide variety of birds, several species of dragonfly and all important bees too. Friends of the Earth continue to highlight the plight of our bee population. Creating havens of wildflowers like the Beryl Harvey field is essential to provide food and shelter for bees, and can help reverse the trend of a declining bee population.
In Summer more flowers appear including Lady’s Bedstraw, Betony and Bird’s Foot Trefoil. Later in the season swarms of common blue butterflies can be seen, together with meadow brown and gatekeeper butterflies. Large and small skipper butterflies as well as the large and small white butterflies which feed on Knapweed flowers and there have even been reported sightings of the small brown and green hairstreak butterflies.
Please help to save and improve this community asset before it is too late!
In the interest of conservation dogs are not allowed on the field at any time of year.
by admin | Apr 12, 2015 | Cranleigh
UPDATE 16 MAY 2016: After being postponed on 27 April when the Joint Planning Committee ran out of time, due to a prolonged discussion followed by refusal for the Knowle Park Initiative application, the Little Meadow application was granted on 16 May 2016.
UPDATE 18 APRIL 2016: Little Meadow Planning Application for 75 dwellings goes in front of the Joint Planning Committee on 27 April 2016 at 7pm, Waverley Council Offices, The Burys, Godalming.
UPDATE 15 SEPTEMBER 2015: Please note – Objections can still be submitted for this application.
Please submit your objection to this application on Waverley Borough Council’s website, Little Meadow, Alfold Road WA/2015/0478 – 75 dwellings – It’s easy to Object online NOW.
Or email your comments to the case officer Mr Peter Cleveland direct on planconsult@waverley.gov.uk quoting ref WA/2015/0478 and give your FULL name and Postal Address.
Or write to Waverley Borough Council at (please quote ref WA/2015/0478 and give your FULL name and Postal Address):
Mr Peter Cleveland
Planning Officer
Waverley Borough Council,
The Burys,
Godalming,
Surrey,
GU7 1HR
Please also email a copy of your objections to the members of the Waverley Joint Planning Committee to let them know exactly what you feel. They will have the FINAL SAY on this application.
Click here for a list of the members’ email addresses
Always include your FULL name and postal address in any correspondence.
If you want to raise any of the following points please do put them into your own words, as otherwise Waverley Borough Council Planners may not take them into account, thank you.
Points to consider:
Some of the points you might like to mention are (please do not cut and paste these points, please do put them into your own words, as otherwise Waverley Planning Officers may deem them to be invalid):
- This application is premature to the emerging Neighbourhood Plan. Under the Localism Act 2011 local people can influence where substantial development is situated in their community.
- It will cause considerable harm to landscape character as the application is in open countryside and is not attached to the existing settlement.
- In line with the NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework) brown fields (previously developed land) should be built on before green fields, in Cranleigh that would include Hewitts Industrial Estate which is deliverable within 5 years and the planning application has been submitted to Waverley.
- The site has some very good quality Grade 2 Agricultural Land of which Waverley has precious little.
- Part of the site is in flood zone 2 and at higher risk of flooding. This contravenes the Cranleigh Design Statement 2008 which states that new development should take into account the existence of a flood plain.
Page 7 Cranleigh Design Statement 2008
- New residents may find it difficult or impossible to get insurance cover for flooding. The Association of British Insurers has stated that New Houses built after 1 January 2009 will not be covered by Flood Re; this is to avoid incentivising unwise building in flood risk areas.
- Cranleigh’s road infrastructure and in particular the Alfold Road is a material constraint to a development of this size.
- Cranleigh’s sewage works need a major upgrade and major investment from Thames Water before a development of this size can be connected to the existing system. Raw sewage already leaks from overburdened sewers in the Alfold Road in times of heavy rainfall.
Littlemead Industrial Estate 23 November 2014
- The topography of Cranleigh has led to it developing in the way that it has; with housing on higher ground to the north and east of the village. This is because water runs down from the Surrey Hills and settles on the Weald Clay which makes the absorption of rainfall slow. This standing surface water will, and does, flood peoples’ homes and that is why these fields have remained undeveloped for generations. These fields should remain undeveloped for that reason.
- Cranleigh Parish Council Planning Committee unanimously objected to this application.
- The site is not within walking distance of the high street and would result in a large increase in traffic movements.
- There is no pavement on this section of the Alfold Road which poses a serious risk to pedestrians.
Thank you for speaking up for Cranleigh.
by admin | Apr 7, 2015 | Cranleigh, Development, Green Fields, Waverley Borough Council
Despite the promises of 40% affordable homes and local homes for local people, the pristine green field site that abuts an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) on Amlets Lane seems to be up for sale to the highest bidder!
We have written to Jonathan Harbottle, the agent working on behalf of the Roberts family requesting further details and will let you know his response if and when it arrives. You can see the original planning application on the Waverley Planning Portal.
by admin | Apr 1, 2015 | Cranleigh, Development, infrastructure, Waverley Borough Council
UPDATE 4 February 2016 – McCarthy & Stone appeal REFUSED
UPDATE 28 JULY 2015 – McCarthy & Stone lodge an appeal with the Secretary of State against the decision of Waverley Borough Council not to grant planning permission.
See the response from residents of Penwerris.
UPDATE 17 JULY 2015 – APPLICATION REFUSED BY WAVERLEY BOROUGH COUNCIL
We are delighted that Waverley Borough Council has now refused this application and the affordable housing in Penwerris has been saved.
This application to demolish two properties on the Horsham Road and build 25 McCarthy & Stone flats in Cranleigh was unanimously rejected by the Parish Council on 30 March 2015 and will now go forward to Waverley’s Joint Planning Committee.
If you don’t think this application should go ahead please submit your objections on the Waverley Planning Portal Ref WA/2015/0495.
Closing date could be as early as 22 April 2015, please don’t delay! The residents of Penwerris are relying on our support!
If you can please also email a copy of your objections to the members of the Waverley Joint Planning Committee to let them know exactly how you feel. They will have the FINAL SAY on this application.
We have a list of the Joint Planning Committee members’ email addresses.
If you would rather not use Waverley’s online planning portal you can email your objection to the case officer Peter Cleveland direct on planconsult@waverley.gov.uk quoting ref WA/2015/0495 and quoting your FULL name and Postal Address.
Alternatively if you prefer using pen and ink, you can write to Waverley Borough Council at (please quote ref WA/2015/0495 quoting your FULL name and Postal Address):
Mr Peter Cleveland
Planning Officer
Waverley Borough Council,
The Burys,
Godalming,
Surrey,
GU7 1HR
Always include your FULL name and postal address when writing or emailing.
We have put together the following points you might like to raise, however please put them into your own words. If you do not do this Waverley will not take them into consideration.
Points to consider:
(please do not cut and paste these points, please do put them into your own words, as otherwise Waverley Planning Officers will be free to bin them!!!):
- This application is premature to the emerging Neighbourhood Plan.
- This application is detrimental to the well being of the 21 residents of Penwerris.
- It would lead to vulnerable people being homeless.
- It would demolish the home of 21 people and a further large family home to make way for 25 flats, many of which may be at single occupancy.
- It would substantially reduce the availability of housing in Cranleigh for people on low incomes.
- It sets a precedent for housing of this density in the village.
- This application is overbearing and constitutes over-development of the site.
- It contravenes the Cranleigh Design Statement 2008 which states that it should have regard to the scale of existing buildings.
- The site height contravenes guidelines in the Cranleigh Design Statement 2008.
- 27 parking spaces are inadequate for 25 flats and additional staff and will lead to hazardous parking on the Horsham Road. This also contravenes the Cranleigh Design Statement 2008
- The building will have 24 hour lighting in the car park and in common parts which will intrude on neighbours and add to light pollution.
- The scale of the property is out of keeping with the locale.
- The noise from a site of this size would detrimentally affect the many close neighbouring households.
- The traffic study is based on data for occupants over the age of 76 years old with few cars.
- The transport study is based on developments of this kind in large towns and cities which do not have a rural bus service or the high car to household ratio of Waverley residents.
- The Transport report states that: “the site is currently occupied by two dwellings. As such, one might expect the existing development to generate some 16 vehicle movements per
day. However, Penwerris is in multiple-occupancy and so the generation of this property is likely to be significantly higher than the 8 vehicle movements assumed above. Therefore, a total generation of some 20 to 24 vehicle movements can be assumed”. This statement about current traffic levels is is not true of the residents of Penwerris where there are only 6 cars.
- It is the the policy of McCarthy & Stone to sell car parking permits to residents, for use of the parking spaces allocated for their use. This would put extra pressure on surrounding roads where residents could park for free.
- The site is too far out of the village for older residents to be expected to walk and shop within the village and this would inevitably encourage extra car journeys to and from the site.
- Construction traffic for a project of this size could not be accommodated on the Horsham Road.
- The access and egress point does not have sufficient visibility for cars which often travel down the Horsham Road at speeds greater than 30 mph.
- There will be limited visibility of pedestrians walking from the village out of Cranleigh due to the position of the site boundary and established planting as shown by the cross in the image below.
Recent complaints against a McCarthy & Stone development in Hebden Bridge.
List of Cranleigh Parish Councillors:
Cranleigh East:
Stewart Stennett – stewart.stennett@waverley.gov.uk;
Jeanette Stennett – jeanette@stennetts.com ;
Rosemary Burbridge – roburbridge@aol.com ;
Gareth Emmett – gareth@cranleighscientific.co.uk ;
Howard Wagstaff – howardwagstaff@yahoo.co.uk
Cranleigh West:
Brian Ellis – brian.ellis@waverley.gov.uk ;
Patricia Ellis – patricia.ellis@waverley.gov.uk ;
David Gill – davidgill46@aol.com ;
Dominique McAll – domini.mcall@gmail.com
Cranleigh North:
Mary Foryszewski – mary.foryszewski@waverley.gov.uk
Elmbridge:
Robert Wilson – RAW@cranleigh.org
Cranleigh Rural:
Liz Townsend – liz.yourcranleigh@gmail.com
Copy in:
Anne Milton MP anne.milton.mp@parliament.uk
Matthew Evans Head of Planning Services
(Chief Planning Officer): matthew.evans@waverley.gov.uk