Cranleigh Civic Society News

Cranleigh Civic Society News

Pub meeting this week decided the following – publish without delay  that Waverley has received planning application for 10 more houses in Amlets Lane! and ask people to look into it and write in their feelings about it. Planning Application WA/2019/1552 – Valid From 18/09/2019.  Outline application for erection of 10 dwellings with access.The developers are proposing an infill between the Carla Homes site and the existing properties facing Amlets Lane near the entrance to St Josephs School. Although not a large scheme it sets several precedents if approved.

  1. They are making a case for additional housing outside the settlement boundary indicated on the Neighbourhood Plan which still has to be given final approval.
  2. They suggest that the new Primary School may not be built on the Glebelands site – fields, therefore this will inhibit the building of housing on the existing Upper School site and free up housing allocation within the village on other sites.
  3. They also state that as Waverley has not yet taken up its full allocation of housing other sites around Cranleigh should be considered such as this one in Amlets Lane. If this principle is accepted it opens the gate for yet more applications in our area beyond those already approved.
  4. The proposed scheme further urbanizes an existing rural lane which is carrying more traffic than is appropriate for its width.                                                                                           Over to you

NEXT PUB MEETINGS WILL TAKE PLACE ON WEDNESDAYS NOT MONDAYS – 2nd IN EACH MONTH = 13th NOVEMBER – PLEASE SHARE

Narrow Lanes blocked by Cala Homes lorries

Narrow Lanes blocked by Cala Homes lorries

One of our members has contacted us to express extreme concern over the size of the lorries travelling up and down Amlets Lane to deliver building materials to Cala Homes.

It seems that these drivers are not following the agreed route to and from the building site, and this is causing dangerous conditions for other road users.

Following our recommendation, the lady involved sent a letter to Waverley Borough Council, as below:

Dear Waverley Borough Council

I would like to draw your attention to massive disruption for locals, a potential driving hazard and a danger to cyclists, horse riders, pedestrians etc.

I was driving along Amlets Lane in Cranleigh towards Barhatch Lane last Thursday, 1st June at about 8am. I had just passed the new entrance for the Cala Homes development when I met a huge lorry coming round the bend towards me across the white line. I hooted as he was in my lane and I had to slow down to less than 5mph to be able to pass it.

Having only just managed to get through, I was then met by an even larger articulated lorry (carrying massive concrete pipe sections) parked by the grass triangle where Amlets Lane joins Barhatch Lane. I complained to the three men on foot waiting there in high vis jackets, about the huge lorries using tiny lanes (with a bend) and one of them said that he was the driver for the parked HGV lorry! He said the lane was too narrow for him to get through, although I presume he later did so.

About an hour later on the same day, I was travelling back along Amlets Lane but in an easterly direction towards Smithwood Common Road/Horseshoe Lane, when I met yet another large lorry. The photos below clearly demonstrate that it was well over the centre line. It was simply impossible to pass it. The lorry had a tail back of traffic behind it so I (and three cars behind me) had no option but to reverse back along a windy narrow lane until we got to a driveway to get out of the lorry’s way.<

Three massive lorries in only a few minutes on one day. All hindering traffic and causing obstructions and /or dangers for other road users. The lane is very narrow and has no pavement. I believe the ‘one way system’ for lorries should be used (as demonstrated by the red Cala Home signs along the road) but clearly this is already being breached as I saw lorries coming from both directions!

Cala Homes and/or Waverley Borough Council must do something about this. Building has only just started. Such massive lorries are bound to have a huge impact on our local lanes (which are already full of pot holes) and/or be a danger to other road users, cyclists and pedestrians. It would be useful to ask all local residents to take photos of offending vehicles. I’m sure you would be inundated.

Please ensure I receive a reply to this email, in the absence of which I will take the matter to my local MP, the Police, Surrey Highways and other interested parties. Please include a correspondence address so I can contact Cala Homes about the issue.

I understand that there was very recently a fatality on Amlets Lane. It would a terrible tragedy if lorries arriving/leaving the Cala Homes development were involved.

Kind regards

This is the reply:

Thank you for your email of 9th June in which you raise concerns about large vehicles travelling along Amlets Lane to the CALA Homes development in Cranleigh. I have now had the opportunity to gain further information from Officers and I would respond to your email as follows.

The routing of traffic accessing the CALA Homes development is controlled by a Construction Management Plan (CTMP), required by a planning condition attached to the permission to develop the site. The CTMP was agreed by the Council following consultation with Surrey County Council (SCC) as Highway Authority.

The CTMP sets out the preferred route traffic accessing the CALA Homes development should take. The agreed route is along Amlets Lane from the direction of Smithwood Common Road. On leaving the site, traffic should again head along Amlets Lane back towards Smithwood Common Road. However, traffic leaving the site may also turn right out of the site and head towards Barhatch Road.

Taking into account your concern, our Planning Enforcement Team will investigate whether or not there has been a breach of the CTMP with regards to your comment about a large articulated lorry being parked on the grass verge at the junction of Amlets Lane and Barhatch Lane. Following investigation, Officers shall respond to you directly on their findings.

I am also aware that Officers from our Enforcement Team previously investigated a complaint relating to the construction of the access and sightlines formed at the entrance to the CALA Homes development. Surrey County Council as Highway Authority was asked to confirm whether or not the works carried out to form the access and sightlines were acceptable in highway safety terms. Subsequently, an Officer from SCC visited the site and confirmed that the access and visibility splays have been constructed in general accordance with the planning permission. As such, the Highway Authority is satisfied with the construction of the access and sightlines.

Although Waverley Borough Council, in terms of the CTMP, may have an element of control over vehicles travelling to and from the site, it does not have the authority to carry out works to the highway or investigate any potential road safety issues. Therefore, should you have any additional concerns about Amlets Lane and, in particular, road safety concerns, may I suggest that you raise your concerns with Surrey County Council as Highway Authority. The Highway Authority is contactable on 0300 200 1003are via email to: contact.centre@surreycc.gov.ukmailto:contact.centre@surreycc.gov.uk.

I trust my response answers the points raised. However, should you require any additional information, then please contact Mr William Gibb, Planning Enforcement Officer. Mr Gibb is contactable on 01483 523 581.

 

Finally,you asked for contact detail for CALA Homes and these are as follows;

Cala Homes (South Homes Counties) Limited
Tilford House
Farnham Business Park
Weydon Lane
Farnham
Surrey
GU9 8QT

Telephone number 01252 736750

I am copying in for information your M.P Anne Milton, the Cranleigh ward councillors and in addition your Surrey County Councillor, Dr Andrew Povey so that he is aware from a SCC highways perspective of your concerns. His contact details are;

Andrew.f.povey@surreycc.gov.uk

Kind regards

Julia Potts

Cllr.Julia Potts

Farnham Upper Hale Ward

Leader Waverley Borough Council

01483 523484

So, there you have it!

If you are not happy with this response, and have encountered these large lorries going in the wrong direction, had any incidents or are just concerned, please write to Julia Potts at Waverley Borough Council, Cala Homes, and Andrew Povey at Surrey County Council.

Email: Julia.Potts@Waverley.gov.uk

Email: Andrew.f.povey@surreycc.gov.uk

Post: Cala Homes (South Home Counties) Ltd, Tilford House, Farnham Business Park, Weydon Lane, Farnham, Surrey. GU9 8QT

Society Visits Amlets Site

Society Visits Amlets Site

Many residents have raised concerns that development was progressing on the Amlets Lane site prior to discharge of pre-commencement planning conditions regarding sewage.

In response to this, two Committee Members of Cranleigh Society visited the site of Amlets Park on 20th January and had a tour of the site and lengthy discussions with the Site Manager and Construction Director.

They confirmed the work they have done so far, as well as work currently being carried out, can be summarised as follows:

  • The overhead electric cable which crosses the site has been  diverted and located underground. This work was undertaken in December.
  • Jointing works are taking place within the site in January 2017 – extreme weather could delay the work.
  • Approved tree felling etc to the site frontage in relation to the proposed access (as agreed with WBC’s Tree Officer and in accordance with the approved plans) took place in December.
  • In relation to the proposed access works they commenced operations in December.   However in advance of the S278 works (legal agreement between local highway authority and developer to either pay for, or make alterations or improvements to, the highway) , interim works are due to be carried out over the extent of the area coloured brown on the plan below as well as works to form clear visibility splays explicitly for highway safety.

Amlets S50 Interim Access work

  • A S50 licence application, for permission to carry out works to break into the public highway, was submitted to Surrey County Council, in accordance with the S50 Plan. A licence was issued and works have commenced.

S50 Construction Access Road

  • Temporary traffic lights are now in operation for the duration of the interim works.
  • The works include tree and hedge clearance, the laying of a culvert pipe, where the brown coloured access crosses the roadside ditch, the removal of soils to a suitable formation over the extent of the brown area, followed by the placing of Type 1 sub-base and a macadam overlay to form a heavy duty interim access.

We were advised that Cala Homes are fully aware that, when these interim works are completed, they will have to cease work on the site until the Cranleigh Sewage Treatment Works have been upgraded and are “fit for purpose” – that is, they have the capacity to efficiently process not only the sewage from existing properties but also that from new dwellings.

Both the Cranleigh Civic Society and Summerlands Estate Residents Association will continue to liaise with Cala Homes through the Residents Liaison Group and monitor development on the Amlets Park estate.

Amlets Construction Traffic

Amlets Construction Traffic

Cala Homes have confirmed in their revised Construction Traffic Management Plan that the preferred exit route for construction traffic leaving the development site will no longer be via Cranleigh high street as was previously stated.  The primary route  leaving the site is now proposed to be westwards along Amlets Lane:

“It is preferred all delivery vehicles return westwards along Amlets Lane and follow Smith Common Road, Guildford Road, Run Common and back on to the A281 and into Guildford. However it is accepted that in exceptional circumstances site vehicles can travel via the alternative departure route below.”

Site deliveries are proposed between the following hours:

Monday to Friday – 0930hrs to 15:00hrs – 16:00hrs to 17:30hrs
Saturday – 09:30hrs to 13:00hrs

You can read a full copy of the revised plan by clicking on the link below:

cranleigh-construction-traffic-management-plan-rev-b

The Residents’ Liaison Group, set up by the Cranleigh Society, is awaiting full details from Cala Homes re temporary road widening proposals on Amlets Lane currently being considered by Surrey County Council Highways.

We still have serious concerns regarding road safety for users of this narrow country lane and would urge our members to continue to inform us of any incidents they witness and to take photos only when it is safe to do so.

Amlets Residents’ Liaison Group

Amlets Residents’ Liaison Group

Cranleigh Civic Society has established a Liaison Group with CALA Homes and residents living near to the Amlets Lane development site.

We hope that this will prove to be an effective way to keep residents informed during the ongoing building phase.

The group met with representatives of CALA, Waverley Borough Council and Surrey County Council (Drainage) on 22 November 2016 on the Amlets site to discuss concerns, particularly about drainage and safety concerns regarding construction traffic entering and leaving the site along the narrow lane.

lorry-amlets-lane

The plan to manage the construction traffic is yet to be finalised, however, the current proposal by Surrey Highways is for traffic to enter the site from the western side of Amlets via Smithwood Common and then to exit to the east via Barhatch Lane, Ewhurst Road and the High Street.

amlets-lane-construction-traffic-route

We are extremely concerned about the impact of this traffic on the High Street and local businesses, in addition to the cumulative effect of this and construction traffic to and from other major sites due to start building soon.

The Liaison Group has expressed major concerns to Richard Cooper of Surrey Highways, and requested that the traffic avoid the high street and instead use a manned signal controlled system using the same access and exit route.


Email from Liaison Group sent 4 December 2016:

Dear Mr Cooper,

 
We have just received from Cala Homes their Construction Traffic Management Plan for the development off Amlets Lane. We, the local community and the Cranleigh Society, have formed a Liaison Group with Cala Homes. This group operates under the stewardship of the Cranleigh Society.
 
  • We hear that you have imposed a specific route plan upon Cala Homes which, on the face of it, is about to cause untold misery on the residents of Cranleigh through the inclusion of Cranleigh High Street. The Access Route from Guildford to Amlets Lane involves the most narrow part of Amlets Lane where the road width is only 4.8m wide and where two HGVs cannot pass. Hauling heavy and bulky construction equipment down this part of the Lane represents a significant hazard/inconvenience to those travelling in the opposite direction. Liz Townsend, Chair of the Cranleigh Society, has spoken with Stuart Forrester of Cala Homes and had suggested operating a single lorry system along Amlets, using a radio system with a person at the Cranleigh school end of Amlets and the site gatekeeper and allowing one lorry only either arriving or leaving along the road. These lorries will be heavily laden when leaving with soil. This scheme would involve more planning but would remove the necessity to use the High Street for the return journey, although we notice that the CEMP (page26, para2) refers to “active vehicle control in stipulated times”. This appears to be what we are requesting but used in a more intelligent manner. 
 
  • Traffic will at present be leaving the site exit via Barhatch Lane en route to the already chaotic Cranleigh High Street. This is especially so during “school run” times and appears to be a recipe for gridlock, bearing in mind that there will be several other concurrent developments e.g. Crest Nicholson in Horsham Road and the very large Berkeley Homes development of 425 dwellings just behind the High Street. These points have been raised in objections to WBC over the past three years and are now becoming reality.
 
  • There are several more approved developments in the pipeline, all of which will wish to commence building works before this project is completed so the situation can only get worse.
Were these other projects taken into account when you dictated the departure route for this development?
 
 
  • There are, in fact, five schools which are directly affected by the present route plan and not two. The Cranleigh Society/Cala Homes option would indeed affect only two schools. By including the High Street and Ewhurst Road, Park Mead School (many children access the school via the Ewhurst Road), St Cuthbert Mayne RC School (where parents park in numbers on both sides of Ewhurst Road for drop-off and collection, thus effectively narrowing the road), St. Joseph’s School, Cranleigh senior school and Cranleigh prep school are all affected.  Allowing construction traffic to operate between 16.00 and 17.00 will have implications for the prep school. The pupils leave at 16.30 when parents, in their cars, pick them up. Glebelands school, off the High Street, is less directly affected, although many of its pupils catch buses and use the High Street shops after school.
 
  • Surely this traffic flow problem must be seen and resolved in the round, from a list of approved and likely to be approved applications obtainable from Waverley Borough Council rather than treating each application in isolation. One may be forgiven for wondering if anyone attached to Surrey County Council has any regard for what happens in Cranleigh. The use of the High Street, and the disruption that it will cause, is not necessary and illustrates the folly of permitting uncontrolled development in Cranleigh due to a lack of sound judgement from statutory agencies.We assume that the Highways Department is responsible for efforts to maintain a reasonable traffic flow throughout its area. The present plan will certainly fail on that score. The Cranleigh Society proposal (above) entails more effort but should provide a happier and safer outcome for the residents of Cranleigh.
 
We, the Liaison Group, would appreciate hearing your reasons for imposing this route on Cala Homes, bearing in mind the chaos that it will cause in the centre of Cranleigh and its effect on the five schools.. 

Mr Cooper has confirmed that the final decision on the route has not yet been made, however, if you feel strongly that the High Street should be avoided, or would like to make any comments about the route, please add them below, or email the Society at info@cranleighsociety.org and we will pass these on.
Amlets Lane Approved

Amlets Lane Approved

The Amlets Lane application by Cala Homes for 125 dwellings got the final vote of approval at Waverley Borough Council last night by 12 votes to 9.  Cranleigh’s Waverley Councillors all voted against the application, however this last minute push was too late to save the site from development.


Liz Townsend spoke on behalf of Summerlands Estate Residents Association and residents of Copse Edge:

We acknowledged that Cala Homes had made some welcome and positive changes to the layout since the application was deferred in September, with a reduction in the height and bulk of the apartment buildings, the positioning of bungalows along Copse Edge and the removal of a parking court.

Residents’ Liaison Group

Residents remain extremely concerned about the access road into the site and the lack of detail regarding the drainage system for surface water run-off.  On residents behalf, we requested ongoing involvement in the design of the drainage scheme by sharing local knowledge on flooding.  The idea of a liaison group was endorsed by some councillors, and we have emailed Waverley Borough Council today to repeat this request.

Permitted Development

To protect the privacy of residents living adjacent to the site, we requested a restriction on permitted development to the roof of any dwelling along the site boundaries, as recently imposed on the Crest Nicholson development on Horsham Road, which was agreed.  This means that householders on the Amlets estate will have to apply for planning permission to extend into their roof space.

Buffer Zone

amlets-lane-buffer-zone

We also requested details that the buffer zone (shown above) around the edge of the site should be included in the overall management plan for the estate, as there is a risk that it could become overgrown, neglected and unsightly, or encroached on as part of the drainage scheme.

Foundations

Since the first application, residents have highlighted subsidence issues on Summerlands and the requirement for pile driving on Copse Edge. We expressed surprise that the developers were still recommending concrete strip foundations and maintain that these will not be adequate and the need for deeper foundations could be used as leverage to further reduce the amount of affordable housing on the estate on viability grounds.

Affordable Housing

We noted with regret, that the proposed tenure split is now to be 50:50 between social rented and shared ownership, rather than, as was agreed at outline, 76% rented and 24% shared ownership.   However, Cllrs were unable to discuss this aspect of the application, as the alteration will be by way of a separate variation to the S106 agreement and will be agreed by planning officers under what is called delegated powers.  However, we asked Cllrs to honour the original condition as this was one of the main determining points in approving this exceptional green field site.

Sewerage Infrastructure and water Quality

We requested further details from Waverley about the calculation of S106 contributions from the developer for off-site sewage upgrade work, or for water quality mitigation, as required under the Water Framework Directive (WFD), for Cranleigh Waters.  We have repeated this request today.

As previously published, considerable expansion work is currently taking place at Cranleigh Sewage Treatment Works in order to accommodate “growth” however the problem surrounding the pumping of increasing amounts of liquid sewage effluent into Cranleigh Waters has not been referred to, or addressed by Waverley.

In response to a meeting on 12 October with Cranleigh Civic Society, Anne Milton and Andrea Leadsom.  Defra confirmed that development must not be contrary to the WFD and to paragraph 109 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) which states that the planning system should contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment.  The obligation that Waverley has, to consider WFD when determining local development, has, we believe, not been fully satisfied.

Road Safety

Cranleigh’s Councillors raised lengthy additional comments surrounding road safety, which unfortunately was not one of the reasons for the previous deferral of the application, and although, we firmly agree, extremely important, was all too late to save the Amlets site.

There were further concerns raised about traffic turning out of the estate onto Amlets Lane and the route of construction traffic, suggestions of a one-way system were raised.  The Construction Management Plan will ultimately be decided by planning officers, who will we hope take up the suggestion of a further site visit.

We will all need to be vigilant once construction starts on this site and use this road only when necessary and with increased care. Please continue to report any incidents to us info@cranleighsociety.org and send in photos if these can be taken safely.