Once again the Cranleigh Civic Society is…
Residents have informed us that there is to be a Public Hearing by the Office of the Traffic Commissioner at Guildford Borough Council Offices on THURSDAY 7 APRIL, 2016 at 11 am. The application by Tunnell Grab Services, which runs an industrial and recycling operation, want to use the Stonescapes Site (Yew Tree Nursery, Guildford Road) as an operating centre to store its existing fleet and run a further 10 Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) from it.
This site is located within our Green Belt in open countryside, with access off the Guildford Road (B2128).
Says WW: This is the second site earmarked in the Guildford Road for commercial development.
Although it has been denied. Waverley Council’s Leader Robert Knowless – (Knows more than he is admitting more like!) says that “it is just a rumour” the council wants to join with a developer to extend the Manfield Park Industrial Estate a few hundred yards down the road from the Stonescapes site. read: Is Waverley Council turning property developer?
Cranleigh Councillor Stewart Stennett and others have been working with Crownhall Estates (Hamish Robbie) for months to bring forward another plan for using Cranleigh’s Green Belt for development. Anyone interested can contact the WW and receive the detailed plans, including the site plan!
Says the CCS: Local residents are understandably extremely concerned about the increased HGV traffic on this rural road and believe that the sight lines are inadequate for HGVs to enter and leave the site safely.
As well as the safety of other road users, the entrance to the site suffers from regular flooding and the road itself was not built to cope with 38-tonne lorries constantly using it, as well as the significant and ongoing negative environmental factors including noise, dust, vibration, light etc. .
Whilst the application includes some conditions regarding exit and entry of HGVs during hours of darkness – it still provides for use from 6 am to 6 pm Monday through to Friday and for use from 6 am to 2 pm on Saturdays, as well as emergency use as required at other times. This potentially opens the floodgates for there to be a regular and greatly increased HGV presence which will affect not just local residents, but many others living and working in Cranleigh and it’s surrounding villages.
Residents in Wildwood Lane are currently experiencing the extreme disruption and road damage by the HGVs currently using the rural lane to fill in the Cranleigh Brick and Tile site.
Residents have been fighting this application since last August and would greatly appreciate any comments or assistance anyone can offer.We only have very limited time left before the hearing deadline on 7 April. If you can help, please contact Pat Disley on pmdisley@hotmail.com