Just in case you did not know what a Chamber pot is – there is a short resume under the picture!
Whilst the Waverley Web is fed up of the subject – Poo was on the lips of almost every Waverley Councillor when they sat last night to consider Crest Nicholson”s “Appalling” Detailed Scheme to build 149 flats and houses(40% of which are for housing association tenants) in Cranleigh’s Horsham Road.
“Your Waverleys” favourite developer wants to build an “unimaginative” “poor” and “appallingly badly planned development- that was given a B minus” – councillors words not ours, on a” beautiful green field adjacent to the Downs Link.” But some couldn’t find enough adjectives to describe the awful scheme.
“Long after Crest has moved on everyone in Cranleigh will be left with the decision we make here tonight” said a visibly upset Councillor Patricia Ellis who claimed what had originally looked like an attractive development had now turned into: “A NIGHTMARE”
Why? Because the effluent, lets call it poo for brevity because it comes up a lot, or do we mean down! Is going into a holding tank approximately 18,000 gallons of it! Which, claimed Councillor Ellis, could be health risk to the whole of Cranleigh. Once collected Ugh it will then be gradually leaked into the sewage system in Horsham Road.
Councillor Jeannette Stennett assured everyone that the capacity of the tank could serve 250 houses not just the 149 under consideration. Well… it would, wouldn’t it because there are another 100 houses proposed on adjoining land and included in the Daft Local Plan which everyone was warned that a QC had told the council – “just this week,” must be taken into account when decisions are made.
“Even when it is Draft’ said an incredulous Councillor Mary Foryszewski, who gave a masterful performance claiming, if allowed, the development was taking a step back into the Dark Ages and she was there to determine planning applications on their individual merit – and this one had none! Parking was inadequate and in the wrong place, the one bed flats were below the acceptable standard, and said Councillor Stennett there were nowhere near enough one or two bed units and there should be lots more! OMG. By this time CNS was going into meltdown watching their profits going into the holding tank and being flushed down the Cranleigh drains!
“Holding Tanks, pumping stations, it’s a bit like going back to Cesspits – and Chamber pots under the bed- we are going back in time if we allow this,” argued MF. This development was on a massive scale and would affect the lives of a great many people living around the site – particularly in Hither wood.
After a Crest Nicholson expert kindly informed the committee that water ran downhill and not up, and every effort had been made to ensure there was no risk of flooding to either the occupants of the development or the residents of Cranleigh. Councillors said they were not satisfied that when it ran downhill it wasn’t going to run into the homes of residents in Nightingales, who had already been flooded in 2013/14.
However, Planning officer Liz the Biz warned that it would be unwise to refuse the application when Thames Water and the flooding Authority – Surrey County Council were satisfied with the arrangements.
Well if they are satisfied and you’re satisfied – then it must be alright then?
When By-Pass Bramley Byham told the committee that as clay was impermeable there was “absolutely no difference between clay and concrete.” They were all comforted that the Wealden clay that the site and most of the borough sits on would not cause any flooding problems. And, as for holding tanks and cesspits – he said “Well Bramley has pumping Stations.”
Well if it’s good enough for Bramley it must be good enough for Cranleigh, Funnily enough he never mentioned the word increased traffic, which is his dogma when anyone mentions the dirty words words “Dunsfold Park.” Funny that! He probably thinks all the Cranleigh traffic will By-Pass Byham’s Bramley! Isn’t it funny – the President of the United States of America only gets two terms?
In a nutshell – the application was deferred by 13 votes to three and CNS have to go back to the drawing board and come up with something that Cranleigh can be proud of.
P.S. You are not kidding anyone Crest Nicholson! The houses you describe as two and a half storey houses are exactly what one councillor said they are – Three storey houses! And..prove you own the ditch on the Northern boundary?