Cranleigh Councillors came in for a good drubbing from one of their Farnham colleagues when she accused them of being “too emotional” and “scaremongering” after they predicted there would be serious traffic accidents on Amlets Lane, Cranleigh.
Despite repeated arguments that Cala Homes detailed scheme for 125 houses ( granted more than a year ago) was “unsustainable” on access; highway dangers; drainage; landscaping; and numerous other grounds – the scheme was approved by 12 votes to 9.
Cranleigh councillors received icy glares from Councillor Pat Frost for daring to claim that a dangerous access onto a country road, where construction vehicles and other traffic opposite a Cranleigh Special School, and near two other schools would leave motorists dicing with death.
“There is a lot of emotion surrounding Amlets Lane and a lot of scaremongering going on here – what are the facts do we have the police record of personal injury accidents – we need to talk about facts.” Said ten degrees of Farnham’s Frost!
She was backed by the council’s planning officers who argued the committee must take the Highway officers’ views- “however difficult they may find them” and they had – NO OBJECTION!
So in a nutshell changes to the scheme include :
- Fewer properties to rent.
- More shared ownership.
- Blocks of flats will be two storey rather than three – but two more blocks will be built on part of the land previously to be used for allotments.
- The buffer zone will not be quite so big in places.
- Some improvements have been made to car parking.
- Some permitted development rights will be removed – to stop residents building in the loft.
And… another part of Cranleigh’s valued countryside will shortly be buried under concrete boots!
Oh! we forgot…
AND… IT HAS STRENGTHENED WAVERLEY’S FIVE YEAR LAND SUPPLY FIGURES. DONT WORRY ABOUT YOUR SEWAGE PROBLEMS OVER THERE – THAMES WATER HAS IMPOSED A GRAMPIAN CONDITION ON THE DEVELOPMENT – WHICH MEANS…
BUILDING CANNOT BEGIN UNTIL (TW) IS SATISFIED – ( WHICH IT UNDOUBTEDLY SOON WILL BE!) THAT THE FOUL DRAINAGE IN CRANLEIGH HAVE BEEN IMPROVED.
Only one bit of rough justice! … the WW has heard from a Cranleigh follower that this site is bang next door to the home of the Flying Dutchman whose own planning application for 265 homes on the other side of Cranleigh has been re-submitted (same outfit but different name) only months after being refused by the same committee. A Case of the Biter bit?
I watch this meeting on the webcast and thought that the Cranleigh councillors tried very hard to put across the case for Amlets Lane and how dangerous it is driving on it at the moment without large construction lorries using it. I think that argument was wasted on the Farnham councillor as she just didn’t seem to grasp what was being said. She obviously has not driven up there at school times but then why should she when she comes from Farnham, but there again before you comment perhaps you should so you know what you are talking about. I would also like to know why the planning officer got a fit of the giggles at one point, very un-professional and rude, it just shows what respect the planning officers have for the councillors. It is a shame that these points were not push harder at the outline planning meeting.
Unfortunately the outline planning meeting received advice from the then Cranleigh Parish Council (only 4 members of the CPC attended the relevant Planning Meeting) that they had NO OBJECTION to the application. This was seized upon by the planners to boost their case and the WBC councillors gave their approval by 8-7, with 9 councillors absent. Local speakers did emphasize the limitations and dangers of Amlets Lane at the meeting but we were all assured by the Highways representative that it was perfectly safe (there are no records for near misses or torn off wing mirrors).
With the developers on the prowl and the planners being pushed by central government to meet their (inflated) 5-year land supply requirement plus secret meetings between the two what hope for the common electorate – note the ELECTORATE. Please remember these decisions when you next get the opportunity to vote.
Yes – and what damage all those secret meetings have dealt on Cranleigh. When is the Cranleigh electorate going to stand up and hold its councillors to account – at least the ones that are still alive? Generations of Cranleigh people will have to live with these disgraceful decisions. WW
Sadly, it would appear that Waverley Borough Council is hell bent on dumping development all over the East of the borough. Why? Because a group of disreputable borough and county councillors joined Waverley’s planning officers and prospective developers in “secret meetings” to work up all the schemes that are now either approved or are in the process of being approved. All of which are in the countryside, in areas that floods, are accessed by narrow country lanes that flood and with non existent bus services! No wonder it is now referred to as “poor old Cranleigh.” You have the sympathy of The WW and everyone else around the borough. Perhaps you should all contact the Protect Our Waverley bunch who appear to be preserving just one tiny part of it!
Our advice – return a borough councillor at the forthcoming by-election – like Liz Townsend, who we regularly watch on the webcast, “Speaking up for Cranleigh.” Because most of the Cranleigh bunch act one way, and speak with forked tongue! WW
On second thoughts it is a shame that the councillors are only worried about the road troubles, and also when the developers start to build in any form without the special conditions being adhered to, will the councillors be there to stop it? They along with the planning officers will be nowhere to be seen as with the Horsham road development.