An update on the delivery of the DUNSFOLD PARK NEW SETTLEMENT has been sent to the Government Inspector examining Waverley’s Local Plan Part 2. It informs him that work starts on September 26th on the new access road and roundabout into the Dunsfold Garden Village to serve 1,800 homes and businesses. The first phase of the development.
Contractors have been appointed, all conditions discharged, and civil works designed for the new roundabout off the A281 Guildford to Horsham Road to access the largest and long-awaited final development of homes and businesses in the borough of Waverley.
A vital development that underpins Waverley’s 5-year-housing land supply and prevents another swathe of green fields elsewhere in the borough from going under concrete.
Examination of Waverley Local Plan Part 2 was heard during July with a further hearing on 6 and 7 September before Mr G J Fort BA PGDip LLM MCD MRTPI An Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State.
UPDATE ON DELIVERY OF DUNSFOLD PARK NEW SETTLEMENT by BIDWELL’S WBC-LPP2-34 – Focused Questions – Matter 2 Appendix 6
The planned access road works are a condition imposed with the planning consent to ensure the delivery of the Dunsfold Masterplan of 2,800 new homes.
Completion and opening of the road are expected in March next year.
Ownership
The freehold owner of the substantive part of the site (the airfield) is Dunsfold Airport Limited (DAL) The freehold owner of the northern business park is Trinity College Cambridge (TCC). DAL is a subsidiary that is wholly owned by TCC. The developer and promoter, as well as having ownership responsibilities, is the experienced master developer and continues to work with The Rutland Group, the site’s previous owners, who are promoters of the site.
So, folks, there you have it, Jim McAllister is once again in the driving seat and FINALLY to realise his vision for the Dunsfold Park New Settlement (DPNS) he has worked on for the past 20 years.
The assumptions previously provided to Waverley remain the same. However, it is recognised that comments raised queried whether the housing rates were too optimistic to deliver. DP has existing services and facilities to support the quicker delivery of the first phase of new homes on-site when compared to other large development sites, which are often greenfield with no such services (such as water, utilities, broadband, transport, or on-site estate management).
After work on the access road is completed, homes will start to be delivered, but not from a standing start as there will be services, access and land remediation required before expedient delivery of the residential parcels.
The delivery programme is set to submit the first phases of residential development by end of 2023 and DAL has held talks with housebuilders about the delivery of those homes.
Subject to the planning application being determined, along with discharging any necessary pre-commencement conditions thereafter, construction could begin, realistically, during the second quarter of 2024, with the first housing completions accomplished before March 31 2025 (any completions by this date will register within the 2024-25 column below).
The rationale behind this trajectory is that the scheme will build up to four outlets operating at any one time, hence a lower number at the outset, rising to a peak delivery of 260 homes with four outlets operating. Each outlet is assumed to deliver at a spread rate of one market home per week, tracked alongside 0.3 affordable homes a year (to represent the 30% affordable housing requirement).
This approach results in 272 homes a year but rounded down in the trajectory to 260 homes to allow for some account of holidays and some allowance for site start-up and close-down for each outlet.
Outside of the principal outlets, there would also be self-build housing and care housing, adding resilience to the housing trajectory.
Year by year housing trajectory: 
Full description of development.
Part Outline proposal for a new settlement with residential development comprising 1,800 units (Use Class C3), plus 7,500sqm care accommodation (Use Class C2), a local centre to comprise retail, financial and professional, cafes/restaurant/takeaway and/or public house up to a total of 2,150sqm
(Use Classes A1, A2, A3, A4, and A5); new business uses including offices, and research and development industry (Use Class B1a and B1b) up to a maximum of 3,700sqm; light and general industry (Use Class B1c and B2) up to a maximum of 7,500sqm; storage and distribution (Use Class B8) up to a maximum of 11,000sqm; a further 9,966sqm of flexible commercial space (B1(b), B1(c), B2 and/or B8); non-residential institutions including a health centre, relocation of the existing Jigsaw School into new premises and provision of the new community centre (Use Class D1) up to a maximum of 9,750sqm;
a two-form entry primary school;
open space including water bodies, outdoor sports, recreational facilities, canal basin and nature conservation areas; public transport routes, footpaths and cycleways; landscaping; the removal of three runways; all related infrastructure including roads, car and cycle parking, energy plant and associated equipment, water supply, telecommunications, drainage systems and wastewater treatment facilities; and part Full application for the demolition of 8,029sqm of existing buildings and the retention of 36,692sqm of existing buildings, for their future use for a specified purpose as defined by the Use Classes as specified in the schedule of buildings and their uses; and the temporary use of Building 132 for a construction headquarters.
I might believe the trajectory for the house building if supported by commitments from any builders. It’s much more likely that it will take many more years before the homes are built.
Let’s wait and see. You may be right, however, here at the WW, we have noticed just how many consented schemes have not yet seen one brick hit the ground. Some were granted back in 2016! So perhaps DPL will surprise everyone?
The recent absence of Cranleigh’s water supply has emphasised how weak the infrastructure is here. We are, after all the ‘end of the line’, a nowhere place between Guildford and Horsham, albeit a beautiful one. Can the new houses have energy producing roofs? Can this be a real eco village? Can it stop unsustainable development in Alfold? Maybe if the community is better engaged this could go down well. But what do I know, I’m old but worry for future generations.
Many of your concerns are shared we are sure. Perhaps if Waverley ~Planners had approved the original Eco-village scheme some 15 years ago the energy-efficient measures you so rightly propose would have been included. Now? Who knows. As for the water supply – on every planning application we have seen in Waverley Thames Water is confident it can meet the needs and provide an adequate supply. Watch this space and wait and see.
I agree re the concern over water supply. Development near Pulborough has been stopped for that reason. Also any new builds should ideally have energy saving elements built in from now on, but that may not confirm with profit margins sadly.
Has ANYONE actually thought about transport infrastructure I.e. roads etc. it’s bad enough getting out of Cranleigh on to a major road…….. now there will be another few thousand cars trying to get out of Dunsfold Garden Village on to the same. Good luck!
Garden Village? What does the Government say about the criteria for being awarded Garden Village status?
– “We recognise that delivery of a new garden community is a complex, long-term project, which will deliver homes over a number of decades. That is why it is important for us to have confidence that proposals are deliverable, with an integrated approach to infrastructure…. we expect to see credible proposals which demonstrate consideration of… Infrastructure requirements, including access to road, rail, utility considerations”.
Dunsfold Park fails on all criteria – Access to a trunk road, 7 miles away? Access to a railway, 6 miles away? Access to helicopter landing pad? Yep, all good.
Perhaps you would prefer for all the development to be dotted around every green field across the Waverley Borough? Ask the residents of Cranleigh, Ewhurst, Alfold, Haslemere and villages around Farnham how they feel about every green space going under concert. Do all the developers contribute to improved infrastructure? – One developer told us quite recently that his proposal for infrastructure improvements of several million pounds was turned down by Waverley Planners. Instead, it contributed £600,000 to Surrey Highways towards road improvements. His Company is now laughing all the way to the bank!
Recently a Government Inspector accepted evidence from a Barristerfor Thakeham Homes that there were five railway stations within easy reach of Alfold’s Loxwood Road. He granted the appeal for 99 homes. Perhaps the same five railway stations will also serve the Dunsfold settlement?
It’s Alfold and Cranleigh and Dunsfold who have had far more new housing planning approvals than Haslemere or Godalming. Why? It can’t be because the road and rail infrastructure is close. Could it be partly because those towns don’t want more housing near them and also not in green belt.
No mention of Columbia Threadneedle’s withdrawal from purchasing from Trinity College Cambridge University due to contamination costs? A new planning application has just gone in for “Landscaping”.
If they houses on this beautiful ground it will be the saddest decision ever. Sorry is an understatement, my family are from Dunsfold – OK I only llived here for a short period – 1952/3 ish, what a sad day – Robert Law, family names Hook, Ide, Balchin etc very very sad🤔
I don’t envy the occupants of this “Garden Village” in the future. At best, they might one day get someone to fund a bus route out of it, otherwise it’s car journeys so they can get to shops, schools, cinemas, play-grounds, hospitals and Doctor’s surgeries.
Goodness knows how far they will have to go to find work.
Like all the houses built around Cranleigh and Horsham recently, there’s nothing there for them. They’ll spend a lot of time in their cars going somewhere else. That’s not a village, it’s an open prison…..with Surrey prices!
I did see a couple of shops built near Tesco, Horsham but they’ve got to survive that competition nearby.
WW believes that transport from the site is part of the 106 legal agreement. A bus service that will serve the area in perpetuity. WW has never heard of anyone pledging to provide such a service. At present Stagecoach buses rock up from time to time!