It is not often that we receive messages at contact@waverleyweb.com that make us both cringe and shudder – but this certainly made us sit up – and it should make the head planning honchos at Waverley Borough Council feel utterly ashamed too!
“Key Drive is like an airstrip landing runway, and my garden is like an exposed prison camp.”
Dear Waverley Web
I lived in Guildford for 35 years and decided it would be a good idea to downsize in my later years and wanted something new so that I had no worries. How wrong could I be?
I moved into Key Drive (Amber Parkside) in Christmas 2021. The purchase process was paperless due to Covid, and there were reams and emails to trawl through. My sales lady didn’t know much about my plot, but all seemed in order, and I went ahead with the purchase.
Sadly I didn’t think to check reviews regarding A2Dominion, and it appears there is no respect for this company at all!
My plot was earmarked for some form of lighting at both the front of my house and the back, where there is a parking lot with access to my back garden gate. I was informed by numerous A2Dominion (Fabrica) staff, including site staff, that I was getting bollards, not street lights.
Imagine my shock when I received tall street lights by my front door and at the rear. I have attached a few photos to show this impact on my house. It is unbelievable that anyone in planning would have approved this lighting.
It came to the point where I went on antidepressants because I was getting so anxious about the problem. I have sent numerous emails to various departments of A2Dominion complaining about the situation and how distressing this has become. I contacted Cranleigh Cllr Liz Townsend, who said she would get in touch with the Planning Department to see how this was agreed upon, but unfortunately, she has been unlucky. She cannot get any answer, despite my prompting her to chase it up.
So, months have elapsed, and nothing has been done about it. A2Dominion is not prepared to remove the street lights in question and replace them with bollards as ‘it was approved at planning.”Key Drive is like an airstrip landing runway, and my garden is like an exposed prison camp.
My pretty garden solar lighting doesn’t work now, and A2Dominion is completely deaf when I say that we are in a world of light pollution and waste of energy, and they are contributing to it. Why have they not installed light shields, why have they not been dimmed and why are they on ALL night? In Guildford, they switch them off between 1.00 am-5.00 am. We also have to pay for this lighting in a service charge from next year, and I totally object when energy prices are rocketing.
I have asked A2Dominion for compensation, and all they can say is No because I was told all about this at the time of purchase. But I wasn’t, and this is ludicrous in a countryside area with a beautiful night sky and stars. But I am blinded by the light. I also wrote to A2Dominion’s legal department in London about it, and they have ignored me, with no response whatsoever.
I have to say that the other new builds in the area have been far more sympathetically designed with careful consideration over lighting, and nothing is as intrusive as this.I would like to know WHO agreed to this lighting plan. They should be fired if they thought they were being clever. But I cannot get to the bottom of it, and neither can Liz Townsend, so I suspect someone is closing ranks on what went on here.
Perhaps you could help me, please? I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards
Annette XXXX, Key Drive, Cranleigh GU6 8WP
Before you view more pictures, read the developer’s waffle, but pour yourself a gin and tonic first.
FABRICA is proud to reveal its unique brand partnership with the UK’s most influential homes magazine brand, Livingetc, which is providing the stunning interior vision for Amber Parkside – our unique design-led development of family homes in Cranleigh, Surrey.
Is this your idea of the “reimagination of rural life?”
Is this “ A Surrey idyll energised with striking design?”
Is this, “savouring bucolic tranquillity whilst retaining urban sophistication?”
And – how about having this picture on your TV rather than NETFLIX?
Would you buy a new home from these charlatans? Personally, all of us here at the Waverley wouldn’t buy a used car from them.
From left to right Martin Bamford, Trustee of KPI – developers Nick Vrijland and former A2Dominion Director Andy Leahy.
PS. Perhaps someone should inform these guys we are in the middle of an energy crisis – but then they won’t be paying for the power, will they?
Do you want to know who boasted to the planners how marvellous this development would be?
None other than Waverley Planning Officer Patrick Arthurs, who we believe was a consultant employed by the developer! Surely that cannot be he pictured far right in the lower picture when Waverley initially turned down the application?
This might not be a Waverley BC matter, in fact as pointed out in the article Waverley BC planning allegedly originally rejected the plans or is it a case that Waverley BC not reject entirely but put in certain restrictions which may have included lighting type ? However Street Lights normally come under Highways which is Surrey County Council whose planing department will often only do a paper exercise and if the plans do not appear to likely to cause any increase in RTC they don’t offer any objections which means A2 Dominon would probably win any appeal if Waverley BC only reason for either refusing or placing any restrictions related to a highway matter such as street lights.
I totally agree with the resident in question based on the photos they are totally wrong plus why are they on all night everywhere in Surrey since 2019 Street Lights are off between 01:00hrs and 05:00hrs and to be totally honest with exception of a few places along with Friday’s and Saturday’s do we actually need the Street lights on after 22:00hrs
They have certainly turned the spotlight on this part of Cranleigh. Its disgraceful. Suggest Annette contacts Sally Hamilton at the Daily Mail “Sally Sorts it” – its amazing what the threat of national publicity will achieve. Send the info and pictures and best of luck.
Sally@dailymail.co.uk
You can write to: Sally Hamilton at Sally Sorts It, Money Mail, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or email sally@dailymail.co.uk – include phone number, address and a note addressed to the offending organisation giving them permission to talk to Sally Hamilton.
Bless you, Christine this deserves national publicity. Our mailbox is overflowing, with complaints from other residents of the new builds.
As it seems these lights are on private land owned by A2 Dominion and given the impact on this poor family I think this almost certainly constitutes a statutory nuisance. If they agree Waverley officers could serve an abatement notice requiring A2Dominion to modify the system …..
see https://www.gov.uk/guidance/artificial-light-nuisances-how-councils-deal-with-complaints
This is nothing to do with the Planning Department at Waverley. It is probably dealt with by whatever Environmental Health is called these days.
I hope I’m right. Perhaps WW you could follow up on this ….?
Thanks for the information – we will pass all these comments and suggestions on to this poor soul. What a dreadful impression she has of Cranleigh and the developers. We would have thought better of the local men involved in this shameful episode.
This could is bad design, keep complaining no one should be obliged to tolerate this light intrusion it is a health hazard.
It helps to recognise that Government Policy is a material consideration and the conditions must be monitored and enforced.
The Government Planning Policy for achieving well-designed places is as follows:
“The creation of high quality, beautiful and sustainable buildings and places is fundamental to what the planning and development process should achieve. Good design is a key aspect of sustainable development, creates better places in which to live and work and helps make development acceptable to communities. Being clear about design expectations, and how these will be tested, is essential for achieving this. So too is effective engagement between applicants, communities, local planning authorities and other interests throughout the process.
“Planning policies and decisions should also ensure that new development is appropriate for its location taking into account the likely effects (including cumulative effects) of pollution on health, living conditions and the natural environment, as well as the potential sensitivity of the site or the wider area to impacts that could arise from the development. In doing so they should limit the impact of light pollution from artificial light on local amenity.”
This is bad design and not Government policy, no one should be obliged to tolerate such light pollution it is a health hazard and possibly a public nuisance, which is a criminal offence.
Such problems might not occur if more attention was given to Government Policy, which is a material planning consideration.
The Government Planning Policy Achieving well-designed places
“The creation of high quality, beautiful and sustainable buildings and places is fundamental to what the planning and development process should achieve. Good design is a key aspect of sustainable development, creates better places in which to live and work and helps make development acceptable to communities. Being clear about design expectations, and how these will be tested, is essential for achieving this. So too is effective engagement between applicants, communities, local planning authorities and other interests throughout the process.
“Planning policies and decisions should also ensure that new development is appropriate for its location taking into account the likely effects (including cumulative effects) of pollution on health, living conditions and the natural environment, as well as the potential sensitivity of the site or the wider area to impacts that could arise from the development. In doing so they should limit the impact of light pollution from artificial light on local amenity.”
Thank you all for your views and comments. The council told me that our build is on private land, which is why I am unsuccessful in finding out WHO approved the lighting strategy. I have since had a TINY shield put up on the rear post that only seems to direct the light even more into my living room and bedroom. Do you think I would get any success through the Housing Ombudsman?
The reaction from fair-minded members of the public has been unprecedented. Might we respectfully suggest you pop around to the developers’ homes and demand your money back? One describes himself as a ‘local benefactor’ and bosts all over Cranleigh how many millions of pounds he had made from people just like yourself. Perhaps he will come up to Trump’s and repurchase your house so you can buy something half decent? Then he could prove just how big a benefactor he is. Perhaps one of your angry neighbours will do a little investigative work and find out where he lives. We only wish we could help, but it is difficult for us as we are out-of-area. However, I am sure one of our followers will enlighten you/us.
Annette, I think what you have described, particularly the impact on your health, in law amounts to a ‘nuisance’ and I’m hoping it qualifies as a statutory nuisance because then Waverley should take the matter forward with Dominion so at no cost to you.
I used to be a solicitor specialising in property disputes. It doesn’t sound to me from what you say that you have yet managed to get through to the Environmental Health officers at Waverley. So in your shoes I would go to this webpage and start a complaint. https://www.waverley.gov.uk/Services/Environmental-concerns/Pollution-control/Light-pollution. You can see from this that light pollution, particularly if affecting sleep, is one of the matters they deal with.
Thank you Kathy, I have submitted this form and will see what happens. Otherwise, the Daily Mail, here I come!
We also live on Key Drive and the street lighting is an absolute disgrace. With tall street lights positioned both directly outside the front of her house, as well as at the rear, Annette is flooded with light from both sides, however the entire road is lit as though it is an airport runway. As Annette said the communication from the developer (A2Dominion) is non-existent. We were told by a member of the site team some time ago that the low level lighting on the development is provided by Fabrica (A2Dominion) with the tall street lights being provided by the council as a requirement agreed at the planning stage. We fully recognise the need for lighting to be provided as a matter of safety within an area, however the strength and quantity of lighting on Amber Parkside is completely inappropriate. We have thick bedroom curtains and yet the light penetrates through the smallest of gaps and is enough to light the room. With the environmental need to reduce artificial light levels, the current energy crisis and the ever-rising costs of energy we cannot believe that anybody would consider the lighting that has been installed to be suitable. Last night the lightning came on around 7.30pm and was still on this morning at 7.15am; almost 12 hours of unnecessary and intrusive light. We would invite anybody from A2Dominion to visit the site during this time to see for themselves the situation; they certainly won’t be able to see the night sky or appreciate the beautiful setting of Cranleigh as it is easy to imagine you are living in the middle of a city at night. Whilst they are here perhaps they will also be able to see the bedroom light that has been left on in one of their show homes twenty-four hours a day for the last week and turn it off!
The Waverley Web is doing a follow-up on Amber Parkside and A2 Dominion. It will follow shortly as we have received many messages and comments, including complaints like yours, Claire. If you have anything more to add, please get in touch with us at: contact@waverleyweb.com
To add insult to injury, after the recent spell of heavy downpours, there is a distinct sewage-y smell around Cranleigh. I hear a local developer is complaining about discharge into the watercourses jeopardising a park? Water only flows one way and I wouldn’t want to be living downstream. Has anyone heard more? Did the sewage infrastructure capacity ever get increased with the arrival of all these new bottoms….I mean, dwellings?
We understand that everyone is acutely aware that there is a lack of sewage capacity in Cranleigh and the stink in the Alfold Road and Elmbridge area is, and always has been bad. Now of course, with more housing and climate change upon us the stink will waft over the whole of Cranleigh and beyond. |Can you imagine what it is like on the Crest Nicholson estate where sewage is discharged into shit pits and then gradually released into the main drainage system? A post on this must surely follow.