The now-trashed Wildwood Golf Club owners are in talks with Waverley’s Planners.
Pre-application meetings have been held behind closed doors – but will this one be, like so many others, a fait accompli? Thanks to the Tory Government’s drive for new housing – regardless of location or lack of infrastructure.
The golf club sits adjacent to A281 Horsham Road/ Guildford Road. Several years ago, the new owners of the once-popular sporting venue told villagers they intended to build a new village there; it is rumoured that 200 homes are planned. Opposite Wildwood developers are forging ahead with a shedload of new homes on the former Wyevale Nurseries.
It is an area of fantastic flora and fauna, with already many butterflies, moths, and giant bumble bees now and soon, the Dragonflies will appear.
If this is an area of BOROUGH VALUE and qualifies as UK BAP Priority, as stated in the WSP report below, why would anyone consider the Development of New Housing? They are obviously not looking to develop the Original 2010 Application for a PGA HQ, Hotel, Country club and Golf course with training lodges, are they?
Said a villager. To lose this wonderful village asset would be a travesty – It will never become the PGA (South) HQ nor do we want a Theme Park Eco Village with “Nature Walks” and a 9-hole Putting Green.
Leave this land alone!
Here is an Extract from the Environmental Statement – Non-Technical Summary put together by WSP Environmental UK – In July 2012
This ONLY Includes the Proposed Site for development (in Red) and Not the Whole of Wildwood Golf Course (in Purple)
The red area includes the Road from the A281, the old Car Park (that is now filled with mounds of Soil – (with metal pipes, bricks and all sorts of “rubbish” in it), the 9-Hole (as shown above) and the area around the Club House, Maintenance Yards & Outbuildings.
The rest of the Golf course has now rewilded, and it’s Ancient Woodlands (GREEN) have an abundance of Deer, foxes, hedgehogs, moles, rabbits etc..as well as what look very much like Badger Setts. Bats of all types are regularly seen at dusk.
Eagle-eyed residents have been watching a new batch of Ecologists (RPS Group, part of Tetra Tech) mapping out the Dormouse Boxes installed in 2021 for re-use for the latest EIA report; there are lots of pretty red ribbons in the bushes to mark them out.
If this new assessment is anything like the one Tetra Tech carried out in 2021 for the Application for a New Access road from the A281 (WA/2022/00217), which was “pulled because county highways objected”, most will be desk-based. Surrey Wildlife Trusts Appraisal of the Tetra Tech report (attached), whilst that one only dealt with the Application for the new Access, it was pretty apparent that little consideration was given to the remaining Site, which is enormous.
They have been pointing out to various Dog-walkers where the new so-called “Lodges” will be… lodges, well, that’s a new one.
They won’t need the help of Poppy, the specially-trained sniffer dog, who saved at least a month of detection work while ensuring a protected newt species will be unharmed by constructing a new water pipeline in Farnham for South East Water.
Poppy, the springer spaniel, rapidly scaled several acres of land, sniffing out potential hiding spots for great crested newts within fields off West Street.
Villagers have already captured pictures of the little beauties.
They have probably Self-Migrated from Pond 19, located on the 9-Hole – recognised in the original EIA for the Proposed Golf & Country Club and PGA HQ. as an Important Pond for the GCNs. Yet, as you can see, the new owners ignored this information and TRASHED the area!
Note: This is December 2020. It wasn’t until many months later that Root Protection Fencing was installed; by then, it was too damned late!
There are Woodpeckers of all three species; barn owls, red kites, kestrels, sparrow hawks, buzzards, nightingales have been heard, herons, cranes, cormorants as well as all the waterfowl that inhabit the various ponds, including greylags, Canada geese, Egyptian geese, a common goose, swans, mallards, coots and moorhens.
This Site should be protected – You only have to read how depleted our Countryside is now. Developers fell Ancient Trees/Woodlands and Hedgerows and say they will plant NEW Native species – which will take decades to make any minimal difference. They destroy the existing wildlife that lives and forage there.
Why are we not thinking about our Planet? – It is not just about housing.. If climate change continues and we carry on destroying our Countryside, there will be nothing left for the younger generation.
Please please leave this land alone as a nature reserve for all to enjoy. The area of Cranleigh, Alfold and now Dunsfold has had its fair share of new build. I love seeing the deer and wildlife here whilst walking.
Sadly this site may very well end up as yet another development, partly due to the lack of a five-year housing land supply in Waverley. Perhaps Alfold folk should seek answers from their local councillor Kevin Deanus who didn’t even rock up and speak at the last Alfold Public Inquiry!
This land is one of the few remaining areas that prevents Alfold joining up with Cranleigh, so why can it not be designated as GREEN BELT (dirty word I know) but at least that would prevent any further destruction of the Countryside.
Pre-application engagement
Government policy is to place more power into citizens’ hands to increase democratic accountability and make it easier for local people to contribute to the local decision-making process and help shape public services. Transparency is the foundation of local accountability.
A Local Planning Authority’s closed doors are cause for serious concern where there is a duty to consult and a legal obligation when preparing plans that may affect the environment.
“Pre-application engagement by prospective applicants offers significant potential to improve both the efficiency and effectiveness of the planning application system and improve the quality of planning applications and their likelihood of success. This can be achieved by working collaboratively and openly with interested parties at an early stage to identify, understand and seek to resolve issues associated with a proposed development, including, where relevant, the need to deliver improvements in infrastructure and affordable housing.”
Who can be involved at the pre-application stage?
Pre-application engagement is a collaborative process between a prospective applicant and other parties which may include:
• the local planning authority
• statutory and non-statutory consultees
• elected members.
• local people
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/before-submitting-an-application
Really useful information, it is just a shame that LOCAL people are rarely ever consulted. We have seen various Scoping/Screening Applications in our area where the Leaflets were only distrubuted to what looks like areas of Open space on Google Maps!
With regards to the Wildwood situation – the only thing I have ever seen since the original application (WA/2010/1489) and follow on Application for a Certificate of Lawfulness (Wa/2018/1710) was the article that the Waverley Web Posted that was in a Local News Paper regarding a new Eco-Village and a 9-hole golf course!!
I did a FOI regarding the application 2nd December 2020 and the response on 11th March 2021 was
“Dear Ms Wordsworth,
Thank you for your request for information WAV1405334. Firstly, my sincere apologies not to respond within the 20 working statutory time limit, we have been inundated with requests over the last few weeks/months.
You requested the following information:
“I would like to know if any pre-application meeting have taken place with regard to planning application WA/2010/1489 – What was supposed to be the PGA Offices, Hotel, Golf club, Spa and Lodges.”
Our Planning Team have provided the following information:
No pre-application meeting has taken place in relation to WA/2010/1489 specifically.
The Planning team has received a request for new pre-application advice for an alternative scheme at the site but there are no documents to provide relating to this yet.”
Then this further response 4th June 2021 when I complained that the response above was somewhat vague to say the least..
” Dear Ms Wordsworth,
I am helping with FOI requests at a time of increased demand for this service and confirm that I have been able to recently review your below request for clarification. Once again, my apologies that this may have been inadvertently missed in the inbox at an earlier stage.
Planning colleagues have been able to confirm by way of clarification that
There are 2 relatively recent pre-apps relating to the site at Wildwood Golf and Country Club (in 2019 and 2020).
Essentially the second (most recent) pre-application, was for an alternative scheme to that granted in 2011 under planning reference WA/2010/1489″
What can you say really?
What indeed! Perhaps an alternative borough councillor will ask pertinent questions and give villagers proper answers.
Perhaps Cllr Denus Alfold’s Waverley Borough Councillor should be consulting villagers. He has been heavily involved in the ‘behind closed doors and site meetings. Stand up and be counted Cllr Deanus.
Just found the link to the Piece
https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/wildwood-golf-club-swinging-back-in-action-as-new-owners-reveal-plans/
For those that do not want to fight their way through the ADs here is the Text
Wildwood golf club swings back into action as new owners unveil new plans
The golf club has been taken over by a Turkish development firm
23 November 2020
By Jamie Jubert
Golfers may be swinging at Wildwood Golf Club in Alfold again soon as its new owners press ahead with plans to rejuvenate the site after three years of being out of action.
The course near Cranleigh in Surrey has been given permission for an 84-bed hotel, 40 lodges and the PGA regional headquarters, but it closed in 2017.
However, new owners, Peker Holding Limited, have taken over and are planning to plans to bring the site back to life.
Options are still being assessed by the development firm, but proposals include reducing the course from 27 holes to nine.
It is not yet known what the rest of the land will contain, although the idea of a self-sustaining and carbon zero settlement has been considered.
Wildwood was first opened in 1992 and Waverley Borough Council classified it as ‘countryside beyond the Green Belt’ in their Local Plan.
Turkish businesswoman Aysegul Peker runs Peker Holding and intends to donate some of the 230 acres back to the community, so will consult residents to find out what they would like to see that land used for.
A spokesman for Mrs Peker said: “She wants to give back some of the land for a school, community centre, playground or something that the residents here currently need.
“Whether that be 10, 20 or 30 acres. Whatever the residents want she will try to deliver.”
Groundwork construction on the hotel has already begun on the site.
Not sure if my last Post went through so just reposting the Link and the text for those not wishing to read the In You Area Website.
https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/wildwood-golf-club-swinging-back-in-action-as-new-owners-reveal-plans/
Wildwood golf club swings back into action as new owners unveil new plans
The golf club has been taken over by a Turkish development firm
23 November 2020
By Jamie Jubert
Golfers may be swinging at Wildwood Golf Club in Alfold again soon as its new owners press ahead with plans to rejuvenate the site after three years of being out of action.
The course near Cranleigh in Surrey has been given permission for an 84-bed hotel, 40 lodges and the PGA regional headquarters, but it closed in 2017.
However, new owners, Peker Holding Limited, have taken over and are planning to plans to bring the site back to life.
Options are still being assessed by the development firm, but proposals include reducing the course from 27 holes to nine.
It is not yet known what the rest of the land will contain, although the idea of a self-sustaining and carbon zero settlement has been considered.
Wildwood was first opened in 1992 and Waverley Borough Council classified it as ‘countryside beyond the Green Belt’ in their Local Plan.
Turkish businesswoman Aysegul Peker runs Peker Holding and intends to donate some of the 230 acres back to the community, so will consult residents to find out what they would like to see that land used for.
A spokesman for Mrs Peker said: “She wants to give back some of the land for a school, community centre, playground or something that the residents here currently need.
“Whether that be 10, 20 or 30 acres. Whatever the residents want she will try to deliver.”
Groundwork construction on the hotel has already begun on the site.
I have had dealings with these owners in Cobham and also their agent they have no respect whatsoever for wildlife or trees ( please look at Cedar House Mill Road -Elmbridge planning a listed building where damage was done to a medieval floor)
Villagers have seen that these developers have no respect for wildlife; the evidence is there for all to see in a borough where the administration declared a Climate Emergency. But much of the damage has been done – and cannot be undone.