The shenanigans going on in Alfold are beginning to enter the national arena.
The BBC highlights the village’s plight as developers swamp the small village with homes on the Surrey/Sussex border doubling its size. Alfold will soon be part of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s electoral home.
Hi WW BBC Radio Surrey came to look at the developments in the village last week and released this small section on BBC Radio on Monday.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0g583rf
The clip features the developer Thakeham Homes, Care Ashore ( the land owner of the Springbok Estate and the Charity The Merchant Seaman’s War Memorial Society) and the Secretary of State for Levelling Up Housing and Communities. Mr Michael Gove. Last but certainly not least is villager Denise Wordsworth.
As you heard, the latest development for 99 homes by Thakeham is 100% affordable homes and not the 70% private and 30% affordable homes allowed by the Inspector at Appeal. Thakeham is currently attempting to change a legal agreement it signed with Surrey and Waverley to remove funds it promised which would have provided a ‘demand-led bus service.’ Or, as the Inspector described it, a “super Uber.”
Q
Will Waverley Planners and Surrey County Council allow a change to a legal agreement for a 100% rent and shared ownership group of homes to be built in this small village and let the developer get away with not providing a demand-led bus service?
Watch this space.
Interesting stuff.
Surprised that Thakenham did not approach Surrey County Council to request on if their new rapid response dial a bus services that they are rolling out based on the Mole Valley Experiment. Or better still A PROPER BUS SERVICE.
No doubt the special protection officers will enjoy the attention outside Jeremy’s little place in the country. I’m sure the local residents would like to share their appreciation of the innumerable good deeds he has done for them. Why not toot and give him a gesture as you pass his gates on the way to go your bit for recycling.
MeaninglessMud
Dr Daniel Slade, policy manager at the Royal Town Planning Institute commented in the real reason for nimbyism article, the Telegraph 5 August 2023 section 106 agreements are legally binding and enforceable. “So how exactly, do developers manage to renegotiate their way out of them. Enforcement can be poor, and there’s sometimes little recourse to take action if promises are broken.” We appear to have a planning Wild West where the law is optional, which begs the question why does the community find this acceptable?
Brian
The Community does NOT find it Acceptable – It is just as I have been banging on for flipping years… We are a small Village with a “Little Voice” – It is like David & Goliath – Not only are we fighting the Developers but also, I am afraid, other areas of the Borough who would rather see Housing here – In what most of them consider to be a Village of Little Consequence in the Boondocks with lots of Green Fields that have no protection.
We could all be wrong about the 100% Affordable at the Thakeham Development (maybe it was a slip of the Pen when the O&S stated it or when Thakeham themselves said as much!
And that all they meant on the s106 was to change the “wording” for the DRBS but our Parish Council have been asking…and asking and asking.. WBC and the Planning Officers to Confirm what is ACTUALLY happening and as far as I am aware they have heard NOTHING back.
I believe that at one stage APC was actually told there was NO SIGNED s106 until it was “found” on the WBC Planning Portal hidden in the Depths of the s106 Data Base. Lack of Communication with WBC have not made this easier.
They get out of their obligations by conveniently running out of money
Conveniently lying that they have run out of money and then the planners rolling over and accepting it.
Their consultants can lie about traffic, distance to railways, green promises – and no-one questions the veracity of their statements. So they’ll try it on everytime.
Enforcement? Toothless, useless.
You said it. The WW cannot help wondering if the 106 legal agreement with Dunsfold Aerodrome Limited will go the same way. WW believes this puts every 106 Agreement in jeopardy.