Is that Secret Squirrel at Waverley at it again?
Keeping us and the residents of Haslemere in the dark about a controversial planning appeal that its refusal prompted is not in the spirit of working together with its residents. Is it?
Here at the Waverley Web, we like to think we do a pretty good job of alerting the public to forthcoming appeals. We cover as many as our small team can manage, although many have the same outcome. We publicise the decision. Let’s face it. The Government has taken over planning functions in our borough!
The Scotland Park Phase 2 development, if given the go-ahead by the Planning Inspector, will be one of the largest ever built in Haslemere.
So, job done?
Who was in the know?
Dear Residents,
Happy New Year.
A quick update on the Phase 2 hybrid planning application for up to 150 homes on the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (now named National Landscape), between Scotland Lane and the Midhurst Road that so many of you objected to last year.
The developer Redwood South West Ltd has challenged Waverley’s rejection of their planning application and the planning appeal inquiry started last week on Tuesday, Jan 9th.
As the key objecting group on behalf of the community, HSRA had been in contact with WBC asking to speak at the planning inquiry and for notice of when this session would be held in the appeal timetable.
We were pretty shocked and angry to discover on-line last week that the appeal inquiry had in fact started, and that WBC had failed to tell us that the Inspector had set aside a session for residents to speak on the first day, Tuesday. Apparently the Planning Inspector surveyed the empty chamber seats at the residents session and asked where HSRA and other residents were, given the very high number of objections received (he cited over 440). We trust he will not interpret this absence of residents as a lack of public interest or concern in the application.
Waverley did admit an administrative error, in essence as with all previous planning appeals everyone that objected should have received notification of the dates and timetable for the appeal inquiry.
Call us cynical, but we do question why the community were not made aware and if any pressure had been applied to make sure we weren’t there, particularly given that the inquiry timetable had actually been given to representatives of Haslemere 1st Scouts and Grayswood Forest School, which will be ‘gifted’ woodland and funding for facilities, if the housing estate gets planning permission. They were both present on Tuesday, supporting the merits of the development.
We immediately complained to both the Planning Inspectorate and WBC. Clearly HSRA and other objecting residents have been disadvantaged by not being part of the in-person appeal process where the Inspector has the opportunity to hear from and engage with the local community. We have been offered an apology and an opportunity to submit a follow-up document setting out our key points of objection by the end of tomorrow, Monday. We are preparing this document, but this does not have the same impact as a full gallery and community speakers opposing to the planning application.
The Planning Appeal Inquiry will conclude next week. All details listed here
Best wishes
HSRA Committee
The effects of climate change will require the UK to find at least 3,300 million litres per day of additional capacity in the water supply system by 2050 according to DEFRA. The Royal Institute of British Architects climate change challenge requires 95 litres per person per day for 2025 and 75 litres per day for 2030. The Planning Inspector should consider cumulative water impact demand of this proposed development upon other development in the locality. The RIBA benchmarks drive towards water demand meeting the consequences of climate change water security and are more onerous than the 110 litres per day required by Local Plan Part 1.
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