According to social media and radio news reports, Poor Old Alfold is hitting the headlines again…
The village on the Surrey/Sussex border has a poo problem – a huge poo problem as the sewers couldn’t cope with its 450 households sewage – let alone with the increased housing development thrust upon it.
Well aware that the Honourable Angela wants to bulldoze through the planning system shedloads of new homes, but now Waverley Planners appear to have pre-empted her desire to circumvent the well-tried and tested planning system the country has previously enjoyed!
The WW asks: Wavekkey’s Chief Planning Honcho, Ms Claire Upton -Brown?
WA/2023/01468 Horsham Road, Alfold
“is it normal for a Reserved Matters Application of the size and scale of this application (86 New Homes) to be approved under DELEGATED POWERS?
WW, I only ask because we have never seen an application for this size of delegation, and it concerns us, and no doubt the good folk of Alfold, that it has not been put before the WBC Planning Committee.
Having dumped Eastern Planning, Central Planning and Full Planning Committees, do we now bypass the one and only Planning Committee the council now possesses?
Planning rules were not invented to annoy us or to make life difficult; they are, or were there, to protect us from ugliness, overcrowding, and unsustainable development in the wrong place—places like Alfold, with no amenities and where sewage regularly seeps into residents’ gardens and across footpaths and recreation grounds! A village that once boasted pubs, restaurants, and a school now possesses none. A village where electricity fluctuations are commonplace and where its one and only Pizza Palace has just failed… again!
Villagers say they recognise the lengths developer VISTRY has gone to for many years to engage with village leaders on this controversial scheme to build a swathe of homes on the A281 adjacent to the Esso Garage. There is also some disquiet about the developer’s offer—to pay for a workplace hub off-site somewhere!
Worrying, as Alfold Parish Council has a history of some very dubious financial shenanigans in the past!
As local democracy is to be swept away Alfold will the first of many swimming in the s**t.
And I have no doubt this Govt will fall upon the gin soaked Surrey Hills with relish.
MeaninglessMud
I am sure you are right… Despite protestations of – Only in the RIGHT PLACES on the Kuennsberg show on Sunday Hahahaha!
WW Perhaps you need to ask the question what exactly is the Planning Committee for – A Rubber stamp?
There are 15 Councillors on the Committee. Apportioned across the political parties. Of those 15:
6 from Farnham (inc 1 Vice Chair) Used to be WESTERN PLANNING
4 from Haslemere/Hindhead Used to be SOUTHERN PLANNING
2 from Witley/Milford Used to be CENTRAL PLANNING
1 from Godalming (Chair) Used to be CENTRAL PLANNING
1 from Bramley/Wonersh Used to be EASTERN PLANNING
1 from Cranleigh Used to be EASTERN PLANNING
So all “Politically Correct” but hardly gives equal Representation across the Borough and especially in the more Rural areas.
Then to get an idea of what has actually been bought before the Committee – If you look over the last 3 months:
SEPTEMBER 18th
1. Two Dwellings – Bramley – Refused
2. Five Dwellings – Farnham – Granted
3. Single Storey Extension – Godalming – Granted
4. Football Pitch – Hambledon – Granted
5. Four Dwellings – Farnham – Granted
6. Vary a Condition to replace Car Ports with Garages- Dunsfold – Granted
OCTOBER 8th
1. Special Planning meeting for Reserved Matters at Coxbridge Farm – Farnham 320 New Homes – Deferred
OCTOBER 16th
1. Construction of Decking & Lighting – Godalming – Granted
2. Two Dwellings – Wonersh – Refused
3. Extensions – Haslemere – Granted
4. Change of use from Hotel to Two Dwellings – Farnham – Granted
NOVEMBER 13th
1. Erection of a Sports Pavillion – Farnham – Granted
2. Three Dwellings – Haslemere – Deferred due to access.
3. One dwelling (change of Use) – Farnham – Granted
4. 65 Dwellings Reserved Matters – Farnham – Granted
Next Meeting DECEMBER 11th
1. 320 Dwellings Reserved Matters – Farnham as per October 8th
2. 3 Dwellings – Haslemere as per November 13th
So my question is just WHY is the Application for Reserved Matters for 86 Dwellings in Alfold NOT going in Front of the Planning Committee When Alfold have already taken so many houses? This Application WA/2023/01468 is on Grade 2 Best and most versatile Agricultural Land with Multiple Reserved Matters reincarnations, with Bio Diversity NET LOSS (to be Off-Set elsewhere in Surrey)
The Workspace Hub and Village Green initially removed from the Application, then the Hub popped up beneath a Block of Flats, now again Removed and being “Gifted via an undisclosed sum” to the Village for them to Build out/Maintain etc. elsewhere in the Village as seemingly agreed but as yet to be confirmed but noted on the Planning Portal.
” .. Parish Council and Vistry therefore must agree provision off site between themselves and outside the
planning system…..”
This MAY be of benefit in the Long run for the Village, but it still sets a precedent for any future Applications, along with the Thakeham 99 Dwellings in the village that Morphed from being a Mix of Market and Affordable homes to 99 Affordable/Social Houses… without ANY Consultation with the Village or anyone one else I can find.
I simply do not understand how some of the Applications detailed above that have been deemed worthy of the Planning Committee and yet this particular Application which has been queried by Planning officers since 2023-4 and still appears to have an issue with the width of the Shared Use Pavements is simply going to be signed OFF.
You have been writing about Planning all over the Borough for years… and Know full well the problems we have in this Village with Sewage, Water, Electricity Outages, so you know the problems we face here with over 480 New Homes approved in the last few years. We all know Thakeham will return with their 350 Odd – Will they have to go via the Planning Committee ? or will they too slip through the Net that is WBC’s lack of 5 Year Housing Land Supply now that Dunsfold Park have stamped their feet and gone into Purdah!
Perhaps Ms Wordsworth doesn’t grasp the fact that members of the planning committee are not there to represent the wards or areas they are from, but to consider each application on it’s planning merits (or otherwise)
It’s not the planning officers that decide what applications come before the committee, but ward councillors and/or neighbouring residents who write to object/support applications. So they come in all shapes and sizes.
Ms Wordsworth can contact her ward councillor to ask him/her to call in the application to committee, then he/she will do so, if there is a proper planning reason for doing so.
It is also the fault of the planning inspectorate who override local decision making with zero comprehension of the facts, just to please their central govt masters.
A village downtrodden and fatigued by constantly being dumped on will turn one of two ways; belly up for a tickle, or lips pulled back to expose gnarling razor sharp teeth.
WBC planning are the most inept, and defensive bunch of unfortunates I have ever had the misfortune to come across.
Why is nobody challenging the planning inspectorate?
The disgusting treatment of Alfold will stop, even if it takes a riot!
Sh1tty-Sticks at the ready. Aim. Charge!!
Ms Wordsworth – DOES realise that thank you. And if you actually believe that the members of the Planning Committee do not represent their wards, then I fear we are living on a different planet…
It has been an extremely Messy Application with multiple revisions and missing documents and then you read…
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“Thank you for confirming that the Reserved Matters application can be approved under delegated powers. We
agree with this approach. What are your anticipated timescales for changing the Committee Report to a delegated
Officer Report? Are you able to send across the Committee Report / Delegated Report for our review? I can review
and ensure that the proposed plans contain all the correct revision numbers etc…
We will also now change the form of legal agreement that Vistry will have with Alfold Parish Council to align better
with your approach. I will be able to confirm timescales for the completion of this shortly. ”
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Most people in the Village thought that because the Outline Application was won on Appeal that there was no point objecting any further as nothing seems to change regardless of what the Inspector says. This village has been inundated with Applications and many here state quite clearly that they have given up. And who can blame them?