Alfold Councillor Kevin Deanus was vitriolic when he considered a scheme to build 80 homes at Sweeters Reach in Loxwood road a few months ago.
A Bramley colleague described the proposed development by Bewley Homes as “crap.”
Bramley Councillor Martin D’Arcy said :
“This is one of the worst layout housing schemes I have ever seen. I thought a previous Secretary of State for housing wanted to ‘build beautiful?’ Beautiful these are not, in fact, this is a crap design, the developers are obviously clueless.”
Wienerberger Ltd was given the go-ahead last week by Surrey County Council to extract 10 million tonnes of clay until 2073, and build a new £30m factory, despite concerns from some very worried neighbours.
The new tile factory at Ewhurst Brickworks <Horsham Lane will supply clay tiles to builders across the south of the UK allowing Weinbergers Doncaster factory to supply the north.
Ewhurst Brickworks (formerly Smokejack Brickworks) is located approximately 1 kilometre (km) south of the village of Walliswood, 3.3km southeast of the village of Ewhurst, 4km south-east from the village of Cranleigh; and 2km north of the county boundary with West Sussex.
MINERALS/WASTE WA/2017/1466 MO/2017/1432 DISTRICT(S) WAVERLEY BOROUGH COUNCIL MOLE VALLEY DISTRICT COUNCIL Land at Ewhurst Brickworks, Horsham Road, Walliswood, Surrey RH5 5QH Extraction of clay from an area of 43.2 hectares (ha) with restoration to agricultural grassland, lakes, woodland and grassland; together with the construction of a tile factory with a chimney, and the permanent diversion of footpath 89; and on a site of 113ha
Wienerberger Ltd donated 6,000 tiles to put a new roof on Ewhurst Primary School.
So the site where dinosaurs roamed millions of years ago – could soon be churning up even more fodder for the Natural History Museum?
Much of Ewhurst Brickworks is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) (Smokejack Clay Pit SSSI) for geological interest due to the ability of the clay for holding fossils including those of insects, ostracods, molluscs, fish, reptiles and gastroliths including most notably a partial skeleton of an Iguanodon.
The company intends to construct a new tile factory to provide new products to the southeast of the existing brickworks factory consisting of a single storey steel portal frame unit with steel profile sheet cladding. The factory would be 15m in height with a length of 165m and a width of 90m at its widest point.
A kiln exhaust stack up to 30m in height will be located adjacent to the building. The construction work will take six months with all materials and heavy machinery including cranes, excavators, brought in by HGVs through the country lanes.
The existing factory pictured here – the new chimney in the new factory with be will be higher. Around 30 metres.
The proposed tile factory would be a new factory to produce a new product at Ewhurst Brickworks therefore it would not be replacing any of the existing brickwork factory’s operations.
The County Historic Buildings Officer commented that although noise from the increased HGVs should be considered as there is a steady flow of vehicles through the village as well as aeroplanes taking off and landing, all of which generate noise he was of the opinion there would be no harm to the character of the area. HGVs would increase on average from 28 to 541 HGVs (through Okewood Hill) this would be imperceptible when considered against the existing traffic.
However, not everyone agrees:
There were objections from The Campaign For Rural England, parish councils including Ewhurst and Ockley. The Okewood Hill Residents Association objected saying that the traffic assessment was not adequate.
The impacts of the proposal on the local road network and the proposed increase in HGV movements to/ from the site alongside the continuing impact of HGVs on users of the road network including pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians and the site in an Area Beyond the Green Belt and within the AGLV and neighbours Okewood Hill Conservation area was not suitable for yet more industrial development.
The Woodland Trust has also objected due to damage and loss that would occur from clay extraction within areas located within ASNW and PAWS and a site designated as an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest). The tile factory would fail to enhance the landscape character and impact negatively the tranquillity of the rural area.
Whilst Farnham’s Carole Cockburn takes a blast at Paul Follows for not actually building the homes she planned in her Farnham Neighbourhood Plan, we search for the real culprits of Waverley’s Local Plan Part 1.
With the news that the Inspector thinks this plan has only 4.01 years of housing ready to go, that means Waverley has to fast-track another 25% with a presumption to grant.
To recap – 15 years ago, Waverley’s Tory administration did everything it could to stop development at Dunsfold, despite recognising that it was the largest brownfield site in the borough. One Cranleigh councillor said at the time of the first Planning Appeal –
“Dunsfold will be developed over my dead body.”
Be careful what you wish for? It will be built – and he is now dead and buried.
Our (then) local MP’s – both anguished over the spatial strategy of including Dunsfold but refused to say where the houses would go otherwise. Both were involved in referring the planning application to the Secretary of State, creating many years of delay.
The Campaign for Rural England (Surrey Chapter) – yes, a preservation charity no less took the Local Plan to court to get it chucked out as it didn’t recognise the amount of green protection in Waverley compared to the level of house building. It is unbelievable that such an action resulted in a spectacular shooting of themselves in the foot, resulting in further development on green fields.
Ask the villagers of Alfold, Ewhurst, Badshot Lea and more what they think of losing vast swathes of their valued landscapes? With countryside come trees, including ancient woodland that has now bitten the dust!
In 2018 CPRE Surrey branch director Andy Smith said: “The Inspector’s decision to increase the housing figure for Waverley will inevitably result in loss of countryside in the AONB and Green Belt. This lack of regard for policies of restraint cannot be right.” Too right doughnut!
Bob Lees, and Chris Britton – serial objectors to the Local Plan that included Dunsfold, raised hundreds of thousands of pounds with the help of Alfold Parish Council to fight the plans. Now that very same village gets the worst of both worlds. Homes are covering their countryside – and a new garden village at Dunsfold. And, ‘Little Britton’ is now a parish councillor! Where’s Protect Our Waverley? Because it certainly isn’t protecting the eastern villages or Haslemere.
Talk about shutting the door after the horse has bolted!
George Eustace, The Secretary of State for Environment has warned that:
“Climate change is heightening the threat of deluges destroying homes.”
Funny that! We all knew that yonks ago. The residents over there in Cranleigh including the Cranleigh Civic Society warned that building on the flood plains of the eastern village was just storing up trouble for the future. In fact, the group that speaks up on behalf of the people of Cranleigh took a vote of NO CONFIDENCE in Waverley Borough Council in May 2017. CROSS OF CRANLEIGH JUST GOT A WHOLE LOT CROSSER …
Here’s just one of the sites that Thakeham Homes. A developer that was actually afforded the unprecedented honour of joining planning officers around the Waverley Towers council chamber staff table, to speak up for and receive its planning consent.
You can see where building work has started and where now the new homes stand.
However, no surprise here: Thakeham Homes sold the site on to another developer as soon as it received planning consent! It is now aptly named – “Willow Brook.”
No worries though. The Government has set aside £860million for 1,000 flood defence schemes as part of a package of measures to protect homes, businesses and infrastructure!
Our pedipalps – (spider’s legs for the uninitiated) travel far and wide -and our Waverley Web followers are based around the world. Here’s a letter from our friend Darryl Darwent – which we have attempted to answer. But which has taken a little time as it required a trip over to the wilds of Baynards – an area of Waverley on the Surrey/Sussex border.
Dear William,
Good afternoon from Calgary. It has been a while since we last corresponded.
COVID-19 & politics.
I can report our province has struggled to find a balance between keeping its economy going and protecting the population from COVID-19 variants. Not everyone is keen on wearing masks or getting a vaccine. These people are on the fringe. My wife and I have our first jab of Astra-Zeneca. We recently became grandparents. Our little one lives in Vancouver. We are eager for normalcy so the day arrives when we can see her.
Our 3-term mayor, Naheed Nenshi, is stepping down this fall when municipal elections occur. He has been a good leader. In his time he led us through the once-in-a-century flood in 2013. However, the present offers an opportunity for this city’s first woman mayor. This excites me. Calgary needs a good vision as the oil business has fallen through the basement. We are seeing good interest in green energy and technology setting up shop here.
Waverley /Longhurst Lodge
I see by your reporting that the mysteries and nefariousness in planning around Waverley continues. Wherever there’s an opportunity to make money in turbulent times it will be accompanied by someone getting shafted.
Are you familiar with Longhurst Lodge? We recently watched an episode of Restoration Man (2011) concerning the remodelling of a Victorian gatehouse in Baynard’s Park. I realised later that it resided near Cranleigh.
The problem with watching ten-year-old shows is you never know, especially in this case, how these projects turn out. According to the episode, the owners, Vanessa Ford-Robbins and Nik Huddy had plans to add an approved addition. They were also going to restore the massive gates.
Could I ask a favour? Can you please find out whether they followed through? According to a Wikipedia article on the property, Vanessa and Nik are still the owners. But, there’s no other information. Maybe there’s an article from a local source or some photos that offer a review.
There certainly is no rush for this to be done.
Sincerely, Darryl Darwen,
Calgary, Alberta
Doing our best.
Well, Darryl, we have certainly tracked down a photo of the property you watched on the TV. And Vanessa & Nick are still the owners. As you will see the gates have been restored. The couple are real eco-warriors in fact they now own a shop in nearby Cranleigh called “For Earth’s Sake.’ It is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company that informs and enables people and business to put the planet first and helps to show how we, as individuals ,can make a real difference!
Good to hear from you. Stay safe.
At the heart of For Earth’s Sake, CIC is Vanessa Ford-Robbins who, alongside partners Nik Huddy and Charlie Edwards, has launched the inaugural For Earth’s Sakeshopwith the ethos of shoppers being more aware of their actions, and the choices that they can make in mitigating their carbon footprint on the planet.The For Earth’s Sake shop on Cranleigh High Street, which opened its doors in April 2019, has become a hub for eco-conscious shoppers, and also to those who want to take their own steps in cutting down on plastic usage and their carbon footprint.Since announcing the launch of For Earth’s Sake CIC and the Cranleigh shop in January 2019, Vanessa and her team have created a brand that is trusted and appreciated, as well as one that is known for ‘doing what it says on the tin’.
