Meeting on 10 December 2008

 

NOTES OF A PUBLIC MEETING OF BEARE GREEN RESIDENTS CALLED BY THE PARISH COUNCIL AND BY DISTRICT COUNCILLOR VALERIE HOMEWOOD at BEARE GREEN VILLAGE HALL at 7:30 p.m. on 10th DECEMBER 2008.

For discussion - Mole Valley Local Development Framework : Core Strategy including Strategic Housing and Land Availability Assessment. Proposed Submission Document - consultation - Representations can be made from November 18th 2008 - January 9th 2009. Document to be submitted for examination in public and if found to be 'Sound' will be adopted in late 2009. If found to be 'Unsound' the process will be started again.

Numbers attending meeting: 77

Background
MVDC must make provision for at least 3,760 net dwellings (188 net dwellings as a minimum annual average) within the district between 2006 and 2026 in accordance with the South East Plan.

All new development must be provided in 'sustainable' locations - this may involve the adjustment of the boundaries of the Green Belt.

Sustainable location: A Location with transport links to employment, shops and services such as schools and doctors surgery. Data from the 2001 census supports Beare Green as being sustainable.

Most sites developed in Mole Valley so far have been windfall sites but the Mole Valley Settlement Hierarchy (Oct 2008) will now come into play in priority order once the Local Framework is adopted, as follows:

     (i)     Priority will be given to previously developed land in Dorking, Leatherhead,
              Ashtead, Fetcham and Bookham,

     (ii)     Infilling and limited residential development including re-development, in larger villages
               including Beare Green, Capel, Brockham, Charlwood, Hookwood and Westcott

     (iii)     Infilling will be permitted in smaller villages

Sites in Beare Green identified for possible development:

  1. Godwins - 20 housing units - off the Old Horsham Road
  2. Great Turners' - 14 Affordable Homes - off Highland Road
Both subject to amendment of the Green Belt boundary.

Comment - Stephen Maber, Oak Corner:
"Told when buying house that no further building would take place at Oak Corner. There is no transport after 7:00 p.m., no pharmacy and no doctor."

Comment - Mike Croll, Leith Road:
"Great Turners' is not a potential sustainable development since the area is already overdeveloped and is a much-used recreation area. For any development of Beare Green to be viable, there must be a roundabout to connect the village to the A24. If development includes a balance of Affordable and Private housing, this would re-establish Beare Green as a village, and we may get a pharmacy etc. If the land adjacent to Godwins were developed in addition to the Godwins site, this would make it more of a sustainable area."

Response - Cllr. Valerie Homewood: "Suggest you write to Jack Straw and tell him."

Question - Anthony Crabb, Leith Road:
"If site resisted now, how long can we delay it, e.g. can we delay 20 years? Wouldn't it be better to go with it now?"

Response - Cllr. Valerie Homewood: "Nothing can be done until a formal planning application comes in."

Question - Derek Wheeler, Maybelle Close:
"What is the definition of Affordable Housing?"

Response - Cllr. Valerie Homewood: "A home provided with a subsidy. For people who would not otherwise be able to access the housing market at the full price."

Comment - David Spackman - Business in Beare Green Court, home in Moorhurst Lane:
"We may have to accommodate change in the area and should look on it as an opportunity if there is a need for housing. We have a 'stop-over' population and no heart to the village. With any development, the District Council and Parish Council should look at how we can put heart into the village. We can combine housing with putting heart in the village. Look on it as an opportunity. Affordable Housing may be necessary - look on it positively."

Comment - Julian Womersley, Paddock Grove:
"Planning Gain is a perfectly reasonable negotiating tool and should be used.
Beare Green section of Capel Parish Plan - most of points raised at this meeting are included in the Plan. The Plan was formally adopted by the Parish Council, MVDC and SCC (the plan states that Beare Green residents do not want further housing development)."

Response - Cllr. Valerie Homewood: "MVDC's need for housing is greater."

Question - Cath Johnson, Leith Road:
"Where will the doctors, nurses and amenities come from? Where would additional facilities go, and where would the money be found?"

Comment - Greg Hoare, Springwell Road:
Made reference to the A24 southbound accident on 9th December where a lorry jack-knifed and crashed into the subway railings.

Comment - Fiona Good, Parish Councillor and Oak End resident:
"There is a lack of youth facilities in Beare Green. When houses were transferred to the Housing Association, there was supposed to be a planning gain, but this has gone to other areas. If there is a planning gain at Great Turners' and Godwins, it would probably go to bigger estates."

Question - Unidentified male, Leith Road:
"What will transport facilities be like in 20 years time? There is nothing to tempt people to live in Beare Green."

Comment - Pat Smith, Leith Road:
"Many facilities have been lost in Beare Green over the last 40 years. Many youngsters cannot afford to leave home. Great Turners' would provide improved facilities as well as housing. We have to fight for the facilities we have."

Comment - Unidentified female:
"The chances of getting people in the village re-housed in the new Affordable Housing are nil."

Response - Cllr. Valerie Homewood: "Affordable Housing in rural areas can be built specifically to need. Houses in Rural Exception sites must be offered to people in the village first."

Question - Same unidentified female:
"If you bring back families into the village where the schools are full, where do they go to school?"

Comment - Stephen Maber, Oak Corner:
"When land was swapped with Great Turners', we were promised tennis courts. This never happened."

Comment - Chris Heard, Moorhurst Lane:
"Land in the triangle at the end of Old Horsham Road could be amalgamated with the Godwins site to make it more viable."

Comment - Liz Kempster, Leith Grove:
"Amenities should be built to go with the community - could be quite good for the community."

Response - Cllr. Valerie Homewood: "There will not be a big social payback on a small number of houses."

Question - Unrecorded male:
"What constitutes a village?"

Response - Cllr. Valerie Homewood / Mandy Schryver, Capel Parish Council Chairperson: "Somewhere separated from the next place by green open space."

Question - Peter Collis, Hawksmoor Drive:
"What is the situation regarding AONBs (Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty)?"

Response - Cllr. Valerie Homewood: "Building is only allowed in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty under very special circumstances. Adjustments to Green Belt will be adjacent to towns and villages."

Comment - David Spackman, Business in Beare Green Court, home in Moorhurst Lane:
"Convinced we should be looking at it in a different way. Either fight or go with it and modify. Charge the PC to take my feelings to the PC and resolve to try to further develop the community. The village is the biggest worthy cause. If more houses are built, we should try to be as clear as we can."

Comment - Mandy Schryver, Capel Parish Council Chairperson: "The PC will be putting in its own response. Residents must put their points of view."

Comment - Unidentified resident:
"If Planning Permission is given on Great Turners', they should give something back to the village."

Comment - Fiona Good, Parish Councillor and Oak End resident:
"Access via Merebank - heavy building equipment, lorries, etc. would be chaotic during the time of building."

Response - Cllr. Valerie Homewood: "Highways say that there is adequate access via the emergency access into Hawksmoor Drive / Willow Close."

Comment - Simon Cornwell, Anstiebury Close:
"I'm here to find out what you think."

Response - Cllr. Valerie Homewood: "I'm here to learn your views."

Comment - Donna Read, Oak End:
"Would not want development at Great Turners'."

Voting (These were only "straw polls", not binding votes.)

Question - "In the light of there being a possible planning pay-off for the village - i.e. some form of compensatory gain for the village social infrastructure - do you think there would be benefits for Beare Green if Godwins Nursery was developed?"
Response - 27 in favour.

Question - "Do you consider there would not be benefits for Beare Green?"
Response - 23 agreed with this view.

Comment - Chrystopher Searle, Oak End:
"I fear that the list of benefits the village would want to negotiate in return for developments would be greater than developers would be willing to grant."

Question - "Would you support development at Great Turners' if it would provide opportunities?"
Response - only 1 agreed.

Question - "Do you believe there is no advantage in building at Great Turners'?"
Response - 45 agreed.

Comment - David Spackman, Business in Beare Green Court, home in Moorhurst Lane:
"The vote is meaningless because a definition has not been specified."

Question - Peter Collis, Hawkesmoor Drive (suggesting the definition sought by David Spackman):
"Do you feel development would provide advantages in the village in terms of reinforcing / supporting the village?"
Response - 27 agreed.

Comment - Derek Wheeler, Maybelle Close:
"We should be more ambitious about improving facilities in the hall."

Question - Ken Salter, Parish Councillor and Beare Green Cottages resident:
"What is the situation with regard to Leatherhead Van Centre?"

Response - Cllr. Valerie Homewood: "The developer is keen to develop but so far planning permission has not been agreed."

Conclusion

Development of the two sites is a matter of concern because both could be developed within the next 5 years.

In conclusion, residents were urged to write about any concerns they had about the proposal in the Local Development Framework to Jack Straw, the Leader of the LDF team at Mole Valley District Council.

For guidance or advice about the issues dealt with here, please click the Contact Us link for details of how to contact Cllr. Valerie Homewood.

The meeting ended at 9:45 p.m.

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