The latest change to the plans for Brookwood Farm development shows Sparvell Road becoming the second access road into the proposed housing estate Brookwood Farm.
The plans are now available on the Woking Borough web site under PLAN/2012/0224 & PLAN/2012/1059. Details of the plans for Sparvell road are included in a revised Transport Note from Bellamy Roberts, consultants to Cala Homes.
We are still evaluating all the figures that are included in the above mentioned report and of course wait for the views of Surrey’s Highway Authority. The following bullet points are our initial reaction to the plans.
- Cala Homes have used the original figures they published for the amount of traffic going into and out of the estate to the housing development. These figures have been questioned and the points raised then still apply. The number of vehicles quoted as departing from the residential area during the morning rush hours is underestimated by at least 20%.
- The consultants state that as traffic leaving Sparvell Road cannot turn right all traffic from the proposed residential area that is going either towards Woking or Guildford will use the junction at Redding Way. WRONG, traffic from the new housing going towards Woking will use Sparvell Road, Chobham Road and Barrs Lane. Drivers will try and avoid the Redding Way and Brookwood Crossroads if that is feasible.
- The use of Sparvell Road will be best used in the evening rush hours when traffic coming from the M3, Bisley etc. can turn right into Sparvell Road and on into Brookwood Farm thus easing the traffic at Redding Way.
- The figures produced by the consultant fail to take into account the additional traffic generated by the proposed enlarged Sainsbury’s.
- The Education Authority estimate that 23% of pupils attending the new school on Brookwood Farm will walk. As the education authority cannot predict the choice of school a parent may make the figure of 23% is high.
- There is nothing in the new plans that addresses the congestion at Brookwood Crossroads and it would appear that Surrey County Council have not planned any major road build or modification to the A322, Bagshot Road, for the next ten years.
As stated earlier the above is our first examination of the new plans. The main message is that the plans are now open to comment from residents and the closing date for comments is 02 January 2013.
myKnaphill 
I’m really concerned about Sparvell Road being used for access into the new development. It is difficult enough now to get out of the Sparvell Road junction onto the Bagshot Road as it is hard to see past the hedging of the house on the right hand corner. With a large increase in traffic, it is going to be an accident waiting to happen and right on a crossing which many children use to get to the Knaphill Schools. Many residents in Sparvell Road also park on the road as they do not have garages, so it’s just going to become gridlocked as people try and maneouvre down the road!
LikeLike
I am sorry I have not got back to you earlier, I totally agree with the points you make and it is important that local residents make their views know to the Council either via a local Councillor or direct to the Planning Dept. The address for on-line comments is developmentcontrol@woking.gov.uk make sure you include the reference PLAN/2012/1059.
LikeLike
Each and every time I attended a public consultation and spoke to Cala Homes staff, I was reassured there would not, under any circumstances, be road access via Coresbrook Way. Now of course, it is in the amended plans. What is the point of these public consultations? To reassure the public with false promises? I was given similar reassurances about the density, which again, have proven to be false. It makes a mockery of the whole public consultation process and confirms what some had said about it, that it is just WBC and Cala going through the required motions. I am also concerned about the additional traffic around Coresbrook Way because where the new access road joins Sparvell Road a lot of kids play in the middle of the road and it is already an accident waiting to happen.
LikeLike
Both Cala Homes and WBC knew that a new crossroads at Redding Way/Bagshot Road could take traffic from around 200 new dwellings. Cala Homes, supported by WBC, went for 297 new dwellings plus the 12 eco houses giving a traffic from a total of 309 dwellings using the single road access. So it was a non brainer from day one. Given that traffic coming out of Sparvell Road has to turn left it will lead to a substantial increase in traffic down Chobham Road and have an impact on all roads in the whole village.
LikeLike
I’d also like to add, that should the existing road network remain unchanged and traffic is indeed directed up Chobham Road then the current speeding and parking issues (https://knaphill.org/2012/12/speeding-has-reached-our-limits/) around Knaphill Lower School will be exacerbated.
This whole plan needs a desperate re-think!
LikeLike
I found out this morning that the Cala Homes Brookwood Farm planning application will come to the Planning Committee on 29 January 2013. Has anyone else heard this?
LikeLike
I have not heard anything, but I am not surprised because at least one Councillor is putting pressure on WBC to complete the planning process so that the land can be valued and WBC get the money for the sale of the land to Cala Homes.
LikeLike
Further to my last message, it does appear that WBC want to bring the planning application for the development of Brookwood Farm to the Planning Committee scheduled for 29 January. The reason I say this is that notification from WBC of a late agenda item for the Council’s Executive meeting scheduled for 17 January. The late agenda item is titled ‘Brookwood Farm Affordable Housing Provision’.
The notice from WBC concludes – “The decision sought is a Key Decision as the decision has to be taken prior to the Planning Committee on 29 January 2013.”
LikeLike