More amended plans for Brookwood

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Woking Borough Council appear determined to build 297 new dwellings on Brookwood Farm.

First the good news – the idea of constructing a new footpath from the Northwest corner of the proposed estate, around Graindstone Handle Corner, appears to have been dropped. New amended plans went on line on 9th July with the proposed footpath has been removed. The amended plans show changes to the sport facilities at the south end of the development area, more on that at later date.

As reported earlier the County’s Highways Authority have stated since 2004 that any development on Brookwood Farm with a single road access could only accommodate traffic from 200 dwellings but WBC and Cala Homes seem determined to continue with their outrageous plan to build 297 dwellings. Last week it came to our notice that the idea of a second vehicle access road was back on the table. The idea is that a vehicle access road could be constructed from Coresbrook Way into the estate. Such a new access would allow residents from the Farm to access the estate via Sparvell Road or Oak Tree Road.

You will not find this proposed new vehicle access on the amended plans because if the developer and WBC proposed a second road access at this point in time it would require a full public consultation. So if they adopt the idea it will probably be a condition to develop, introduce through the side door. We will not know if this is what they plan to do until the Planning Officers report is presented to the Council’s Planning Committee.

Attached to this brief report is a copy of a letter the KRA has sent to the leading Councillors involved with the development, in our conclusion we have asked the Councillors to meet with local residents before the plans are presented to the Planning Committee.

Size of development

For those of you that haven’t seen any plans yet, I’ve included the overall plan here. It gives you a very good idea of scale and clearly shows the increased density of building.

A final question for all you planning gurus – Has some of the development now encroached into defined greenbelt ? This map shows the greenbelt boundary and if you refer to the plan above it certainly looks as though it has…

 

And finally, James Hutchison has replied to a few additional questions –

Dear Mr Stubbs,
 
In response to your queries on the amended plans I can confirm that the nature of the use of the sports pitches has not been changed. You will note that the pitches remain of the same size and will be for the same use.
 
The pavilion has been relocated to the south of its original position and re-orientated to front onto the pitches in accordance with best practice for the provision of recreational facilities. You are also correct in noting that there are some additional parking spaces provided to serve the recreational facilities.
 
An additional feature with the sporting facililties is the introduction of a non-lit MUGA (multi-use games area), which will be sited on the eastern side of Pitch 2. The allotments have been removed from the proposal and the applicant has commited instead to meeting this requirement through a planning contribution that can be used to improve and increase facilities at an existing allotment site.
 
The sporting facilities do not fall within the safeguarded housing site and are therefore subject to Green Belt policy.
 
I trust this answers your queries.
 
Regards,
 
 
James Hutchison MRTPI | Senior Planner

Planning Services

 

Alpha Hospitals and Victoria Road

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As quite a number of residents will be aware, Alpha Hospitals have purchased 14 Victoria Road with the intention of changing its use from residential to that suitable to house girls ‘unable to live at home’. Whether this means a secure unit or not is unknown.

James Trotter and numerous others have contacted us with their concerns and we’ve been overtly rather quiet on the subject. Mainly because there are legal considerations and a number of unknowns that will impact the local residents of Victoria Road. We have been in contact with Melanie Whitehand and the council and as per usual, WBC have been resolutely uncommunicative.

James summarised in his letter to us –

The [Alpha Hospitals] company already has a purpose built, state of the art hospital in in Knaphill. The hospital provides an extensive range of psychiatric care for people with mental health conditions and learning difficulties. The specialist forensic mental health services, which are gender specific, include personality disorders, mental illness, rehabilitation, deaf and adolescent enhanced psychiatric intensive care services.

Alpha Hospital’s intention is to use 14 Victoria Road to provide a children’s home for a number of girls that they have told me are currently ‘unable to live at home’ Whilst fully appreciating the need to cater for the integration of their patients into the broader Knaphill community, especially children/ adolescents, I have raised a number of concerns directly with them about this purchase. I am not trying to be a meddling neighbour, but we have three young children and feel our concerns are more than valid. We spent a significant amount of money to come and live in Knaphill 5 years ago to raise a family and did it expect we would be living by a secure mental home in a residential area. I am not expecting the KRA will action anything here necessarily, but my wife and me are perplexed that this purchase was allowed to happen with no consultation at all.
We’re perplexed also!
What we have done so far is request a meeting with all parties to explain the decisions, lack of communication and justification of this type of institution in the middle of a residential road. We have ascertained that no planning permission for change of use has yet been supplied and WBC have stated that ‘no formal contact has been made with Alpha Hospitals’. Alpha are also not responding to our requests but we shall continue to apply what pressure we can.

 

28/6/12

Letters and emails have been flying between the residents of Victoria Road, Alpha and Cllr Whitehand and tempers at how Alpha have approached the project are beginning to fray. We’ve been kindly invited to attend a residential meeting on 6th July between all parties to resolve the huge concerns from residents.

2/7/12

Not wanting to upset the apple cart or more importantly distort facts between residents and Alpha which could easily be contrued wrongly in any future legal action, all residents of Victoria Road have been invited to leave their comments on this page to publicise their plight. To date, letters and emails have been communicated between both parties and Cllr Melanie Whitehand, with the residents deperately wanting assurance and answers and Alpha providing responses which fail to satisfy.

At a meeting that is due on 6th July, the residents will get together with various parties (including councillors, MP Jonathan Lord and ourselves) are invited to discuss this now contentious issue. Alpha have declined the invitation to the meeting but have said they will meet with individuals. The meeting will outline the situation and relate it to current planning regulation; I’m sure there will also be much debate on the lack of communication and openess from both Alpha and WBC prior to work starting and what the next steps shall be. A petition has also been started for residents to show support.

Make no mistake – there is A LOT of anger over this from Victoria Road and the way it has been approached.

8/7/12

The meeting of the 6th appears to have gone well. Lisa & James Trotter and Becky & Lee Cable et al are putting in huge efforts for this cause and Annie Wheeler has kindly provided an update –

We feel it was a good constructive meeting and we were very pleased to have the support of the Chief Executive of Woking Borough Council, Ray Morgan, and Councillors Saj Hussain and Melanie Whitehand and the residents who attended.

Lee Cable started the meeting with a statement from the ‘Action group’, James Trotter then ran through the diary of events including how many times we had contacted Alpha and the questions we had raised with them. Becky Cable then read out a letter from the previous owner of Number 14 which was in effect a signed statement that Alpha Hospitals had told Mrs Willis that they were buying the property for staff accommodation. Becky then read a similar declaration from Townends estate agent, thereby demonstrating that Alpha had not been honest about the purchase of this property right from the start. We then discussed the classification of the property that Alpha are claiming this is (a C3b class which is up to 6 people in a household) which the council have confirmed does not require ‘change of use’, and stated that we refute this claim and consider that this business either comes under property class C2 (residential children’s home), or C4 (between 3 and 6 unrelated people living together in one house). Ray Morgan has said he will get WBC lawyers to look into this.

We were very pleased to have Ray Morgan in attendance and he spoke at some length about his knowledge of other care homes and rehabilitation facilities that were in residential areas, which in his experience did not cause any major problems. There followed some interesting comments from residents, including some from people working with psychiatric patients. The message was very clear. Number 14 is not a suitable venue to house psychiatric patients who have only just left hospital because of the proximity of other residential houses and that Alpha are very mistaken if they think that one over-night manager in the property will be enough to manage five children, especially as these children are free to come and go as they wish. Some of our residents who have working knowledge of similar situations, had some very alarming experiences to share which included “With five children, you can expect between one and three major disruptive events per week” and “How long do you think it will take before the teenage boys in the area work out that there are six young girls living in one house without parental control?”

It’s a clear disappointment Alpha Hospitals refused to attend the meeting which would have gone a fair way to show the residents they’re willing to face the issues raised. Annie also mentioned that the residents on the whole are pleased with having such a constructive and informative meeting and that all the information gathered thus far had been disseminated well.

Ray Morgan has said that he will seek to get Alpha to commit to taking no action to commission the operation at 14 Victoria Road until the Council has been able to determine the planning use of the property, and if it is established as a lawful use and he has been able to establish with them the precise nature of use and a protocol that would secure reasonable operation to avoid local disturbance and to remedy any events should they arise. He will also seek an exit route if possible should the need arise. Mr Morgan is seeking to secure a letter from Alpha to residents to this effect by Friday 13 July and has requested a ‘cooling off period’ of no public activity against this intended use whilst he pursue these matters and the residents will respect this request.

 

 

Police: Newsletter 6/7/12

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Please find below your weekly Neighbourhood Watch Crime Bulletin.

 

Friday 29th of June 2012 – Thursday 5th of July 2012

 

In Your Area

 

I have to report that in the last week the following crime/crimes occurred in or near to your area.

 

 

Crime Reference WK/12/4032 – Between the hours of 23:30 on Tuesday the 3rd of July and 06:00 on Wednesday the 4th of July 2012 a property in ANCHOR HILL, KNAPHILL was subject to a BURGLARY.

 

During this time it is thought that the offender/offenders gained access to the occupied property via an open rear ground floor window. Once in they then managed to steal a number of items including the keys to the occupant’s vehicle which they then subsequently stole.

 

Since this incident local police have managed to recover the stolen vehicle and arrest two males in relation to the burglary.

 

The majority of burglaries that are committed occur at the rear of properties. For this reason it is important to deter access into your back gardens. Gates should be closed and locked at all times when not in direct use. Deter the scaling of gates and fences by adding trellis to the tops of them.

Please make sure all doors and windows are closed and locked when not in direct use. With modern doors this will involve lifting the internal handle to engage all the bolts and hooks before locking. Please don’t think that because you are only popping out for a moment that it won’t happen to you!

Consider the installation of an intruder alarm in your home. Any alarm installed should ideally conform to standard BS EN 50131 and should be fitted by a company that is NSI (National Security Inspectorate) or SSAIB (Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board) approved. Details of such companies can be found at www.nsi.org.uk or www.ssaib.co.uk

 

 

If you feel that you have witnessed any incident that may relate to the above crime/crimes please call 101 quoting the relevant crime number.

 

Can you please circulate the details of the crimes to the members of your watch if you think it will be of value. Remember that if you have elderly or vulnerable residents in your road this information may frighten them so be careful how you deliver this message.

 

Yours Sincerely

 

Mark Saunders

Crime Prevention Design Advisor

YOUR opinion is wanted!

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Over the years we have had numerous pieces of feedback regarding the KRA. Thankfully in the main this has been supportive in nature but we understand that opinions vary and in some quarters we are not viewed favourably. We have made a few changes over the past year to help toward communication but we would like your views on how we are performing, what we do well and more importantly where we can improve.

The survey below will help us with that and we hope is a step toward letting you see we do take criticism and comments seriously. The 9 question survey will be open until the end of August when the results will be shown on the website. It is open to all residents of Knaphill village except KRA committee members.

The Knaphill Residents’ Association was set up to help the residents so it’s time to tell us, anonymously if you prefer, if we live up to your expectation.

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[SURVEYS 1]

Brookwood Farm update 28th June

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We have continued getting involved with local councillors and council bodies; our secretary, Phil Stubbs, attended the SCC Local Committee meeting and has produced this update for you. Whatever happens, KEEP sending in letters and objections to WBC and SCC Highways, your local councillors and MP Jonathan Lord.

 

SUMMARY

  • Bagshot Road is trying to operate at traffic levels well beyond the design of the road especially at Brookwood Crossroads.
  • In the 1990’s it was shown that the amount of traffic on the A322 warranted a bypass. A bypass that was planned but cancelled on the grounds of cost. It was the planned bypass that opened up Brookwood Farm for development.
  • There has been a total lack of real community consultation over the proposed pedestrian access at the north of the site.
  • Natural England has reported that they have no objection to the proposed development and the plans to offer an alternative green area in Brookwood Country Park.
  • All local primary schools are full and for 2012 over 25% of parents failed to get their first preference for admission of their children into local schools.
  • There remains outstanding work on GP coverage and the impact the increased traffic from the development will have on the air quality.

ROADS

There are two major issues on the road network and the impact the Farm development will have on the infrastructure. The first is the overall impact vehicles serving 300 dwellings will have on the already congested A322 (Bagshot Road). The developer states that their proposed traffic management plans will ease the flow of traffic on the A322 but there remains a difference of opinion between the developer and Surrey Highways Agency on the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.

Surrey Highways should not take a gamble on an untested road management system. It is the residents who will have to live with consequences if the system fails.

Before writing their final report Surrey County Highways must take into account other developments along the A322 corridor. Building has started on the old Vauxhall site in Bisley (Fox garage); the Fox pub site is on sale as development land. Pirbright Camp is to house a full regiment.

FOOTPATHS

Surrey Highways Authority are arguing that new residents who will be living in the northern part of the Farm development will need a new footpath so that they can access bus services from the A322 and access to the local schools without having to walk down the spine of the state and exit at the Redding Way junction.

The proposal is for a new footpath to enter the estate close to Grindle Handle Corner. The KRA understand that Cala Homes have argued against this proposal and it is opposed by residents who live in that area. There is also the question of the impact a new public right of way would have on Bisley Common.

 

GREEN BELT

Natural England has stated that they have no objections to the proposed development. Natural England is responsible for checking that nationally protected areas like Thames Basin Heath on Sheets Heath are not seriously disturbed. To counter any development close to a protected area the developer and local authority have to provide suitable alternative natural green space and Natural England have stated that WBC’s plans for Brookwood Country Park meets that criteria.

SCHOOLS

Surrey Education Authority has confirmed that all local schools are oversubscribed. To help alleviate the problem two new classrooms are to be built at St. Johns School in Victoria Road. In the case of the Knaphill Junior and Knaphill Lower schools Surrey Education Authority have confirmed that there is no room for any significant expansion within the current school boundaries. In the case of the schools at Bisley, Brookwood and Pirbright the Ministry of Defence have stated that a regiment currently based in Cyprus is to be relocated to Pirbright barracks and therefore these two schools will be full. In fact Surrey Education have been informed that there will be a requirement for the County Authority to find 200 school places for the children coming over from Cyprus with the regiment.

Woking’s secondary schools are also overs subscribed.

So what does this mean? First parents are going to have limited choice in the school their children will attend and it is likely that many children starting at primary school will fail to gain admittance to their nearest school. The above will lead to more traffic carrying children to and from schools. This latter point must be taken into consideration by Surrey Highways.

HEALTH COVERAGE

The question of GP coverage has yet to be addressed and the KRA will shortly make contact with Surrey County Council and Surrey NHS to look at current GP coverage and what plans are being put in place to increase surgery facilities.

WHAT CAN YOU DO

All those opposed to the current plans for Brookwood Farm should keep up the pressure on local Councillors and our MP. We should not underestimate the impact that 200+ new families will have on local facilities such as schools and GP coverage plus the increased congestion on the A322. Neither Surrey County Council nor Woking Borough Council has any plans to improve local facilities and the Highways Authority has no plans to significantly improve the flow of traffic along the A322 or the A324.

This is the wrong time to open up Brookwood Farm for development and it should be postponed until the various authorities have come up with concrete plans to improve the provision of school places and GP coverage plus there has been a full assessment of all developments along the A322 and A324 corridors and the plans for a bypass are revisited.

Valerie French Opening

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I am exceptionally pleased to say that Knaphill has a new store opening in Anchor Cresent, next to Lyons & Co.

Valerie French hairdressers will open this week after some [very] frenetic decorating! I spoke briefly to Valerie who is very excited about the opening and will be announcing a ‘Grand Opening’ event soon.

It brings some very welcome news to the village and we hope the new store every success. You can contact Valerie French on 01483 767214 and at 7 Anchor Cresent, Knaphill GU21 2PD.

State of the village

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I’m becoming worried about the centre of Knaphill village. It’s getting to a point where every direction holds a new empty store, or a sign announcing closure. I passed the old library today and there was a couple of elderly women looking at the state of the old building and said it’s shocking that it is left to rot.
Clifton’s has now moved to their new premises in Carthouse Lane leaving the keys with Sainsbury’s perhaps; the HSBC bank is closing early next month which has many residents of the opinion it will be gobbled up by the hungry supermarket chain which would be nothing short of devastating to the village. The old Viceroy business remains resolutely empty with piles and piles of flyers and post on the mat (why do people continue delivering there?!) and the bin by the Anchor pub hasn’t been emptied for what looks like months. Despite several complaints, communiques and citiations being thrown toward Surrey Highways they refuse to do anything with the blocked sewer in Broadway. We contacted Thames Water and they came down within 2 hours to check their part so why is it so difficult for SCC to comprehend?

I’m left with the feeling that perhaps we don’t care enough or are being battered far too hard by the likes of the planning department.

I’m being a misery guts I know. There is some good news though – we have new shops that have opened and existing ones having a facelift! We all welcomed ShuZu last year and currently Stefs Homebake is being refitted. There has also been a ‘sold – stc’ sign outside the neighbouring shop for quite some time and The Anchor is a new shade of something which is growing on me and we do have new takeaways filling empty shops.

More good news (26/6/12) is that very soon, Valerie French Hairdressing will be opening in Anchor Cresent.

But there’s still those remaining holes that need filling and something really has to be done about the old library site (answers on a postcard please!).

Guess who I want to help out? We all have a duty of care for the village – it won’t sustain itself if we neglect it and allow it to fall apart at the seams. We have to use it by shopping there, selling there and being there or else one day we’ll look back and wonder what the heck happened to a once very quaint village.

Booking Forms for 2012 Show

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Village Show 2012

Get out the calendars and mark it down; 14th July 2012 is the date of this years show.  Mizens Railway is the location.

If you are interested in getting involved with this year’s show please don’t be shy, because now is the time to come and join us.  Volunteers are always welcome, and it’s always useful to know that helpers are coming – instead of standing around with crossed fingers hoping that someone will come forward – to join in the fun.

You can contact us at:  villageshow@knaphill.org

We’re fairly well organised but many hands speed things up considerably.  Comments are also very welcome.

If you want to have a stand at this year’s show please follow the links to download an application form.  You will be pleased to know that we haven’t put the prices up, you just need to select what sort of exhibitor you are.

In line with current policy we do try to maintain a good variety of stalls and we like to know what you will be offering.  If there are too many of any sort of stalls we may not accept your booking;  so get your booking in early.

Payment is with the form and we run a first come, first served policy if there is a clash of stalls.  No payment, no booking.  No refund if you fail to turn up.

Completed Stall Forms with payment should be sent to:

Village Show, Knaphill Post Office, Anchor Parade, Knaphill, GU21 2PD

Remember to leave an email address so we can send you a receipt.

Entry forms for the Horticultural Show are also available online and everyone is welcome to enter.  There are children’s sections, divided into age groups.

Download your application form today and submit it as soon as possible, bringing along your entries on the day for display and judging.

Early submission is encouraged so we can organise enough tables, so get your bookings in NOW!

Please download your forms here:

KRA 3rd Booking Form Small Business Village Show 2012 final

KRA 3rd Booking Form Business Village Show 2012

KRA 3rd Booking Form Community Village Show 2012

 

Right click on the links above and ‘save link as’ to download the forms for printing.

We have several exciting items already booked and more on the way.

 

Memory Lane – Jubilee

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June Harding vividly recalled the disruption to her class at Knaphill School on the afternoon of 6th February 1952 when classmate, Arthur Martin, stood up and excitedly announced, “Please Miss. Please Miss. The King is dead.” Their teacher Miss Nancarrow was shocked, and reprimanded him, “Boy, don’t stand there and tell lies!” but Arthur insisted it was the truth, he had been home for lunch and heard the news on the radio. The School Office confirmed it; yes George VI was dead.

There was a lengthy period of official mourning, but spirits gradually lifted as Princess Elizabeth took up her role as the new monarch and plans were made for her Coronation in the summer of 1953. As a young college student Bob Boorman recalled going with friends on a grand tour on London buses to see the decorations that had been put up all over the city. Having been brought up in the ‘black out’ and austerity of the war years Bob had never seen anything like it. The evening sky glowed: the ‘Coronation Arches’ of flags, trimmings and lights; the beautiful floodlit public buildings; The Festival Hall and the lights along the Thames.

Coronation Day, June 2nd was a Public Holiday and people were pleased to have the opportunity to celebrate. Most households didn’t have a television in those days, so families like Ruth Collyer’s on Victoria Road, invited friends and neighbours in to watch the programme with them. Di Blair also remembered a house packed with people, squeezed in to their living room, to watch the grainy black and white image on the 9 inch screen. It is hard for modern viewers, with so many channels and choices, to realise how special the TV and radio broadcasts were on that day; the pomp and ceremony of the event was relayed to millions of people via the BBC programmes, and most people across the country watched or listened.

As well as London, most towns and villages made a real effort to decorate their neighbourhood. Bob came home to be part of Knaphill’s Coronation celebrations. A procession had been arranged through the village and he was persuaded to join the ‘recorder band’. There was a big party on the ‘top’ recreation ground, with various sports events, floats and fun. There were many local street parties too. Di and Ruth both remembered neighbours shared in the preparations: made decorations, begged and borrowed trestle tables, made sandwiches and cakes, orange squash, pots of tea and often someone wheeled out a piano or brought along an accordion so people made their own music and sang.

When the children went back to school there was a Commemorative Mug for every child. The Radio Times and most newspapers had special editions with photographs, and British Pathé produced a film of the Coronation that many schools and families went to watch it at the cinema. Do you have memories or memorabilia from the Coronation? How our lives have changed since then. We have lots of improvements and good things to enjoy now, but somehow memories linger on, reminding those who were growing up in the 1950’s of a simpler time………

Thanks to all those who shared their memories and photographs with KRA and helped in the preparation of this article.
Special thanks to Ruth Collyer, Bob Boorman, Di Blair, Mrs Kathleen Boorman, June Harding, Sylvia and Derek Cloak.

Sainsbury’s win planning appeal

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Some background information

In2010 Cliftons submitted a planning application to redevelop the site of their old shop at 15 High Street, Knaphill and the bungalow at 6 Fosters Lane. The application was to replace the current shop and workshops with a three storey building containing 12 flats on 1st and 2ND floors and a large shop on the ground floor. This application was agreed with a number of conditions one of which was to limit the hours the shop could be open to customers, under the original planning decision the shop could open from 08.00am until 8.00pm and Sunday trading hours. It was at this points that Sainsbury’s publically stated that they were to take on the lease of the shop but wanted to open from 07.00am until 10.00pm Monday to Saturday inclusive. This request for extended opening hours was recommend to be accepted by Woking’s Planning Authority. The Planning Committee were concerned with the traffic and the impact on residents who live in the centre of Knaphill and agreed to Sainsbury’s being allowed to have the extended opening hours for a trial period of 12 months. Sainsbury’s rejected the offer of a trial and went to appeal.

Planning Officers Decision

The Planning Inspector has found in favour of Sainsbury’s, sorry I should report in favour of Commercial Development Projects Ltd, Sainsbury’s did not want the publicity. The Inspector has given permission for the new shop to be open to customers from 07.00am to 10.00pm (07.00-22.00) Mondays to Saturdays and 08.00am to 09.00pm (08.00 – 21.00). In reaching this decision the Inspector refers to the opening hours of the Co-op and the petrol station. The Inspector also points out that the appeal was only to examine the question of the shops opening hours as the Council had already approved the design and build of the new development. On the request for the extension the Inspector also points out in the report that the Planning Authority fully supported the request for extended opening hours.

Road Safety

One other change is in connection with car parking at the rear of the new store. The majority of parking bays are for the residents of the flats but on the original application 5 parking bays were for staff and customers. The Highways Authority initially stated that they had no objections to the plan and it was passed as originally outlined, 5 parking bays for staff and customers. The Highways Authority then changed their position and by the time the application for extended hours came before the Planning Committee the Highways Authority stated that it would be unsafe for the car park to be open to customers, on grounds of the amount of vehicles entering and leaving the car park. The decision of the Planning Inspector is to revert to the original plan and therefore the 5 parking bays reserved for staff will also be available to customers. The Inspectors argument is that if customers cannot park behind the shop they will park in the High Street and that could result in congestion and highway safety problems.

 

So 5 parking bays for staff and customers, if say 3 members of staff drive to work that leaves only 2 customer parking bays, people will finish up parking on the road especially early morning and late at night. The passing of this plan will give rise to highway safety issues.

Impact on the village

The basic question is; does Knaphill require two Sainsbury’s stores within 800 metres of each other? This new store will have a detrimental effect on the current choice of shopping in the village; more premises will probably become available for more take-aways. The next question is what will happen to the HSBC bank when the Knaphill branch closes next month, one thing we can be sure of whoever puts in a planning application Woking Borough Council will not take into considerations the views of local resident’s.