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Weybridge Society Your community association working for Weybridge Autumn 2019 Hon. Patron – Michael Aspel OBE EBC CHANGES RULES ON DETERMINING PLANNING APPLICATIONS MOVE OVERRIDES STRONG PUBLIC OUTCRY In a move that now makes it much tougher in the number of objections required to send for residents to oppose contentious planning an application automatically to committee for applications, and despite widespread local review, after an officer has recommended opposition, the Main Planning Committee of to permit. Elmbridge Borough Council (EBC) on 23rd While the Weybridge Society certainly July agreed to broadly revise its scheme for welcomes efforts to streamline performance making decisions on planning applications. and improve decision-making at EBC, the The changes, which were aimed Society, along with many other residents’ at improving the efficiency of decision- organisations, strongly objected not only making on planning applications and driven to the proposed changes to the scheme by concerns that other Surrey councils IN THIS ISSUE were outperforming EBC in deciding on Welcome to our autumn issue applications within government target featuring ARCHITECTURAL timescales, were set to take effect from TREASURES OF WEYBRIDGE! 1st September and are therefore already You might be familiar with local history, in force. but you’ll still be amazed by the wealth of A major controversial issue in the new architecture in our midst! rules is the introduction of a 28-day timescale As ever, our quarterly newsletter also from the moment the application becomes brings you news on developments in our live on the database, which will effectively area – Weybridge Society always working reduce the time residents can contact their for you! ward councillors to ask that the application 13 HIDDEN WEYBRIDGE TREASURE: not be decided by the planning officer on CHAPEL OF ST CHARLES BORROMEO his own but be debated in committee. The 18 SAVING ST JAMES – JEWEL OF WEYBRIDGE reduction in review time will necessitate increased vigilance on the part of residents 21 GRADE II LISTED ENTRANCE GATES TO OATLANDS PARK REFURBISHED and our planning panel to become aware 23 RECOLLECTIONS OF A WEYBRIDGE of and deal with harmful applications. In CHILDHOOD addition to this new negative consequence, 26 LAST CHANCE FOR CHERTSEY ABBEY the rule changes include a massive increase EXHIBITION Weybridge Society Newsletter – Autumn 2019 by which applications are delegated, but the contrary, that it is only the strong views also the manner in which these changes of residents and public outcry that have were pushed through. Specifically, the prevented major errors occurring in the Society was disappointed that the new determination of several recent important rules were not subject to any consultation applications, and that it is very much the or advice by residents' associations before business of councillors to represent and being discussed in detail by the Main consider local community views and take Planning Committee. decisions accordingly. Another particularly damning point, Following the news of the proposed which the Society has made known to changes, many local residents’ associations EBC, is that the council’s justifications for like the Weybridge Society and Walton the changes are not supported by any Society wrote to their members to alert quantitative statements on the benefits which them to the changes and complain to their EBC predicts will happen, either in a rising councillors about the process. percentage of applications determined within ‘That only 17 councillors out of 48, government targets or in savings in officer effectively selected by group or party voting, costs. Disappointingly this lack of data was were able to decide on such matters is, in not questioned at the 23rd July meeting of our view, disgraceful,’ the Walton Society the Planning Committee where the changes stated in its email on 4th August, further were agreed by a majority of councillors. advising its members to sign up to the new Only four councillors, representing residents’ ‘Alerts’ that EBC will now send to residents associations rather than political parties, in case of an application within 500 metres of registered their reservations and voted their property. against the new rules. The Weybridge Society also recommends In parallel with the Society’s objection, that its members and all Weybridge residents more than 150 residents signed a petition sign up to this ‘Alerts’ service, which simply requesting that the decision should be requires creating a secure account with a elevated to the EBC Cabinet. That petition password online at EBC. Once you have an was ignored by the Main Planning Committee Elmbridge account (or if you already have on the basis that it had the authority to make one), sign in and you will see a menu and the determination. a form to fill out for the alerts. The Society It is the Society’s position that in advises choosing the maximum alert studiously avoiding scrutiny and flying in the radius – 500 metres of your home, so that face of public opinion, the manner in which you have the maximum possible time to start these rule changes were made is entirely any opposition to a contentious application. contrary to the spirit of the government's More details of the new scheme for stated policy of involving local communities planning application decisions can be found at in planning polices and decisions. This www.elmbridge.gov.uk/planning/making-the- example of EBC’s lack of community decision involvement is fully illustrated by its statement The following paragraphs are a in its draft justification, which notes that the simplified summary of this document, and Councillors’ role ‘is not to represent local the Weybridge Society strongly suggests all community views.’ residents take a closer look at the new rules The Society would like to point out to and contact EBC with any issues. 2 Weybridge Society Newsletter – Autumn 2019 Quick Summary The majority of planning decisions are made by planning officers under delegated powers, but some larger or contentious applications are decided by the Area Planning Sub-Committees or Main Planning Committee. The Area Sub-Committees will decide the following: • Minor applications (1-9 dwellings or non-residential development less than 1000 sqm) recommended for approval by officers and there are objections from 15 or more households. • All applications ‘referred’ by a ward councillor for the ward within which the application is situated, within 28 days of validation. The referral shall be done on a conditional basis, i.e. either against permission or refusal. The Main Planning Committee will decide the following: • Major applications (10+ dwellings or 1000 sqm+ non-residential floorspace) which are recommended for approval by officers and there are objections from 15 or more households. • Major applications ‘referred’ to the Planning Committee by a ward member for the ward within which the application is situated. • Any two members of the Main Planning Committee have referred an application from an Area Planning Sub-Committee to the Planning Committee. EBC’S LOCAL PLAN OPEN TO PUBLIC FEEDBACK Elmbridge Borough Council (EBC) is in housing target for 9,400 homes. the process of preparing a new Local The Weybridge Society, however, is Plan which is due to be in operation in arguing that the Government target is old 2021. The parameters of the plan are and based on extrapolated needs, rather constrained by the 2018 Government- than actual numbers that reflect population set standard methodology to calculate growth and movement in and out of how many new homes are needed in Elmbridge over the last two years. each area, which for EBC is 9,400 new Representatives of the Society listened homes to be built in a 15-year period glumly to EBC’s presentation at Esher Civic beginning 2021. Offices on 27th August 2019, where EBC EBC’s revised Local Plan is now open stated that as the methodology applied to to public debate, having just completed the Local Plan had been handed down by its first consultation phase. EBC has Government, all challenges and appeals, announced that it is evaluating five options, both to the Minister and to local MPs, had some of which meet the Government’s been dismissed. 3 Weybridge Society Newsletter – Autumn 2019 The numbers of new dwellings Elmbridge’s current target is 623 new generated by the standard methodology dwellings per annum, or 9,345 over the appear to magically add up to the prescribed 15-year period, an increase of Government’s published new homes target 16% in the Borough’s housing stock. EBC of 300,000 per annum when aggregated is, in parallel, developing an infrastructure across England, which perversely relates plan to request that roads, rail and to 2014 rather than more recent 2016 data. services, utilities, hospitals and medical If targets applied to 2016 data, the number services, educational provision, etc are in of new dwellings required would be lower, place to support this level of growth. It is and therefore it is likely that the out-of-date also developing a separate parking policy government target wouldn’t be achieved. to ensure that new developments take full Unfortunately, all appeals to use more account of local on-road parking conditions recent and presumably more accurate and that areas of parking stress are data have also been dismissed. fully recognised. ‘It’s as if they’re copying that dining In order to achieve this target, EBC has society at Oxford, reputed to eat its formal developed five options, stressing that none dinners in reverse, starting with port, is yet preferred. What may emerge from brandy and cigars, and working back consultation could be a mixture of options through cheese, dessert and mains, to across the Borough to fit most closely with get to the starter and finish with olives,’ local character and needs.

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