UPDATE: FULL PERMISSION GRANTED 22 JUNE 2015
Cranleigh Brickworks situated in open countryside, has been subject to a number of failed planning applications since 2002. The current one is for 19 large dwellings following remediation of the site which is heavily polluted (Waverley Planning Reference WA/2013/1947).
The site as well as being a former brickworks, also stored munitions in the past and was used for chemical production. There is no doubt that the site is polluted, and in 2000 the Environment Agency (EA) declared it a Special Site, as a result of the threat of pollution of Controlled Waters.
However despite its status as one of the most polluted sites in the country it has been bought and sold without the owners being forced to carry out any remediation work.
The current application involves capping the pollution on site with waste material, primarily from other construction projects. This will result in 70 HGV (32 tonne 8 wheel vehicles with a load of 20 tonnes) movements Monday to Friday between the hours of 7:30am and 6:00pm. The lorries will also run on Saturdays from 8:00am to 1:00pm. This will continue for a minimum period of 5 ½ years.
The lorries will run to and from the brickworks site, approximately every 9 minutes during operating hours, via Knowle Lane and Wildwood Lane. It is unclear at present whether the main approach and exit by means of the A281 will be through Alfold or north through Bramley.
We echo local residents’ deeply held concerns about public safety on the highways from vehicle movements of this size and frequency along Knowle Lane and Wildwood Lane. These lanes are extremely narrow and dangerous. Wildwood Lane has sections which are only 4m wide. The lorries proposed will be 2.55m wide, which suggests that along the majority of Wildwood Lane it would not be possible for a car and a lorry to pass safely and impossible for two lorries to pass. These lanes are also marked on the Sustrans (charity promoting sustainable transport) website as regular routes for cyclists. Surrey Highways have raised no concerns about the safety of this route.
From what we can see no upgrades have been planned for the highway to accommodate these vehicles other than some extra signage and hedge cutting, which is already regularly carried out.
If you would like to submit your objection to this application it must be done before the 22 June 2015, when it goes before the Eastern Area Planning Committee for a decision for Full Planning Permission.
Please email today your Cranleigh Borough Councillors who represent you on the Eastern Area Planning Committee and tell them what you think about this application:
Cllr Brian Ellis (Vice Chairman) – brian.ellis@waverley.gov.uk
Cllr Patricia Ellis – patricia.ellis@waverley.gov.uk
Cllr Mary Foryszewski – mary.foryszewski@waverley.gov.uk
Cllr Jeanette Stennett – jeanette@stennetts.com
Cllr Stewart Stennett – stewart.stennett@waverley.gov.uk
Cllr Kevin Deanus – kevin.deanus@waverley.gov.uk
Thank you.
