Hello! Are you bothered by planning applications?
Knowle Lane Planning application number WA/2023/00294 click here
Cranleigh Society team recognises that the owner of some land in the centre of Cranleigh is among us, and is well thought of. However many people are extremely unhappy about the prospect of more housing along Knowle Lane and wish to object strenuously.
Here are some initial observations for you – firstly – this proposal is outside the settlement boundary as shown in Waverley BCs Local Plan. click here to view
- The overall concept of the masterplan and density are similar to other recent approvals so are likely to prove acceptable to WBC – i.e. not unlawful. The developer has won the last 7 appeals on behalf of clients. Appeals cost the taxpayers huge amounts of money.
- New Residents may use their cars to visit Cranleigh for shopping, although the houses are parallel with Fortune Drive, because walking along the Downs Link to the High Street is too far and unsuitable for most purposes. Walking along Knowle Lane is extremely hazardous. The nearest bus stops in the High Street Horsham road are quite a trek.
- Knowle Lane is a narrow rural road carrying local traffic and an increased traffic flow from this proposed development would contribute to unacceptable vehicle movements especially at the junction between Knowle Lane and Cranleigh High Street which is difficult enough at the present time.
- The proposed junction from the development onto Knowle Lane is just below a blind brow when approached from the South and would likely create a potentially dangerous situation. The access road is shown coming out of a cutting which will restrict visibility, particularly to the South, shortening the reaction time for drivers to take avoiding action. It is also immediately adjacent to the private road serving several existing properties, adding to an already hazardous situation.
- Disruption during building phase is not a planning objection point but building in phases would impact new residents as the construction traffic for phases 2 and 3 will all have to pass already occupied properties.
- It appears that the Southern part of the development will be reliant upon a pumping station to remove sewage. This is not ideal and together with the balance of the site drainage may overload the existing sewers.
- The houses that are already there will be almost surrounded, exposing the residents to intolerable loss of their rural location, noise, light, smells, lack of privacy and disruption. These properties are very old and need to be cared for.
- Having to remove trees and hedgerows that have retained the fields for decades will surely harm wildlife.
- When Berkeley Homes were finally granted planning permission on appeal, it was stated that no more housing would be allowed along Knowle Lane.
Infrastructure – provision of fresh water, sewerage systems, electricity, doctors, school places, and ability to drive around the roads, parking, broadband, mobile phone signals and bus services.
There are legal obligations on all infrastructure providers to catch up with developments, but Cranleigh has yet to be serviced appropriately since the new housing has been built out. Our councils can’t control the build out rate, or the rate at which tax money comes in per agreements (section 106, CIL and others) and can sometimes loose the promised cash for projects such as upgrading the High Street! In addition the Government has said that new housing can no longer be fitted with gas boilers after 2025, so any developments before then will probably have them! Recently new housing has not included alternative sources of energy – how can that be right? Retrofitting is so distressing!
We wish you well and hope the forthcoming week is fun – maybe half term brings you to playing with little ones, maybe Valentine’s day is extra special, maybe getting around when the kids are off school suits you better! Whatever you are doing this week, do take time to think about our planning processes and why we end up with vast amounts of new housing – such as happened in the 1970s.
We DO welcome newcomers to Cranleigh!
Thank you for joining in our village way of life!!
Well said – Cranleigh Developments have to cease, until there are some Major Infrastructure improvements – which we know are never going to happen. I hope more people speak out
Wildlife has to have somewhere to go…so more ancient trees and hedgerows are to go again…there is an impact to this high density housing…planting a few tree to placate the planning committee isn’t enough…more cars equals more roadkill too….come on…we can’t take anymore it’s so depressing….
Good unbiased reasoning behind these observations. Let’s all make our feelings felt in response to this outline town planning application
1. Berkeley homes were limited to 50 homes debouching on to Knowle lane fir good reasons . The access to the High Street is difficult and the approach road is often one way because of the tyre firm and related cars
Sitting I
On the double yellow line .
2 The sewage treatment works is overloaded as Thames admit, particularly the wet weather storage tank capacity. We now know that Thames are going to enlarge the treatment works but the number of homes it is to be enlarged to cope with has not been stated , and is unlikely to include the 175 homes envisaged here.
3 I thought the local plan would provide protection as this site was not identified as a potential housing site in the plan. Now I learn the local plan is still in DRAFT ! Several years after the parish council took it over from the local plan committee made up of residents as the government intended.
We must object to Waverley although they do not seem to have warned us about this planning application .
Good luck all objectors
If this application is approved it is yet another indication from Waverley BC that regulations can be ignored.
If this goes ahead it will be another step towards building on any area of countryside is allowed.
I note the person who owns the land proposed to be developed is said to be a respected member of the Cranleigh Community. I would suggested they have no respect for the community, residents or the countryside.
No more housing…no more pollution…..no more covering our green spaces with concrete.
Yes, was surprised by the location of this most recent large housing application. However, the developers will know WBC don’t have a 5 year housing supply and WBC have also been warned by Government they may be put into special measures for failing to process planning applications quickly enough. That means the planning inspectorate is more likely to allow this and other similar applications in and around the Cranleigh area. I also believe taking measures to try to undermine approved applications such as Dunsfold Garden Village (DGV) will exacerbate the situation. Refusing to reinstate Elmbridge rd bridge for example to two lane free flowing traffic is a recent continuation of a measure that may undermine delivery of housing to the (DGV). Added to this I believe the current SCC Cranleigh High Street improvement proposals that propose to reduce free parking spaces, remove bus lay-bys, remove roundabouts and install raised platforms throughout the village High Street will render the High Street less accessible or viable for businesses. In the almost 60 years I have lived in and around Cranleigh non delivery of infrastructure has not stopped the continuous housing development here. It has just destroyed the quality of life for the occupants of the village from my experience.
I am a tad confused. Is Cranleigh Society actually “for” or “against” more housing development – or is this just a chat room /taking shop / social group? Does Society have any teeth, leverage, or influence in real terms as regards further development – or is it just a pressure release mechanism for the good folk of Cranleigh?
I feel that it will go ahead regardless, but access to Knowle Lane would be so dangerous, unless they build pavements all the way into the Village, which is totally impractical. How on earth would the residents get into Cranleigh on foot ? Dark winter nights with Glebelands pupils walking down Knowle Lane ? Sad that the land owner, whoever that person is, is willing to do this to the Village.
While it is appreciated that the concept of the masterplan and the density of the housing generally satisfies the criteria of the Local Plan, I should like to lodge some objections on the following rounds:
1. Knowle Lane is a narrow rural road carrying local traffic and an increased traffic flow generated by this proposed development would contribute to unacceptable vehicle movements especially at the junction between Knowle Lane and Cranleigh High Street which is difficult enough at present.
2. When Berkerley Homes were finally granted planning approval on appeal, it was stated that no more housing would be permitted along Knowle Lane.
3. The proposed junction from the development onto Knowle Lane is just below the blind brow of a hill when approached from the South and would likely create a potentially dangerous situation. The access road is shown coming out of a cutting which will restrict visibility, particularly to the South, shortening the reaction time for drivers to take avoiding action. It is also immediately adjacent to the private road serving several existing properties, adding to an already hazardous situation.
4. It appears that the foul drainage from the site will feed into the existing sewers in Northdowns which are understood to be flowing at full capacity now.
5. Residents are more likely to use their cars to visit Cranleigh for shopping, etc than on other recently built schemes as walking along the Downs Link to the High Street is too far and unsuitable for most purposes. The nearest bus stops in the Horsham Road are also quite a trek through Northdowns or Longhust Park.
On point 1, planning appeals are not expensive but are an informal process before an inspector appointed from the planning dept. appeals office in Bristol. What is expensive are judicial reviews of such process but as the developers Gleeson Land are not wealthy and the landowners are private individuals who might have to pay High Court costs , a judicial review is less likely.
thanks – much appreciated Derek
Good thought. However, think an inspector and judicial review are more likely than not to allow planning permission whilst WBC don’t have a 5 year housing supply.
Objection sent to Waverley for this wholly inappropriate proposed development.
CCS have looked into the Berkeley Homes documents and found the following which you might like to read and pass on as appropriate.
Outline Planning Application WA/2014/0912
Appeal Decision dated 01 April 2016
Para 36 – In which it concludes that access into the site from Knowle Lane ‘is only acceptable for a smaller development of 75 dwellings due to highway capacity issues’. This obviously only relates specifically to Berkeley Homes themselves but it infers that any further developments accessing Knowle Lane would face the same problem of highway capacity issues as well and this might be the main reason for objecting to the current proposals.
Hope this helps.