18 August 2024

Dear NAG Follower,

In this edition:

• National Planning Reforms: A Missed Opportunity?
• Clean Air Research and the Green Belt
• AONB/National Landscape Review
• Local Planning Applications and Appeals decided
• Enforcement Actions
• New Applications of Interest
• GBC Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs)
• Save the Date! NAG AGM 29 October

Apologies that it's been a while since our previous newsletter in April, and that there’s now a lot of ground to cover. We’ve tried to keep this newsletter as short as possible, with links to further material on our website and elsewhere.

National Planning Reforms: A Missed Opportunity?

The new Government has started to unfold its well-trailed strategy for building more homes, including reforms to the planning system; these latter are out for consultation until 24 September. In this article on our website, we offer some general reflections, and consider what these proposals might mean for us in Normandy. In a nutshell: there will be a significant increase in Guildford’s housing target, and significantly less protection for the Green Belt (which comprises 89% of the Guildford Borough area). We shall do our best to keep you updated, and in the meantime we urge you to read the document and to respond if you possibly can. There will be an opportunity to consider further action at our AGM (see below).

Clean Air Research and the Green Belt

“Rural belts around cities can reduce urban temperatures by over 0.5°C”, according to a new study by the Global Centre for Clean Air Research at the University of Surrey and Southeast University (China). One for the policymakers to consider as they think about allowing more building on the edges of settlements in the Green Belt, perhaps.

AONB/National Landscape Review

As you will know, this has been going on since 2021, when Natural England agreed to consider possible extensions to the then Surrey Hills AONB, now National Landscape. They have now published the results of the public consultation held in 2023, to which many of us contributed. Because they propose to include additional areas that were not consulted on then, there will now be a further period of consultation. Details of the new areas will be published this month, with consultation starting in September. Any final decision by the Secretary of State cannot reasonably be expected before 2025.

Local Planning Applications and Appeals decided

22/P/00257 - Temporary 5-year consent for the siting of a portable structure for habitable accommodation (part retrospective). Greenacre Farm, Guildford Road, Normandy, Guildford, GU3 2AR. Refused, on the grounds that would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt, and other reasons.

22/P/00814 - Certificate of lawfulness for an existing use or development to establish whether the use of land for the stationing of mobile homes for residential purposes began more than 10 years before the date of this application. Capel Cottage, Pirbright Road, Normandy, Guildford, GU3 2HU. This was approved in 2022; we include it here for completeness because there is other activity in the region of that site that people have asked us about and on which we may have more to report in future.

23/P/00837 - Erection of 9 dwelling houses following demolition of existing house. Middleton, Ash, Guildford, GU12 6HN. This was refused by GBC and went to an Appeal, which was dismissed on the grounds of harm to openness of the area. We include it because an official complaint has been made against GBC by one of their own Councillors (this does not usually happen!) on the grounds that GBC failed to publish information relating to the Appeal that would have allowed local residents to submit comments. An account of this saga can be found here, and the Appeal decision is here.

24/P/00102 - Certificate of Lawfulness for existing development to establish whether the conversion of a piggery to a single dwelling house was substantially complete and occupied more than four years ago from the date of this application. Pineside Piggeries, Pirbright Road, Normandy, GU3 2AL. Approved, despite a significant number of local objections.

23/P/00572 - Change of use of an area of hard surface directly adjacent to the workshop to allow the parking of non-agricultural vehicles, plant and machinery and the storage of material ancillary to the operation of the site as a workshop (retrospective application). Whipley Farm, Aldershot Road, Normandy, Guildford, GU3 2BE. Refused, and Appeal dismissed on the grounds that the proposal constituted inappropriate development in the Green Belt (decision here).

24/P/00420 - Proposed erection of agricultural outbuilding for storage. Plot No 15, Wanborough Hill, Wanborough, GU3 2JR. Refused, on the grounds that it would constitute inappropriate development in the Green Belt and would be “an obtrusive and dominant introduction to the surrounding Surrey Hills National Landscape”.

24/W/00058 - Application to determine if prior approval is required for a proposed change of Use of Agricultural Buildings to Dwellinghouses and for building operations reasonably necessary for the conversion of two agricultural buildings to create two, three-bedroom dwellings. Park Farm, Elmgrove Lane, Normandy, GU3 2BN. Refused, on the grounds that the application did not meet the various criteria for converting buildings from agricultural to residential use.

Enforcement Actions

EN/18/00220 - Without planning permission the material change of use of the land from agricultural to equestrian, Plot F, Land East of Wanborough Woods, Westwood Lane, Wanborough, Guildford, GU1 2JN. GBC have drawn a line under this long-running saga given a further change of ownership of the site. However, although some fencing and debris remain, most of the unauthorised development has already been removed, so overall this is a WIN for GBC Enforcement - congratulations!

EN/20/00168 - Land and Buildings to the east of Glaziers Lane, Normandy, Guildford GU3 2SF. The applicant appealed against GBC’s ruling against the unauthorised making of a material change of use to the use of the land for residential purposes through the stationing of caravans, the erection on the land of three buildings, gate and fencing, and the laying of hard surfacing to facilitate the stationing of caravans. The Appeal was dismissed on the grounds that this constituted inappropriate development in the Green Belt; decision here. The appellant has now submitted a retrospective application for the stationing of one caravan on the same site – see 24/P/01003 below.

21/P/02167 - Mixed use application for the stationing of caravans for residential use and the keeping of horses; with stables and day rooms ancillary to that use, and development of new hard surfaces. Land to the west of North Wyke Farm, Guildford Road, Normandy, GU3 2AN. This is the unauthorised caravan site now calling itself ‘The Laurels’ on the left of the A323 on the road to Ash. Enforcement Notices have been served but then withdrawn, pending determination of the original planning application, which we still await, nearly three years after it was submitted. The latest development is that part of the track leading into the field has been laid to tarmac.

EN/23/00332 - Without planning permission, operational development comprising engineering and other operations consisting of the importation and laying of materials onto the Land. Without planning permission, operational development comprising the construction of timber raised platform. Without planning permission, operational development consisting of the erection of fencing, gates and posts. Lot A1, Westwood Lane, Wanborough, Guildford, GU3. This is the most egregious unauthorised development in the small AGLV site at Wanborough Fields: it is a real eyesore. It was first the subject of enforcement action as long ago as 2020. It is good to see that GBC is still on the case.

EN/24/00138 Request for Article 4 Direction on the land lying to the West of Bailes Lane, Normandy, GU3 2BA. It is understood that enforcement action may take place in respect of the aggregates laid down by the gate into the field. No further information is available regarding the making of the Article 4 permanent. Our Petition to this effect currently has 162 signatures; please sign it if you have not already done so – you no longer have to create an account to do so.

New Applications of Interest

24/P/00517 - Demolition of the existing building and the erection of a building comprising four two bed residential units and 1 one bed residential unit together with a Class E unit at ground floor and associated parking and amenity areas. Session Music, Guildford Road, Normandy, Guildford, GU3 2DA. 4 public comments so far.

24/P/01003 - Retrospective application for change of use of land to 1 pitch for gypsy/traveller static caravan. Land and buildings to the east of, Normandy, GU3 2SF. See above.

24/P/01167 - Outline application for the construction of a care home, with 17 one-bedroom bungalows with staff accommodation and 10 one and two-bedroom affordable homes with all matters reserved. North Wyke Farm, Guildford Road, Normandy, Guildford GU3 2AN. A previous application for a care home on this site, 23/P/01507 was withdrawn. The present application refers, erroneously it would seem, to changes in the NPPF (see above) that by implication strengthen the case for the application; we do not think this is correct.

A reminder that NAG does not try to comment on all planning applications in Normandy, only those that raise wider policy issues. All applications in Normandy go to public meetings of the Planning Committee of Normandy Parish Council; conclusions are on their website.

GBC Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs)

GBC has been consulting on two SPDs, which develop in greater detail the Policies in the Guildford Local Plan. Although the consultation period has closed, the documents may be of interest. They are: Planning Contributions Supplementary Planning Document and Draft Climate Change, Sustainable Design, Construction and Energy Supplementary Planning Document

Save the Date! NAG AGM 29 October

Our AGM will take place at 8 pm on 29 October in Normandy Village Hall. This will be an opportunity to consider the implications of the national planning reforms for us in Normandy, and what collective action we may wish to take. All are welcome.

We hope you have found the information in this newsletter helpful. Please keep emailing us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to make us aware of local and other issues. And please do try to recruit new followers so that they too can read our regular updates! They can do so very easily by completing the form on our website.