Residents that wrote to object to the second planning application [15/P/01670] have been notified recently by letter from Guildford Borough Council dated 14 April 2016 that an appeal [PINS Ref: APP/W/Y3615/W/16/3146286] has been lodged against Guildford Borough Council's refusal of planning permission. The appeal commenced 11 April 2016 and comments should be submitted by 16 May 2016 to The Planning Inspectorate, 3/05 Wing, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Temple Quay, Bristol, BS16PN or by email to the PINS case officer Paul Puddy at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. In both instances, quote ref APP/W/Y3615/W/16/3146286 and 3 copies of any documents are requested.
Residents are reminded that the first submission for planning permission for 90 units was taken to appeal and subsequently refused; a NAG member attended that public enquiry at GBC offices and made representations regarding the appropriateness of that application. The second submission, for a reduced number of units, was an outline application for a residential scheme of 78 units comprising of a mix of 1 and 2 bedroom flats, 2, 3 and 4 bedroom houses and 405 sq. metres of retail space all matters reserved except access.
In the officer report recommending refusal on the second occasion, the key points were
- The development was in the Green Belt, outside the settlement boundary and would be harmful to the openness of the Green Belt, failing to show the very special circumstances required to outweigh the substantial harm arising.
- It was not demonstrated that the quantum of development could be accommodated on the site without causing significant harm to the character of the area.
- The site lies in the 400m-5km zone of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area and the local planning authority could not satisfy itself that the proposed development would not have an adverse effect on the integrity of the SPA and the relevant SSSI.
- There was an absence of a completed planning obligation to secure the delivery of 27 affordable housing units.
The appeal will take place in the context of the newly published revised draft Guildford Local Plan, usually referred to as the 'emerging' local plan, and the proposal to identify the land between Flexford and Normandy as a 'strategic site', targeted primarily for 1,100 new homes and a major secondary school of up to 7 entry-level classes, implying ultimately over 1,000 students.