A community website from WCRA - the Westfield Common Residents' Association - based in Westfield, Woking, UK » Planning Applications

Open Spaces Society Press Release

the WCRA Editor — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 14:33:41 +0000

The Open Spaces Society (OSS) have published a press release concerning the recent decision by the Planning inspectorate to refuse the common land swap proposed by Woking Borough Council.

The press release can be found here: http://www.oss.org.uk/westfield-common-woking-saved-from-degradation/

Planning Inspectorate refuse permission for land exchange

the WCRA Editor — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 13:26:19 +0000

The Planning Inspectorate has refused permission for the common land exchange requested by Woking Borough Council in order to create a road access to the proposed housing development into the farm land north of Moor Lane.

The planning inspectors report is attached below:
westfield_common_decision_03_11_10

WCRA Objection letter – Access Application No. 2 (PLAN/2009/0764)

the WCRA Editor — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:38:37 +0000

The deadline for submitting comments on the 2nd Access Application (PLAN/2009/0764) is the 30th September 2009.

To assist you with submitting comments a copy of the objection letter submitted on behalf of WCRA is attached.

: Title: WCRA - Access 2 Objection - no - 20090929
File: WCRA-Access-2-Objection-no-20090929.pdf
Size: 168 kB

Deadline for Objections to Access Application No. 2

the WCRA Editor — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:49:33 +0000

Title: Deadline for Objections to Access Application No. 2
Location: Woking Borough Council
Description: All objections must be submitted before the 30th September. Remember at least 10 objections must be submitted to obtain speakers rights at the planning committee.
Date: 2009-09-30

The new access application

the WCRA Editor — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:18:20 +0000

A 2nd planning application for the “Moor Lane” site has been submitted by WBC. The reference number for the application is PLAN/2009/0764.

For those of you who struggle to access the WBC Planning Portal (and I know there are many) the relevant documents are attached below:

"Idealised" Site Layout

The same old access roads

Balfour Junction "improvement" alternatives

Proposed Balfour Avenue Widening

Good bye tree lined avenue

All rights acknowledged.

Planning Committee – Transcript of the WCRA Speech

the WCRA Editor — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:47:34 +0000

For those who were unable to attend the meeting, here is a transcript of the speech that was delivered by Kerry. Enjoy!

Moor Lane Access – Planning Application – Reference: PLAN/2009/0434

On behalf of fellow Westfield Common residents here tonight to show that they object to this application we would wish the committee to take the following into consideration
Permission for the outline application in 2006 was conditional on sign-off of a legal agreement between WBC & SCC. This in turn was conditional on WBC demonstrating that transport access was viable. Neither have been done. According to the Planning Officers report, outline permission has not been granted and this application becomes null and void in view of this.
The purpose of this application is to demonstrate that WBC can deliver access routes to the site free from significant financial risk, over which they can exercise more control and there is no guarantee that these are the access routes that will ultimately be developed. This is for the benefit of the developers in that allows WBC to demonstrate that the developers will not take on exposure to financial risk and also allows WBC to move forward with the legal agreement previously mentioned. WBC are attempting to manipulate the planning process to suit the requirements of the PFI / Planning lifecycle and this application is no more that an artifice to achieve this.
The application purports to represent 3 access points to the proposed development site whereas, in actuality, the sole point of access is via a single junction – namely that of Balfour Avenue onto Westfield Road. We would contest that to narrow the application scope and ignore access onto the major road does not fulfil the councils own statement of intent made in a letter to residents dated 29/4/09 of determining “the most realistic and deliverable points of access”.
The application fails to justify how proposed access options can be “the most realistic and deliverable” as it includes no documentation clarifying the proposed development design and hence density. It states its purpose as being to determine access points suitable for a development of 200 homes which is in direct conflict with the density of 470 homes stated in WBCs literature. Until the scale and design of the development is accurately and definitively decided any application for access routes cannot be realistically granted as there is insufficient information available to allow for fully informed decision.
A comprehensive review of the application in conjunction with professional analysis of the Transport Statement highlights significant flaws including indisputable analytical errors and the artificial deflation of traffic density by the use of out of date data. The planning officers report defers the issues raised by our review to consideration under future planning applications however, we would expect any publicly funded body to be legally bound to show a duty of care in the construction of its planning applications and would hope that the useful expedient of pushing problems forward to another application would not be permitted as a method of ignoring errors within this one.
In conclusion it is inappropriate and in our belief fundamentally wrong to propose an access application separate from the full application for the site, as without the details for the proposed development of the site it is impossible to properly debate the appropriateness of any proposed access. We would therefore request the committee to reject the application with the further recommendation that any application for access to the development site be made only as part of a full planning application which should cover all aspects of the proposed development, be made in full consultation with WCRA and utilise a mutually acceptable Transport Consultant.

Access Application Rejected

the WCRA Editor — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:11:00 +0000

07th July 2009: Planning Committee rejects Application for Access to Moor Lane Site

A majority vote by the planning committee members saw the access applicated rejected in its entirity.

An excellent objection speech was delivered by WCRA spokesperson Kerry Denholm-Price.

A personal representation was made by Councillor McCrum who was prevented by committee rules from voting on the matter (he had to declare a personal interest as a local resident).

After an interesting series of questions from the Planning Committee members, a motion to reject the application was proposed and seconded by Councillors Brown and Sanderson.

Further News

Transcript of speech – see here
Local Media Coverage – see here
Minutes of Planning Committee (07th July 2009) – see here

Attend the Planning Committee

the WCRA Editor — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:35:02 +0000

We would encourage all interested parties to attend the planning meeting and lend your support to the speaker from WCRA.

It’s time we presented the human face of the objectors to our council representatives.

Access – Planning Officer Report Published

the WCRA Editor — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:23:01 +0000

The report is attached (click on this link Planning Officer Report) and can be also accessed from the Woking Borough Council site here: WBC Website.

Unsurprisingly it is a recommendation to grant planning permission.

More Access Planning Docs

the WCRA Editor — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:57:57 +0000

Three new technical submission docs have been posted onto WBC’s planning portal consisting of:

A rebuttal from Mayer Brown on the Coles Easden transport review, planning objections (in summary) and (special mention) Colin Weeks. See Response to Transport Objections
Arboricultural Method Statement – Basically what trees are being chopped down and how they are going to protect the rest of the trees for the route of Westfield Way. See Arboricultural Methods Statement
Arboricultural Implications Statement – Further info of the tree removal and mitigation. See Arboricultural Implications Assessment

So the jist – The methods used to determine access is “sound” in their opnion oh and by the way here a list of the trees that are going to be removed to construct the new road of Westfield Way plus how the other trees not scheduled for the axe will be protected.

I urge you ALL to read.