Email to Councillors Re: Holly Parade, Cobham - Planning Application 2016/2185

Fri 13 Jan 2017

Dear Councillors,

I apologised for writing to you three days ago and I am afraid I must now apologise again for this submission but the seriousness of the situation regarding this application and the consequences if it were approved on Tuesday on the basis of the evidence, analysis and conclusions put forward by the planning officer leaves one increasingly disturbed. The developer contacted me today and remarked that this application had caused much angst in the community; this is true, but this angst has not been of our making. We and other objectors have been consistently ignored right up to and including at the South Area Planning Committee hearing when the "unsafe" approval to the application was given.

Our Leading Counsel, Matthew Horton QC from 39 Essex Court Chambers - an acknowledged planning expert - has settled the attached Opinion just a few hours ago. You will see he uses strong language and I give just four examples:

• Para 8 "...is manifestly flawed and therefore not reliable in law"
• Para 8 "Factually that is incorrect just as is her bizarre proposition that the building as a whole would not be “overbearing”
• Para 9 "That is an entirely inadequate manner in which to advise members."
• Para 10 “In my experience, that demonstrates an indefensible indifference by the Planning Officer to the conservation issues arising in this case” and "I regard this advice to be particularly damning and the failure of the Planning Officer to request it earlier to be unpardonable and incompetent. In my opinion, in reliance on that advice, permission should be refused.”

After reading his Opinion we hope you will share with us that this planning application should be refused.

With best wishes and again apologies for disturbing your weekend.

Gerry Acher

Click here to view QC's Opinion.

Cobham Green Belt Threat

Those of you who attended our Open Meeting in December will have heard Councillor James Browne explain that the Council was having to produce a new Local Plan, and a major part of the Plan was to provide 9,480 new homes by 2035 - an increase of 5,755 more than previously planned.

I am sure the first thought that came to most people's mind was 'What about the infrastructure, roads, local school places, local health provision etc?". What we are faced with is the possible loss of three areas of Green Belt land within the borough of Elmbridge:-

1. North of Blundell Lane in the Knowle Hill Park, Fairmile Park, and the Polyapes (Scout Camp) area, and the area of land up to the "Brickpit" pond which includes a number of designated "Ancient Woodland Areas".
2. Chippings Farm and the Fairmile between the Portsmouth Road and the A3.

These two are local and the third area is in Long Ditton near the A3.

We are now in a Consultation Period lasting up until the 10th February 2017.

You can find out more about what is proposed and how it might affect you by attending one of the drop in sessions provided by the council as detailed below, and by reading the documentation on the Elmbridge Borough Council website via the following link:

  www.consult.elmbridge.gov.uk/consult.ti/lpsoc/consultationHome

Council Drop in Sessions

It is vital that you let the Council know your thoughts and concerns by responding to the Consultation, either by using the online consultation portal questionnaire or printing out the Response Form and e-mailing it to the Council at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by post to Planning Policy, Planning Services, Elmbridge Borough Council, Civic Centre, High Street, Esher, KT10 9SD.

Our team is analysing the information provided, and we will be putting more information on this website (www.cobhamheritage.org.uk) and the Cobham Greenbelt website (www.cobhamgreenbelt.org.uk), which we feel will be helpful during this consultation period.

Other local organisations including Cobham & Downside Residents' Association, Stoke D'Abernon Residents' Association and Oxshott Residents' Association (Fedora) are also very concerned and are objecting to these proposals.

Finally, the Government, who are pushing for more homes to be built, has emphasised that Greenbelt designation should only be amended "In exceptional circumstances" and "with the support of local people".

We do hope you will take part in the Consultation and encourage your neighbours and friends to voice their opinion. It is our communities which could be affected.

Holly Parade Development in Cobham to be considered at Full Planning Meeting. Why it should be Refused.

NOTE: Planning Meeting Time brought forward, see new times in red below

Those of you who were able to join a capacity gathering at our Open Meeting in December will have heard the disappointment expressed in no uncertain manner at the news that the South Area Planning Sub-Committee had recommended approval of 1-7 Holly Parade (Planning Ref 2016/2185). Our view remains that the Officers report was flawed and some of the content legally unsound, with little or no reference made to the letters of opposition. Hopefully all is not lost and the Application will now go to a meeting of the Full Planning Committee on the 17th January 2017.

I have written to the Chairman and members of the Full Planning Committee, with relevant enclosures pointing out our fundamental concern at the decision. We continue to challenge the mass, height and design of the building, its view from the conservation area coming from Riverhill and air quality in our High Street.

We also pointed out that the Council Conservation Officer was not consulted, even though the proposed development would be visible from the Conservation Area. I can report that comments have now been lodged by the Conservation Officer, who has reported:

"I consider there would be the possibility of this part of the building being visible from within the Conservation Area, particularly in the part of the High Street nearer to River Hill which is in the vicinity of a number of listed buildings. Given its height and bulk and large flat roof area, I consider, therefore, that there could be some detrimental impact on the setting of the Conservation Area."

We have gathered together various documents below including our correspondence to members of the Planning Committee, together with the comments provided by the Conservation Officer.

This Application will be considered at the Full Planning Committee meeting to be held at the Civic Centre,High St, Esher KT10 9SD on Tuesday 17th January starting at 7.00pm 7.45pm, and we urge you to come along to this meeting to support our opposition to this application in its present form. It is most important that we have a good turn out. We are hoping to meet outside the main entrance to the Civic Centre at 6.30pm 7.15pm and we will have a suitable banner to make our point about this flawed application. Please feel free to bring your own placards!

It was very disappointing that at the Sub-Committee Hearing less than 20 objectors came along in person, despite the fact that there were some 450 written objections. So if you want to support us come out and show that support on Tuesday 17th January 2017 – wrap up warmly and we shall see you at 6.30pm 7.15pm outside the main entrance of the Elmbridge Borough Council, Civic Centre, High St, Esher KT10 9SD.

Read more: Holly Parade Development in Cobham to be considered at Full Planning Meeting. Why it should be...

Opposition to the 1-7 Holly Parade Planning Application 2016/2185

At the Elmbridge Borough Council South Area Planning meeting on the 12th December 2016, the 1-7 Holly Parade planning application (Ref 2016/2185) was approved by 6 votes to 2 with one abstention for forwarding to the Full Planning Committee next month.

Gerry Acher spoke on behalf of Cobham Conservation & Heritage Trust to oppose the application. For those who were unable to attend, the details of what was said is shown below:-

Councillors and Officers, good evening and thank you for affording me the opportunity to speak. As Chairman of Cobham Heritage I speak for our 1,100 members who represent approaching 15% of the households in in KT11.

First, I apologise for bombarding you with a long report just before the weekend. We had less than a week to consider the planning officer’s report and felt the conclusions so deeply flawed - and I use these words advisedly and not emotionally - it was just not possible to summarise it.

Of course, we want to see this site developed – the current buildings are an eyesore and the empty shops are damaging our high street but this application is wrong for Cobham. Sadly,in three minutes I can only deal with two of the many issues.

But this application went off the rails at the start. Pre-planning advice covered impact on the character of the area and encouraged the developer to submit the application. The die was cast and in our view the officer’s report tries to justify that advice rather than provide an objective critique.

Read more: Opposition to the 1-7 Holly Parade Planning Application 2016/2185