“Planning Objections” to Wisley New Town

1. Public Transport – Trains and Busses and lack of them…
2. New Bus Services - along the lanes as being proposed…
3. Local Lane Users (cars, cycles, horses, walkers, and others) - how safe/flooded/bad/congested these are now and what an additional 5000 resident’s vehicles will bring, with their service vehicles and busses - as well as all the construction traffic over the 15-year build cycle. SCC apparently will approve the development provided all these lanes are restricted to 20MPH, etc. but how many expect all motorists to abide by these limits?
4. Users of the A3/M25 – the additional 5000 cars and all their service vehicles are expected to join the A3 and thus the M25 at the roundabout where Ockham Lane comes out. This is the same roundabout via which ALL the RHS Wisley visitor traffic (to and from both London and Guildford) will access the gardens following the M25 junction widening. Many will have experienced congestion and safety issues here even before all these changes.
5. Users of our medical facilities, dentists, schools, etc. Are these overloaded already? The new ~7000 residents (as well as those in the other developments hereabouts) are expected to travel to other existing such facilities!
6. Users of our water, sewerage systems, etc. Even now Water is often rationed (hosepipe bans), the Victorian sewer pipes are overloaded causing “backflows”, and the treatment plans are over capacity such that “waste” is being transported by lorry to be treated elsewhere…
7. Residents concerned about the Climate Emergency – e.g., there is no requirement for this site to be self-sustaining for energy.
8. Residents concerned about the protected wildlife species being threatened – Dartford Warbler, Skylark, Newts and more generally the Special Protection Areas being threatened (Ockham/Wisley Commons)
9. Residents concerned about the loss of local biodiversity e.g., badgers, and other important habitats as well as the local fauna and flora…
10. Residents concerned about the loss of 44 hectares of Best and Most Versatile (BMV) Agricultural Land (damaging food security)
11. Residents concerned Harm to local character and appearance (buildings and landscape and views)
12. Residents concerned about the loss of local residential amenity (to how you are presently able to enjoy the area) – walking, etc.
13. Residents concerned about damage to the area’s character e.g., to Ockham Conservation Area
14. Residents concerned about the cumulative effect of this development (alongside so many other developments locally)

August 2023

Wisley New Town Planning Applications Ref: 23/P/00417 & 22/P/01175

We would like to draw your attention and recommend that you OBJECT to two current planning applications being made to Guildford Borough Council relating to the Wisley New Town project - it's important that you send TWO separate EMAILS to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. one for each application. Please note, emails need to be sent by 6th May 2023 and show your name and address (your address will be redacted by GBC when they post the objections on their website).

There are links below for the suggested wording for the two emails but please feel free to modify them as you see fit. The Heritage Trust has long campaigned against the Wisley New Town project as it would over load our Roads and Infrastructure as well as inappropriately develop former Green Belt Land (removed from the Green Belt by Guildford’s previous council to facilitate this project), ruin grade A agricultural land, lose countless trees and green countryside, cause biodiversity loss on the edge of a site of significant scientific interest, etc. What is more these houses, predominantly private “market” (not affordable) ones, are only to promote growth of Guildford’s population – Guildford’s planned dwelling growth far, far exceeds its ONS forecast family growth.

There has been some confusion over these applications. The Taylor Wimpey application (22/P/01175) is effectively a duplicate of another that had such a negative response (>2000 objections) it has yet to be decided, they are hoping this will wear down the objectors! The “Hallam” application (23/P/00417) is for a parcel of the Wisley New Town land that Taylor Wimpey has hived off in a “divide and conquer” move, which we must insist be considered alongside the overall project plan (this is for one of two “private estates” being planned as part of the project).

I am sure many of you will have already seen this advice about these applications from VAWNT (the objections coordinator) who wrote it and for which we are grateful. As previous objectors you may have had notifications from GBC also – I hope this clarifies things.

Thank you for your ongoing support as we campaign against the unsustainable development of the Wisley New Town!

The suggested text for your objection email are available via the following links (click to view or download):

Hallam Objection text

Wisley Objection text

Wisley New Town Planning Objections - VAWNT Email

Email from Villages Against Wisley New Town (VAWNT) 
email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Thank you for your valued support and patience as the deadline looms large on all our horizons. We have been inundated with requests which is exactly the response we wanted.

The VAWNT Team (including members of OPC and of OHRA) have been trawling through the thousands of pages of documents, and now finalised the templates. This has been referenced to recently updated planning law and previous decisions, which is one of the reasons this has been so time consuming.

There will be many of you who will know what to do when they receive our template letters but this email is aimed at everyone, so take the bits you need and ignore the rest.

We are issuing 2 letters for downloading. One is short with headings and the second, a very long letter with all the background and legal arguments against. The second letter can be used as reference and backup information or sent as an objection.

So, with that in mind, please consider the following points:

• Use your own words under the headings we have provided with the short template, maybe using your own experiences to personalise each item.
• Use different fonts, just be careful of layouts if you are not experienced in Word, as this can throw out the paragraphs.
• Mix up the paragraphs if this feels appropriate and beware of the above.
• Send one objection per member of your household. Note that joint or family objections have been listed as one objection on the GBC website.
• Make sure your address is on your objection, this will be redacted by GBC before they list it on their website but your name will appear.
• Consider printing off copies for neighbours who are not computer able so they can add their own name, address and sign.
• You don’t have to live locally to object to this development, building on farmland and the environment is everyone’s business. If this is an important issue for friends and relatives, please forward on our email.
• If all the above is overwhelming or time is short, please use either one of our template letters by adding your name, address and signature and send it off by whichever method you prefer, ensuring that it is delivered safely and if sending by post, signed for delivery. You will then be confident it has reached its destination.
• They can be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  Alternatively you can create a login and register your objection Registration (www.guildford.gov.uk)
• We recommend you keep an eye on the GBC planning page to ensure your objection is listed. We are unable to monitor this for you, although welcome your copy objections which we have been receiving. https://publicaccess.guildford.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=_GUILD_DCAPR_199899

You will note our closing paragraph includes this sentence “I support the objections made by Ockham Parish Council, Wisley Action Group and East & West Horsley Parish Councils and I strongly recommend that the application is refused.”

Rest assured that these objections by your local parish councils are being drafted in the interests of the residents but are still being finalised and will appear on the GBC website in due course. (If, however, you wish to, please omit that sentence).

And finally….. thank you for taking the time to support us in objecting to this planning application.

We will be around to answer your questions where possible but please bear with us if we don’t respond immediately.

Download Short Template Letter Here

Download Long Template Letter Here

The VAWNT Team
Objection Deadline 3rd October 2022

email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.