I have stated before that it is my opinion the application should have gone to appeal. But, Development Control Committee having granted Longshot's application, Keith Taylor, the Green MEP for Surrey and the South East, was quite right to urge the Secretary of State, Eric Pickles, to call in the Cherkley Court planning application. Unfortunately, Sir Paul Beresford, our Westminster MP for Mole Valley, urged Mr Pickles not to do so and, indeed, Mr Pickles did not call it in. There seems to have been every attempt made locally to make sure this application remained in the hands of MVDC alone.
If you do read Katie Hannant's letter in the Advertiser, do read Mrs Krikorian's letter also. She makes several very valid points and also makes it clear that there are a large number of objectors, contrary to propaganda that objectors are a small minority.
As for so-called delaying tactics, work is going on a-pace, as both letters in the Advertiser make clear and, indeed, as anyone can see for themselves if they care to take a walk across the Cherkley estate.
The judicial review on the 6th and 7th of June is not an attempt to delay things; it is an attempt to have the planning permission quashed.
Even if the judicial review is successful, sadly the damage already done will take many years to be put right. If, however, the judicial review fails, then we shall have this unnecessary golf course in a county already replete with golf courses and the green light will be given to councils everywhere that Local Plans can be ignored at will. They will not be worth the paper they are written on.
If you do read Katie Hannant's letter in the Advertiser, do read Mrs Krikorian's letter also. She makes several very valid points and also makes it clear that there are a large number of objectors, contrary to propaganda that objectors are a small minority.
As for so-called delaying tactics, work is going on a-pace, as both letters in the Advertiser make clear and, indeed, as anyone can see for themselves if they care to take a walk across the Cherkley estate. The judicial review on the 6th and 7th of June is not an attempt to delay things; it is an attempt to have the planning permission quashed.
Even if the judicial review is successful, sadly the damage already done will take many years to be put right. If, however, the judicial review fails, then we shall have this unnecessary golf course in a county already replete with golf courses and the green light will be given to councils everywhere that Local Plans can be ignored at will. They will not be worth the paper they are written on.
Posts
Brown Envelopes spring to mind.. It's not just the Green Belt, but rumours are that developers/property agents are eyeing up the Conservation area as well. As long as the planners have a cosy relationship with developers & estate agenst this will always go on
ReplyDeleteYou bet they are eyeing up the conservation area. Look at Church Road (no 29?) Appplying to demolish the house and build a few flats and a couple of houses
DeleteI think you are not far from the mark. I would dearly love to see a public enquiry into how this planning permission was granted - but it ain't going to happen. We must pin our hopes on the judicial review.
ReplyDeleteIf that fails, then "Hello, Junction 9 Retail Park" and all those houses that will fill the gap between south Leatherhead & Givon's Grove!
It will be interesting to see who gets Honorary or any other catagory of Club Membership - "in order to monitor things on behalf of the Residents".
ReplyDeleteI hope no one will have Honorary Club Membership or anything else because I hope this unnecessary golf course is not allowed, i.e. I hope the judicial review does quash the permission given by MVDC. I note the judicial review begins on 6th June - the anniversary of D-Day. Let's hope we have another deliverance.
ReplyDeleteBut I agree - should the worst happen and the golf course is established, it will be interesting to see who gets Honorary or any other category of Club membership.
Is this off track? I would rather a golf course than a bunch of houses any day.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is off track. Cherkley is Green Belt, Area of Great Landscape Value and highly visible and publicly accessible agricultural land and therefore not developable land. Had it been possible to put housing on it - the previous owners would have done so!
DeleteHowever once it has been decommissioned at farm land and a golf course a brown field site (as it is now) anything is possible. So allowing it to be a golf course makes it far more vulnerable to future development.
Yes, I believe it is. I cannot imagine for one moment that planning permission for houses would have been given on the Cherkley estate. Indeed, the same councillors that supported the golf course are now opposing any proposal to build houses in the Green Belt in south Leatherhead. But, in my opinion, their case has been weakened by over-riding the Local Plan in the case of the golf course.
ReplyDeleteAlso, if the golf course is established and eventually fails, then, as I understand it, we will have a "Brown Fields" site on the Cherkley downs; and Brown Field sites are favoured for housing.
Leatherhead will be great if:
ReplyDelete1) You don't need to go to hospital
2) You like to play golf on a quiet golf course.
3) You want to buy a house close to an empty golf course.
4) You want a house where the schools have no places left because too much housing has been installed without any though to the supporting infrastructure.
Check out long shots of Cherkley Estate from around Mole Valley....http://www.cherkleycampaign.co.uk/Long_Shots.html
ReplyDeleteLeatherhead is now under great pressure to release Green Belt Land so as to take urban expansion from London. When in 2009, the Council agreed to provide so many new homes under the South East Plan - that was for the South East Region - not for the London Region. These target figures relate to the whole of Mole Valley, not just that area in the north of the District. They should have been rejected by our Councillors.
ReplyDeleteToo many of our organisations in this Town are for the Leatherhead District, including Ashtead and Bookham. Therefore they are not constitutionally able to join forces for the sake of the Town alone. We need to stand together shoulder to shoulder with other members of the Leatherhead Conurbation (to avoid confusion with the word District). So we need 40 or more, honest citizens who care, to come forward NOW and fight a combined defence of our Town in a new Neighbourhood Forum, according to the Localism Act. We cannot trust our Council any longer.
Volunteer now, for the sake of the Town by sending your contact details to me. Hubert Carr (email:hubertcarr@gmail.com)