Spring 2002Spring 2002There have been no further material developments regarding the proposed new One-to-One mast at Oxshott station.
The new mast application for the Polyapes campsite was approved. The siting was considered far enough from local residential housing to be acceptable. We are pleased to learn that this mast may well be shared by Hutchison and Orange.
Another application has been made by Hutchison for a new mast in Princes Coverts but very close to existing houses in Danes Court estate and Old armhouse Drive. Whilst it is proposed to disguise this mast as a tree we strongly support the local residents that the siting must be substantially further away from residential housing. Princes Coverts covers a large area and it should be possible to find a more appropriate site, preferably within trees to improve the camouflaging in this Green Belt location. FEDORA has written to Elmbridge accordingly.
We trust the outcome of the public enquiry appeal by Orange in late January 2002, against Elmbridge's enforcement action to stop Orange masts being erected in the Fairmile Avenue area, was in favour of Elmbridge and the local residents.
We welcome the approval in principal by Elmbridge to allow masts to be erected on Council land. They seek the best locations, to place masts which might otherwise be erected in residential areas. Elmbridge have yet to approve the planning rules applicable to such masts. Our thanks go to Cllr. Norman Kaphan for successfully leading the Council debate on this matter.
We are still of the opinion that the most effective solution is to encourage the shared use of fewer but larger masts sited as far as possible from schools and residential areas. This initiative by Elmbridge gives the potential for a greater flexibility in siting such masts away from schools and residential areas and we trust all concerned will take full advantage of this.
The initial traffic survey for this plan was carried out on the 15th January 2002. We await the report. The next survey is programmed for January 2003 to monitor the school's traffic reduction programme.
Readers will remember the school has a 5% per annum traffic reduction target over 4 years, and must prevent the excessive use of neighbouring roads by parents bringing their children to the school.
We await the implementation by Elmbridge/Surrey Councils of a children's crossing in Oakshade Road to allow Danes Hill parents to drop their children off at the junction with Silverdale Avenue.
FEDORA has written, supporting many local residents, objecting to the application for a 78 room residential home for the elderly on the site of Copsem House and Copsem Lodge. The site access directly off the A3/A244 roundabout next to Copsem Lane is both difficult and dangerous; the extra traffic generated from such a development would greatly increase the accident risk in an already congested location. The large single institutional type building proposed is completely out of character with this low density residential area. The proposal contravenes a number of Elmbridge planning policies.
Elmbridge have now issued an enforcement notice on the owners of a house built in Oxshott without planning consent, requiring them to deconstruct the property back to the original planning consent for a 4 car garage.
An application was made for two modest 4 bedroom houses on a 3 1/2 acre site in Green Belt and ancient woodland off Littleheath Lane. The site is a real mess, containing a small wooden house, 2 mobile homes, some ramshackle industrial buildings and even a breakers yard with derelict cars. A real eyesore for neighbouring residents. Unfortunately the site has been occupied in it's present form for some years so Elmbridge has difficulty with the actions it can take. The proposal for the two modest houses, together with the requirement to clean up the whole site and put in additional screen planting, will go to the full Planning Committee for possible consent. Were the Committee to approve the application then the whole issue must go to the Secretary of State for the Environment for final judgement as the Elmbridge consent would be in contravention of Green Belt policies and the Elmbridge Local Plan.
FEDORA supported an objection by Maiden Rushett residents to the proposal to build a large timber superstore in the middle of their village. We were concerned that some of the additional traffic generated by the proposal (especially large delivery trucks restricted from turning right into the site) would be forced to come through our already congested roads in Oxshott. We are delighted for Maiden Rushett and Oxshott residents that the Royal Borough of Kingston refused the application.
Following the consultation period in 2001 Elmbridge published their draft new guide for consultation in late January 2002.
Readers are reminded that in our Autumn 2001 magazine we urged Elmbridge to recognise specific areas with individual characteristics, particularly identifying Oxshott as a rural village community. This article was written in January 2002 to meet the publication deadline in late February as the author was away.
Initial impressions of the draft new guide are positive. The guide now identifies much more clearly the individual characteristics of specific areas within Elmbridge. These areas include historic village centres, (including Oxshott), town centres, suburban boulevards, special low density housing areas (including Crown Estate Oxshott), private estates and areas covered by developments done in the 1930's to 1950's, 1960's and 1970's, 1980's and 1990's and 1990's town houses.
The guide gives a history, character appraisal, current issues and threats and general planning principles for each area. It recognises the development pressures and traffic congestion applicable to a rural village such as Oxshott.
Consequently this guide should allow our Elmbridge planners to better protect the individual characteristics of specific localities and counteract the unacceptable higher housing densities envisaged by Government planning policy guidance number 3 (PPG3) issued in March 2001.
We are disappointed the guide does not mention specifically the major private estates in Oxshott, other than the Crown Estate, and will write accordingly.
As this new guide is written recognising the existence of PPG3, we trust its authority will be such as to override PPG3 density implications where necessary. This will enable our planners and Planning Committees to better preserve the characteristics of individual areas.