Woking Borough Council and Cala Homes are proposing to build a large number of houses (400+) on the Brookwood Farm site (just opposite Sheets Heath and the recreation ground) and make a large percentage of them (60% -100%) "affordable" or "socially rented" houses, This development is on our doorstep and will have a massive impact on Brookwood and our neighbouring villages, Sheets Heath and Knaphill.

So what are these impacts going to be?

• Roads will be affected with the Brookwood and Sainsbury's Crossroads becoming very congested with significantly longer wait times.
  
  
• The danger of creating a large overspill social housing estate on the site, could lead to a concentration of deprivation, with potential problems of anti-social behaviour etc (further exacerbating the existing problem as seen in the local press last week). The Council has ignored this.
  
  
• Additional pressure placed on existing infrastructure impacting on schools, doctors surgeries or community centres for youth etc. None of these areas have been considered.
  
  
• Huge environmental impact, not only will a large area of very beautiful land be lost, but the unique SSSI and SPA of Sheets Heath will be at risk.
  
  
• Public transport will be further stretched with even less standing room at peak times on trains, and no more parking available at the station.

We are in danger of losing another part of the green belt and Woking Borough Council is trying to push this though without following their own guidelines on planning rules and without ANY consultation with the local residents.

Make your views known - Sign the petition

The BVA is opposing these plans on your behalf and to make it easy have started a petition to have the planning applications withdrawn. You can sign these either in Fulks the Butcher, the Tudor News, the Post Office or at the Station News Stand. The petitions are there now…please sign by the 14th June.

So what are our objections?

1. The application fails to provide any information of the impact on the transport infrastructure. Traffic is bad now, especially over the Brookwood traffic lights, imagine the impact of cars from 400 homes doing at least 2 journeys a day. This has been totally ignored - to be considered later… By which time it'll be too late!
   
   
2. No provision for locals facilities - No thought has been given to the facilities that will be needed for 400 new households e.g. health, education or recreation. There are current shortfalls in the number of sports pitches and facilities for youths.
   
   
3. Excessive / unsustainable percentage for "affordable" housing. The council wants to place a large proportion of its "affordable" housing on one site, which is not in line with the normal percentage in the South East; around 25% socially rented and 10% shared ownership leading to a good mix of homes. This is not aimed at key workers, but instead for socially rented housing. This will not lead to social integration. It is also opposed by the Police who are seeing a significant rise in anti social behaviour in Knaphill, cars being torched, disabled people being intimidated together with many acts of mindless vandalism.
   
   
4. The application fails to provide any travel plans for an already stretched public transport network. Trains from Brookwood station are already crowded, the station car park is full, and bus services are insufficient.
   
   
5. The application fails to provide an Environmental Impact Assessment. Despite this development being next to an important SSSI (i.e. Sheets Heath) none of the necessary environmental assessments have been done. The council wants to "trade" our green belt for some in West Byfleet.
   
   
6. The application fails to assess the availability and suitability of other sites. Despite the amount of building that has already occurred in Knaphill and Brookwood no consideration has been given to spread the required housing in other areas. Brookwood Farm is still a green field site, there are other areas that are previously developed "brownfield" and have been ignored.
   
   
7. The council has ignored their own planning guidelines (which everybody else has to follow) and has instead used "special circumstances" to bypass the need for local consultation before outline plans are issued. Proper process has been ignored.
   
   
8. The council have ignored the guidelines laid down by the ODPM (Office of the Deputy Prime Minister) in developments of this size for consultation, discussing with environmental bodies etc.
   
   
9. It contravenes European statute relating to the process of authorising developments permitted next to an SSSI (i.e. Sheets Heath).
   
   
10. The plans (original and current) are full of inaccuracies and wrong information, things which for other planning applications would cause the Council to throw them out.
    
    
11. The application is contrary to the Woking Local Plan, which was agreed 7 years ago and is in place until 2007. The new plan has not been finished and certainly hasn't been discussed or agreed. The Brookwood Farm application is therefore premature and preemptive.
    
    

In summary, we feel the outline plan to be ill conceived and ill executed, with insufficient effort being expended to ensure a successful development. If this outline is withdrawn or refused and a new plan is drawn up following consultation with local groups and including the necessary environmental assessment etc, we will review them objectively in this light.

This is Poor Planning at its Best. We need to act now before it's too late. If you share these concerns then please sign the petition.

Regards
Neil Thomas (Chairman BVA)