Decision details

The Executive considered a draft response to a consultation by Woking Borough Council.

In 2015, Woking Borough Council had produced a draft Site Allocations Development Planning Document (DPD) which proposed to accommodate future urban growth post 2027 through a series of Green Belt releases to the south of the Woking urban area.  This safeguarding strategy was proposed and supported by the evidence base of that time.

Woking Council was now consulting on a proposal to substitute the proposed safeguarded sites to the south of Woking with a single Green Belt site to the north: Martyrs Lane, Horsell, Woking.  This 112ha site was proposed to accommodate at least 1200 new homes from 2027. 

This Council had not raised any concerns in relation to the proposed safeguarded sites in 2015 when Woking consulted on its draft Site Allocations DPD as they had been located to the south of Woking and some distance from Surrey Heath and its cross boundary interests.  However, the Martyrs Lane site represented an entirely different strategy, with the Council looking to accommodate urban growth to the north of Woking, and close to Surrey Heath.

Given the proximity of the site to Surrey Heath, and an apparent lack of supporting evidence base to justify it, there was concern that this change of policy direction could have an adverse impact on residents and business’ in Surrey Heath.  In addition, Martyrs Lane lay adjacent to the A320, a strategic cross boundary road corridor that served Woking, Runnymede and Surrey Heath at that point.  The road was an important route providing access to key service centres such as Woking and Staines, and to the M25.  Congestion on the A320 had already been previously identified as an issue for the wider area.

Resolved that the response set out in the letter at Annex 1 to the agenda report be submitted as Surrey Heath Borough Council’s formal representations to the Woking Borough Council consultation on land east of Martyr’s Lane.