News Bulletin – 22nd March 2015
This newsletter is to inform residents of the escalating number of Planning Applications that are being presented to Guildford Borough Council for consideration, and to request your assistance in fighting these. We will try to give you some background to each, advise you of our concerns, so that you, in turn, can use these concerns and any others you may have, in objecting to these specific applications.
It is absolutely essential that Guildford Borough Council realise the extent of the local discontent in Ash, Ash Green and Tongham at the amount of building being planned for this area, and the only way we can show them is to object in numbers to these ridiculous and careless Planning Applications.
We would be grateful if everyone could spare the time to write emails to GBC to object to each of these planning applications.
Planning Application 14/P/01154 Land at Foreman Road, Ash
This Application is for 55 homes to be built on the piece of land bounded by Foreman Road and the Railway Track at Ash Station. There are a number of reasons why this application should be refused, not least the fact that traffic access from Foreman Road onto Ash Church Road at the level crossing is almost impossible. Also the traffic from this site will be exiting onto what is effectively a country lane. Alternative routes out of this site will mean increased traffic through Ash Green and along Grange Road.
In addition, the possibility of a bridge being constructed over the railway track at Ash Station is again being considered. If this were to go ahead part of the land that forms this Planning Application would be needed to incorporate the bridge. Until the plans for the bridge are formulated, the design is complete and the amount of land required is known, it is not practical to grant and permission to build houses.
There is still time to send objections on this planning application. They should be emailed to planningenquiries@guildford.gov.uk heading the email Planning Application 14/P/01154 Land at Foreman Road, Ash
Planning Application 15/P/00293 Land at Minley Nurseries, Tongham
This Application is for 55 homes being proposed by Bewley Homes. The land in question is between the existing Taylor Wimpey site at Ash Green Lane West, and the Land behind Ash Lodge Drive that Bewley Homes want to build 400 homes on. This proves that Bewley Homes just aren’t satisfied with destroying a huge piece of beautiful countryside in Ash, they won’t be satisfied until Tongham, Ash and Ash Green are just one massive town.
Their proposal requires taking part of what is, at present, a BOAT (Byway Open to All Traffic: BY518) and to change the byway into a road, thus giving them access to the Taylor Wimpey access road. To do this they will have to destroy what is an ancient byway and many trees along the route. Additionally this will add even more traffic to an already dubious traffic junction with Manor Road, immediately adjacent to a large school and a playschool.
In the Flood Risk Assessment that form part of the Planning Application they state that the site the site is bounded to the south by a railway embankment which acts as a bund stopping flooding from the Hogs Back passing onto the site. Whereas in reality this same railway embankment has been overflowed on a number of occasions over recent years, therefore this site will be dangerously susceptible to flooding.
ASHRA request that as many people as possible send an objection by email to planningenquiries@guildford.gov.uk heading the email Planning Application 15/P/00293 Land at Minley Nurseries, Tongham
Planning Application 15/P/00302 Land at Wandle Close, Ash
This Application is to knock down the existing house at the end of Wandle Close and build 7 new houses on the adjacent land. The land in question is extremely prone to flooding, as can be proven by the numerous photographs ASHRA hold showing Wandle Close and Southlands Road under 300 to 400mm of water….and both of these roads are higher than the proposed building site. The area is highlighted in the Guildford Borough Council Ash Surface Water Study of October 2014.
In addition, the Thames Water sewer which runs through this site is shown in the wrong place, and will run under 5 of the properties gardens.
Objections to this application should be sent by email to planningenquiries@guildford.gov.uk heading the email Planning Application 15/P/00302 Land at Wandle Close, Ash
Planning Application 15/P/00391 38,South Lane, Ash
This application is to knock down the existing bungalow on this site and erect 6 new homes. The site runs along the rear of many of the houses on the south side of Southlands Road. A stream runs along the northern edge of the site and this stream suffers from regular flooding , as can be proven by the numerous photographs ASHRA hold showing Wandle Close and Southlands Road under 300 to 400mm of water….and both of these roads are higher than the proposed building site. The area is highlighted in the Guildford Borough Council Ash Surface Water Study of October 2014.
Objections to this application should be sent by email to planningenquiries@guildford.gov.uk heading the email Planning Application 15/P/00391 38,South Lane, Ash
The ASHRA committee thank residents for their continued support, and ask that everyone spare the time to send their objection emails against these applications. this is extremely important for the future of the area