Telecom Mast on land opposite The Mound Public Car park
Reigate & Banstead’s Planning Department refused planning permission for the erection of a 20m high telecom mast near to the Tattenham Corner Railway Station.
In their response dated the 17th July 2024 they refused permission because: “ The proposed development of a 20m high monopole and associated works by reason of its siting and appearance, specifically its excessive height, disproportionate scale, and the unattractive, utilitarian design in this location, would appear oppressive and dominant within its setting, at odds with the surrounding area.”
They also said that “the proposed development would represent an incongruous overly dominant installation, harmful to the character and appearance of the area.”
It is possible that the applicant may appeal to The Planning Inspectorate and if this happens, we will let readers know.
Four new houses to be built on the garage site at the rear of Upland Way
At a Council Planning Meeting held on 24th July the Raven Housing Association’s application to build new social housing on the Upland Way garage site was approved by a vote of 9 to 5.
A representative of local residents spoke at the meeting against the proposal, as did two of our own Residents Association councillors, Tim Snuggs and Nick Harrison. Two other councillors also raised concerns but despite these issues the application was approved.
The Residents Association’s concerns had already been partially addressed, reducing the number of properties from six to four but there were still concerns.
A particular concern was the fact that the new houses would be higher than the existing properties in Upland Way (particularly numbers 3 to 9) and dominate neighbours at a lower level. There is a concern from residents that they were not properly briefed of the change by the Council’s planning department.
Access is another issue. The narrow entrance road is also a public footpath used widely by parents and children attending Shawley School and there were concerns about safety. Councillors and residents also expressed doubts about emergency vehicles access to the properties. But as Surrey County Council’s Highways Department were satisfied with the arrangements, the majority of the Committee voted in favour of the application.
Whilst it is disappointing for residents who raised objections to this scheme, on a positive note, these properties will be used for social housing and will be providing homes for local residents on the Council’s housing waiting list.