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Planning news and developments

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This page outlines significant developments for which the County Council is planning authority. Please note that it will not include information or news about planning applications that are decided by the local Borough and District Councils, who handle matters relating to domestic and commercial planning.

Proposed re-development of Oxted Quarry

For more details about the application please visit the application's record on our register at SCC_Ref_2023-0154. These questions mainly address other matters not directly reflected in the documentation.

Why are Surrey County Council (SCC) determining this application?

The planning application materially affects the approved plans for the restoration of the quarry site. As permissions regarding county matters (minerals and waste development) are decided by the County this application falls within our remit.

How and when will the application be determined?

The application will be determined by the County Council's Planning and Regulatory Committee. It is not yet known when the application will be taken to the committee and we do not provide estimated dates. Complex applications that include an environmental statement, such as this one, often take some time to complete.

Council's Democratic Services publish the official dates and agendas for the Planning and Regulatory Committee meetings on our website, which take place at Woodhatch Place in Reigate. You are advised to check there to see if a specific item is on the agenda. You can also subscribe to receive the agendas by email.

What stage is the application at currently?

The application was submitted in August 2023, and consultation carried out in September and October 2023. Following consultation with statutory, non-statutory consultees and the local residents the applicant was invited to provide additional information to address issues raised regarding the supporting information provided with the initial application. Some of this information relates to the Environmental Statement (ES). Another round of consultation regarding this amended application is taking place (November and December 2024).

Why has further information been sought?

As a planning authority we have a duty under the regulations to work and engage constructively with the applicant. Planning authorities could be seen as being acting unreasonably if the applicant was not given a chance to respond to issues raised at consultation stage. If an application was refused and the authority was found to have acted unreasonably then costs could be awarded against the authority at appeal. For an application with an environmental statement this process is outlined in Regulation 25 of The Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 .

Amending or amplifying information has been received as follows:

  • Letter from Temple Group dated 4 September 2024 (responding to SCC letter dated 2 May 2024)
  • Updates to Environmental Statement (ES) (Land Stability; Ground Conditions, Soils and Land Quality; Contaminated Land)
  • Responses to County Ecologist; County Geological Consultant; Landscape Consultant, AONB/National Landscapes, Natural England and National Highways
  • Additional and amended ecological and tree information (including in relation to Biodiversity Net Gain)
  • Additional and amended information in relation to the proposed consolidation/repair of the lime kilns

How many representations and public comments have been made?

On the initial consultation there were about 100 responses, the majority objecting. The main issues raised were in relation to the site's location in the Green Belt and Surrey Hills National Landscape (previously Area of Outstanding National Beauty), ecological impact, and traffic generation/impact on the highway.

Do I need to respond again or will my first comment count?

Your response is not removed from our file and is still registered on the record. You only need to send us another representation if you wish to make amended or additional comments on the new material provided for the application.

How can I view the amending and additional information provided by the applicant?

Full details of all the documents can be found on the new site notice (PDF). The documents themselves are on our register, under reference SCC_Ref_2023-0154. If you wish to make an additional response alter reviewing the additional material, you can also do that on the register.

Horse Hill Well Site (last updated 8 January 2025)

Following the Supreme Court decision on 20 June 2024, the decision issued on 27 September 2019 for development at Horse Hill Well Site, Horse Hill, Hookwood, Horley, Surrey RH6 0HN has now been quashed. This application will need to be re-determined in due course.

Planning application

The original application files and further information can be found under the reference RE18/02667/CON - the main application for retention and development of the Well Site for production.

The following application decisions are also effectively quashed automatically, given the permission they relate to no longer exists:

The application now returns to the County Planning Authority (CPA) for redetermination. As part of this process and in response to the Supreme Court's decision, the CPA wrote to the applicant's agent on 18 December 2024 requiring the submission of information as part of the Environmental Statement (Regulation 25 Request letter (PDF)). Once the requested information is submitted there will be a further period of public consultation.

Enforcement

The Council's Planning Enforcement Team is actively investigating development at Horse Hill. Following initial investigations, the operator confirmed on 28 October 2024 that operations at the site would cease. As part of the voluntary cessation by the operator, SCC has made clear its position that the site is to be cleared of all plant, machinery, operational development and miscellaneous paraphernalia not necessary for security and/or environmental monitoring purposes. Officers will be monitoring the progress of site clearance. The expediency of requiring restoration to its previous agricultural/woodland use and any other necessary formal action is being kept under continuous review whilst the process of redetermination remains a live issue.

Woodhatch – new school (last updated 7 August 2024)

The application details can be found on our online register under reference: SCC Ref 2022/0091.

Why are Surrey County Council determining the application?

Under Regulation 3 of the Town and Country Planning General Regulations 1992, any planning authority has a legal obligation to determine planning applications of that authority.

What happened with this application?

The application was 'referred back' to the applicant for further consideration by the Planning and Regulatory Committee at their meeting on 22 February 2023 for the following reasons:

  • The basis of the alternative site assessments is contrary to Surrey County Council Local Transport Plan 4 as it looked only at two miles from the existing school and did not give priority to active travel.
  • The scale and design of the extension poorly relates to the Parkland and surrounding buildings, which, combined with the sheer mass and materials of the building, together with a new fencing to Cockshot Road, would harm the character and appearance of the area.
  • The proposal would give rise to a harmful increase in traffic and congestion, together with highways safety concerns associated with the movement of children along narrow footways and across roads, including the internal access road, as well as inconsiderate parking in neighbouring streets, in particular Hornbeam Road, where it was proposed to have pedestrian access.
  • That there were severe impacts upon the amenities of neighbouring properties from adverse noise, light pollution or overbearing impacts, specifically in regard to The Belvederes.

Why wasn't the application refused?

Regulation 3 applications are not 'refused' and are 'referred back' for further consideration. This is the procedure, as per the Surrey County Council Constitution Part 6 (11) - Code of Best Practice Planning (PDF)
(Please note: while this was revised in October 2023, the referring back procedure was not affected). Section 8.4 states:

"In any case where the Planning and Regulatory Committee is minded to refuse a planning application for County Council development, it will refer the application back to the applicant with the grounds for refusal which would apply were it to determine the application. This will provide the applicant an opportunity for the applicant to reconsider the application in discussion with the Planning Group or Planning Development Manager before deciding whether or not to resubmit the original application or to amend it in some way."

What amendments have been made to the application?

A full list of amended documents can be found in the Application document list – amended documents (PDF).

The applicant has submitted a number of additional documents, summarised in the Addendum Planning Statement (PDF). This document is to be read alongside the Planning Statement submitted with the original application (PDF). Likewise, certain plans and supporting reports have been updated where necessary and accompany this amended submission. Updating of documentation has also been required to ensure supporting material is up to date. This is particularly relevant in relation to the suite of ecological reports to take account of changes in the site habitat and ensure protected species surveys are up to date.

How have the grounds for refusal been addressed?

In respect of the 4 grounds of refusal stated above the following information has been submitted (please refer to the County Council's website for the full suite of documentation in this regard):

Are there any other changes?

In addition to the above the proposed amendments include changes to the Biodiversity Net Gain provision. A net gain could not be achieved onsite and therefore offsite options were explored by the applicant on the original proposal and an offsite area immediately to the north of the site (within Woodhatch Place) was originally proposed to be used. Upon recent resurveying the applicant found that this site could not be used as previously suggested as this area already comprised habitats of good value meaning enhancement of these areas to achieve the required gain was not possible. The application has been amended and now proposes 3.55ha of land located at Kinnersley Manor Farm, Lonesome Lane, Reigate RH2 7QU to meet the biodiversity net gain requirement.

What are the next steps?

The application is now out for re-consultation and has been publicised widely. In addition to an advertisement in the local newspaper, site notices displayed in the vicinity of the application site and letters have been sent to all those that previously made representations and neighbours and properties in the vicinity of the application site that were written to about the original application.

Once responses have been received and analysed the Case Officer will either need to obtain further information from the applicant or write an update committee report with a recommendation. This will then be taken to the Planning and Regulatory Committee.

How can I comment and when can I comment until?

The best method of making a comment (known as a representation) is to use the comment form for this application on our online register. You can also email mwcd@surreycc.gov.uk or write to us at PO Box 478, Reigate RH2 8EF quoting the reference 2022/0091.

The date on the publicity is 12 August 2024, this deadline is determined by the regulations. It is our policy, however, to accept representations until noon the day before the application goes to the Planning & Regulatory Committee.

What will the date of the committee be?

We cannot confirm the committee date until after the re-consultations have been completed and responses assessed. It will not, however, be over the summer, as there is no committee scheduled for August.

You can see details of the Planning and Regulatory Committee meetings on our website, where the agenda will be published. You can also subscribe to receive the agendas by email.

Watersplash Farm mineral development (last updated 28 May 2024)

When was planning permission given?

Planning permission (reference SP12/01487) was granted by the Planning and Regulatory Committee in July 2019, subject to legal agreement, for the extraction of concreting aggregate (a mix of sand and gravel) from land at Watersplash Farm. To support this the permission also allows for the erection of processing plant and associated mineral infrastructure, the provision of a new access from the Gaston Bridge Road/Green Lane roundabout, and the temporary diversion of public footpath 53 for the duration of operations.

Permission was issued on 12 March 2020 following the completion of the legal agreement, with a condition that development must commence within five years of this date.

What limits and controls are there for this development?

This development was granted subject to 45 planning conditions. This includes conditions on time limits, hours of operation, dust, noise, traffic movements and phased delivery. There is also a Section 106 Legal Agreement to secure long-term landscape and ecological management, maintenance and aftercare of part of the land at Watersplash Farm, and the long-term monitoring of the groundwater.

Why is development only starting now?

Many of the conditions imposed on this planning permission required the developers to provide further details to us for approval prior to commencement of the development. These included details of a dust management plan, a construction scheme, an environmental management and monitoring plan, a lighting plan, and more.

What is currently happening on site?

Cemex is the site operator and they have begun to set up the site for mineral extraction. This includes:

  • Placement of the bridge over the River Ash.
  • Soil stripping to facilitate the erection of the boundary noise and visual bunds and the construction of the fresh water and silt lagoons on the eastern bank
  • Fencing of the existing public footpath.
  • Soil stripping on the western side of the site for the erection of the bunds and provisionally laying out the temporary footpath diversion with fencing.
  • The movement of ballast from the fresh water and silt lagoon areas to facilitate the surcharge of the plant area to bring it up over flood levels and the development of the two lagoons.
  • Building of a new access off the Gaston Bridge Road.
  • The building of a haul road from the Gaston Bridge Road to the plant site area.
  • The erection of the processing plant and welfare infrastructure.

The timeline for these activities is dependent on several variables, such as the weather, supply line issues, the Environment Agency, the section 278 agreement (highways work to connect to the roundabout), and the outcome of the public footpath inquiry.

Once the site is set up, Cemex's goal is to start sand and gravel extraction next summer (2024). This is when they aim to be extracting, processing, and moving mineral out of the site.

How long will the development last?

The site will be worked in four stages and progressively restored to agriculture, flood meadows, and lake and reed beds with public access. To restore the site, inert materials (e.g. soils, brick, rubble) shall be imported to fill the void space created by the mineral extraction.

The planning permission conditions state that extraction and transportation is until five years, and restoration of the site completed within six years, of the commencement date (24 July 2023).

How will the development be monitored?

We will undertake three formal site monitoring visits each year and any additional visits, as required, where concerns arise.

Cemex are required to keep records of all Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) movements and report them to us quarterly.

Where can I find more information?

How do I raise any concerns about the development?

You can contact us on mwcd@surreycc.gov.uk where it will be forwarded to the enforcement and monitoring officers, as appropriate.

For issues of immediate concern the site manager is Bill Morris, who can contacted by email on william.morris@cemex.com

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