Community Hub & Library - Cedar Rd Planning Appl'n Ref 2012/1721

At Wednesday's Open Meeting (20 June 2012) we discussed the planning application for the proposed Cedar Road Community Hub and Library together with a thirteen unit housing development under reference 2012/1721. Last June outline planning permission was granted but with "reserved matters" relating to access and design of the building.

In the last year excellent progress has been made by Surrey Libraries on the interior layouts working with our Rector, Robert Jenkins, representing the Community. Sadly little progress has been made on the exterior design and more importantly no progress has been made on pedestrian access which remains wholly inadequate for a community building of such importance. The Community Hub is tucked into the far corner of the site and the main pedestrian access from the High Street is via narrow passageways with six foot high brick walls on each side. One shopkeeper whose property would abut the proposed path will put barbed wire on top of the wall to keep vandals out of his property. These passageways, even with lighting, will give a feeling of vulnerability to users and are unsafe for the young, old and mothers with push chairs - even more so on dark winter evenings. It is inexcusable to design passageways in this day and age as the main access in new developments. The pedestrian access must reflect the importance of the Building.

The proposed development is summed up by one of our senior councillors who is not on the planning committee as "...I am most unhappy about the proposed and awful development of this prime important site in the heart of our Cobham centre. Both SCC and Shanly Homes do no credit to our village and views of its inhabitants. We are faced with a very poor result for which we may have to live with in what was a lovely village of Cobham." We have been in touch with the Surrey division of the CPRE - Campaign to Protect Rural England - and whilst so far they have only had a brief look at the plans they report as follows "In a nutshell, we came to the conclusion that this is very poor design with bad pedestrian access and we should object to it and argue that the layout should be changed because this is an important local community facility. ...... we are concerned with protecting Surrey's small towns and ensuring that community amenities are promoted and defended."

Your Committee previously voted unanimously to oppose vigorously the application. At Wednesday's open meeting a show of hands was taken and 116 voted to oppose the application, 2 to accept it and try and negotiate wider passageways but still with the high walls; there were 4 abstentions. If this application is turned down at planning there is a risk we will be left with our existing library with Surrey taking its development money elsewhere. We believe this is an acceptable risk and we recognise that additional premises would need to be sourced for the Oasis Children's Centre who planned to move into the new Community hub.

If you agree with your Committee, please study the design and access statement (Design & Access Statement-1355802.pdf especially pages 5 and 6) found in the "View Attachments" section under application reference 2012/1721 on the Elmbridge Planning website and consider whether you should object on the grounds of wholly inadequate pedestrian access from the High Street and an exterior design not in keeping with the locality. We shall only stand a chance of overturning this application if large numbers - many hundreds - write in, so please act now and don't delay.

Objections must be submitted before Mid July by email and quoting your address to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by post to Head of Town Planning, Elmbridge Borough Council, Civic Centre, High Street, Esher KT10 9SD quoting 2012/1721.

If you would like to see the most recent CCHT letter of objection please click here.

The comments submitted last year when the outline application was made can be seen here. It's very disappointing that after over a year the developer has still not addressed the concerns raised in March 2011.

More on this can be found in the Surrey Advertiser article from the 22 June 2012. Click here to see the article on our "News, In the Press page".