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Egley Road (GB7) The Current Modification Proposal in Full

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This 18.65 ha site is excluded from the Green Belt and allocated for a mixed use development to include residential including Affordable Housing and recreational/open space between 2022 and 2027, in accordance with Policy SA1

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Part of the land has already been developed for the school, which opened in September 2018. However, the design, layout and landscaping of the residential development of the rest of the site will be required to take into account the desirability of maintaining a sense of visual separation between Mayford and the rest of the urban area: the extent to which this is achieved will be assessed through the development management process.

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Key Requirements

Development of the site will also be required to:

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1. Contribute to the provision of essential transport infrastructure necessary to mitigate the impacts of the development of the site,

which will be informed by a Transport Assessment at the development management stage. In particular, the Transport Assessment should consider:

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• Effective access arrangements to the A320 that are safe and suitable for all users

• Provision of pedestrian and cycle facilities and measures to improve linkages, particularly east to Barnsbury Primary School and beyond to services in Westfield (potentially via a pedestrian crossing on Egley Road); south of the site to Mayford Neighbourhood Centre; and to new and existing recreation space beyond;

• Strengthening connections to the site from the east to overcome limited connectivity caused by severance by the Hoe Stream and Egley Road;

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Appropriate provision for car cycle parking and servicing within the site taking into account the guidance of the Parking Standards SPD; the site’s accessible location and the need to avoid adverse highway safety effects;

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The potential for development to share access arrangements with any later development on the adjoining Proposal Site GB8

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Be of a high design quality and visually attractive as a result of good architecture, and with development footprints, scales and densities that maximise the use of the site whilst reflecting the grain of nearby development in a way that is sympathetic to local character;

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In no way prejudice development of the safeguarded site to the south (GB8)

Contribute towards Affordable Housing provision in accordance with Policy CS12: Affordable Housing of the Core Strategy

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Contribute towards Strategic Access Management and Monitoring to mitigate the impacts of residential development of the site on the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area;

Consider potential wastewater network capacity constraints in the area and the impact of development on the wastewater network. A detailed drainage strategy may be necessary as upgrades to the existing drainage infrastructure are likely to be required;

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Have a design that mitigates impacts on surface water flooding and incorporates sustainable drainage systems in accordance with both Core Strategy Policy CS9: Flooding and water management, and taking into account the Council’s guidance supporting the provision of a Surface

Water Drainage Statementx;

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Be supported by a Noise Impact Assessment which

takes into account the proximity of the site to the road and the railway line and informs any mitigation measures necessary to protect the residential amenity of future occupants;

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Be supported by an Air Quality Assessment to determine the potential impact of development on European protected sites through deteriorating air quality, taking account of in-combination effects

Consider current or historical contaminative uses of the site, taking account the function of part of the site as a former nursery and make provision for appropriate investigation and any necessary remediation;

Be supported by an Archaeological Assessment in accordance with Policy CS20: Heritage and conservation of the Core Strategy, taking full account of the Area of High Archaeological Potential situated in the north of the site;

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Consider the opportunity for playing field facilities to be shared by the Egley Road School and the local community through a Community Use Agreement;

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Be supported by landscape, ecological and tree surveys in order to:

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a. Retain, and where possible strengthen, any trees and groups of trees of amenity and/or environmental value on the site – including protected trees and the wooded area to the south of the site which is covered by an area TPO;

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Escarpment and Rising Ground of Landscape Importance’ on adjacent land

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2. Inform a design and layout that sensitively handles site topography and incorporates new or improved open space for leisure and recreation, green infrastructure and appropriate landscaping which
 

i. Maintains the sense of visual separation between Mayford and the rest of the urban area, including through a wide landscape frontage along Egley Road and any other measures necessary to achieve this;
 

ii. Effectively buffers the development from Egley Road, the railway lines, and from existing residential areas to the north and south of the site;

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2. Contribute to the protection, enhancement and management of local biodiversity and nature conservation, including that of the Biodiversity Opportunity Area and the adjacent Site of Nature Conservation Importance. Design solutions should retain, enhance and create features of nature conservation value within the site and wildlife corridors connecting them with each other and to the wider green infrastructure network,

Incorporate ‘Optional requirement M4(2): Category 2 – Accessible and adaptable dwellings’ where practical and viable in accordance with Policy CS21: Design; Incorporate relevant sustainable construction standards at the time of the planning application, including considering the

integration of low or zero carbon district heating in the development, in accordance with Policy CS22: Sustainable construction, and taking into account the Climate Change SPD;

Preserve heritage assets and pay regard to their settings in accordance with Policies CS20: Heritage and conservation, CS21: Design, CS24: Woking’s landscape and townscape, and DM20: Heritage assets and their settings.

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Footnote x: The guidance note can be accessed at www.woking2027.info/supplementary/sudsadvice

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1. This Green Belt site lies on the main southern route nto Woking (the A320), adjoining the existing boundary of the urban area to the north, and the London-Portsmouth main railway line to the west. Part of the site includes a redundant building and former nursery land. It has excellent accessibility to local services, both in the Town Centre and the nearby Mayford Neighbourhood Centre. The Green Belt Boundary Review (GBBR) recommends exclusion of this the site from the Green Belt to deliver new homes, a secondary school and associated infrastructure. The site boundary is drawn to include the highway verge to Egley Road, to assist in ensuring the new Green Belt boundary is strong and defensible.

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It is anticipated that the site could yield 8 dwellings. This residential element of the proposal is expected to be implemented between 2022 and 2027. The secondary school and the athletics track facility has now been implemented and opened in September 2018.

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The site is on land which rises four to five metres between the east and west boundaries, which occupies an important green gap between Woking and Mayford. The integrity of both the ‘Escarpment and Rising Ground of Landscape Importance’ and the sense of separation between the two settlements should be retained whilst accommodating development to assist in meeting identified needs. .The site is adjacent to a Site of Nature Conservation Importance, and slightly overlaps with Biodiversity Opportunity Area R04: River Wey and Tributaries. Any development works on site should have regard to these designations.

Proposals for development would greatly benefit from early engagement with a number of consultees, including:

a. Surrey County Council regarding requirements for archaeological investigation, and as Highways Authority for the area, regarding safe and suitable access arrangements;

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b. The statutory water and sewerage undertaker to determine the impact of development on the wastewater network and whether a detailed drainage strategy should be submitted with a

planning application, as early assessment has identified potential wastewater network capacity constraints in the wider area;

c. The Council’s Arboricultural Officer regarding the protection and conservation of trees and tree belts, including the wooded area to the south of the site which is covered by an area TPO;

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d. The Council’s Environmental Health Team and the Environment Agency in order to assist with investigations related to former contaminative uses of the site.

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5. In conducting an Air Quality Assessment, proposals should take into account Natural England’s approach to advising competent authorities on the assessment of road traffic emissions under the Habitats Regulations (or any other future update to their guidance). The Natural England Guidance Notes can be accessed by this link: http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication /4720542048845824

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6. Development proposals would need to accord with the heritage and conservation policies of the Development Plan and the NPPF. Heritage assets include, but are not limited to the adjacent Grade II Listed Building (Sunhill House, Hook Hill Lane) and the adjacent locally listed buildings (Bird in Hand Public House, Egley Road; Chinthurst and Bush Cottage, Mayford Green; and Mayford Lodge, Mayford Green). The site also contains an Area of High Archaeological Potential.

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7. The development will be liable to pay the Community Infrastructure Levy. Moreover, where justified, site specific matters may need to be subject to planning obligations. In addition to the key requirements set out above any redevelopment of the site would have to meet all other relevant requirements of the development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

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