Your local councillors are concerned at the cumulative impact on traffic and infrastructure (doctors, schools, nurseries) of the number of developments that are being submitted in and around the town, mostly in the Brooklands area. We recently attended a meeting with the Weybridge Society and our Weybridge SCC councillor to review the potential impact.
Some of these started as permitted development (PD) applications whereby an unused office block can be converted to flats without going through the full planning process. An example of this is the refurbishment of Clive House on Queen’s Road. But developers seem to always want more and they then put forward plans to build on adjoining land or to demolish and rebuild properties to maximise income from the sites. At the moment there are the following potential developments:
- JTI building, Members Hill (photo right): 57 under PD, now 205 flats with two large, new blocks.
- St George’s Gardens, offices on both sides of Locke King Road: South side 213 or more (photo above); North side 58 PD, maybe up to 100 if re-developed.
- 6, The Heights: 21 PD, up to 40 if re-developed.
- Abbey House: 48 PD, 106 on re-development.
- Brooklands College: a proposal for 87 houses and up to 263 flats.
The total number of dwellings involved is nearly 1,000; potentially adding some 2,500 residents and 1,500 vehicles and creating an unsustainable additional demand on already saturated local medical facilities, roads, and schools.
The meeting was unanimous in agreeing that such developments were unsustainable within the current Weybridge infrastructure and inconsistent with the local demand and environment.
I agree with the conclusion of the meeting that the proposed developments are unsustainable. Our roads are already in poor condition without adding extra traffic and congestion. NHS medical care has reached a critical point without adding extra numbers. If new development goes ahead it should be aimed at and affordable for first time buyers and social housing. It should include environmentally green products i.e. solar and/or heat pumps. I am appalled that builders of new developments are still installing gas boilers and no solar panels. Brooklands college was given to Weybridge by the Locke King family and should not be a bail out for a bad deal.