St Martha Response to the GBC Local Plan

RESPONSE TO GUILDFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL’S DRAFT LOCAL PLAN

The Parish Council wishes to comment on the Draft Plan in relationship to the Green Belt. Whilst content with the proposed changes to the Chilworth Settlement boundary within St Martha Parish, it wishes to oppose the proposed changes to the West as they are likely to impact adversely on the Parish. The Council would also like GBC to consider the possibility of establishing a SANG within the Parish.

The draft plan proposes to remove three areas from the Green Belt. They are: Tillingbourne School with its Playing fields, Hornhatch Farm and Old Manor Farm.

Removing Tillingbourne School from the Green belt would produce a significant long term threat to its Playing fields. They are vitally important for the 360 pupils who attend the school and the local organisations who use the playing fields outside school hours.

There is the suggested possibility of building 80 dwellings at Hornhatch Farm. This would produce a new development completely separated from the existing village, but at the same time extending its linearity. It would also add to the major traffic holdups which already exist daily on the A248 from the nearby T junction.

Old Manor Farm fields form an attractive open space bordered to the North and West by the Tillingbourne stream, with a woodland backdrop. Public Footpaths border the fields. These well used paths have high visual amenity value with open views across the fields and to the ancient Meadow Cottage set against the woodland.

We believe that the National Planning Policy Framework states that Green Belt land can only be taken in exceptional circumstances which do not exist here. As a Council, we are strongly opposed to these proposals.

There is also the concern regarding the Borough’s housing target of 625 new dwellings per year over twenty years, producing a target of 13,040 new dwellings. This is considered to be far too many to be integrated into the present infrastructure existing in the Borough. It is believed that Guildford Borough Council may have ignored a decision from its own Scrutiny Committee that the Housing target should be reviewed, as it is too high and should be revised downwards thereby saving Guildford’s important and highly valued Green Belt.

St. Martha Parish Council would like the Borough Council to consider the inclusion of one other SANG in the new Plan. This would encompass the Chilworth Gunpowder Mills site and the field (recently acquired by the Guildford Diocese immediately north of the Chilworth Infant School and Percy Arms Public House) with a total area of 12.8 hectares.

Agreed by Councillors at the Parish Council meeting on 11th September 2014