MP and councillor join objections to 461 home plans on former Surrey green belt land
Hundreds of people have objected to a 461 homes plan on former Surrey green belt land – but will have to wait even longer to learn the site’s fate after a decision on whether to recommend planning permission was pushed back three months.
Developers Barratt Homes submitted its plans for the major housing project off Parvis Road in West Byfleet last July with the hopes of building hundreds of new homes across two phases. Officers have been due to give their opinions on the designs this month.
The scheme has faced fierce backlash from residents and politicians who labelled the project as “completely inappropriate”, criticised its impact on traffic, and said it would overwhelm local infrastructure – despite the land being earmarked by the Woking Borough Council for even more housing.
Barratt says the development will create “much needed new homes” and contribute at least £4.5 million to the local West Byfleet community through Community Infrastructure Levy payments.”
Now, following a letter sent from council on November 20, a decision on whether the controversial scheme should be recommended or not has been pushed back to February 2025.
So far, more than 400 people have written in to the council to air their views, including the newly elected MP, Will Forster and Councillor Ellen Nicholson, while former ward member Josh Brown has also spoken out on the matter.
Mr Forster said: “I wish to object to the proposed application at West Hall on the grounds of traffic congestion, insufficient sustainable transport options, failure to meet active travel requirements and insufficient CIL funding to provide the required school places.
The development proposes a large number of dwellings and additional Traveller pitches, which will significantly increase traffic on Parvis Road, a road already known for its heavy congestion.
“Put simply the traffic congestion on the Parvis Road is dreadful at present and will only continue to get worse if this development is approved.”
He also questioned whether there would be enough community funding linked to the development to provide the needed capacity in the school system.
He added: “It appears that there is not sufficient CIL available to cover this critical need. I therefore request clarification on the source and amount of funding. Without such confirmation, this application must be refused.”
The site, a 12-minute walk from the centre of West Byfleet, includes large areas of woodland. The land was released for development by Woking Borough Council in October 2021 for up to 555 homes and 15 Traveller pitches so the application is within the council’s guidelines.
New vehicular access to the site would be built with new roundabout access from the A245 Parvis Road. When the early designs were first unveiled in February,
Josh Brown, former ward member said: “I share the immense concern and worry about the prospect of this development, particularly on its impact on our local infrastructure, which was one of the main reasons why I voted against the removal of this site from the green belt back in 2021. It’s clear to me that a proposal…is completely inappropriate.”
Developers Barratt hope to build the project in two phases and have held nine separate pre-application meetings with Woking Borough Council officers to get the designs right.
The first phase would include 253 homes of which 114 would be sold at market rates with 139 listed as affordable.
Of the affordable houses built 90 would be available for rent, four as shared ownerships, and 45 as one-bed first homes.
None of the four and five bedroom homes built as part of the project will be made affordable, and all the first homes would be one-bed apartments.
There would also be 492 car parking spaces, 577 cycle spaces, together with a play area.
The planning statement supporting the application reads: “The layout of the site has been designed around the existing woodland and the existing rows of trees that run both through and around the site, both of which have been retained and will form part of the overall landscaping and open space strategy.
“The layout has been designed to make best use of the site and the existing natural landscape in terms of the existing woodland, existing tree belts and existing orchard, all of which have been retained and enhanced as much as possible.
“Further to this, the proposal aims to deliver high quality design that is visually attractive.
“In summary, the proposal has been subject to an extensive pre-application engagement process, working with Woking Borough Council , Design South East, as well as local residents and other relevant stakeholders.
“The proposed development will bring forward 461 homes, including 230 new affordable homes….thereby contributing to Woking Borough Council’s housing supply.
“The new development will bring forward a high quality well-designed place for future and existing residents, whilst providing a multitude of benefits.”
A spokesperson for Barratt David Wilson Southern Counties said: “We have submitted an application to bring much needed new homes to West Byfleet at Parvis Road.
The proposal includes 461 new energy efficient homes, of which 231 will be affordable, a dedicated children’s play space designed with inclusivity principles from charity Make Space for Girls, and an enhancement to the historic orchard on site.
“We have worked closely with a number of consultees in the run up to submission and following the consultation period, we are now finalising amendments to the scheme to ensure it meets all requirements.
“As part of our application, we also expect to contribute at least £4.5 million to the local West Byfleet community through Community Infrastructure Levy payments.”