Quiz Night

Posted on September 20, 2024 by admin

Bring your family and friends along for a fun evening and support your local residents association.

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Land And Buildings at Former Gas Holder Station, East Street, Epsom

Posted on September 3, 2024 by admin

A major planning application has been submitted for the phased redevelopment for:

1. full planning permission for the demolition of existing buildings and structures, site wide remediation and the erection of five residential buildings (ranging between 8-12 storeys),

new access arrangements, parking, hard and soft landscaping, open space and other associated works and 

2. outline planning permission, with all matters reserved except access, for the separate development demolition and re-provision of a Performing Arts Centre and Education building, hard and soft landscaping and other associated works.

Whilst this is not in or adjacent to our Woodcote & Langley Vale ward it is a significant proposal which has major implications for the town centre and all borough residents. Details can be viewed here and entering the case reference number 24/01107/FUL

Any representations should be submitted to the Council by 24 September. It is expected that the application will be considered at the December meeting of Epsom & Ewell Borough Council’s Planning Committee.

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Marsden Nursery and Garden Centre, Pleasure Pit Road (Otherwise known as Ashtead Park Garden Centre)

Posted on September 3, 2024 by admin

Last year WERS objected to a planning application to demolish and remove the existing buildings and erect 23 dwellings. We objected on the grounds that the proposed residential redevelopment would be an inappropriate use in the Green Belt. The proposed development will completely change the character of the area with a loss of openness and result in the suburbanisation of this essential and high performing section of Green Belt. 

The applicant has now appealed to the Secretary of State the decision by Mole Valley Borough Council to refuse the application. Details of the appeal are available on Mole Valley’s planning portal here. If you wish to make any representations to the Planning Inspector regarding this appeal you can do that here and entering the case reference number 3347843 in the search box. Representations must be received by 20 September 2024.

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Funding review casts doubt on hospital plans

Posted on August 17, 2024 by admin

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced she would be reviewing the previous government’s plan to build 40 new hospitals by 2030 and resetting the programme to put it on a sustainable footing.

The details of the review are yet to be confirmed and we don’t know whether or not the funding for the redevelopment of the Epsom and St Helier Hospitals will be forthcoming and if so on what timeline.  

The new government says that past delays and cost overruns mean that the funding allocated to the programme runs out in March. The programme has therefore to be reset and a thorough, costed and realistic timeline for delivery put in place to avoid the public being further mislead and let down.

Meanwhile the Hospital Trust says it is “cracking on with plans for the new hospital and upgrades to our existing sites while the review takes place”.

Hopefully we will know more by the time that James Blythe, Managing Director of the Epsom & St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust speaks at our next Resident’s Meeting on 17 October at 7.30pm the Epsom Sports Club.

Please make sure that evening is reserved in your diary for what will be an important opportunity to hear what the review may mean for our hospital redevelopment plans. 

We are very grateful to James for agreeing to give up his evening to come and speak to us.

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Could you be part of the change at Surrey County Council

Posted on August 17, 2024 by admin

We have Surrey Council elections in May next year.  

The Surrey Residents Association and Independent Group are the designated Official Opposition on Surrey County Council and in May 2025 could be part of the administration running the Council.

With that in mind the Epsom & Ewell Residents’ Associations (RAs) are clear that the Council needs change and we want to do everything we can to ensure a good range of RA Candidates for Councillors.  

We are actively seeking committed, hardworking, community focused individuals who want to see things improve for residents in your area and all residents of Surrey to stand for election.

If that could be you we would be very keen to receive your expression of interest. Details of the information we need are here.   If it would be useful to have a conversation first please get in touch on scora2025@gmail.com or call 07989 086516.”   

 

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Green Gables

Posted on July 30, 2024 by Jane Clarke

A revised planning application has now been submitted for a 3 dwelling unit scheme for the redevelopment of the Green Gables site.

This follows on from the earlier refusal for a 4-unit scheme on the site This scheme is considered by the applicant to address the previous officer reasons for refusal relating to perceived harm to the character of the area, ecology of the site and street trees.

Details can be found here and you can submit comments on the application until 6 August 2024.

Woodcote (Epsom) Residents’ Society (W(E)RS) is pleased to confirm its support for this three unit scheme which it considers to be appropriate for the site in terms of design, scale and materials and safeguards residential amenity, townscape and character of the surrounding area. We have asked that any permission is subject to appropriate conditions covering landscaping, trees, boundary fencing and obscure glazing. This should include a condition restricting householder permitted development rights in order to safeguard the spaciousness and verdancy of the submitted scheme.

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Summer 2024 Bulletin

Posted on July 29, 2024 by admin

Our latest update can be found here

As the summer gets underway we wanted to update you on some recent and current issues and to look forward to some events and activities planned for the next three months.

Please make a note of the dates and we will be posting more details here and on X as soon as they are available.

A lot is changing and there are going to be some difficult decisions ahead with a new government, with planning reform and re-instated housing targets; with severe budget constraints, underfunded public services and the ongoing cost of living challenges and at the same time pressures to improve the environment in which we live and work in.

Over the past year we have worked hard to raise our profile and become a credible voice for you on the issues in the Ward that are priorities for you.  We are re-instating our residents’ meetings and will have a presence at local events going forward when we hope to meet more of you.  However, if there are issues you are worried about let us know by emailing us on info@woodcoteepsomresidentssociety.org or by using the contact form on this website so we can raise them on your behalf.  You can also Direct Message us on “X”.

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Langley Bottom Farm – Further Planning Application – REFUSED

Posted on July 26, 2024 by admin

We are delighted to be able to confirm that this application has been refused. Details can be found here

Homes by Harlequin developers have submitted a further planning application for an additional detached house on the left-hand side of the farm track to Langley Bottom Farm separate from the housing estate permitted on appeal.

They are claiming that the footings of a long gone building constitute ‘Previously Developed Land’ and that impact on the Green Belt be minimal on land that they consider makes little contribution to the purposes for having Green Belt as defined in the National Planning Policy Framework. 

Details can be found here

WERS will be submitting a robust objection to this application on the grounds that it would have a significant impact on openness of this area of Green Belt and would seriously undermine the case for retention of the rest of this Green Belt area.  WERS will also be arguing that the site should be excluded from the definition of Previously Developed Land (which enables re-development even in the Green Belt) because this does not include circumstances where ‘the remains of the permanent structure or fixed surface structure have blended into the landscape.’   WERS would argue that this is the case here. The photos below leave little doubt about this. 

It would be helpful if as many of you as possible also submitted individual objections.   We will be seeking to have the application ‘called in’ which means it will be determined by the Planning Committee in the circumstances of it being recommended for planning permission by Officers under their delegated powers.

The proposed site of the additional 4 bedroom house

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Langley Vale residents safety concerns about Derby arrangements

Posted on July 15, 2024 by admin

Langley Vale Village Hall was full on Friday evening for a meeting with Inspector Clifton-Sinclair Borough Police Commander and Tom Sammes, General Manager at Epsom Racecourse about the serious public order incidents which occurred ahead of the 2024 Debry Festival and the arrangements for the 2025 event.

The meeting had been convened by the Woodcote (Epsom) Residents Society and the three Woodcote and Langley Vale Ward Councillors who are also members of the Epsom & Walton Downs Conservators – Bernice Frost, Liz Frost and Steven McCormick. The 5 of them were joined on the panel at the meeting by Helen Maguire, our new MP and Shanice Gladman, Nonsuch RA Councillor who is also Chair of the Crime and Disorder Committee.

The Borough Police Commander and Mr Sammes spent an hour and a half answering questions about what the residents’ saw as the failings of the police response to the serious incidents that took place and the security arrangements more generally for the 2024 Derby.  A question was also asked about what action the Conservators could take under the Act of Parliament to mitigate the risks to the local residents of the travellers encampment.  A number of suggestions were made about how the security arrangements could be tightened up and extended and everyone agreed that communication with the village needed to improve.

The Police, the Racecourse and the Epsom & Downs Conservators all committed to take account in their review of the 2024 Festival of the very real concerns of residents had about their safety and their requests for changes to the arrangements for 2025.

It was agreed there would be further meetings with residents in September/October to consult on the proposed plans for 2025 before the arrangements were finalised and again in March/April 2025 ahead of the festival.

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Langley Bottom Farm – Latest

Posted on July 11, 2024 by admin

The demolition work is complete.

Langley Bottom Farm Buildings 2023
The farm buildings have all now been flattened
All that is left of the grain silos

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