Plans for 135 houses in Sturt Farm in Haslemere on AONB Surrey Hills land were a key test of local policy, so the Town Council Planning meeting tonight was the first chance to hear what the local politicians thought. This was an ‘Outline’ planning application – i.e. to establish the principle of development on the site, whilst the detailed application would be worked up some time in the future.
About 60 odd residents turned out to hear the views and decisions of the Town Council, but decisions they did not get!
On behalf of the residents and Save Sturt Farm Robert Sermon gave a detailed analysis of the relevant planning issues, particularly the constraints to the site of its Area of Natural Beauty and Area of Great Landscape Value, its location in the Surrey Hills, and whether this site could be considered an exception site. The conclusion being that development could only be considered to meet national, rather than local need. So despite the disarray of the Waverley Local Plan and lack of 5 year housing supply (which the developers even admitted they were exploiting!), housing for housing’s sake shouldn’t override such AONB designations in countryside beyond the green belt.
The developers produced a 62page outline overview, which tried to address these principles, and fleshed out the layout and access issues. Broad brush, outline in principle stuff. Its a shame that few of the councillors seemed to have read this.
We then received a pretty shaky presentation from the developers, with some basic information from Susan Haslam (FMW) on a traffic survey and Colin Brown from Landscape Design Associates on the impact on the landscape. There would be no impact on the wider AONB. A public question time focused on traffic, access, flooding and sewage, the affordable housing quota allocated (the minimum 40% so hardly exceptional) and more probing of the Traffic Survey. Traffic census data suggested 5,000 vehicle movements a day on Sturt Road, whilst the developers survey (on a Tuesday in May 2013 during term time) shows about 1100. There was much concern about the proposed ‘dislocation’ of the wildlife on the site – the badger set in particular would be ‘trapped and moved’!
Finally after 2 hours it was the Councillors turn to debate the application. The audience’s jaws began to drop as one by one Councillors Mulliner, Isherwood and King trotted out that there were too many details missing and that they would reserve their right to comment until these were resolved. Councillor Jim Edwards bravely came out against the application, but he was the only one. Another Councillor – Brigitte Hewett I think – quickly moved a motion to abstain any comment, which was hastily agreed. Residents became angry and starting shouting ‘shame’, and the Chairman Penny Bradley quickly realised that they should vote on this too, which was duly passed.
The whole hall was rather stunned – they had turned out to hear a decision and an informed debate, yet the Town Council has spectacularly abstained from representing the people of Haslemere in grand style. This colossal abdication of responsibility was compounded by the party line trotted out by Mulliner, and Isherwood – ‘not enough answers to questions’ that was clearly rehearsed and pre-arranged. Had they really had a group meeting to whip this massive ‘no comment’? Clearly such tactics are common in the Surrey Conservative association – no surprise local agent Edward Norman was spotted slipping out before the end. The irony was that the developers were sitting right in front of them to answer any of these questions.
Haslemere Town Council and its Councillors have no planning powers, so what are they worried about? All they can do is express an opinion, it has no judicial function. And thats all the people of Haslemere wanted to hear tonight – opinions on local matters. What do individuals think, what’s their gut reaction? Is this the right place for housing? Are there better sites? How does this site fit in with the Neighbourhood Plan/ Vision? Outline planning is all about principals and concepts- is this the right one for Haslemere? Instead we were given a big fat ‘no comment’.
Having worked hard on Neighbourhood Planning in Godalming I was quite incensed. This was terrible leadership. They failed to explain the issues, they failed to lead. There was no debate, there was no comment to pass on to the Planning Authority. They failed to take the public with them – either for or against, and they spectacularly failed to communicate. After the meeting I told Peter Isherwood and Penny Bradley of my disappointment that they had missed their chance to say something meaningful. On the contrary, they would supply a comment when they had the information, when the other consultees had responded. So would there be another planning meeting of the Town Council I asked? Penny thought there might be, and other residents overhead this and demanded the meeting be run again at that time. Cllr Isherwood of course had the luxury of making a decision at the Waverley Planning meeting, and it seems that for most of the Conservatives on the Town Council this was enough. The decision was too hard, so lets leave it to those who sit on another Authority. “This makes the Town Council irrelevant then” muttered one aggravated resident next to me. When you have no political opposition, you can leave it to a few to deal with the dirty work it seems. So I pressed Cllr Bradley on her gut reaction: “We are so criticised on the Town Council its better to say nothing, and I don’t know enough about the issues.” Cllr Isherwood said he was broadly for the principle of developing the site, and Cllr Hewett said she was broadly in favour too, all with the caveats that they needed more information. So there we have it – at a local level your Councillors are too scared to say what they think, even at an opportunity where grandstanding might be positively encouraged. Explaining the housing issues is seen as too difficult. What a missed opportunity. Its hard enough to get the public to a council meeting, but to treat them with such distain is unforgivable.
When will the Town Council debate this again – and most importantly – without stage managing and in public?