Planning Application Submitted
12 October 2017
A full planning application for the erection of a new training facility with associated ancillary accommodation for Woking Gymnastics Club on the former travellers site known as Ten Acre Farm, Smarts Heath Road, Mayford, has been submitted.
The development will also provide a publicly accessible café, public parking for local walkers and an enhanced natural environment offering publicly accessible natural environment; designed to reduce pressure on the adjacent SSSI.
The initial feasibility concepts for the future of Ten Acre Farm were presented to the public at an exhibition during June 2017 and were made available on line, with comments invited from interested parties.
The design proposals as submitted in the application have been evolved in accordance with the policies set out in the Woking Borough Council Core Strategy, Woking 2027 and the adopted Development Management Policies DPD.
The development will also provide a publicly accessible café, public parking for local walkers and an enhanced natural environment offering publicly accessible natural environment; designed to reduce pressure on the adjacent SSSI.
The initial feasibility concepts for the future of Ten Acre Farm were presented to the public at an exhibition during June 2017 and were made available on line, with comments invited from interested parties.
The design proposals as submitted in the application have been evolved in accordance with the policies set out in the Woking Borough Council Core Strategy, Woking 2027 and the adopted Development Management Policies DPD.
Driving Factors for Development
The former traveller site, recently acquired by Woking Borough Council, has been utilised for unlawful tipping of material, operations inappropriate within the green belt and adjacent to an SSSI and likely to be of a nuisance to the close by residential dwellings. Over the years, Ten Acre Farm has been subject to numerous small scale unauthorised building developments and misused for the disposal of waste, more commonly known as fly‐tipping. This has led to the site’s deterioration which, if left, could jeopardise neighbouring Smarts Heath and Hoe Stream.
The aggregate effect of years of tipping has raised the levels of the land which has resulted in a sizeable area of the site being taken out of Flood Zone 3, reducing the resilience of the overall Flood Zone to provide protection to local conurbations elsewhere in the Hoe Valley. Ten Acre Farm falls to the west of the existing flood alleviation plans, the current proposals being effectively stopped by the railway line and embankment.
The adjacent SSSI, Smarts Heath, is common land and utilised by walkers. This usage is in part contradictory to its status as an SSSI. Smarts Heath provides habitat for several species of ground breeding birds which may be disturbed by walkers and it would be preferential to provide alternative local facilities for residents to walk. Currently there is a reasonable level of public usage of the common land, many of whom drive to the area. There is currently no provision for parking for any visitors arriving by car and some inconvenience and damage is caused in nearby Goose Lane resulting from parking on the grass verges.
The Traffic Surveys and Traffic Statement submitted in support of this application demonstrate that the local residents’ assertions that traffic flows and speed along Smarts Heath Road are dangerous and in excess of legal limits are correct. The current traffic calming measures are ineffective and are in need of major improvement to reduce average speeds especially on the approach into Mayford Village.
Developing the site in its current state would enable the Council to remediate the land, improve highways safety and significantly enhance the local environment. In doing so the development would also enable Woking Gymnastics Club to relocate to a state‐of‐the‐art facility that would support the continued growth of one of the Borough’s most successful clubs.
Woking Gymnastics Club is one of the largest clubs in the UK and the largest single youth organisation in Woking. The Club’s objectives are to offer gymnastics classes for all abilities and ages from crawlers to 60 plus ‐ and to increase the activity in the community by delivering sessions to schools, disability and disadvantaged groups. In 2014, the Club celebrated 30 years of gymnastics at our facility situated in Kingfield, next to Woking Football Club.
The aggregate effect of years of tipping has raised the levels of the land which has resulted in a sizeable area of the site being taken out of Flood Zone 3, reducing the resilience of the overall Flood Zone to provide protection to local conurbations elsewhere in the Hoe Valley. Ten Acre Farm falls to the west of the existing flood alleviation plans, the current proposals being effectively stopped by the railway line and embankment.
The adjacent SSSI, Smarts Heath, is common land and utilised by walkers. This usage is in part contradictory to its status as an SSSI. Smarts Heath provides habitat for several species of ground breeding birds which may be disturbed by walkers and it would be preferential to provide alternative local facilities for residents to walk. Currently there is a reasonable level of public usage of the common land, many of whom drive to the area. There is currently no provision for parking for any visitors arriving by car and some inconvenience and damage is caused in nearby Goose Lane resulting from parking on the grass verges.
The Traffic Surveys and Traffic Statement submitted in support of this application demonstrate that the local residents’ assertions that traffic flows and speed along Smarts Heath Road are dangerous and in excess of legal limits are correct. The current traffic calming measures are ineffective and are in need of major improvement to reduce average speeds especially on the approach into Mayford Village.
Developing the site in its current state would enable the Council to remediate the land, improve highways safety and significantly enhance the local environment. In doing so the development would also enable Woking Gymnastics Club to relocate to a state‐of‐the‐art facility that would support the continued growth of one of the Borough’s most successful clubs.
Woking Gymnastics Club is one of the largest clubs in the UK and the largest single youth organisation in Woking. The Club’s objectives are to offer gymnastics classes for all abilities and ages from crawlers to 60 plus ‐ and to increase the activity in the community by delivering sessions to schools, disability and disadvantaged groups. In 2014, the Club celebrated 30 years of gymnastics at our facility situated in Kingfield, next to Woking Football Club.
Planning Rationale
The detailed submissions in the planning application and the supporting drawings, reports and statements clearly demonstrate that the proposal subject to this planning application provides for a recreational use with associated outdoor recreation facilities promoting an appropriate use of land within the Green Belt; it remediates and enhances an existing derelict piece of land which currently presents a contamination risk to the adjacent SSSI and Hoe Stream, and enhances biodiversity and visual amenity by providing improved and diverse habits.
The proposal has been designed to ensure no harm to the openness of the Green Belt or adjacent nature sensitive sites. The proposed building will not be visible beyond the site other than to travellers on the existing elevated railway by virtue of the extensive mature tree screening to all boundaries and on the adjacent protected sites.
The scheme incorporates off site highways improvements which will significantly improve road safety and will extend Woking Borough Council’s existing sustainable transport network.
Woking Gymnastics Club is a nationally recognised organisation, this proposal will enable them to continue to develop at an elite level; to extend their outreach within and beyond the borough and will provide capacity to further develop their provision for the less abled, older residents and establish closer links with local schools.
It is our assertion that the investigations, design development and proposed methods outlined in the application satisfy Policy DM13 and Section 9 of the NPPF.
The proposal has been designed to ensure no harm to the openness of the Green Belt or adjacent nature sensitive sites. The proposed building will not be visible beyond the site other than to travellers on the existing elevated railway by virtue of the extensive mature tree screening to all boundaries and on the adjacent protected sites.
The scheme incorporates off site highways improvements which will significantly improve road safety and will extend Woking Borough Council’s existing sustainable transport network.
Woking Gymnastics Club is a nationally recognised organisation, this proposal will enable them to continue to develop at an elite level; to extend their outreach within and beyond the borough and will provide capacity to further develop their provision for the less abled, older residents and establish closer links with local schools.
It is our assertion that the investigations, design development and proposed methods outlined in the application satisfy Policy DM13 and Section 9 of the NPPF.
Detailed Plans
Copies of the full Planning Application can be viewed on the Woking Borough Council Planning Portal.
Updated schematics and diagrams can be viewed on the PLANS page of this website.
Updated schematics and diagrams can be viewed on the PLANS page of this website.