Residents need to send their views to councillors who all vote on the Princess Royal Barracks planning application on the 17th July.
This is the latest information DLG has sent to all councillors. Please feel free to cut and paste from this to send your personal views to councillors. The email address that will send your views to all councillors is: councillors@surreyheath.gov.uk
Dear Councillor
The Planning Application Meeting for the development of the Princess Royal Barracks on the 17th July
I am writing to you as Chair of the Deepcut Liaison Group.
As you know Deepcut residents have very actively participated in various SHBC led processes that impact upon the proposed re-development of the Princess Royal Barracks (PRB). These processes included the, now approved, SHBC Core Strategy and also the Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) specifically covering the PRB site.
At no point have residents endeavoured to thwart the possible PRB Re-development. The demands below are submitted in the same spirit: we wish to both protect and enhance our village whilst simultaneously ensuring that the impact upon adjacent communities is minimized. Examples of wider community concerns relate to the traffic impact, a supermarket’s potential impact on the shopping hierarchy in adjacent communities such as Heatherside and Frimley Green, and the value of Deepcut’s role as a “green lung” to the wider borough. In achieving these objectives we look to SHBC officers and councillors to ensure that any approval given is fully compliant, in perpetuity, with requirements as established in the Core Strategy and the PRB SPD.
This development will have impact way beyond Deepcut. I am sure you are already aware that a significant number of Surrey Borough Heath residents have major concerns – particularly when it comes to the increase in traffic. While we are fully supportive of the plans for 1200 new homes – we strongly object to:
The very limited traffic mitigation proposals;
The dissemination of established woodland;
The proposed size, location and mass of the supermarket (and its impact on local retail outlets)
The lack of new public transport routes
We are not a small action group. More than 700 residents came to a DLG opening meeting last year to discuss these key issues. More than 200 Deepcut residents signed up to the Deepcut Neighbourhood Forum and a further 160 homeowners from Mytchett, Camberley; Frimley and Frimley Green also joined as Associate Members. Over 300 people came to an open exhibition we held a few months ago – and the vast majority had concerns which we later forwarded to the Council. There have been more than 200 on-line objections to the current plans.
On the 31st May, we sent a letter on behalf of the residents of Deepcut to the Council, listing all their objections. I have cut and pasted the salient points below. I would urge you to read it prior to the meeting on the 17th July so that you are fully aware of the views of many of your constituents prior to voting on this Planning Application.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely,
Angela Mitchell
Chair
Deepcut Liaison Group
Objections to the current plans for the Princess Royal Barracks Developement.
SECTION 1: RESIDENTS POSITION
Existing Deepcut residents believe that there are areas where SHBC’s Core Strategy, and the PRB SPD, are not being complied with in the Planning Application: therefore residents OBJECT to Planning Permission being granted.
With the PRB development predicted to generate a significant increase in traffic growth, residents continue to OBJECT very strongly to the mitigation proposals for the following three junctions:
• Deepcut Bridge Road Railway Bridge
• Frimley Green/Wharf Road/Guildford Road Junction – the traffic consultants selected by SHBC, WSP, show that this junction is already exceeding its capacity NOW.
• M3 Junction 3
In our view, the mitigation proposals put forward by the Developer are totally inadequate and we call upon SHBC to impose the condition that further work needs to be done to ensure more realistic and practical solutions.
It is also essential that the following three conditions are attached to the outline planning application:
1. Sufficient finance is provided to ensure significant junction improvements at the seven junctions identified by AMEC along with the three additional junctions identified in WSP’s independent traffic assessment.
2. A clear and robust phasing programme for these junction improvements is established that insists upon five of these junctions being upgraded before construction commences, with the remaining five junctions being upgraded in the early part of the development. (See Section 2 Phase 1 & 2 on page5).
3. The internal link road joining the northern and southern sections of the development must be in place before construction commences.
Residents continue to OBJECT to the proposed Supermarket on the basis of its size, location and mass. However, should the Local Authority to be minded to grant the Application then residents would request that the following points be considered and suitable planning conditions applied as appropriate:
4 Subject to a Retail Study (see page 5 in Section 2) the Supermarket should be 600-700 square meters gross and we OBJECT to any Supermarket larger than this range.
5 A location in the centre of the PRB site, away from DBR
6 Prohibits all external branding through neon/other lighting methods and allows only lighting compatible with sustaining public safety
7 Allows only materials and methods sympathetic to local architectural styles must be used in supermarket external appearance as proposed in SPD for residential properties.
Regarding Housing our examination of the Planning Application leads us to OBJECT to certain items and we look for the following provisions to be made in any approval:
8. Residents would strongly OBJECT to the development of any more than 1,200 Housing Units on the PRB site in accordance with the Core Strategy and Housing Allocations document. This must be binding on all future reserved matters / detailed planning applications in perpetuity.
9. Affordable Housing: 15 % of the total number of units constructed to be Affordable Housing Units (AHU). In these units, preference should be given to “key workers” and “joint ownership”. Each of the AHU’s which are rented out shall be occupied by virtue of Assured Tenancies.
10. The Housing Layout is indicative and illustrative only and should be adjusted to provide the accommodation required by the core strategy. However Densities in excess of 35 per hectare should not be allowed and blocks of flats prohibited as they are not consistent with the “agreed Vision”.
11. Location: the distribution/dispersal of AHUs is to be a “Pepper pot” distribution.
12. Siting and construction of AHUs shall comply with any planning permission granted by the council when approving reserve matters in connection with the application.
13. During the development of the site no construction activity, including the movement of vehicles to or within the site, is to take place prior to 8am and after 6pm on weekdays (9am and 6pm at weekends and public holidays). All contractors vehicles, including those belonging to anybody carrying out work on the site, are to be parked at all times within the site. Construction activity prohibited on-site (such as, but not limited to, the burning of rubbish and the crushing of waste materials) must not be carried out on adjoining sites: such activities must be carried out at specialized licensed sites.
14. The provision of some self-build plots in all parts of the PRB site is required.
As Open Spaces form a key element in delivering the Vision of Deepcut as a “rural village” it is essential that
15. ALL wooded areas at ALL the entrances to Deepcut are maintained
16. A complete and comprehensive tree survey is prepared and approved for each of the developments in accordance with latest standards.
17. Woodlands that create Deepcut’s existing character must remain intact: in particular this applies to the woodland south of Brunswick Road, a mature, largely self-sown, area with many English landscape trees. There exists at least 18 different species, including many mature oaks, including a rare “quad” formed oak. Overall the trees in this area are a healthy cross-section of what one would expect of a natural succession of self-sown trees and they must be allowed to survive and help sustain Deepcut’s character.
18. ALL Buffer zones to be identified and increased from 15 to 20 meters in width. These must be woodland through retention of all existing trees/woods, supplemented by planting new trees as necessary. These buffer zones are to include the area around the existing North Minden House, the houses on Brunswick Road, and the area to the North of the existing Dettingen estate.
To enhance sustainable transport to surrounding areas and their facilities, and to provide leisure facilities and routes, it is essential that any planning permission granted provides, by a time when not more than 20% of the housing units have been occupied, commitments to create sustained capabilities and infra-structure to support cycling routes, all to be drained:
19. The developer at his expense shall design, construct and complete a cycle route across Frith Hill to link Deepcut Bridge Road with St Catherine’s Road and Field Lane, Frimley with lighting.
20. The DIO to grant an easement to the council to enable the council to maintain Frith hill cycle route and to dedicate rights of way for public to use in perpetuity.
21. In order to enhance the important leisure facilities and communication benefits provided by the canal, the developer shall complete at his expense the upgrading of the Basingstoke Canal towpath link between Frimley Lodge Park and Brookwood to the standard which currently exists between Deepcut Bridge Road and the first lock of the Deepcut flight (Lock 28). This is to include the provision of SUDS and an upgrade of access to the canal from Deepcut Bridge Road, including disabled access. Safety lighting is to be provided along linkages to the canal although not along the actual canal towpath.
22. The developer submits, and gets approved by the SHBC Council, a scheme providing for cycle parking facilities on the PRB Development site and at surrounding facilities – Frimley Green, Doctors, shops and Library – Heatherside Doctors, shops and Library.
23. To encourage increased use of rail services, additional parking capacity must be created at both Brookwood and Farnborough Main Stations.
In pursuit of making Deepcut more “vibrant, sustainable, and comprehensive” the Core Strategy states that any new development will be required to deliver certain Community facilities. These need recognizing within any planning permission granted and are:
24. A site is provided in perpetuity for the provision of Medical Facilities and a Library.
25. The Library should reflect modern communication requirements and thus include IT/Media Hub capabilities.
26. A Public House/Gastro Pub/Licensed premises should be provided in perpetuity.
27. Other retail, where three shops are to be provided, to have A1 Planning permission default only, with other uses subject to full planning permission.
It is essential that the appropriate local Authorities hold in perpetuity the “commuted sums” that come forward in respect of the following key alternative transport and community amenities:
28. Enhanced bus services, including the provision of bus shelters, to commuter links known to be constrained for parking spaces, such as Brookwood Station.
29. Basingstoke Canal tow-path maintenance and lighting on linkages to the canal.
30. The maintenance and lighting of the network of cycle paths.
31. Maintenance of all agreed Open Spaces such as Woodend Road Playing Field.
SECTION 2: COMMENTS ON THE PLANNING APPLICATION AND RATIONALE FOR 1. ABOVE
We wish to make the following comments on the Planning Application and why we have such a comprehensive set of objections and Demands.
The increase in traffic consequent to any granting of the planning application, and its impact, has long been recognized as a major problem, across Deepcut and its surrounding area. The Core Strategy states “Measures to reduce the impact of traffic upon and arising from Deepcut which will include reducing demand for travel, improved public transport provision, a safe integrated footpath/cycle route network linking to neighbouring settlements and key services and improvements to the surrounding highway network.” To mitigate the impact for residents of both Deepcut and surrounding areas, junction mitigation has been deemed essential: to benefit both residents, and also the flow of construction traffic, the following phasing of junction improvements is considered essential:
Phase 1 – these junction improvements should be completed before the construction of any dwellings on the PRB site:
• M3 Junction 3 – significant enhancement for access from the South to increase capacity
• Guildford Road/Bagshot Road/Red Road
• Red Road/The Maultway/Upper Chobham Road
• The Maultway/Old Bisley Road
• Deepcut Bridge Road/Blackdown Road/Newfoundland Road
• The internal link road is in place
Phase 2 – these junction improvements should be completed by the start of 2020 which corresponds with the first phase of building:
• Chobham Road/Upper Chobham Road/Old Bisley Road
• Deepcut Bridge Road/Lake Road
• Frimley Green Road/Wharf Road/Guildford Road
• Deepcut Bridge Road Railway Bridge
• Gole Road/Dawney Hill
Also Rights of way: SHBC must ensure all rights of way shown in the definitive map to be retained.
Enhanced Public Transport must be provided: Deepcut has limited employment opportunities and the closure of the PRB reduces this further in the short term. Commuting, either by car or rail, is likely to be the “modus operandi” for many of Deepcut’s future residents on the PRB site. As Parking Season Tickets are fully subscribed at Brookwood station, Bus services must be provided catering for commuters leaving for London from 6:00am and from London for arrival at Brookwood before 9.00pm. Later services should mirror those timings and frequency available to Lightwater for example.
Cycling also forms another strand of traffic mitigation. It is essential that the Developer is held fully responsible for both the timely delivery and maintenance of the enhanced network of cycling routes referred to above, including the use of the Basingstoke Canal’s towpath.
In the view of residents neither the Developer nor SHBC has established a formal need by way of a Retail Study for a substantial Supermarket unit to be located in Deepcut. Residents urgently request that such a study must be undertaken before permission is granted for any Supermarket. This is particularly important bearing in mind recent supermarket chain planning applications in Bagshot (Waitrose) and Frimley Green (Morrisons).
Residents are supportive of a new supermarket which is required to support a new, vibrant, village. However there are issues around its size, location, and compatibility with the Vision agreed by SHBC in consultation with us residents, namely the “creation of a rural village”.
Residents continue to OBJECT to the proposed size and location of the supermarket. The April 2011 Analysis of Responses to the SPD Consultation states in the Overview that “many residents felt that a smaller supermarket of some 600-700sqm gross was more appropriate to the location than the scale identified in the Core Strategy and should be located on a secondary road within the development”. This still remains the Residents’ view.
Addressing Size the table below compares existing supermarket sizes (Source: 12 Dec. 2010 Jenny Rickard comment on community web-site) with 2011 Census numbers for dwellings/populations in adjacent Wards with “neighbourhood” supermarkets comparable in size to that most residents want on the PRB site:
Ward Population Dwellings People/unit Gross size (m2) Persons/m2
Heatherside 6,049 2,379 2.54 575 10.52
Lightwater 6,604 2,848 2.32 629 10.50
Bagshot 5,592 2,403 2.33 675 8.28
Average of 3 2.39 9.71
Mytchett & Deepcut – current population of 7,101 with 2,823 dwellings (2.52 occupants on average). Taking this forward for Deepcut alone (currently 950 dwellings) gives a projected 2025 population in Deepcut of about 5,506 (950+1,235 x 2.52). As shown in the table below, and using the format above, this gives a supermarket space provision of 2.75 persons/m2 , 253% above that for residents across Heatherside, Lightwater and Bagshot. Even residents’ demanded 700sqm gross maximum size gives a major over-provision as shown below:
Deepcut (2025) 5,506 2.52 2,000 2.75
Deepcut (2025) 5,506 2.52 700 7.87
However, if one adds into the calculation the actual Frimley Green Census data (population 5,717, dwellings 2,304) and the calculated Mytchett numbers (4,726 residents with 1,730 dwellings) then the proposed 2000sqm supermarket has a persons/m2 metric of 7.98 much nearer the average 9.71 for Heathersde/Lightwater/Bagshot. It is clear where much of the supermarkets’ turnover will be sourced: Frimley Green and Mytchett with their very small local supermarkets which are comparable to Deepcut’s own existing Spar shop.
The above calculations demonstrate that the proposed size is clearly excessive. The proposal will have the following impacts:
• A dramatic and detrimental impact upon local shops, particularly in Heatherside, Frimley Green, and Mytchett risking future shop closures, increased local un-employment, and the loss of essential local community retail amenities
• Significant users will be non-Deepcut residents (SHBC’s own traffic consultants assumed 30% in their analysis). To achieve the required “footfall” to deliver the projected £10.5-11.0M turnover we estimate that, based upon our Consultant’s previous experience working for the UK’s largest supermarket chain, up to 80% of the revenue could be of non-Deepcut origin. The turnover projected needs about 10,000 shoppers weekly and there are only a projected 2,185 dwellings in Deepcut with many residents choosing to continue with their existing buying patterns for value/loyalty/other reasons.
• A major exacerbation of traffic concerns already highlighted relating to increased road usage by shoppers, delivery vehicles, and employees. Local supermarkets tend to employ local residents: large supermarkets are likely to source employees from further afield and Deepcut has no meaningful Public Transport system enabling such workers to easily get to Deepcut.
Most residents want the supermarket to be located centrally within the proposed PRB development to maximise the number of residents who are likely to walk to the shop. A location on the (to be developed) arterial road through the PRB site will also alleviate traffic on Deepcut bridge Road between the (to be constructed) new roundabout at the DBR/Newfoundland road junction and the DBR/Brunswick Road junction. This alleviation is important given the high levels of traffic already using DBR which will be exacerbated by the growing local population and the possible closure of Bellew road/Blackdown road.
Apart from size and location, the Applicant needs to accept the need for any structure to be compatible with the vision of “a rural village”. Residents want a local supermarket but they don’t want a major supermarket, with the risk of heavy, intrusive, branding as a landmark building as proposed. Deepcut’s history is military: the landmark for the future should be something like the military’s Church, not a supermarket. In addition, in the supermarket’s construction materials and methods sympathetic to local architectural styles must be used, in the same way as the SPD prescribes for house construction, and all lighting and signage must be minimalist, with no neon-signs etc.
The Local authority must ensure that, for any supermarket approval, the facility Developer must provide, at its own expense, car parking and servicing capabilities at the supermarket that meet the council’s adopted standard, including cycle parking.
With respect to cycling, within the planning application, apart from the rather vague mention of a cycle route to Brookwood Station, which seems to stop at the lock keeper’s cottage next to the Basingstoke Canal, the only clearly identified route is the one over Frith Hill to Tomlinscote School. This is clearly inadequate and residents would urge SHBC to use the blueprint within the Regulation 19 SPD to ensure that the network of principal cycle routes identified in Figure 7.3, page 74, becomes a condition of any planning consent.
We would also argue that Deepcut Bridge Road is one of the principal cycle routes within the village and, as part of the above condition, we would wish to see the existing network of informal cycle routes that run parallel to DBR regularised and included in the overall plan for cycle links.
Regarding Open Space and Landscape the Core strategy states that “The Deepcut area will accommodate a sustainable expanded settlement, formed out of the former PRB site and the existing Deepcut village. This will be distinct and separate from the urban areas to the west and north but linked to them in a sustainable manner. The expanded Deepcut will be characterised by the rural heath land landscape within which it sits. Open space will thread through the built up area, as well as providing much of the setting of the village.”
In supporting delivery of the Core Strategy it is essential that existing properties are protected where necessary through Buffer Zones, existing trees are fully protected through a series of comprehensive Tree surveys, and that existing woodland is recognized for its current contribution to wildlife and thus protected, rather than being dismantled as proposed to the south of Brunswick Road. In delivering “distinct and separate from the urban areas” it is essential that the wooded areas at all the entrances to Deepcut are maintained as wooded areas and not be used for development – in keeping with the rural, wooded character of the village. Flora and fauna must be protected: south of Brunswick Road rare birds such as woodcocks, a ground nesting and very secretive bird, live and are threatened by the Application’s plans for this area. Such threats are easily preventable. Specifically this Core Strategy commitment can be met by building on the (currently planned) SANGS area to the South and retaining Brunswick woods in their entirety. This would also provide the houses to be built to the south of Brunswick Road, including on the “brown-field” site currently used as a transport depot, with a view over relatively mature woodland – thus more in keeping with the rural feel of Deepcut.
The detailed design of the Buffer strips to be submitted to and approved by LPA and consultation on the submission to be carried out.
Existing residents’ demands on Open Spaces have been recognized in many areas. However because delivery of new amenities is a cost to the Developer rather than a revenue stream, it is essential that time scales are provided for delivery to enhance the lives of all Deepcut residents. This includes a timetable for the landscaping and completion of the LEAP & LAP that must be approved by LPA as well as for completion of the Central Village Green
The towpath on the Basingstoke Canal needs to be enhanced and maintained to provide leisure areas and ensure safety whilst also affording the opportunity of providing a sustainable cycling route to Brookwood station. SUDS to be provided to maintain canal water levels to minimize the risk of repeats of 2012 where low water levels in the Deepcut section of the Canal reduced its amenity value.
Regarding the overall development of Deepcut the Core Strategy states: “New development on land at Princess Royal Barracks and on other sites within Deepcut should contribute toward the delivery of an expanded rural Deepcut which will create a new community that is vibrant, sustainable, comprehensive and well designed. In particular new development will be required to contribute toward delivery of the following:
a) A safe and high quality environment reflecting the rural nature of Deepcut’s setting.
b) Community infrastructure including a new primary school, new health facilities, enhanced library provision, enhanced community hall provision and possibly a place of worship.
c) Improved provision of retail and associated Class A uses to create sustainable shopping.
d) An enhanced new village Centre and a socially vibrant community.”
Residents believe that the Developer’s application threatens these Core Strategy provisions and that safeguards, as outlined in Section 1 above, must be fully introduced to ensure delivery.
The local residents, and hence the DLG who represent them, continue to strongly OBJECT to all the points summarised above. We view it as critical that, should the Local Authority be minded to grant the Application, then all the proposed conditions are applied and that all these conditions are fully enforced. In this respect SHBC Officers have previously said to residents that, in the context of any PRB redevelopment, they did not wish to repeat the mistakes made in the Alma-Dettingen project. Deepcut residents demand that SHBC Officers prove their words by imposing the conditions residents demand and then ensure they are fully implemented on time.
Yours sincerely
Mrs A. Mitchell
Chair
Deepcut Liaison Group