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Let’s get straight to the news.  The appeal against the refusal to grant planning permission to demolish 89-91 Guildford Road [Lightwater/Surrey Homecare] in Lightwater, and to rebuild it suitable for occupation by a major food store chain as a convenience store, has been refused by the Planning Inspectorate.

The key reason for refusal is its effect on highway safety, as explained here in point 10 of the Appeal Decision.

10. Thus the proposal would be detrimental to highway safety and conflicts with Policy M8 of the Surrey Heath Local Plan which requires new development to have regard to highway design standards, the Lightwater Village Design Statement Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) which requires that development proposals should have regard to highway safety and PPG13 which seeks to secure road safety.

I’m pleased to have made a contribution to this issue. I sought guidance from the Borough Council monitoring officer that I could present the case against the application at the planning committee meeting in June. Mayors are expected to non-political, although not entirely so. My arguments in committee weren’t the only reason that the application was refused. The other reasons were Tim Salter’s impassioned pleading in the committee meeting, along with almost 1000 signatories of villagers, and all those who mobilised, and maintained, support against the application.

I didn’t blog on the result of the planning applications committee meeting because of being new to the Mayoralty, nor have I been involved since the planning committee meeting. I wasn’t sure about the eventual outcome, and feel that Mike Gilfrin’s contribution [Lightwater resident and MGA Town Planning Consultant] was important during the appeal stage.

Now however I think to myself, I did the best I could. Although, as with all things, there are differing views.   

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