A Waste Cardboard and Waste Paper recovery and transfer facility [SCC 2017/0118 and GBC 17/P/01585] has been approved on part of the Earth Station site in Cobbett Hill Road, Normandy for the sorting and storage of cardboard and paper but not the actual recycling, which is done elsewhere.

This outline application [16/P/00649], for a development of 30 homes (including 11 'affordable units'), was refused by Guildford Borough Council on 15 December 2016, having received over thirty objections. The revised documentation submitted by the applicant in October 2016 did not appear, on balance, to impact the extensive case officer report. However, all the way through the officer report there was constant reference to the emerging Local Plan indicating this land might be part of a larger development (i.e. Site A46) still under consultation.

Guildford Borough Council [GBC] issued a decision letter dated 14 December 2015 indicating refusal of planning application 15/P/01670 for outline permission to build 78 dwellings and retail space of 405 metres. This decision was delegated to officer level and not considered by the full GBC Planning Committee. Key to the decision was that the applicant was unable to provide enough persuasive evidence to support the "very special circumstances" required to outweigh "substantial harm" to the Green Belt. This decision adds to the weight of other decisions around the Normandy settlement of the contribution to the "openness of the Green Belt" represented by areas of land beyond the settlement boundary and how development would cause significant harm to the character of the area.

Few residents attended to hear two NAG committee members speak against this planning application. Normandy Borough Councillor, David Bilbe, who had objected to a previous application concerning this site, before his election in May 2015, consequently was excluded from the Planning Committee deliberations and vote. However, he was permitted to speak under the rules for residents, being allowed 3 minutes to make his points.

As if they knew the decision at Palm House Nurseries was a foregone conclusion, owners of the traveller pitches at Green Lane East submitted two new planning applications [15/P/02363 and 15/P/02364] on 14 December 2015 to vary conditions imposed in the original grant of permission for one [13/P/00825] and the appeal [10/P/00507] for the other. Both applications are for the removal of the temporary permission and to make permission permanent.

The mid-December date for the submission of these applications means that any resident wishing to submit their comments must do so over the Christmas holiday period and ensure they are received by the case officer before the close date of 7 January 2016. 

After months of prevarication, Guildford Borough Council [GBC] planning officers have finally brought forward 15/P/00521 for consideration by the full GBC Planning Committee.  Members will be considering the application for permanent permission for the 6-pitch traveller site on land to the rear of Palm House Nurseries, Glaziers Lane.

Should residents plan to attend, the refurbishment of the main council chamber is incomplete and the Planning Committee will meet in the Foyer Area, (next to reception), Millmead House, Millmead, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 4BB at 7.00 pm, Wednesday 16 December 2015.

Hot on the heels of eleven new documents being submitted to the current planning application page on the Guildford Borough Council [GBC] web site [13/P/01453] for change of use of Grade 3 agricultural land to 34.5 hectares of Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace [SANG] at Russell Place Farm, Frog Grove Lane, Wood Street on 2 December 2015, residents that had previously written received a new letter from GBC dated 3 December 2015, giving them 21 days to submit their comments, making the close date for comments 24 or 25 December 2015, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

After initial rejection on 2 December by Guildford Borough councillors, due to apparent errors in the content, the revised Strategic Housing Market Assessment [SHMA] was published at 17:00 Thursday 18 December 2014.  This revised SHMA takes account of the Duty to Cooperate with the two other councils that make up the defined Housing Market Area [HMA], namely Waverley and Woking borough councils.