The East Area Planning Sub-Committee met on 8 September 2025 to discuss two planning applications. Permission was refused for the building of three new houses at 31 Stevens Lane, Claygate, and permission was granted for the conversion of The Winning Horse, 35 Coverts Road, Claygate into housing, and the building of a new detached house on the site.

Planning Application: The Winning Horse, 35 Coverts Road, Claygate

The committee approved an application for the conversion of the vacant public house, The Winning Horse, into a pair of semi-detached, two-storey houses, as well as the building of a new, detached two-storey house.

The application received 77 letters of objection and five letters of observation. Reasons given for objection included:

• The loss of social and community infrastructure
• That a shop could be opened in the building instead
• The loss of an asset of community value (ACV)¹
• That there would be inadequate parking
• That there was a lack of cycle parking and electric vehicle charging
• That refuse storage and collection arrangements were unsatisfactory

Eight letters of support were received, with reasons given including:

• That there are already four pubs in Claygate
• That housing is better for the community
• That there is a need for housing in Claygate
• That there is a lack of commercial interest in running the site as a pub

The Senior Planning Officer reported corrections and updates to the officer report, including that paragraph 51 should reflect a housing mix of 1 x 2-bedroom dwelling, 1 x 3-bedroom dwelling and 1 x 4-bedroom dwelling, that Platform 3 should be included in the list of pubs in paragraph 41, and that paragraph 98 should be expanded to reflect that the application was due for a Community Infrastructure Levy payment of £60,594 subject to indexation.

The committee heard from Douglas Edwards, an objector, and David Lane, on behalf of the agent.

Councillor Mary Marshall declared an interest as she was a member of the Claygate Community Board Society.

Conditions for granting permission included:

• The development must begin within three years.
• The development must be carried out in accordance with the approved plans.
• Samples of the materials to be used on the external faces and roof of the building must be submitted and approved in writing by the borough council.
• No development falling within part 1 classes A, B and E of schedule 2 to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 shall be carried out within the curtilage of any dwellinghouse, unless planning permission is first granted by the borough council.
• Prior to the first occupation of the development, the first floor windows on the flank elevations of the development must be glazed with obscure glass that accords with level three obscurity as shown on the pilkington textured glass privacy levels and only openable above a height of 1.7m above the internal floor level of the room to which it serves.
• Full details of both hard and soft landscaping works must be submitted to and approved in writing by the borough council and these works must be carried out as approved.
• The development must be carried out in accordance with the conclusions and recommendations in the Ecological Impact Assessment carried out by Windrush Ecology dated September 2024 and received on 9th June 2025.
• A Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan to ensure that there is a minimum 10% net gain in biodiversity as a result of the development must be submitted to and agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.
• Prior to above ground works, a Sensitive Lighting Management Plan must be submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority.
• Prior to above ground works, a Landscape and Ecological Enhancement and Management Plan must be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.
• No development shall commence until a construction transport management plan has been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority.
• Each of the proposed dwellings must be provided with a fast charge socket.
• Facilities for the secure, lit and covered parking of bicycles and the provision of a charging point with timer for e-bikes by said facilities must be provided within the development site.
• A written Discovery Strategy for the site must be implemented during development.
• Clean, uncontaminated rock, soil, brick rubble, crushed concrete or ceramic only shall be permitted as infill material.

Planning Application: 31 Stevens Lane, Claygate

The committee refused an application for the erection of a detached two-storey house with rooms in the roofspace and a pair of semi-detached two-storey houses with rooms in the roofspace, a new vehicular access to No 31 from Raymond Way, and conversion of garage to habitable accommodation with elevational changes at 31 Stevens Lane, Claygate.

The committee heard from Martin Sherwood, an objector, and Steve Elliott, the agent.

Councillor Alex Coomes, Chair of the East Area Planning Sub-Committee, acknowledged that the longer-standing Members of the Sub-Committee were acquainted with the agent who had previously been employed by Elmbridge Borough Council.

One further letter of objection was received together with a further representation from Claygate Parish Council.

The reason given for refusing permission was that the proposed development, by reason of the loss of the oak tree and the insufficient replacement planting which would not adequately mitigate the loss of the oak tree, would result in material harm to the character and appearance of Stevens Lane. The proposed development would therefore be contrary to Policy CS17 of the Core Strategy 2011, Policies DM2 and DM6 of the Development Management Plan 2015 and the National Planning Policy Framework 2024.