The North Area Planning Sub-Committee of Elmbridge Borough Council met on 9 September 2025 and approved a planning application for the construction of four houses on Sandy Lane. Councillor Nick Dodds, Chair of the Committee, opened the meeting.

Planning Application 2025/0710 - Rear of 12 Sandy Lane, Walton-on-Thames

The sub-committee approved planning application 2025/0710 for the construction of a terrace of four two-storey houses with rooms in the roof space, associated parking, and bin and cycle stores, following the demolition of existing buildings to the rear of 12 Sandy Lane, Walton-on-Thames.

The sub-committee heard from Tim Dodd, an objector, and Neil Davis, the agent for the applicant, David Mumford.

The application was brought before the sub-committee because it had received over 15 letters of objection. The planning report noted that 40 letters of objection had been received from approximately 30 addresses, and one letter of support.

Key points raised in objection were that the proposal would:

• Harm the residential amenities of neighbours
• Result in overlooking and loss of privacy
• Have an overbearing impact and cause a loss of outlook
• Increase highway safety risks
• Be out of keeping with the character of the area
• Impact on the access road, which objectors stated was too narrow
• Cause a substantial loss of light and overshadowing
• Be unduly cramped and represent over-development of the site
• Provide inadequate parking and refuse collection
• Cause noise and disturbance during construction

The planning officer's report considered the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 2024, the Elmbridge Core Strategy 2011, the Development Management Plan 2015, the Elmbridge Design Code SPD 2024, the Development Contributions SPD 2021, the Flood Risk SPD 2016, and the Parking SPD 2020.

The report noted that the relevant planning history included:

• 2002/0176 - Relaxation of condition 3 of planning permission 1992/0550 to allow garage to be used for car valeting - Refused
• 1995/0551 - Detached double garage following demolition of 2 single garages - Granted
• 1992/0550 - Detached single-storey workshop building following demolition of existing workshop and ancillary car parking - Granted

The report stated that Environmental Health had no objections subject to a condition regarding contaminated land, and the CLH Pipelines Authority had no objections. The Surrey Bat Group and Surrey Wildlife Trust also had no objections, subject to conditions. Surrey County Council (SCC) Highways Authority had no objections subject to conditions regarding parking, EV charging, cycle storage, and a Construction Transport Management Plan.

The planning considerations included:

• The principle of the development
• The provision of affordable housing for minor developments
• The design of the proposal and its impact on the character and appearance of the area
• The impact on the amenities of neighbouring properties
• The provision of a suitable residential environment
• The impact on highways, safety and parking
• The impact on flooding
• The impact on trees and biodiversity
• Other considerations: contaminated land; CLH pipelines; bin stores
• Financial considerations

The report concluded that the proposal was acceptable, and recommended that planning permission be granted.

The planning permission was granted subject to the following conditions:

1. The development must begin within three years.
2. The development must be carried out in strict accordance with the approved plans.
3. Samples of external materials and roofing must be submitted for approval.
4. The first floor and second floor front windows and rooflights on the northwest elevation of the development and the first and second floor rear windows that face south on the southwest elevation must be glazed with obscure glass and only openable above a height of 1.7m.
5. Details of landscaping works must be submitted for approval, including boundary treatments, hard surfacing materials, cycle storage, and refuse/recycling bin storage.
6. Biodiversity enhancement measures must be incorporated.
7. Parking and turning areas must be laid out before the first occupation of the development.
8. Fast charge EV charging points must be provided for each new unit.
9. Facilities for secure, lit, and covered bicycle parking must be provided, including a charging point with timer for e-bikes.
10. A plan to investigate potential land contamination must be completed to the satisfaction of the council.
11. A Construction Transport Management Plan must be submitted for approval.

The informatives provided to the applicant included:

• The development is subject to a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) liability.
• The developer is expected to ensure the safe operation of all construction traffic.
• In the event that bats or the signs of bats are encountered during tree surgery, then works should be stopped immediately and advice sought from a qualified bat specialist.
• Extra caution should be taken when undertaking tree works during the main bird nesting season (March to August inclusive), to avoid adverse effects on nesting wild birds.
• Precautions should be taken during demolition and construction to ensure the protection of terrestrial mammals.
• Any external lighting installed should follow BCT & ILP guidelines.
• The developer is reminded that it is an offence to allow materials to be carried from the site and deposited on or damage the highway from uncleaned wheels or badly loaded vehicles.
• It is the responsibility of the developer to ensure that the electricity supply is sufficient to meet future demands and that any power balancing technology is in place if required.
• It is the responsibility of the developer to provide e-bike charging points with socket timers to prevent them constantly drawing a current over night or for longer than required.
• Joint Waste Solutions refuse crews do not empty kitchen caddies, and these should be for indoor use only.

Declarations of Interest

Councillor Steve Bax, Mayor, stated that he lived close to the site and had previously been a customer of the garage located on the site. Councillor Nick Dodds, Chair of the Committee, Councillor Gregor Macgregor and Councillor Pat Gormley also declared that they had previously been customers of the garage.