Architect’s Plan for Peaslake Farm Revealed

Published on: 24 Oct, 2018
Updated on: 25 Oct, 2018

The red marker shows the position of the proposed development at Peaslake Farm – Google Maps

By Anthony Parker

Plans for a controversial new housing development in Peaslake were revealed to residents last week (Thursday, October 18, 2018).

The development on a site on Ewhurst Road at the southern edge of the village has provoked objections. The local action group, the Peaslake Protection Group, was formed after fears Shere and Peaslake Parish Council would agree to plans for a monster development at the site that threatened to disfigure the traditional village.

Ron Davey from the Shere and Peaslake Parish Council, Adrian Buffrey, director of development at Greenoak Housing Association and the project architect Richard Partington laid out their plans to nearly fifty villagers in a crowded village hall.

After acknowledging “the very high proportion of notable and listed buildings” in Peaslake, architect Richard Partington pitched his designs for nine houses as “progressive”, “low carbon”, made from “benign materials” and “in keeping with historical homes”.

The houses, Mr Partington told residents, would be “Passive Homes” (in a reference to the energy efficient Corbusier-like German model). When asked how would the houses look in the landscape, Mr Partington reassured residents that plants and hedges would help conceal the houses from the road.

Many attendees were worried about the consequences for the village’s sewage system and the fields above the development that residents wish to preserve. His comment that the fields were, “…somewhere we could get some more parking without advertising the fact” were criticised by attendees and Peaslake Protection Group.

Peaslake Protection Group has said they want “to ensure that the houses are restricted to the farmyard and do not encroach up the valley; and that they fit into the landscape and do not cause parking problems and overload of the sewer and drain systems. Our valley is very beautiful and residents want to ensure that it is only used for agricultural purposes.”

Greenoak Housing Association promised to liaise with local residents and promised their views on the proposals will be taken into account before agreeing the final design.

Ron Davey, chairman of the North Ward for Shere Parish Council, said the final design would be chosen in about a month’s time. Greenoak Housing Association said, planning permitting, they hoped construction would be finished by 2020.

The association also invited feedback from Peaslake residents which can can be sent to Greenoak Housing Association Ltd, 155 Goldsworth Road, Woking, Surrey GU21 6LS.