Scheme to Redevelop Army Barracks Site Can Go Ahead

Published on: 28 Nov, 2023
Updated on: 29 Nov, 2023

Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut. Photo Wikipedia

By Chris Caulfield

local democracy reporter

The 1,200-home redevelopment of the Princess Royal Barracks in Deepcut can continue after traffic measures were finally agreed.

Surrey Heath Borough Council’s executive committee has given land in Frimley Green to Surrey County Council to create the added capacity needed for the influx of new residents, and subsequent increase in traffic.

Land on The Green has been given to Surrey County Council for traffic improvement works to allow 1,200 home Deepcut redevelopment to continue. Image Google Street View

The improvements formed part of the initial 2014 planning agreement and had to be in place before the development passed the 600-home mark.

Councillor Alan Ashbery, lead member for sustainable transport and planning, said: “Improvements to the road infrastructure in Frimley Green were identified as a necessity.

“Originally the proposal was to replace the two roundabouts in the centre of Frimley Green with traffic light control junctions.”

This, he told the meeting on Tuesday, November 21, led to a campaign by residents to “retain the roundabouts and not have the traffic light junctions and a revised scheme was agreed.”

In 2021, a new plan was agreed that would keep the roundabouts “in line with residents’ wishes” which involved transferring land currently owned by Surrey Heath Borough Council over to the highways authority, Surrey County Council.

The land, at 120.8 square metres, is small in size, the committee heard, but removes a stumbling block from the development.

Leader of the council Cllr Shaun MacDonald said: “I knew it was a very small piece of land once Mr Watson (chief financial officer) was prepared to give it away for free.

“Once I read that, it was a done deal.”

Planning permission for the Princess Royal Barracks site was originally granted in 2014 on the condition that community projects were funded and highway infrastructure necessary to support the development were made.

The idea was that this would help soften the impact of the additional traffic but a groundswell of local opposition to the installation of traffic lights led to a formal campaign to keep the roundabouts on the junctions of Frimley Green Road with Wharf Road, and Guildford Road with Sturt Road, as part of any improvement means.

This new plan was approved in 2021 to be triggered when the Deepcut development reached 600 homes.

The work must be “substantially completed” before the 700th home is occupied.