Security Camera Approved at Ash Vale Tesco Car Park

Published on: 29 Oct, 2026
Updated on: 29 Oct, 2026

The car park in question. Planning officers stress that the surveillance camera won’t affect the privacy of local people. Image: Google.

By James Moules

local democracy reporter

Permission has been granted for a security camera in the car park at Tesco Express, Ash Vale.

Guildford Borough Council has granted retrospective planning permission for the automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) camera, mounted on a galvanised column.

The applicant, Horizon Parking, stated in a planning document: “The object is to provide an ANPR system to allow management of the car park to prevent misuse and address congestion in the car park and surrounding public highway.”

The applicant says the aim is to improve safety both within the car park and the surrounding area.

One resident wrote to Guildford Borough Council objecting to the camera, arguing it would make little difference to traffic congestion in the area.

They wrote: “The pole that the camera is mounted to is unduly large and unnecessary as it could have been attached to an existing pole on site 30ft to the right, which is more in line with the entrance and exit.”

According to a planning officers’ report, Ash Parish Council did not object to the camera but requested that it should focus on vehicles coming in and out of the car park to avoid capturing the public highway as much as possible.

The report adds: “The ANPR camera is intended solely to capture vehicle registration plates rather than undertake general video surveillance.

“Given its intended function, positioning and separation distance from nearby dwellings along Lysons Avenue, the development is not considered to result in any material loss of privacy or harm to neighbouring residential amenity.”

While acknowledging the retrospective nature of the application, officers wrote in their approval that there was no evidence the applicant “intentionally sought to breach planning legislation”.