View of Parish Council Overruled by GBC’s Planning Committee

Published on: 28 Mar, 2025
Updated on: 7 Apr, 2025

Computer graphic of proposed houses on Potters Lane. Guildford Borough Council/Hawksmoor Homes

By Emily Dalton

local democracy reporter

Plans for five “mansions” near a Surrey riverside have been squeezed through after being quashed at appeal. The scheme includes five large detached homes in Potters Lane on the edge of Send.

Sitting around 130 metres from the River Wey Navigation Conservation Area, the grand houses would be visible from the picturesque nature spot. Send Parish Council has vehemently opposed the plans, arguing the homes would “greatly harm the present rural outlook from the path” by the River Wey.

The scheme was initially approved last year but later quashed on appeal on the grounds that it failed to protect scenic and landscape views. Subsequently the developers made slight changes including adding off-street parking and more spacious housing plots.

Members of Guildford Borough Council planning meeting approved the application on Wednesday (March 26). Seven councillors voted in favour, five against with three abstaining. After some debate councillors agreed that the benefits of five large houses outweighs the potential harm to the conservation area, the corridor of the River Wey and Godalming Navigations.

Julia Osborn, chair Send Parish Council

The proposed luxury homes were slammed by speakers, damning them as “visually imposing” on the serene rural countryside. “You should not feel that your hands are being tied or that you’re being pressured about […] housing land supply,”

Cllr Julia Osbourne, from Send Parish Council, told the Planning Committee. “This does not justify the approval of five mansions in the corridor of the River Wey, the setting of a conservation area, and heritage assets.”

Not part of the green belt, the development site would sit on the edge of Send village. Put forward by Hawksmoor Homes, the luxury property developer, the plans include two-storey family homes with a mix of between two, three and four bedrooms. The proposed properties would also sit about 20 metres back from the boundary lines, reinforcing a green buffer between natural spaces in the rural environment and the development.

Cllr Pat Oven

“These are perfectly lovely buildings but in the wrong place,” said Cllr Patrick Oven, leader of the Guildford Greenbelt Group and a councillor for Send, who said the appeal decision still applies: the houses would damage the view.

Agreeing, Cllr Richard Mills said the new plans “vaguely conserves” the rural riverside views, but said enhancing its character was “out of the question”. Cllr Maddy Redpath agreed and said she could not see how the developers had changed the original plans after the appeal.

Alerted to the harsh reality that Guildford cannot prove it has enough housing land supply as of April 1, some councillors reminded the committee that “heaven knows Guildford needs houses”. Ultimately, despite a narrow vote, members found the housing benefits of the scheme overshadowed the impact on the countryside and river views.

Cllr Howard Smith

But Cllr Howard Smith warned against refusing the scheme as he said it could “set an awful precedent that you can’t have homes 100-150m away from a river because they are slightly visible”. The Labour member for Westborough argued these are “attractive homes” which are “spaced out”.

The developer said it wanted the design to reflect the rural setting and create a ‘sense of place’. Houses were modelled on a “Surrey style” like farmhouses and cottages, according to planning documents.

Around 40 people objected to the scheme, arguing the development would be a “blot on the landscape” and “erode the openness” to the River Wey views. The impact on local infrastructure including additional pressure on local roads was also flagged as an issue with some residents’ concerns about extra traffic on country roads.

See GBC report here.

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