The long battle over the preparation of the local plan for the Brooklands area of Weybridge appears to be reaching a peaceful conclusion. Surrey County Council is now proposing to adopt formally the Brooklands Local Plan First Alteration, following its acceptance of the recommendations of the inspector at the public inquiry held at the end of 1993.
The inquiry centred on the use of the central area of the old motor racing track, at present a derelict runway, alhough the plan envisaged that this area should be green belt. Owners, Brooklands Estates Ltd (part of the Trafalgar House Group) sought modification to the plan under which 62 acres (25.1ha) of the central area would be reserved for an extension of the top-of-the-market business park development and 60 acres (24.3ha) allocated as open space.
BEL argued at the inquiry that the council’s assumption that it was not necessary to exclude the central area from the green belt to meet long-term development needs was misconceived. Surrey was required to make a positive contribution to economic growth, BEL pointed out, which would mean the release of land for development.
The county council’s case at the inquiry was that both existing and long-term business development needs can be met by the recycling of existing urban sites, supplemented by additional sites in or beyond the green belt that might come forward. It was not necessary to exclude Brooklands from the green belt to meet existing or long-term development needs.
The inquiry inspector concluded that the green belt importance of the land was the overriding consideration and that green belt designation was justified.
“The inspector’s strong confirmation of the green-belt role for the site and his conclusion that it is not necessary to exclude the central runway area from the green belt for commercial use is welcomed”, the county council says in its comments on the inspector’s report.*
* Brooklands Local Plan – First Alteration: statement of the council’s decisions. Surrey County Council, County Hall, Kingston upon Thames KT1 2DT. £5.
