Brooklands Local Plan

News

08 February 1992

In March 1990 the High Court quashed the then existing green belt designation for the central runway area of Brooklands on the grounds that the decision to apply green belt policy had not been justified in terms of land performing a green belt function following the local plan inquiry. It was also held that a planning permission granted in 1950, of which the local plan inspector had not been aware, was still valid. This permission contemplated the prospect of some industrial development on the central runway area.

In March 1991 Court of Appeal ruled that the 1950 planning permission was no longer valid and could not be implemented. Leave to appeal to the House of Lords was refused. The county council then set about reinstating the green belt notation. An added complication was that in June 1991 there was a public inquiry on an appeal by the land-owners (Brooklands Estates/ Oakimber) into a planning application for the development of the major part of the runway area. The decision of the Secretary of State on this appeal is awaited.

In their representations on the redesignation as green belt, the land-owners argued that the proposed single alteration of the local plan was inappropriate because there had been many significant changes since the plan had been prepared which needed to be taken into account in a full review. They also argued that the alteration was premature in view of the Secretary of State’s awaited appeal decision, that the central area did not perform a green belt purpose, and that the development proposed for the central area (65,000 m² of B1, a 150-bedroom hotel and some 28 ha of open space) “would bring social and economic benefits to the area” and fund heritage benefits for the Brooklands Museum.

The county council’s response to these representations was that there was no need at this time to embark on a full review of the local plan. It considered that the local plan was the correct mechanism for defining a green belt boundary and although some of the issues were before the Secretary of State, he “may well decline to grant planning permission in which case the future of the site would be considered in the wider context of the proposed first alteration in the normal way”.

Surrey council also concluded that the central area and adjoining land performed a green belt function by maintaining the separation of urban areas. Finally, the council did not accept that the commercial development of the central area was either desirable now or likely to be needed in the future, “nor was it accepted that the benefits proposed would outweigh disbenefits of allowing the development”.

(*) Brooklands Local Plan — First Alteration. Brooklands Local Plan — Statement of Consultations. Both documents obtainable from County Planning Department, Surrey County Council, County Hall, Kingston upon Thames KT1 2DT. £3 each.

The central part of the Brooklands site in Weybridge has been redesigned as green belt by Surrey County Council after a tortuous legal wrangle. Last week, following public consultation, the council published the first alteration to the Brooklands Local Plan(*). The land-owners and adjacent commercial concerns had opposed green belt notation and favoured further development. The local authorities and local amenity groups had supported it. In March 1990 the High Court quashed the then existing green belt designation for the central runway area of Brooklands on the grounds that the decision to apply green belt policy had not been justified in terms of land performing a green belt function following the local plan inquiry. It was also held that a planning permission granted in 1950, of which the local plan inspector had not been aware, was still valid. This permission contemplated the prospect of some industrial development on the central runway area. In March 1991 Court of Appeal ruled that the 1950 planning permission was no longer valid and could not be implemented. Leave to appeal to the House of Lords was refused. The county council then set about reinstating the green belt notation. An added complication was that in June 1991 there was a public inquiry on an appeal by the land-owners (Brooklands Estates/ Oakimber) into a planning application for the development of the major part of the runway area. The decision of the Secretary of State on this appeal is awaited. In their representations on the redesignation as green belt, the land-owners argued that the proposed single alteration of the local plan was inappropriate because there had been many significant changes since the plan had been prepared which needed to be taken into account in a full review. They also argued that the alteration was premature in view of the Secretary of State’s awaited appeal decision, that the central area did not perform a green belt purpose, and that the development proposed for the central area (65,000 m2 of B1, a 150-bedroom hotel and some 28 ha of open space) “would bring social and economic benefits to the area” and fund heritage benefits for the Brooklands Museum. The county council’s response to these representations was that there was no need at this time to embark on a full review of the local plan. It considered that the local plan was the correct mechanism for defining a green belt boundary and although some of the issues were before the Secretary of State, he “may well decline to grant planning permission in which case the future of the site would be considered in the wider context of the proposed first alteration in the normal way”. Surrey council also concluded that the central area and adjoining land performed a green belt function by maintaining the separation of urban areas. Finally, the council did not accept that the commercial development of the central area was either desirable now or likely to be needed in the future, “nor was it accepted that the benefits proposed would outweigh disbenefits of allowing the development”. (*) Brooklands Local Plan — First Alteration. Brooklands Local Plan — Statement of Consultations. Both documents obtainable from County Planning Department, Surrey County Council, County Hall, Kingston upon Thames KT1 2DT. £3 each.