Thank you for visiting our consultation website to find out more about our proposals for land off Meath Green Lane, Horley.
As part of designing a high-quality development we are seeking to capture the vision, values and ideas of the community.
We want to work collaboratively and openly with local residents before working up final plans which will be submitted as part of an outline planning application to Reigate and Banstead Borough Council later in the process.
We will update this website on a regular basis as our proposals and our planning application for the site progresses.
The website contains information on the proposals, plans and external links to useful sites that we hope you will find informative.
Please let us have your feedback by using the 'Have your Say' form, via the survey link or by using any of the other feedback options detailed on this website.
Ecology. Our proposals include the retention and enhancement of existing trees and hedgerows where possible, alongside delivering new areas of ecological habitat including wildflower meadows and extensive tree planting within the proposed open space and landscape areas
To date no evidence of badger activity or the presence of water vole or otter have been detected. Reptiles are also considered to be absent.
No evidence of bat presence has been detected in the existing buildings located towards the centre of the site. The activity and static surveys identified a moderate bat assemblage within the site, being concentrated in and around the central linear belt of trees.
Our assessment of the impacts of the proposals on the existing trees concludes that no mature, ancient, veteran or notable trees, no category ‘A’ or ‘B’ trees, and no trees of high landscape or biodiversity value are to be removed.
Initial analysis of the Bio-Diversity Net Gain (BNG) for the site shows that a 10% gain can be achieved for habitats, hedgerows and rivers, in line with the Environment Act 2021. Overall, there appears to be sufficient opportunity within the site to realise a gain in ecological value.
Highways & Access. Primary access will be provided from Hoadley Road to the east of the site, crossing Meath Green Lane at an ahead only junction.
The connection onto Hoadley Road will require the relocation of an existing road narrowing. The southern access is a simple priority junction off Meath Green Lane, providing access to development in the western part of the site.
A new 3m shared use footway/cycleway will be delivered from the site along the access road to Hoadley Road, with internal connectivity to ensure that development to the south can access to shared footway/cycleway.
A Transport Assessment (TA) will be submitted with the planning application, this will detail the development proposals, site accessibility, forecast trip generation and will assess the operation of the highway network in both safety and capacity terms both with and without the development.
Parking has been designed to meet local standards and to ensure it does not dominate the street scenes, whilst also being convenient for residents and visitors.
Flooding & Drainage. The latest EA published flood zone map shows that the west and northwestern area of the main western land parcel lies partially within Flood Zones 2 and 3 associated with the Burstow Stream and River Mole.
A small section of the northwestern corner of the eastern parcel is also shown to be in Flood Zone 2. The remaining areas of both parcels being in Flood Zone 1.
All other sources of flood risk including groundwater, sewer and artificial flooding have been assessed as low or very low.
Development will be sited outside of areas of flood risk area, and additionally, finished floor levels will be set a minimum of 300mm above the 1 in 100 year fluvial flood level at 52.82mAOD.
Adopting this philosophy will ensure that no floodplain compensation will be required, and flood risk will not be increased elsewhere as a result of the development.
The proposal will use Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) to capture, treat and attenuate surface water runoff from the site before allowing it to soak into the underlying sands and gravels. Further, SuDS features will be designed to provide significant water quality and amenity benefits within the site as well as serving as a drainage function.
Other Deliverability Aspects. The high voltage power cables and an underground oil pipeline with easements on site, will remain in situ. There are existing commercial uses within the retained buildings on site that will also remain.
Construction Environmental Management Plan. A Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) would be prepared and implemented during the construction phase of the proposed development and would include a series of best practice measures to control dust, noise and surface water runoff.
New Homes. Up to 44 homes with a mix of house sizes and types, ranging from 1 to 5 bed houses to meet local policy requirements and identified need.
Affordable Homes. 35% of the homes proposed are classed as affordable housing.
Affordable housing is a combination of rent and shared ownership housing, provided to eligible households whose needs are not met by the market.
This will assist those looking for their first home, and lower income individuals and families get on the housing ladder in the local area.
How people access affordable housing depends on its tenure.
Generally, Local Authorities are responsible for allocating affordable housing for rent. In many instances, they will require that a local connection is demonstrated for someone to be eligible for a home.
In some cases, applicants must have lived in the local area for a minimum of two years and these homes may be offered to applicants who can demonstrate family ties to the local area, or to people who previously lived in the area.
Net Zero Homes. New and existing homes account for 20% of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK.
The development has been designed to achieve a 100% reduction in regulated carbon emissions to meet a regulated energy net zero standard.
To achieve this the homes and buildings will feature enhanced insulation standards, heat pump heating and hot water systems and photovoltaic panels throughout.
Public Open Space. Over 60% of the site will be public open space totalling 3.5 hectares (8.6 acres), with routes for informal recreation and a comprehensive planting scheme that respects existing features of importance, where possible and provides substantial new planting, to create an attractive appearance.
Walking And Cycling Routes. A permeable scheme with pedestrian and cycle routes throughout the development.
Including sustainable links to Meath Green Lane and Hoadley Road to enable easy and convenient access to public transport routes and the neighbourhood centre.
Archaeology And Heritage. The archaeology and heritage assessment shows that following a desk-based assessment, walkover and geophysical survey there are no significant archaeological features of importance within the site.
The area south and west of the site has been subject to considerable archaeological investigation and this found an area of Iron Age and Roman settlement remains.
A small number of finds also suggest earlier prehistoric activity in the area. Nonetheless, a recent geophysical survey only indicates one feature within the site, a possible track in the north west indicated by parallel ditches.
The closest designated heritage assets to the site are the Grade II listed Cinderfield to the north of the site and parts of the site are within the Meath Green Conservation Area, with the northern parts of the conservation area being limited in large parts to Meath Green Lane itself.
Lighting. A Lighting Impact Assessment will be submitted with the application detailing how the lighting design for the development will be sympathetic to the local surroundings to avoid over lighting, sky glow and glare.
In terms of nature conservation, lighting will be carefully selected and located to maintain a safe public realm alongside identifying specific ‘dark corridors’ within the site to support nature conservation routes.
Noise. A noise impact assessment will be undertaken to assess the suitability of the site for residential use.
The development adopts the principles of good acoustic design, incorporating the required noise specifications to the building envelope, and following those internal and external design considerations regarding the positioning of buildings to maximise the distance attenuation and screening effects to those most exposed buildings and bedrooms.
Mitigation measures will be utilised to control noise impacts on the new homes including double glazing (with suitable trickle ventilation), appropriate facade construction, stand-off distances and boundary mitigation.
Air Quality. An air quality assessment considering relevant air quality legislation, policy and guidance will be undertaken and will be submitted in support of the planning application. The site is not located within or near an Air Quality Management Area and the impact of additional traffic from the development on air quality will be negligible.
Mitigation measures will be implemented during the construction phase to minimise any temporary impacts on local air quality which may potentially arise due to the generation of dust and particulate matter.
This is an opportunity for you to have your say.
Your feedback will help shape our proposals before we submit our planning application. Comments received will be compiled in a Statement of Community Involvement which will be submitted with our planning application.
Any comments you make in response to these proposals will not affect your right to comment on the planning application submitted to the Local Authority in due course.
Please let us have your feedback by no later than Sunday 1st December 2024.
The site measures approximately 5.7 hectares (14.1 acres) and is located within the administrative boundary of Reigate and Banstead Borough Council and is around 1.8km north west of Horley town centre, 1.2km south west of Salfords and 3.5km south of Reigate.
Horley is identified as a key settlement, and the principal settlement in the southern part of the Borough, which is recognised as being sustainable in terms of accessibility to a range of facilities and services to meet the needs of residents and a priority location for growth and regeneration.
To the west of the site is Hoadley Road, which is the main access road to the Westvale Park contemporary development and is a wide tree lined street with pedestrian and cycle facilities, providing access off Bonehurst Road.
Other residential development constructed as part of Westvale Park is also located to the west.
To the north and east of the site is an existing watercourse and open land that is generally in agricultural use, as well as land within the wider ‘Land at Meath Green Lane, Horley’ site allocation.
This is site is located outside of the Green Belt and forms part of the wider ‘Land at Meath Green Lane, Horley’ Strategic Urban Extension that is allocated at Policy NWH1 of the Reigate and Banstead Development Management Plan (September 2019), for the delivery of approximately 75 dwellings.
Consequently, as the principle of development is accepted through the allocation, then the only outstanding matter relates to the timing of delivery.
Policy MLS1 controls the delivery of the Sustainable Urban Extension sites based on the annual Housing Monitor and states that permission will only be granted where it is predicted that there will be a shortfall in the five year housing land supply over the next year or the subsequent year.
It is acknowledged that the latest Housing Monitor published in June 2024 identified a supply position as at 31st March 2024 of 7.40 years and predicted a supply from April 2025 of 5.53 years.
There is therefore a predicted substantial fall in the five year housing land supply position between 2024 and 2025, which is a trend that is anticipated to continue when the next Housing Monitor is published in June 2025.
This is likely to show a housing land supply shortfall and require the release of the Sustainable Urban Extension sites to meet the housing need.
A housing land supply shortfall is also likely when the application of the new standard method is factored beyond the end of the plan period (as likely to be required when the new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is published, as there will be a significant increase in the Borough’s housing requirement.
Currently, we are preparing an outline planning application for the site and this public consultation is an important part of developing our proposals.
An outline planning application seeks to establish whether the scale and nature of a proposed development would be acceptable to the local planning authority, before a second fully detailed planning application is put forward, which is called a Reserved Matters application.
Where outline permission has been granted, an application for the outstanding reserved matters can be submitted, i.e., the information excluded from the initial outline planning application. This will typically include information about the layout, landscaping and appearance of the development. No development can take place on site until the Reserved Matters application has been consented.
Both types of applications are required to undergo public consultation before submission. Statutory consultees for example the Environment Agency and the Highways Authority, and local residents will also have the opportunity to formally comment on the applications once they are submitted and registered with Reigate and Banstead Borough Council.
An outline application is a standard way of dealing with planning, and the granting of an outline planning permission does not preclude local stakeholders from commenting on a Reserved Matters application at a later stage in the planning process.
If planning permission is granted for our proposals, it would be accompanied by a legal agreement known as a S106 agreement requiring the housebuilder to make direct provision or financial contributions towards the improvement of local infrastructure. This could include things such as transport infrastructure, education, health and leisure.
In addition to the S106 legal agreement, a Community Infrastructure Levy charge development will also be paid to the Council to fund the provision and improvement of local infrastructure.
Apr 26, 2024
Head Office: Orchard House, Papple Close,
Houlton, Rugby, CV23 1EW
South East Office: The Grosvenor,
Basing View, Basingstoke, RG21 4HG
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