Greening Goldworth Rd Planning Proposal Assessment
Donation protected
Dear Woking Residents!
We beg your support to get a professional planning application assessment for a mega development, including five towers with up to 41 storeys in Goldsworth Road. This areas is certainly in need of development - but we believe we don't need more and even higher skyscrapers than Woking already has.
We've learned from other resident groups and our councillors that a thorough assessment with objections based on planning policies and strategies is likely the most effective tool - in addition to many objections from residents. We're not experts so we have hired somebody to do that assessment. We need 650 GBP +VAT for step 1 the initial assessment and 3,000 GBP + VAT for step 2, the full assessment. You can find the details of the offer below.
The good news is that thanks to the generosity of our donors, we were able to fund stage 1 - the initial assessment! You can read the very helpful report for stage 1 here: https://bit.ly/30nk4mB
But wouldn't it be amazing if we could pull together in our community to stand up against this planning application and avoid at least 8 years of building site and a bunch of skyscrapers higher than anything built in Woking yet?
If we don't reach the aim, you'll get your money back. But let's at least try, shall we?
THE GREENING GOLDSWORTH ROAD DEVELOPMENT IN A NUTSHELL:
The 'greening goldsworth road' development with application number PLAN/2020/0568 is creating 965 homes and comprising 5 blocks with 9 storeys, 21 storeys, twice 29 storeys and 41 storeys. (For comparison, the big Victoria Place towers being currently built in Woking town centre are 28 and 34 storeys high.)
Only 48 (5%) of the 965 homes are affordable and only 24 (2%) of the 965 homes are likely big enough for families. They expect to sell 216 parking spaces for the estimated 2,464 residents.
The planned building time is 8 years (but experience tells us it is usually longer).
Above is an artist impression what the buildings would look like and below the site location.
THE OFFER OF APPLICATION ASSESSMENT IN DETAIL:
Excerpt from email from Nigel Hartley RIBA MRTPI from www.chestnutplanning.co.uk
"We have assisted local groups in making objections to residential developments at Farnham, Guildford and locations in London and also to other forms of development including shooting centres and commercial proposals, as well as helping individuals who are concerned about smaller proposals. I am the principal of the practice and work with an associate planner on these.
When we help people like you in making representations in relation to applications we frequently make an independent assessment of the proposals, take on board the local concerns and produce a report to the council setting out our findings and seeking either refusal or modifications to the proposed development. However, to review all the documentation submitted with this application would be a massive task representing 10s or even 100s of hours work.
You mentioned a deadline of, I think, 5th August for submission of representations. I don't think it would be possible to submit proper representations in that timescale. However, that should not be a problem. In practice, these deadlines, especially on large applications, are flexible. We would submit a holding objection to say that we have been instructed to provide you with professional advice and act on your behalf and include a date when we would get the detailed report submitted. We would confirm that this would be acceptable before carrying out significant work.
To proceed in a practical, affordable way we would meet with you and your group to understand your concerns about the proposals and so that we could focus on key issues in looking at the proposals. We would then review these in terms of national and local planning policy and other material considerations in order to be able to make professional representations on your behalf.
Our work would be in stages:
Stage 1
Meeting and initial report including brief review and advice on proceeding
Fee £650 + VAT
Stage 2
Detailed review of planning application terms of your concerns as identified in Stage 1. Produce draft report for discussion. Modify as necessary. Submit to Woking BC on your behalf.
It is not possible to advise fees for this because it will depend on the number and nature of your concerns. We would propose fees in the Stage 1 report.
Budget, from previous experience, should be around £3000 + VAT
Stage 3
Ongoing advice as planning application proceeds.
This would be charged on a time basis with a budget set during Stage 2. It could be zero or it could be several hours work. It's not possible to predict at this stage.
Work outside the lump sum fees above would be charged on a time basis. I would advise you and get approval before carrying out such work. For your information our standard time charge rates are:
NH £135/hr + VAT
Assistant Architect/planner £105/hr + VAT
Technician £75 /hr + VAT
The above fees include expenses such as A4/A3 printing and copying, travelling and other routine expenses. I charge for large format (A2 paper size and above) and colour copying."
Thanks a lot for your attention and your donations!
Bernadette on behalf of the Oaks Road and Vale Farm Road Residents group
We beg your support to get a professional planning application assessment for a mega development, including five towers with up to 41 storeys in Goldsworth Road. This areas is certainly in need of development - but we believe we don't need more and even higher skyscrapers than Woking already has.
We've learned from other resident groups and our councillors that a thorough assessment with objections based on planning policies and strategies is likely the most effective tool - in addition to many objections from residents. We're not experts so we have hired somebody to do that assessment. We need 650 GBP +VAT for step 1 the initial assessment and 3,000 GBP + VAT for step 2, the full assessment. You can find the details of the offer below.
The good news is that thanks to the generosity of our donors, we were able to fund stage 1 - the initial assessment! You can read the very helpful report for stage 1 here: https://bit.ly/30nk4mB
But wouldn't it be amazing if we could pull together in our community to stand up against this planning application and avoid at least 8 years of building site and a bunch of skyscrapers higher than anything built in Woking yet?
If we don't reach the aim, you'll get your money back. But let's at least try, shall we?
THE GREENING GOLDSWORTH ROAD DEVELOPMENT IN A NUTSHELL:
The 'greening goldsworth road' development with application number PLAN/2020/0568 is creating 965 homes and comprising 5 blocks with 9 storeys, 21 storeys, twice 29 storeys and 41 storeys. (For comparison, the big Victoria Place towers being currently built in Woking town centre are 28 and 34 storeys high.)
Only 48 (5%) of the 965 homes are affordable and only 24 (2%) of the 965 homes are likely big enough for families. They expect to sell 216 parking spaces for the estimated 2,464 residents.
The planned building time is 8 years (but experience tells us it is usually longer).
Above is an artist impression what the buildings would look like and below the site location.
THE OFFER OF APPLICATION ASSESSMENT IN DETAIL:
Excerpt from email from Nigel Hartley RIBA MRTPI from www.chestnutplanning.co.uk
"We have assisted local groups in making objections to residential developments at Farnham, Guildford and locations in London and also to other forms of development including shooting centres and commercial proposals, as well as helping individuals who are concerned about smaller proposals. I am the principal of the practice and work with an associate planner on these.
When we help people like you in making representations in relation to applications we frequently make an independent assessment of the proposals, take on board the local concerns and produce a report to the council setting out our findings and seeking either refusal or modifications to the proposed development. However, to review all the documentation submitted with this application would be a massive task representing 10s or even 100s of hours work.
You mentioned a deadline of, I think, 5th August for submission of representations. I don't think it would be possible to submit proper representations in that timescale. However, that should not be a problem. In practice, these deadlines, especially on large applications, are flexible. We would submit a holding objection to say that we have been instructed to provide you with professional advice and act on your behalf and include a date when we would get the detailed report submitted. We would confirm that this would be acceptable before carrying out significant work.
To proceed in a practical, affordable way we would meet with you and your group to understand your concerns about the proposals and so that we could focus on key issues in looking at the proposals. We would then review these in terms of national and local planning policy and other material considerations in order to be able to make professional representations on your behalf.
Our work would be in stages:
Stage 1
Meeting and initial report including brief review and advice on proceeding
Fee £650 + VAT
Stage 2
Detailed review of planning application terms of your concerns as identified in Stage 1. Produce draft report for discussion. Modify as necessary. Submit to Woking BC on your behalf.
It is not possible to advise fees for this because it will depend on the number and nature of your concerns. We would propose fees in the Stage 1 report.
Budget, from previous experience, should be around £3000 + VAT
Stage 3
Ongoing advice as planning application proceeds.
This would be charged on a time basis with a budget set during Stage 2. It could be zero or it could be several hours work. It's not possible to predict at this stage.
Work outside the lump sum fees above would be charged on a time basis. I would advise you and get approval before carrying out such work. For your information our standard time charge rates are:
NH £135/hr + VAT
Assistant Architect/planner £105/hr + VAT
Technician £75 /hr + VAT
The above fees include expenses such as A4/A3 printing and copying, travelling and other routine expenses. I charge for large format (A2 paper size and above) and colour copying."
Thanks a lot for your attention and your donations!
Bernadette on behalf of the Oaks Road and Vale Farm Road Residents group
Organizer
Oaks And Vale Farm Road Residents
Organizer
