Lack of public scrutiny over Reigate school planning decision
Local Greens have accused Surrey County Council of a
“scandalous avoidance of public scrutiny”
by scheduling a controversial planning decision for the day after the schools broke up.
The council’s Planning Committee on Wednesday (July 23) approved the council’s own application to relocate Reigate Priory Junior School from the centre of Reigate to the grounds of Woodhatch Place on Cockshot Hill.
But Green county councillor Catherine Baart (Earlswood & Reigate South) disputed the council’s claims that there are ‘exceptional circumstances’ (as required for land designated as Urban Open Space in the Local Plan) to justify building on the new site.
“The county council says that Cockshot Hill is the only suitable alternative site for a replacement school. But this is not true: a replacement school could simply be sited behind the existing Grade 1 building in Priory Park, allowing the heritage part of the site to be reinstated as a museum and community asset.” she pointed out.
Borough councillor Paul Chandler (Green, South Park & Woodhatch) said the decision was a scandal.
“It’s shocking enough that SCC are able to approve their own planning application. The same application was refused previously, how can it now be approved? The council must have known it would be controversial, so to wait until the school holidays to consider the application – knowing that many parents would be out of town – avoids local resident input.”
“There should also have been proper assessment of future numbers of schoolchildren and alternative options for local school provision,” he said. “Given that birth rates are falling in Reigate, there could be enough spaces in existing schools in the south of the area. But SCC won’t be reporting on the numbers until September."
“By holding this meeting before the report is available they have cleverly dodged considering whether existing schools could accommodate pupil demand, or whether the existing school in Priory Park could be redeveloped, All these options should have been considered and the planning decision should have been delayed until after that study had been done.
“Instead, SCC has ridden rough-shod over transparency, scrutiny, public interest and common sense. Residents have not had their chance to have a say, and SCC has not asked the fundamental question is this the right place for a new school.”
The application agreed on Wednesday was the second application for the site after an earlier one was rejected. Reigate & Banstead Borough Council also objected to the latest plans but had no power to stop them as SCC has the power to grant planning permission for land it owns.
In addition, county councillor Catherine Powell (Independent, North Farnham) questioned why the application was being brought to the committee before the assessment on alternatives to expand existing schools had been completed, and was told this was not a relevant consideration.
SCC proposes changes to the already congested road (including 20mph limits and new pedestrian crossings), to mitigate the extra car traffic that will be created by the new school. But Cllr Baart says these changes may simply not be enough.
“The cumulative impact of the new school and proposed housing developments to the south of Cockshot Hill will inevitably lead to traffic chaos that it’s impossible to mitigate. There will be more parking on residential streets, grass verges and pavements – leading to demand for more parking enforcement from frustrated residents.
“Why is SCC proposing to put residents through all this when the borough council is open to developing the existing site? Three-quarters of pupils already walk or cycle to the existing school so car parking is not a problem. Building the new school in Priory Park would mean no parking conflict for residents; no increase in congestion on a major A-road and no significant loss of trees and habitat.”
Cllr Baart agreed that the existing building is not suitable for a modern school but added:
“However, the new school needs to be in the right place, and Cockshot Hill is not the right place.”
The SCC Cabinet will decide later this year whether or not to go ahead with the approved plans, and residents are urged to attend that meeting.