A Special Planning Committee was convened on Wednesday night to consider the application by Surrey County Council for the permanent allocation of the Charlton Lane Green Belt site as a permanent waste management facility. (See entry for 20th December).

The hearing was well attended and two residents spoke against the application.

As statutory consultees, the Committee, on a proposal tabled by the Vice Chairman, accepted an amended recommendation than that originally proposed by the planning officer. Rather than raising no objection, the amended version included the following recommendation:

1.1 Surrey County Council be informed that this Council OBJECTS to the proposal for the following reason:

1.2 There is a lack of clarity in the purpose of the application to retain the existing facilities in their entirety beyond the life of the current temporary planning permission in 2016. This means that the required case for very special circumstances to allow inappropriate development on the Green belt has not been sufficiently demonstrated on a permanent basis. It is considered that there is some justification for allowing a further extension of the temporary permission and a period of 9 years, up to 2025 is deemed reasonable.

Given that the final word will rest with Surrey County Council, the full implications of this recommendation will not become clear until SCC have considered the matter. The full wording of the recommendation which also outlines other material concerns may be viewed on the Council Website in due course.