Westerham Bypass Presentation for town meeting on 25 th February
Context to Bypass discussions • Squerryes has been asked by WTC to review feasibility of bypass. It is at a very early stage. • Bypass has been on the agenda for circa 40 plus years • Traffic and air quality issues on A25 • Heritage & economy being affected by traffic on A25 • General pressure building on local road network • General population increase • Biggin Hill requirement for 2,000 more jobs • Moorhouse development – put bypass discussion in to sharp focus • Sevenoaks District Council has identified a housing need and approached Squerryes and other landowners for sites • 12,000 new homes over next 20 years – 600 per year. • Squerryes will only take this to the next stage if ‘wind behind’ concept and community works together for Westerham’s benefit
Pros and cons of bypass Reduce traffic in Westerham ×Bypass risks Reduce pollution × Additional road noise from bypass? Protect heritage of listed buildings × Does it kill the centre of the town? Improved centre of town for visitors ×Covers pits Funds to invest within Westerham × Material required to create an Cash to reinvest in town from engineering platform for bypass development of land? required Centre of town parking? ×Residential development Opportunity to renew local × Use of green belt? infrastructure New school in better location? × Effect of existing house prices during development / noise etc? Investment in playing fields? Consider new doctor’s surgery / town × Expansion of town population council office? leads to community issues?
Potential 10 year timescale for bypass • Squerryes options land to Westerham for bypass • Squerryes apply for permission to 25% fill covers pit 2016 • Work together with community on case for bypass • SDC work through process of 20 year housing plan • Squerryes applies for bypass and residential planning permission 2017 • Covers pit takes 4 – 5 years to fill to create engineering platform - 2021 • Westerham redevelopment provides cash for bypass • Ideally a bypass is financed at the start of period which would 2019 minimise distruption - 2025
What’s in it for Westerham / Squerryes? • Squerryes makes land available to Westerham for bypass • Infill of Covers creates an engineering platform • Profit from fill is reinvested in bypass planning permission COVERS • ??£10m - £20m??, development for bypass • ??£3m - £6m??, sale of land to reinvest in Westerham • ??£5m - £10m??, sale of KCC land re invested in school (Sq makes land available) WESTERHAM • £m???, unknown but significant capital uplift in land value • Front load benefit to Westerham in terms of timescale • If working together, invest time and capital in project SQUERRYES
Housing need in district vs Tandridge? TANDRIDGE / SEVENOAKS / OXTED, HURST GREEN, LIMPSFIELD ‘A25 CORRIDOR’ DISTRICT POPULATION 83,000 115,000 HOUSING ‘NEED’ OVER 20 YEARS 9,400 12,000 TOWN COUNCIL(S) POPULATION 11,314 10,460 PERCENTAGE OF DISTRICT 13.6% 9.1% HOUSING ALLOCATED 1,200 ??1,090 HOUSING ALLOCATION AS 12.8% ??% PERCENTAGE • Tandridge council is 12 – 15 months ahead of the housing allocations process. • It seems to be a questions of where, not whether for Oxted. • SDC have requested call for sites to fulfil 20 year requirement for 12,000 houses. • Housing target is under review from councillors. • In the ‘A25 corridor’ (i.e. Westerham TC, Brasted, Sundridge & Chevening Parish Councils) there are no significant available non brown field sites for housing • Key question – where is the most appropriate green belt for ‘sustainable’ housing?
Two routes for Westerham? Pro-active Status quo Start a journey with Squerryes Lose opportunity for bypass and be involved in early steps and wait Manage risks together & Fight housing allocation and maximise Westerham benefits development
What would the next step look like? • The town meeting is to get views on the bypass proposal. During the feasibility stage Squerryes has not spent any money on reports etc. • Next stage would be to prepare a planning application for the covers pit which would take 6 months • There are two parts to the Covers application • Technical analysis – traffic, noise (written by specialist consultants) • ‘Special circumstance’ of bypass – pros and cons (written by community with some professionals help) • Drop in sessions / (town meeting?) before the application is submitted to review application?? • In the interim, Squerryes to submit sites to SDC as part of call to sites process
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