PLANNING COMMITTEE
5 DECEMBER 2002
02/00863/FUL
ITEM 07
Horton Park Golf and Country Club, Hook Road, Epsom
Re-contouring and alterations to holes 2 to 8 inclusive (to include drainage and safety
improvements).
COURT
Green Belt
20-08-02
RECOMMENDATION
GRANT planning permission subject to the following conditions:
1)
P03 Standard duration
2)
P18 Landscaping required
3)
The means of access to the development shall be from the existing Golf Club
access onto Horton Lane only.
Reason: To ensure that the development does not prejudice the free flow of
traffic and conditions of safety on the highway or cause inconvenience to other
highway users as required by Policies MV8 and DC1 of the Epsom and Ewell
District Wide Local Plan (May 2000).
4)
No development shall take place until a method of Construction Statement, to
include details of:
a.
Parking for vehicles of site personnel, operatives and visitors
b.
Loading and unloading of plant and materials
c.
Storage of plant and materials
d.
Programme of works (including measures for traffic management) has
been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning
Authority. Only the approved details shall be implemented during the
construction period.
Reason: To ensure that the development does not prejudice the free flow
of traffic and conditions of safety on the highway or cause inconvenience
to other highway users as required by Policies MV8 and DC1 of the
Epsom and Ewell District Wide Local Plan (May 2000).
5)
Before any of the operations which involve the movement of materials in bulk to
or from the site are commenced, vehicle cleaning facilities shall be provided as
must be agreed with the Local Planning Authority, in order that the operator can
make all reasonable efforts to keep the public highway clean and prevent the
creation of a dangerous surface on the public highway. The operator should
provide some form of solid surfacing located after the wheel-spinner to ensure its
effective operation. The agreed measures shall thereafter be retained and used
whenever the said objections are carried out.
Reason: To ensure that the development does not prejudice the free flow of
traffic and conditions of safety on the highway or cause inconvenience to other
highway users as required by Policies MV8 and DC1 of the Epsom and Ewell
District Wide Local Plan (May 2000).
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PLANNING COMMITTEE
5 DECEMBER 2002
02/00863/FUL
6)
ITEM 07
The operations relating to this application shall only commence once all
importation of in-fill materials relating to other outstanding on-site works are
completed. The movement of bulk materials in relation to this application shall
be limited to a maximum period of 9 months only from commencement of
construction operations
Reason: To minimise the impact of the movement of bulk materials to and from
the site.
7)
Surface water control measures shall be carried out in accordance with details
which shall have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local
Planning Authority before development commences
Reason: To prevent the increased risk of flooding and to improve water quality.
8)
The infill material to be used for the development shall be inert and shall be
limited to only that needed for that development.
Reason: To protect the natural environment form pollution as required by
Policy OSR8 of the Epsom and Ewell District Wide Local Plan (May 2000).
9)
The development shall submit a statement giving details of the sources of the
infill material.
Reason:
To ensure that the development does not prejudice the free flow of
traffic and conditions of safety on the highway or cause inconvenience to other
highway users as required by Policies MV8 and DC1 of the Epsom and Ewell
District Wide Local Plan (May 2000)
10)
A landscape management plan, including long-term design objectives,
management responsibilities and maintenance schedules for the site shall be
submitted to and approved by the local planning authority prior to the reoccupation of the development for the permitted use. The landscape management
plan shall be carried out as approved.
Reason: In the interests of visual amenity and promote biodiversity as required
in Policies DC1 and NE7 of the Epsom and Ewell District Wide Local Plan (May
2000).
Informatives
1)
The developer is reminded that it is an offence to allow materials to be
carried from the site and deposited on or damage the highway from
uncleaned wheels or badly loaded vehicles. The Highway Authority will
seek, wherever possible, to recover any expenses incurred in clearing,
cleaning or repairing highway surfaces and prosecutes persistent
offenders (Highways Act 1980 Sections 131, 148, 149).
2)
The developer shall agree, through the exchange of letters, to enter into a
routing agreement whereby HGV traffic shall avoid the sensitive areas of
Epsom Town Centre and Ewell Village and arrive at the site, where
practical, from the south-eastern aspect of the site via Horton Lane.
3)
Culverting of a watercourse requires the prior written approval of the
Local Authority under the Public Health Act 1936, and the prior written
consent of the Environment Agency under the terms of the Land Drainage
Act 1991/Water Resources Act 1991. The Environment Agency seeks to
avoid culverting, and its consent for such works will normally be
withheld. Contact Toby Perkins on 01276 454335 for further details.
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PLANNING COMMITTEE
5 DECEMBER 2002
02/00863/FUL
ITEM 07
4)
In order to manage the disposal of surface water in a more sustainable
manner, taking into account flood risk and other environmental factors,
the Environment Agency will recommend that restrictions are imposed on
the discharge of surface water from the site. The developer will be
required to control the release of surface water to maintain natural runoff
conditions.
There are alternatives to conventional storage for the control of surface
water run-off that are favoured by the Environment Agency. These
techniques not only cater for flood peak attenuation, but may also
improve water quality and enhance the environment. Such systems
include permeable pavements, grassed swales, infiltration trenches, ponds
and wetlands. The developer is advised to discuss with the Agency how
these techniques might be applied at this site.
Our general criteria is:
The discharge from the developed site should mimic that of a Greenfield
site as far as practical. Thus in a 1 year event the discharge should be the
same as a Greenfield site, and in a 10 year event, and similarly in a 100
year event. So across the range of return periods the natural Greenfield
runoff is simulated and
Storage should be provided to protect from a 1 in 100 year storm.
Summary
The application site has an area of 9.5 hectares and comprises holes 2-8 of the golf club’s.
Academy 9 hole course, which are adjacent to Chessington Road and that road’s junction
with Ruxley Lane. The land is flat and very wet, particularly in the winter, and is affected by
the proposed dualling of Chessington Road for the Cluster redevelopment.
The applicants propose to re-contour the land which involves raising the land with some
rounding up to 3.75m above existing ground level.
The proposals are to improve an existing golf course in terms of its safety, drainage and
playability and are considered acceptable in terms of the openness of the Green Belt. It
would potentially improve the ecological quality of the land.
The proposals would include the importation of inert materials to occur over a period of 9
months during the construction phase generating about 8000 inward bound lorry movements.
Due to the relatively limited timescale of the increase in HGV movements and subject to them
not overlapping with similar works already agreed for the golf club it is considered that this
additional traffic is acceptable in highway terms.
As the Borough Council is the freeholder of the land the Chairman of the Leisure Committee
has been consulted. Her views are expected in time for the meeting.
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PLANNING COMMITTEE
5 DECEMBER 2002
02/00863/FUL
ITEM 07
A copy of a document entitled ‘Strategy for improving One 18 hole Millennium Course, One
9 hole Academy Course and One Driving Range’ proposed by the clubs’ has been placed in
the Members’ Room for information.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Relevant Planning History
95/0718
97/0575
97/0576
99/0240
99/0723
99/0866
01/0478
01/01161/FUL
02/00472/FUL
02/00599/FUL
Extension of existing golf course to make up loss of land
resulting from Hospitals Cluster highway proposals.
Approved 18 March 1996.
Formation of a separate 9-hole golf course on land fronting
Chessington Road. Approved 9 December 1997.
Extension of golf course into adjoining former Long Grove
Hospital sports ground, including modifications to course
layout. Approved 9 December 1997.
Two storey and single storey extensions to existing clubhouse
and formation of roof terrace. Approved September 1999.
Retention of four sections of ballstop safety fencing, removal
of existing starters hut, erection of new starter hut north of
putting green. Approved November 1999.
Use of land as part of Horton Park Country Club. Alteration
of internal road layout to provide connection to new access on
to Hook Road formed as part of Epsom Cluster road works.
Construction of new car park on line of old Hook Road to
replace car parking lost due to construction of new access.
Formation of new greenkeeper’s store in redundant underpass
under old Hook Road. Approved Jan 2000.
Landscaping to create 2 new tees, enlarge putting green, new
bunker and other works. Approved September 2001.
Filling in of underpass under Hook Road and adjoining hollow
to rest of this with inert material. Approved April 2002.
Raising of three areas of land to improve overall safety of golf
course (Areas of land adjacent to Chessington Road).
Approved July 2002.
Alterations to golf driving range and surrounding area of 18
hole golf course, including extending the length of and raising
the level of the southern end of the driving range. Approved
September 2002.
Current proposal
The application site has an area of 9.5 hectares (23.5 acres) and relates to golf holes 2-8 of the
golf club’s Academy Golf course, adjacent to Chessington Road and that road’s junction with
Ruxley Lane.
The club wishes to make design, safety and drainage improvements to this part of the
Academy course and the proposals are partly in response to changes brought about by the
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PLANNING COMMITTEE
5 DECEMBER 2002
02/00863/FUL
ITEM 07
imminent construction of the Chessington Road dual carriageway which runs along the entire
northern boundary of the course.
The applicants say in a supporting statement that the new road poses safety, security and
noise pollution issues. They do not want stray golf shots going onto it or to encourage
unauthorised access by people from the road onto the course, and want to minimise road
noise on the course.
In addition to wanting to resolve the above issues they want to make substantial
improvements to the holes which have significant design flaws. Currently they are too hard
for the target market (mainly beginners and novices) and they are poorly designed and very
wet in the winter.
The site at present is very flat with the height not varying overall by more than a metre. The
proposals would re-contour the land raising mounds a maximum of 3.75 metres above
existing ground level.
A 120 metre length of mature hawthorn hedge that formed the boundary between two original
fields in Horton Cemetery Park is shown retained.
The operations are likely to generate some 8,000 HGV deliveries in total. With an equal
number of departures this equates to a likely rate of 80 HGV movements per day under
normal hours of working over a nine month period.
It is intended that inert material be used and it is suggested that the new road construction
would be a source of acceptable material. The applicants anticipate that most of their major
re-contouring works will be completed during the period of construction of the road
construction which they understand is also likely to last 9 months. However timing and
market forces may mean that there is greater reliance on other sources of inert material.
Planning Policy
Epsom and Ewell District Wide Local Plan 2000

Epsom and Ewell Borough Wide Local Plan 2000;

Policy GB2 General Policy on Development within the Green Belt;

OSR8 Golf development.
PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS
Green Belt and amenity
Government guidance contained in PPG2 (Green Belts) indicates that the use of land for
outdoor sport and recreation such as golf is deemed appropriate within the Green Belt, as
such uses preserve openness.
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PLANNING COMMITTEE
5 DECEMBER 2002
02/00863/FUL
ITEM 07
The proposals would improve an existing golf course in terms of its visual amenity safety and
operation are considered acceptable in terms of the openness of the Green Belt.
Landscaping required by way of a condition would contribute to biodiversity.
Highways
The County Highway Authority raises no objection subject to the imposition of conditions.
Consultations
Surrey County Planning and Development Service raises no objection subject to controls
being exercised over the amounts, the source and movement of materials and landscape
management.
The Environmental Agency has no objections subject to a condition and informatives.
Application advertised as a major development and neighbours notified. No representations
received at the date of this report.
Contact: Jacy Yates
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