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Policies

Environmental Policies

Trees and hedgerows

Bookham is fortunate to benefit from widespread tree cover and hedgerows and verges along many of our roads. Only a few of our trees are protected from development by tree preservation orders and yet many make an important contribution to the character and attractiveness of the village. Trees are also important as they support wildlife, can help reduce flooding and provide visual interest and screening.

Design and local character

Bookham has buildings of a wide variety of ages, styles, types and sizes.  The range of materials used has created a tapestry of colour and texture, all intermixed with trees and hedgerows to create an attractive landscape. It is important that this variety is continued to retain the character of the environment. Equally Bookham benefits from substantial green road verges and their retention is essential to preserve the existing sense of spaciousness.

Development has created a mix and range of buildings which work well together. There are cases where a building which looks like a single large house but contains more than one home has been erected to be in keeping with surroundings. This approach is applauded. MVDC has carried out an assessment of the character of the various different areas in Bookham. The results are provided in its Supplementary Planning Document entitled “Built up area Character Appraisal Bookham and Fetcham” dated January 2010 (see Appendix 6).

Housing policies

Smaller homes for downsizing and new families

We need to respond to the need for smaller homes.

Older people are a growing proportion of Bookham’s population (Appendix 7). Population projections suggest that this trend is likely to continue and become more pronounced. If Bookham is to remain a reasonably balanced community, more needs to be done to attract younger families to the village. This means providing smaller, more reasonably priced homes.

Many of our older residents have lived in the village for many years, arriving with children and remaining here long after their children have left home. Many of these residents would like to downsize to a smaller home within easy walking distance of the village centre but the opportunities are limited and recent developments have tended to provide more of the larger family homes close to the village centre. This is considered to have been a missed opportunity to help meet our recognised need for suitably located smaller homes.

Increased provision of smaller homes, particularly on sites close to the centre of the village, would help meet this need and also potentially free up under-occupied ‘family homes’ for young families. The need for smaller homes is forecast to continue for many years and it is therefore essential that new homes remain their original size into the future.

It is recognised that there is a potential tension between the desire for smaller homes and the aspiration of policy BKEN2, when the character of the area is one of larger homes. Developers will be expected to design new buildings that reflect the character of the area, but contain multiple 2 or 3 bedroom homes.

Infill and garden development

Gardens are an important characteristic of Bookham and they are greatly valued as part of our green and leafy surroundings. They also represent an extensive network of diverse and rich habitats for flora and fauna.

There are still some opportunities for the development of garden land within the village and residents have indicated that development of these sites is preferred to the release of land within the Green Belt. A policy is required to protect the village from inappropriate development that is disproportionate, or overly dense relative to its surroundings.  There are also important practical considerations such as providing space to store wheelie bins and access to rear gardens for the storage of cycles.

Parking space standards

Reducing the need for on-street parking is a significant objective, particularly around the centre of the village.

Many of Bookham’s roads were not designed to accommodate on-street parking and even a small number of vehicles parked on the street can create hazards. Moreover, age for age, Bookham has more cars and vans per person than Mole Valley (see Appendix 8).

This indicates that a policy requiring higher parking standards than those required by MVDC in the rest of the district is justified.

Major housing developments

MVDC’s current Local Plan / Core Strategy does not propose any large scale housing developments in Bookham to meet the District’s housing requirements up to 2026. However, past experience demonstrates that proposals for larger housing schemes could come forward within the existing built up area of the village.  Policy BKH4 applies to developments of ten dwellings or more and sets out the context within which such proposals would be determined.  The policy would apply in the longer term in the event that the emerging local plan identifies a requirement for new residential development in the Plan area.

It is important that planning applications for new residential development meet the requirements of the wider development plan in place at the time of their determination.  This includes local plan policies produced by Mole Valley District Council and other policies in this neighbourhood plan.  In particular development will not be supported that conflicts with Green Belt policies.

Planning applications should include proposals that address the key consequences of large scale housing development. These include the need to include areas of open space and appropriate recreation facilities : the mitigation of the consequences of new development on existing infrastructure : measures to mitigate the impact of new households in Bookham on the Bookham Common Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area in the light of advice from Natural England at the time of the development proposal.

Immediately north of the built up area of Bookham is Bookham Common Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and this is an important habitat for certain species of birds.

Bookham Common itself is popular for informal recreation, including dog walking.  However additional housing development, with more residents and their pets, could adversely impact on this SSSI (including by cat predation; impacts on pond margins; and impacts on the quality of the network of paths). 

Where relevant, developer contributions will be sought to provide mitigation to offset the impact of additional visitors on the SSSI, especially where this could also help to deflect potential visits to the SPA.

Part of the north west of the built up area is within 5 kilometres of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area (SPA).  This is an area protected under European legislation, primarily because of its importance to ground-nesting birds.  Within this zone, Natural England advises that new residential development can cause adverse impacts linked to increased visitor numbers.   Most of the rest of the built up area is within a 5-7km buffer where development of 50 or more (net) dwellings may be considered to have an impact on the SPA.  The impact of planning applications for housing development within the 5km zone and 5-7km buffer will be assessed, in consultation with Natural England, on a case by case basis.

Where space is available, specific provision for accommodation and facilities for the over 65 age group should be provided.

Infrastructure policies

Our infrastructure – roads, drains, schools and medical facilities – faces pressure at times as a result of years of incremental development on in-fill or back garden land. This will become more significant as similar new development takes place. Unless, as a result of future changes to the Green Belt boundary, one or more large areas for development become available, the development of new homes will continue to take place on small sites, which individually do not overload the existing infrastructure but cumulatively will have consequences which need mitigating.  It is difficult to identify the point at which an individual development proposal will result in the capacity of a specific piece of infrastructure being exceeded, such that the refusal of planning permission could be justified.

It is therefore important to ensure that existing deficiencies are identified and measures are put in place to rectify them and deliver improvements so that new development can be accommodated.

The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) which MVDC proposes to introduce in 2016 provides an opportunity to collect developer contributions to assist the funding of infrastructure improvements in support of new developments. Government regulations provide that, once the NDP is agreed at referendum, 25% of CIL that is raised from development in an area – the Neighbourhood Infrastructure Levy (NCIL) – is to be used within the community hosting the development.

Highways

Certain lengths of the roads in Bookham are narrow and without footpaths or cycleway. This applies, in particular, to many of the south to north village access roads. The amount of housing and commercial development that has taken place since the Second World War, has not always been accompanied by commensurate upgrading of the roads, footways and cycleways.

The Mole Valley Local Committee (see Appendix 10) will be asked to include the highways improvement schemes identified by the community (see Appendix 10) in its forward plans. The list of schemes will be reviewed annually by the appropriate community body.

A proportion of NCIL could be made available to Surrey County Council by the appropriate community body to encourage prioritisation of the delivery of these schemes.

Drainage

Policy BKIN1 sets out two matters that developers will need to address.  The first matter is that of adequate water supply and waste water capacity and surface drainage.  The second matter relates to sustainable drainage systems.  The first of these two elements reflects paragraphs 156 and 162 of the NPPF.  It will be important that developers adequately address these important strategic drainage matters.

The foul drainage network is old in many areas of Bookham and in a stressed state with regard to its physical condition and capacity.

At times of even modest rainfall there are frequently areas of surface water flooding. There is a spring line between the chalk of the downs to the south and the London clay to the north, approximately defined by the route of Lower Road, and at times of heavier precipitation, significant flooding occurs (see Appendix 11 for further details).

The relevant Drainage Authorities will be encouraged to include drainage improvement schemes identified by The Bookham Flood Forum (see Appendix 12) in their development plans.

A proportion of NCIL could be made available to service providers by the appropriate community body to encourage prioritisation of the delivery of these schemes.

Education

Bookham is well served by a wide range of state and private schools, early years and childcare facilities. Within the state primary sector, there are two infant schools, a junior school and one through primary school. Whilst there have been adequate places at present in low birth rate years, the availability of places will need to be kept under review as further development takes place.

There is sufficient land at both the Dawnay and Eastwick schools to extend those schools.

Polesden Lacey Infant School could be expanded to become a primary school (which is Surrey County Council’s policy) although no additional land is currently available to provide a playing field.

A proportion of NCIL could be made available to Surrey County Council by the appropriate community body to encourage education proposals.

Local healthcare

Bookham is in the catchment area of the Surrey Downs Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). The CCG commissions healthcare for Bookham residents from Epsom General Hospital; Royal Surrey Hospital (Guildford); the three community hospitals close by in Epsom Leatherhead and Dorking and a further community hospital in Cobham. It also commissions community services e.g. district nurses, health visitors, school nurses and physiotherapists from Central Surrey Health. Bookham is served by two general practices, Fairfield Medical Centre, and Eastwick Park Medical Practice. The former has 11,000 patients and the latter 7,500. Both practices serve residents from outside Bookham. Around 3,000 of the patients at the Fairfield practice are resident in Fetcham, where there is only one part time practice, Molebridge, which also operates, part time, in Leatherhead.

The village is served by three private dental practices and many other general healthcare businesses.

Community facilities

Bookham has a variety of halls and other community centres, which are very well used and valued by the community.

• The Old Barn Hall
• Little Bookham Village Hall
• Bookham Youth and Community Centre, Lower Road
• SPACE, Dorking Road
• Scout HQ, Eastwick Park Avenue
• Girl Guides HQ, Keswick Road
• St Nicolas Pastoral Centre
• Chrystie Recreation Ground Pavilion

Retail and Employment policies

Bookham has a central shopping area based mainly on independent retailers. In addition there is a range of other businesses which provide products and services to the community. The community greatly values the availability of the shops and other businesses and they provide much needed employment for local residents. It is seen as key that this economic activity is maintained and if possible enhanced.

The following polices seek to achieve this.

In this section reference is made to Use Classes. Definitions of these are set out in Appendix 14.

Safeguarding our Retail Centre

21st century retailing is changing at a fast pace: with the concentration of the larger stores on out-of-town sites, new locations for budget supermarkets, the rapid growth of internet retailing and the withdrawal of banking, estate agency, and other office functions from high street locations.

Many high streets are in decline as a result of these changes but Bookham’s Retail Centre (see map on page 20 and Appendix 15) with its varied retail offer currently remains strong, and is highly valued (Bookham Vision). However the threat of competition is intense and so there is a need for policies to safeguard our Retail Centre so that it continues to serve the community in the longer term.

The third element of policy BKEC1 sets out a policy basis for the determination of planning applications that would result in the loss of retail (A1) uses within the retail area.  Planning applications that would result in the loss of A2 financial and professional services and A3 restaurant and café uses will be considered on their merits taking into account the proposed new uses and their overall impact on the vitality and viability of the defined Retail Centre.  This approach reflects the overall contribution that such uses make to its attractiveness.

Lower Shott

The Lower Shott area, as defined on the map below, comprises 8 shop units, with residential accommodation above, some garages and a public pay and display car park. Much of the area is within the Bookham Conservation Area.

Any redevelopment of this area should take into account policy BKH1 since it lies wholly within the Central Area of the village as defined.

Developing and safeguarding other retail sites

Local retail outlets outside the Retail Centre are subject to the same pressures and competition as those within it, but they serve a unique local function. They offer a mix of convenience stores, restaurants, fast food outlets, specialist shops, garages etc. As such, the services they provide are considered to be important to the village and should be protected.

The formation of larger retail units outside the Retail Centre in direct competition to and removing focus from the Retail Centre will be resisted. Apart from 2 retail units all the other units in the Retail Centre are less than 150m², some significantly so.

Safeguarding land in industrial and commercial use

The community’s objective is to safeguard accessible industrial and commercial sites suitable for occupation by small to medium sized enterprises (those enterprises employing up to 20 employees) which should be retained where there is a good prospect of continued employment use. 

For this purpose we define “accessible” as applying to sites in locations which have a local labour supply: make efficient use of the site: focus on the existing built-up area: promote the use of public transport: avoid increasing the conflict and nuisance caused by HGV’s using unsuitable roads. There is also a need to retain sites which provide services to the local community, in order to maintain vitality and viability and reduce the need to travel.

Proposals to redevelop existing employment sites to meet the needs of local occupiers and small to medium sized enterprises (see Appendix 16) in accommodation that is designed for contemporary business needs will be supported

In 2009 there were 520 registered businesses in Bookham. Approximately 13% of households contained at least one person who worked from home in approximately 650 locations  

There are a number of industrial and commercial sites which provide a limited, but important number of jobs within the village. 

In some cases these include ageing buildings, which do not meet modern standards, and access to some of the businesses is not conducive to modern transport, giving rise to HGVs travelling through parts of the village on unsuitable roads.

These business sites are valued by the community. The employment opportunities provided need to be safeguarded.

Competition from better quality, modern, more accessible industrial units in surrounding towns is high. The Government’s desire to encourage more housing to be built on former business sites, whilst increasing the supply of homes, tends to reduce employment opportunities.

Replacement of current businesses by other types of employment uses, that are more appropriate to a village setting (e.g. reduces HGV traffic), would be supported.  Alternative use proposals should aim to provide at least the same number of jobs, and by making more efficient use of land by reducing the footprint, perhaps release the extra land for housing.

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