Hospital site: Oakhill petition

Paul and Mavis with local residents and petition 15th November

It seems that the joint planning application for the re-development will be issued on the RBK website on 19th November. We have supported Oakhill Residents in a 100 signature petition to RBK to have separate applications. It was handed in at the Guildhall on 15th November by residents supported by Paul and Mavis.

We, the undersigned residents of Surbiton, while acknowledging the need for additional provision of Primary School places in Surbiton, petition the Council to treat the Planning Applications for these two buildings as separate issues on the grounds that

• A polyclinic and a school are two completely separate uses for the site, to be carried on in two completely separate buildings, each raising planning issues proper to itself
• The addition of a 446 pupil school to a polyclinic will lead to increased traffic movements and congestion in Oakhill and South Bank Terrace, contrary to Policy S13 of the Unitary Development Plan, First Alteration, and
• Will thereby adversely affect the amenity of local residents contrary to Policy H1 of the UDP.

Paul explains “The petition acknowledges the need for school places in Surbiton but local people are concerned about traffic generated by such a large school and incensed that the Lib Dems are trying to ‘smuggle’ the school through planning under cover of the polyclinic application.”

We note that the Lib Dem councillors, who have hitherto kept very quiet on this issue have now put out a FOCUS  leaflet supporting a school on the site and the ‘smuggling’ operation described above.

Paul and Graham Goldspring of OADRA outline the petition to Receiving Officer at RBK