Community opposition to Graftongate planning application to industrialise greenfield land

New Haw Residents Association (NHRA) was set up to speak up and fight for local residents on issues that matter.  We’ve started this petition for all who care about this area, highlighting our objections to the proposed development of the land between Byfleet Road and the Wey Navigation. Runnymede Planning Reference RU.21/0207.  Our reasons for objecting and requesting REFUSAL of the application are: 

PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT

Graftongate have re-submitted a their application to construct large warehousing distribution services, across the whole site, which will no longer be available for use by the general public who will be confined to a pedestrian & cycle path between Byfleet Road and the canal towpath.  

Buildings and Operations will comprise:

• 13 buildings, ranging between 36-44 ft in height 
• Contain 17,515sqm gross commercial / industrial floor space 
• Operate 24/7, 365 days a year
• 16 HGV loading bays and 369 car parking spaces. 
• Have a single entry/exit point to the site from the busy Byfleet Road

THE SITE:

• Is located beside the Wey Navigation Canal, between Byfleet and New Haw Lock
• Is a greenfield site that has never been developed and is the last remaining part of Byfleet Common
• Has been accessible to the general public for over 30 years for recreational use
• Supports a wide variety of fauna and flora including bats, hedgehogs, slow worms, adders and birds of prey and water fowl  
• The Canal was one of the first built dating back to the 1600’s and is a conservation site
• The site itself is also:
  • Designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
  • Classified as a Biodiversity Opportunity Area (BOA) 
  • Part of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area (SPA)

FLOODING

The Environment Agency has recently increased the flood risk rating to the site for both fluvial (River) and pluvial (Rainwater) flooding. Now, fluvial flooding Level 3 covers around 2/3 of the site with Pluvial flooding present on virtually all the site. Development of this site proposes a significant risk to nearby properties

Flooding of Residential Properties (fluvial flooding):  May 2016:  March, July, August and October 2021 UPDATE and again 17 AUGUST 2022 

Flooding to the development site (Pluvial):  2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021  

TRAFFIC AND POLLUTION

With 32,000 + vehicles a day Byfleet Road is already over capacity. Congestion & gridlocks cause problems for businesses, commuters and residents.  Further commercial development would exacerbate the problem and add to the already compromised air and noise quality in the area.  

Traffic issues

• Commercial / industrial parks joining the A318 between Addlestone and Brooklands via Byfleet Road, has only a single access point to their site 
• Large HGV’s require both lanes of the A318 for manoeuvring in/out of their park   
• High vehicles are unable to pass under the 2.9m high railway bridge 
• Distribution vehicles for companies such as Amazon, Hermes & Ocado have increased exponentially in the last 2 years and continue increasing
• Byfleet Rd already suffers from air & noise pollution from road traffic, the railway and the M25
• Development of the site would increase both air and noise pollution as well causing light pollution
• Destruction of this greenfield site its trees would remove the CO2 protection provided by the vegetation adding further to the pollution of the area   

CONCLUSION

Development here would not only destroy a local amenity, it will generate more pollution, create more congestion on an overstressed road network and will increase flood risk.  Though shown as an employment area in the local plan, the plan also states; 

 ‘It is the policy set forth by the members of Runnymede Borough Council to commit themselves to a ‘brownfield first’ approach in identifying land suitable for development.’    

This site should not be developed before all other sources of brownfield sites in Runnymede and neighbouring boroughs have been considered.  These plans have a significant negative impact on our local community, and should be REFUSED.      

Please sign our petition which will support and strengthen our objections.

You can also make you own objections by writing to planning@runnymede.gov.uk  quoting reference RU.21/0207:  Land between Byfleet Road and Wey Navigation