A further 70 homes have been approved near a former airfield despite fears it will change a Surrey hamlet “beyond recognition”. 

The former Wisley Airfield has planning permission approved for 1,730 new homes. After a government inspector overruled Guildford Borough Council’s (GBC) refusal of the proposal. However, Ockham Parish Council is appealing to the High Court to reconsider the decision. 

The application by Hallam Land Management proposes 70 homes and a new access to Ockham Lane, to the south of the main site. Officers recommended the development for approval, judging that the public benefit of the housing outweighs the heritage harm. 

Only an outline proposal, the specific details on the appearance and design of the scheme will be decided at a later date. Councillors approved the plans by six votes to four, after a failed motion to reject the application.

“This development will permanently change the little hamlet beyond recognition,” said Cllr Catherine Young.

She said the application “fails to recognise the intrinsic beauty of the countryside”. 

Historic England raised concerns that the density of the houses would harmfully contrast the rural and historic nature of Ockham village. Conservation officers agreed, commenting that the development would create a “strong and obvious suburban” appearance.

They asked the developer to “rearrange the layout of housing to better preserve the sense of rurality around the village” by decreasing houses on the south side.

Cllr Joss Bigmore criticised the scheme for not providing “a gentle transition” from the existing rural villages to the proposed mass development.

Cllr David Bilbé said he had “a tremendous amount of empathy towards the emotions and feelings of residents”. But he argued, as the land had been allocated for development by GBC and there was a need for housing, there was not much grounds to defend a refusal at appeal.

The committee heard that granting a new access road to Ockham Lane to the development would be “risk to life”. Cllr Imogen Jameson, from Ockham Parish Council, said the combination of existing road users, tractors, horse riders, cyclists and buses will create a “lethal cocktail”.

She said Ockham Lane “lacks essential infrastructure [for lorries] to reach the remote location [and] rely on the inadequate local road network”.

Surrey County Council (SCC) originally objected and recommended the refusal of the application for a new access road from the development site to Ockham Lane. But later agreed to approve a new access road if there were visibility displays for vehicles to access Ockham Lane and pedestrian and cycle routes. 

Cllr Jameson claimed SCC had “capitulated”, and “prioritised their requirement for sustainable transport provision over safety”.

Officers informed the committee that access points to Ockham Lane have been accepted by SCC. Where they serve a limited number of houses and are not connected to the wider site. Councillors were advised they had no ‘technical support’ to object to the proposal from a highway safety point of view.

The proposed development will start after Wimpy Taylor has delivered the infrastructure which makes the site sustainable.