Stop The Paddocks

At a glance

• What: an outline planning application, called The Paddocks, for around 250 homes (houses and blocks of flats of up to four or five storeys) on green fields off Blundel Lane, next to Polyapes scout camp.
• Application number: 2025/1097 on the Elmbridge planning portal.
• Land: formally Green Belt. The developer argues it is “grey belt”, a description that has no standing in policy or law.
• Scale: Stoke D’Abernon has around 700 homes, so this would grow the village by over a third.
• Local feeling: over 1,300 objections lodged, against a handful of letters of support.

Why we object

Our objection is based on professional advice from planning and transport consultants. In short: this is Green Belt land which fails the grey belt test, because it is a car-dependent site, based on the developer’s own numbers. With poor walking and cycling links, new residents would depend on cars, on roads that are already overwhelmed at peak times.

The one thing that has changed Surrey Highways’ objection, a footpath and a traffic-light one-way system over the bridge, neither changes that nor is proven to work or even be deliverable. What has changed.

Read the full summary of key issues and our formal objection report.

What we’ve done

• Helped residents lodge over 1,300 objections.
• Raised £13,000 through our GoFundMe appeal to pay for a professional objection report from planning and transport consultants.
• Took the campaign to BBC Radio Surrey and worked with our MP and councillors, who wrote to the Housing Minister.

How you can help

1. Object again by Friday 31 October, even if you commented before. The proposal has changed and councillors will count fresh comments. Email tplan@elmbridge.gov.uk quoting 2025/1097. See our example objections.
2. Come to the Planning Committee: Tuesday 10 November, 7pm, in the Council Chamber at the Civic Centre, Esher. Arrive by 6.30pm. Only one objector is allowed to speak, so a full public gallery is how councillors see the strength of feeling. You will need to register to attend. We’ll send details once The Paddocks is confirmed on the agenda (likely around 2 November), so sign up for email updates to make sure you hear.
3. Write to your councillors. The Planning Committee decides, and councillors need to hear from residents. Their contact details are in our latest update.
4. Support the fighting fund on GoFundMe.
5. Join the Association so we can keep representing the village: it’s just £5 a year.