SAVE OXTED’S ROADS AND ENVIRONMENT (SORE)

ROXHILL RESUBMITS A PLANNING APPLICATION FOR SUPER-SIZED DPD DEPOT AT MOOREHOUSE (Next to the Grasshopper pub on the A25 east of Oxted)

Once again Oxted and Westerham’s local environment and roads are under threat from Property Developers “Roxhill” working in concert with Titsey Estate. Following our successful campaign last Autumn to reject their first plan to build a massive DPD distribution facility at the Moorhouse site, Roxhill are now back with a second application.

We need your help to make sure their plans are rejected again by our council!

The Proposal, Full planning application for: (http://tdcws01.tandridge.gov.uk/ArcusPlanning/ application 2016/1036)

• New DPD Depot building 60,000 sq ft (equivalent to Oxted’s Morrison’s supermarket and warehouse) on 7.2 acres, height 11.5metres. This is no material change from the previous application.
• Redlands Tiles will continue to operate and distribute from 6acres of site. Unlike in the first application there will be no reduction in their existing traffic movements.
• Two new commercial buildings of 40,000 sq ft on 2.4 acres.

Why we object to this application :

• Inappropriate development in the Green Belt due to the scale of the building and type of business.
• Urbanising impact on the Surrey Hills AONB, and totally out of context with the local setting. All newly built DPD super depots are located in existing industrial zones, not in an AONB!
• Huge Traffic flows exiting from Moorhouse on the A25. The figures from Roxhill’s traffic consultant via SCC are none less than 948 movements a day vs 961 in last year’s application!
• On the latter point we would like to bring your attention to a very interesting article from 17/11/15 on the DPD website www.dpd.co.uk/content/about_dpd/press_centre/news.jsp ‘DPD invests 14m in 4 new purpose built super depots’. The latter depots are the four sites that Roxhill are using for comparison with Moorehouse in their planning application, All around 60k sq ft each and capable of handling up to 25,000 parcels a day! The initial parcel through of plot 1 In last year’s application was 7,000 parcels a day, You can come to your own conclusions as to how many more traffic movements on to the A25 above the 948 estimated by Roxhill that this would generate.
• Jobs, Tandridge is an area of high employment, jobs created would be filled by candidates outside the area.
• No public transport, site only accessible by car.
• The new application only discusses noise and pollution on site with no regards to the local environment.
• From a National Planning Policy Framework this site will create a greater impact on the openness of the Greenbelt.
• While landscaping is promised to be improved a building of this scale at the foot of the north downs will be very difficult to hide.

What you should do

• Sign this petition, make sure you put your name and address
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• Submit your own comments and concerns as soon as you can, application number is 2016/1036, whatever you do make sure to put your name and address otherwise your comments may not be read!To: Charlotte Parker, Planning Team ManagerEither on line:http://tdcws01.tandridge.gov.uk/TDCPlanningComments/PlanningCommentsForm.htm,or by email to: [email protected] or by letter to:Tandridge District Council, 8, Station Road East, OXTED RH8 0BT
• Join the growing number of residents who are actively fighting this application on your behalf. The Save Oxted’s Roads and Environment Group (SORE) is working closely with Oxted and Limpsfield Residents Group and other interested parties to lobby for a refusal of the Planning Application. Register your interest in joining the group by emailing [email protected] and we will keep you updated.
• Tell your neighbours, friends and family and ask them to support our efforts to save our local community from this wholly inappropriate development.
• Lobby your local councillors.

Do one or all of these things and help us make a difference!