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We are delighted that land at Beechcroft Manor, Weybridge in Surrey, has been saved. The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government rejected the planning appeal by Linthaven Ltd, following a public inquiry last February. Linthaven appealed against Elmbridge Borough Council’s refusal to give consent for a block of three houses, with access drive and parking spaces.
The inquiry inspector, John Felgate, rejected the application in particular because ‘significant harm would be caused to the setting of the historic Oatlands Park’. The park is included in English Heritage’s Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest.
Says Kate Ashbrook, our general secretary: ‘We are overjoyed by this outcome. The proposed development would have damaged the open space at Beechcroft Manor and its landscape setting, which includes the Templemere historic woodland and the green belt of Broad Water.
‘Local people enjoy the open space for its peace and tranquillity in lovely surroundings. It is a vital green lung in a beautiful setting. We are delighted that it is now safe.’