Plans for 206 homes on former golf course rejected

Councillors have rejected plans to build more than 200 homes on a former golf course after a series of votes.

More than 1,000 public objections were lodged to Elmbridge Borough Council against Charterhouse Strategic Land and Moore Place Holdings' application to develop the disused Moore Place Golf Club in Surrey.

The plans could have seen 206 homes built on the edge of Esher, with half of them set to be affordable, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

But they were kicked out after the authority declined to designate the land as grey belt - which the government previously described as "poor quality and ugly areas" on parts of protected land, called the green belt.

The applicant called the site "sustainable" and said there was a "critical undersupply of homes" in the borough.

The developer claimed the golf course, which had been out of use since 2019, would qualify as grey belt.

Councillor Simon Waugh said: "For me, it comes down to whether it is a grey belt site or not, and my view is it's not."

He added: "No one is saying that we shouldn't be building homes across the area, and no one is saying this isn't a great site.

"The problem is, is this a great site because of where it is, or is it a great green belt site?"

Concerns over the scheme's potential impact on green belt land was central to many residents' objections.

But Councillor Alistair Mann said as the proposal was only an outline application people should save their resistance.

He added: "What we have here is an application to decide if it is possible to put this number of houses on this site."

Councillor Harrison Allman-Varty called on members to consider housing in the borough.

"If we are not prepared to support 103 affordable homes on a former golf course that has been closed for seven years in a borough that has such a severe housing shortage, what exactly are we prepared to build?", he said.

Officers suggested deferring a decision after the council found itself deadlocked, but councillors rejected that idea.

A vote on an updated refusal motion was narrowly approved by councillors, so outline permission was refused.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service has approached Charterhouse Strategic Land and Moore Place Holdings for comment.

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