Deepcut barracks housing development back on track after traffic …
The 1,200 home redevelopment of the Princess Royal Barracks in Deepcut can continue after traffic measures were finally agreed. Surrey Heath Borough Council’s executive committee has given land in Frimley[1] Green to Surrey County Council[2] to create the added capacity needed for the influx of new residents, and subsequent increase in traffic.
The improvements formed part of the initial 2014 planning agreement and had to be in place before the development passed the 600 homes mark. Councillor Alan Ashbery, lead member for sustainable transport and planning, said: “Improvements to the road infrastructure in Frimley Green were identified as a necessity.
“Originally the proposal was to replace the two roundabouts in the centre of Frimley Green with traffic light control junctions.” This, he told the Tuesday, November 21 meeting, led to a campaign by residents to “retain the roundabouts and not have the traffic light junctions and a revised scheme was agreed.”
In 2021, a new plan was agreed that would keep the roundabouts “inline with residents wishes” which involved transferring land currently owned by Surrey Heath Borough Council over to the highways authority,Surrey County Council. The land, at 120.8 square metres, is small in size, the committee heard, but removes a stumbling block from the development.
Leader of the council, Cllr Shaun MacDonald said: “I knew it was a very small piece of land once (chief financial officer) Mr Watson was prepared to give it away for free. Once I read that, it was a done deal.”
Planning permission for the Princess Royal Barracks was originally granted in 2014 on the condition that community projects were funded and highway infrastructure necessary to support the development were made.
The idea was that this would help soften the impact of the additional traffic but a groundswell of local opposition to the installation of traffic lights led to a formal campaign to keep the roundabouts on the junctions of Frimley Green Road with Wharf Road, and Guildford[5] Road with Sturt Road as part of any improvement means.
This new plan was approved in 2021 to be triggered when the Deepcut development reached 600 homes. The work must be “substantially completed” before the 700th home is occupied.
References
- ^ Frimley (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
- ^ Surrey County Council (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
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- ^ Guildford (www.getsurrey.co.uk)