Decision Pending on Proposal for 35 Residences Near Surrey Railway Station

A proposal for 35 new residential units near a Surrey railway station is scheduled for a decision. This development, which may also incorporate retail spaces, is planned for a site located at Station Approach and Woodthorpe Road in Ashford. In July, an application for 40 new homes on this identical site was rejected on appeal by a government inspector. The current application, which Spelthorne Borough Council’s planning committee is set to decide on Tuesday, features one less floor and proposes five fewer homes compared to the previously dismissed submission. Existing structures on the site, identified in planning documents as two- and three-storey office buildings, are slated for demolition under these plans. Council officers have issued a recommendation for councillors to approve the plans. A report stated: “It is considered that the proposed changes, which include the reduced height and removal of a storey, setting back the upper floors, and the alignment of storey heights, shop fronts, and first-floor fenestration for more consistency, have now overcome the concerns raised by the inspector.” The report further indicated there was now a “significant improvement” in the design on the building facing the Station Approach frontage.