Since the Claygate Parish Council (“CPC”) meeting on Friday 21st July 2023, a group of Claygate residents have come together under the banner of the Claygate Village Association (“CVA”) in response to the announcement by Elmbridge Borough Council (“EBC”) of their proposal, with Kilo Developments (“Kilo”), to redevelop the Torrington Lodge Car Park (“TLCP”). This sub-group of the CVA has entitled itself “Claygate Can Do Better”.
The CVA’s purpose is: To support our village life and to protect the unique quality of Claygate.
We at the CVA love the fact that we can unite as a village around certain issues or causes, and likewise that we can engage in mutually beneficial communications without any antagonism or abuse. We are one village and all stakeholders involved here are ultimately wanting the best for the village. We all have different views, and we respect them! Please all be mindful of this when attending meetings or communicating with Elmbridge Council, the Parish Council and others and in the general mood music around the village.
Thank you, the CVA and 'Claygate can do better' team.
Actions you can take
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pre-written templates for letters
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Where to send
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Guidelines on effective letter writing and tips for maximizing impact
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Examples of letters already sent
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potential alternative uses for the disputed space
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share your ideas and proposals
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creative and sustainable suggestions
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Observations on survey
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Advice on submitting opposition to ensure it 'counts'
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Details on where to send copy of response
About us
Our Goals
We believe that the best people to know what is best for Claygate are its residents:
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We intend to work closely with the CPC to contribute to their discussions on this with the EBC
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We will engage with legal and planning council
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We will amplify local voices and provide guidance to local community on how to raise concerns
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We will also want to work closely with our local Ward Councillors to achieve the best result for Claygate
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We continue conducting a credible, detailed survey with the owners of the businesses on the Parade to get their view
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We will conduct a similar survey of Claygate Residents if needed (Coming soon)
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We invite residents of Claygate to submit their own ideas on the best use of TLCP via this website. (Coming soon)
OUR ACHIEVEMENTS
The Meeting of Claygate Parish Council on 10th August was extremely helpful as a unanimous motion that was passed giving a very clear message to Elmbridge Council :
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that they should not sign a Development funding Agreement with the developer, Kilo Properties
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that they should convene an emergency meeting of Elmbridge Cabinet to stop the process
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that they should conduct a Full Options Appraisal with open consultation
Please see the Parish Council website for more information.
This was the result of multiple actions by our campaign team, which included :
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Launched this website and gained almost 800 Claygate residents (and rising fast) subscribers
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Initiated a physical petition from residents urging action to reset the process.
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Encouraged hundreds of emails/letters to be written directly to our local Elmbridge and Parish Councillors
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Urged Elmbridge Councillors to
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“think again”, to stop the current process and start again
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look at ALL the possible options
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undertake an Independent Retail Assessment of the M&S store on the existing retailers
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credibly consult and communicate with the local Claygate community, within their OWN guidelines!
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Undertaken a comprehensive written survey of ALL the small business owners in Claygate
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see a copy of the survey here.
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Provided a timeline of events and communications from both the Elmbridge Council and Claygate Parish Council
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There are numerous questions that arise which we will be raising with the respective organisations.
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The Village
Claygate retains a true village community and feeling; we look out for each other. We have many resources here, not the least of which are our vibrant residents and community spirit. We also have a number of excellent environmental and built resources - the green belt, our excellent shops and good transport links. While we wish to preserve these qualities, we do not expect development of the village to stand still. There are competing demands on our developable land resources, which, for most practical purposes, if the green belt is to be protected, means brown-field sites, of which a number have been identified, do need to be redeveloped.



The
Challenge
Residents will be aware that the current EBC proposal involves the construction of a three storey building with retail space below for an M&S Simply Food store, with “temporary” emergency residential accommodation above, and some car parking spaces to be retained.
No planning permission has yet been requested.
The current draft proposals for an M&S store would use one of these resources. It appears that Elmbridge has not considered any alternative uses for the site but has settled for the Kilo proposal. There has been little or no consultation either of residents or local Small Business Owners, specifically on The Parade.
This does not strike us as the best use of the site for Claygate. We do not think the “process” has been credible, transparent, fair or efficient, rather a bulldozer approach has been used expecting residents to ignore or nod. Hence- “Claygate can do Better!”