There will a public exhibition of proposals for a development of up to 555 homes and 15 Traveller pitches on the former Green Belt site on land to the rear of West Hall, along Parvis Road, in Byfleet and West Byfleet. 

The public presentation, by Barratt Developments, will be held on Saturday (February 24, 2024) from 10.30am to 3pm at St John’s Church, Camphill Road, West Byfleet, KT14 6EH. 

Members of the development team are set to be in attendance to answer residents’ questions and concerns. It is also expected that residents will have the opportunity to let the developers know their views in a survey.

Councillor for Byfleet and West Byfleet Josh Brown said: “It’s so important for all those across Byfleet and West Byfleet and the surrounding areas to attend the public exhibition and get their voices heard loud and clear.  

“Like many residents, I share the immense concern and worry about the prospect of this development, particularly on its impact on our local infrastructure, which was one of the main reasons why I voted against the removal of this site from the Green Belt in 2021.

“It’s clear to me that a proposal of up to 555 homes and 15 Traveller pitches is completely inappropriate. There remain many questions and concerns about how this development will mitigate against increased pressures on healthcare, educational and transport infrastructure. 

“I visited the site just last week and the amount of surface-water flooding was just shocking.”

Fellow councillor Amanda Boote (Independent) added: “As the local borough and county councillor for the Byfleets I’ve never supported the development of the formally designated Green Belt land at West Hall in West Byfleet.

“It’s disappointing to see that a planning application is now being brought forward by the developer given that none of the major infrastructure problems that I’ve campaigned about relating to this development have been addressed. 

“The land still floods and we have provided much photographic evidence of this. 

“The A245 Parvis Road is almost permanently gridlocked, and this has not been resolved.

“We still do not have a safe cycling route along this major road.

“The medical centre in West Byfleet is over capacity with more than 30,000 registered patients and this will only become exacerbated when the new Botanical Place development takes on residents.

“The current Liberal Democrat administration at Woking Borough Council promised to tackle these issues when they carried out a review of the infrastructure issues in the east of the borough and yet nothing has been actioned as a result.

“My Independent group are not against building new homes. But this location is not suitable and we’ve continuously argued and campaigned to say this, resulting in me personally delivering a petition to Parliament calling for action to save this piece of Green Belt land.

“We also don’t agree that a large Traveller site is appropriate for this location, putting all of the new Traveller allocation into one ward or one tenth of the borough. 

“We’ve demonstrated that smaller, integrated Traveller sites are much more effective for all.

“I’m also concerned at what will happen to the wildlife that uses this land, which is frequented by herds of deer. 

“Also, the ancient woodland (Tins Wood) that’s not being audited, protected and preserved.”