Leatherhead AHEAD - Red House Grounds

We said that this Project must not be considered in isolation. There is a chronic need for parking of all types. The traders and their staff need long-term parking - without traders there is no town. There has to be a Masterplan for Leatherhead which will identify the problems and provide ways to make visiting the town easy and convenient once again. The Red House Grounds (owned by MVDC) are of vital importance to the viable future of Leatherhead. The Council must not waste this option if it really wants to benefit Leatherhead and realise the town’s potential ...

Leatherhead AHEAD
Moving our town forward together
P.O. Box 240, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 8YQ Phone: 01372 378604
email: leatherheadahead@aol.com

Press Release 9/6/03
RED HOUSE GROUNDS / CAR PARKING FOR THE TOWN

We sent an official response from Leatherhead AHEAD (see below) with the following letter to Rod Shaw, Senior Planning Officer MVDC:


Dear Mr Shaw

RED HOUSE GROUNDS PROJECT
We enclose the official response from Leatherhead AHEAD to the questionnaire on the Red House Grounds Project.

This Project must not be considered in isolation. There is a chronic need for parking of all types. The traders and their staff need long-term parking - without traders there is no town. There has to be a Masterplan for Leatherhead which will identify the problems and provide ways to make visiting the town easy and convenient once again. The Red House Grounds (owned by MVDC) are of vital importance to the viable future of Leatherhead. The Council must not waste this option if it really wants to benefit Leatherhead and realise the town’s potential.

Paula Sabine, Chairman

THE RED HOUSE GROUNDS PROJECT
Questionnaire

1. Do you generally support the layout shown on the Masterplan?
NO. This area is the last remaining site which could be used to solve Leatherhead’s underlying problems, i.e. lack of access and parking.

2. Do you support the principle of housing on the depot site?
NO. Leatherhead needs all types of parking. This site should be used for parking, particularly long-term (see below).

3. Do you consider the scale of housing development is about right?
NO. An urgent detailed survey should be carried out to discover what Leatherhead needs in the way of parking to help it become a thriving and successful town again. Affordable housing can be incorporated into building developments in other areas of Leatherhead and the surrounding area.

4. Would you prefer to see a mix of housing and public car parking on the depot site?
NO. Parking has to be the priority. Leatherhead has lost many parking facilities over the years when areas have been built over: Bridge Street, Theatre, and recently Cornhill. The hotel being built on the Cornhill site will have 80 rooms but no car park and hotel guests will use the Swan Centre car park!

Alternative parking MUST be provided, particularly for the traders and businesses. Without traders and businesses, there is no town. To prevent parking in the residential streets, alternative parking MUST be provided, and the Bull Hill depot site is now the only available space.

5. Do you support extending the public car park under the new housing even if the substantial, additional cost of an extra 60 spaces would reduce the financial return that the council would obtain from the sale of the land?
YES (but see answers above). Ideally the whole area should be devoted to parking. Why is MVDC looking for a financial return? This is Council-owned land (which does not have to be bought from a private landlord) and should be used for the true benefit of the town, and not just another short-term gain for the Council funds.

6. Do you support the extension of the Station Road car park to increase its size by 20 spaces even if this means a small loss of green space?
YES - could even more spaces be provided?.

7. Do you support the play area and sitting areas?
YES.

8. Comments:
In the Mole Valley Community Strategy 2003 there are 13 key issues. Among the 6 top priorities is MAINTAINING A SUCCESSFUL LOCAL ECONOMY AND VIABLE TOWN CENTRES. This is not happening in Leatherhead. With the depot site, MVDC have a last chance to solve some of the parking problems and thereby benefit the town hugely. The infrastructure of Leatherhead (access, parking and convenience) has been ignored for the last 20 years.

Leatherhead AHEAD