Click here to see map for location of Royal Automobile Country Club (RAC)
As at December 2014 two of the original applications have been withdrawn, and replaced by:-
14/01209/FUL RAC
Redevelopment of Woodcote Park. Detail approval sought for:
a) Demolition of the secretariat and administration building and partial demolition of clubhouse with replacement new five-storey (basement, ground and 3 upper levels) motor heritage wing to provide overnight accommodation, offices, banqueting, events and club facilities.
b) Demolition of rear ground floor kitchen extension of the clubhouse.
c) Creation of new arrival reception to clubhouse, including landscaping and public realm works.
d) Restoration of the wall to the Walled Garden.
e) Restoration of the Gardener’s Cottage including replacement roof, and demolition of single-storey later additions.
f) Provision of children’s facilities within the Walled Garden, including a children’s activity centre, indoor swimming pool, and associated areas.
g) Use of existing Gardener’s Cottage for activities associated with the Royal Automobile Club and/or for independent C3 use.
h) Re-working of access and car parking at the overspill car park to provide 154 permanent spaces.
i) Associated landscaping, ancillary storage and plant, and all associated engineering works and operations.
Outline application for:
a) Full or partial demolition and redevelopment of Cedars Sports to provide a replacement class D2 leisure facility, to be in accordance with the Cedar Sports Development Parameters, dated November 2014.
b) Re-working of access and expansion and re-working of the existing north car park to provide 199 permanent spaces.
c) Associated landscaping, ancillary storage and plant, and all associated engineering works and operations.
14/01210/LBA RAC
Listed Building Consent – Alterations for the above proposed development.
The timetable for decision on the original enabling development application for two residential developments on green belt land has been extended to 31st January 2015.
The revised main application includes a revised transport appraisal, which your committee feel should be independently reviewed by an independent and suitably qualified third party. The parking provision proposed appears likely to be inadequate for anything other than normal traffic, and takes no account of any possible major events.
We have written a second letter, which can be found here.
Details of the original three applications and our comments and first letter follow:-
14/00561/OUT RAC
Outline application for residential development (2 x plots) with associated infrastructure.
14/00562/FUL RAC
Redevelopment of Woodcote Park. Detail approval sought for:-
1. Demolition of the secretariat and administration building and partial demolition of clubhouse with replacement new 5 storey (basement, ground and 3 upper levels motor heritage wing to provide overnight accommodation, offices, banqueting, events and club facilities.
2. Demolition of rear ground floor kitchen extension of the clubhouse.
3. Creation of new arrival reception to clubhouse.
4. Restoration of the wall to the Walled Garden.
5. Restoration of the Gardener’s Cottage including replacement roof, and demolition of single storey later additions.
6. Provision of children’s facilities within the Walled Garden, including a children’s activity centre, indoor swimming pool, and associated areas.
7. Use of existing Gardener’s Cottage for activities associated with the Royal Automobile Club and/or for independent C3 use.
8. Re-working of access and car parking at the overspill car park and Walled Garden, including the creation of a net additional 35 car parking spaces.
9. Extension to the Cedars Sports centre.
10. Associated landscaping, ancillary storage and plant, and all associated engineering works and operations.
Outline proposals for:-
1. The construction of a standalone spa.
2. The construction of a driving range.
3. The reconfiguration and extension to the existing north car park and access for the net addition of 54 car parking spaces.
4. Associated landscaping, ancillary storage and plant, and all associated engineering works and operations.
14/00563/LBC RAC
Redevelopment of Woodcote Park. Listed Building Consent application for:-
1. Demolition of the secretariat and administration building and partial demolition of clubhouse with replacement new 5 storey (basement, ground and 3 upper levels) motor heritage wing to provide overnight accommodation, offices, banqueting, events and club facilities.
2. Internal reconfiguration of clubhouse and demolition of rear ground floor kitchen extension of the clubhouse.
3. Creation of new arrival reception to clubhouse.
4. Restoration of the wall to the Walled Garden.
5. Restoration of the Gardener’s Cottage including replacement roof, and demolition of single-storey later additions.
6. Provision of children’s facilities within the Walled Garden, including a children’s activity centre, indoor swimming pool, cafe and associated areas.
These three separate applications are for a major redevelopment of the Woodcote Park Country Club site, with partial demolition and reconstruction/extension of the club house, new leisure and conference centre facilities, increased parking, repairs to the Walled Garden, and two new residences.
The sheer volume of the details provided in the applications prevented detailed analysis of and comment on all the documents. Nevertheless, the Committee (and Rob Austen in particular) invested no little effort in reviewing them and reaching conclusions on what seemed to be the key issues.
The Society objected on principle to the proposed residential development within the Green Belt, and was not convinced by the argument that this was needed to enable repairs to the (listed) walled garden and gardner’s cottage, since the RAC has owned these buildings for more than 100 years and should have budgeted for the cost of maintaining them in good condition during that time.
As for the proposed expansion to facilities and parking, the Society expressed concern about the implications of a greatly increased activity level within the Park. Taken together, the proposals imply a >60% increase in floor space, including a spa and conference centre. But the RAC forecast a much lower increase in traffic density to and from the Park and propose an even smaller increase in available parking facilities. Our letter suggested that the detailed traffic analysis contained in the Applications is unduly optimistic.
The Society also concluded that the Heritage Motor Wing appears to be an entirely commercial undertaking, and thus wholly inappropriate to the recreational context of the site.
Our letter can be found here.
Posted: 18 December 2014 by ecs
The Royal Automobile Club Epsom KT18 7EW updated December 2014
Click here to see map for location of Royal Automobile Country Club (RAC)
As at December 2014 two of the original applications have been withdrawn, and replaced by:-
14/01209/FUL RAC
Redevelopment of Woodcote Park. Detail approval sought for:
a) Demolition of the secretariat and administration building and partial demolition of clubhouse with replacement new five-storey (basement, ground and 3 upper levels) motor heritage wing to provide overnight accommodation, offices, banqueting, events and club facilities.
b) Demolition of rear ground floor kitchen extension of the clubhouse.
c) Creation of new arrival reception to clubhouse, including landscaping and public realm works.
d) Restoration of the wall to the Walled Garden.
e) Restoration of the Gardener’s Cottage including replacement roof, and demolition of single-storey later additions.
f) Provision of children’s facilities within the Walled Garden, including a children’s activity centre, indoor swimming pool, and associated areas.
g) Use of existing Gardener’s Cottage for activities associated with the Royal Automobile Club and/or for independent C3 use.
h) Re-working of access and car parking at the overspill car park to provide 154 permanent spaces.
i) Associated landscaping, ancillary storage and plant, and all associated engineering works and operations.
Outline application for:
a) Full or partial demolition and redevelopment of Cedars Sports to provide a replacement class D2 leisure facility, to be in accordance with the Cedar Sports Development Parameters, dated November 2014.
b) Re-working of access and expansion and re-working of the existing north car park to provide 199 permanent spaces.
c) Associated landscaping, ancillary storage and plant, and all associated engineering works and operations.
14/01210/LBA RAC
Listed Building Consent – Alterations for the above proposed development.
The timetable for decision on the original enabling development application for two residential developments on green belt land has been extended to 31st January 2015.
The revised main application includes a revised transport appraisal, which your committee feel should be independently reviewed by an independent and suitably qualified third party. The parking provision proposed appears likely to be inadequate for anything other than normal traffic, and takes no account of any possible major events.
We have written a second letter, which can be found here.
Details of the original three applications and our comments and first letter follow:-
14/00561/OUT RAC
Outline application for residential development (2 x plots) with associated infrastructure.
14/00562/FUL RAC
Redevelopment of Woodcote Park. Detail approval sought for:-
1. Demolition of the secretariat and administration building and partial demolition of clubhouse with replacement new 5 storey (basement, ground and 3 upper levels motor heritage wing to provide overnight accommodation, offices, banqueting, events and club facilities.
2. Demolition of rear ground floor kitchen extension of the clubhouse.
3. Creation of new arrival reception to clubhouse.
4. Restoration of the wall to the Walled Garden.
5. Restoration of the Gardener’s Cottage including replacement roof, and demolition of single storey later additions.
6. Provision of children’s facilities within the Walled Garden, including a children’s activity centre, indoor swimming pool, and associated areas.
7. Use of existing Gardener’s Cottage for activities associated with the Royal Automobile Club and/or for independent C3 use.
8. Re-working of access and car parking at the overspill car park and Walled Garden, including the creation of a net additional 35 car parking spaces.
9. Extension to the Cedars Sports centre.
10. Associated landscaping, ancillary storage and plant, and all associated engineering works and operations.
Outline proposals for:-
1. The construction of a standalone spa.
2. The construction of a driving range.
3. The reconfiguration and extension to the existing north car park and access for the net addition of 54 car parking spaces.
4. Associated landscaping, ancillary storage and plant, and all associated engineering works and operations.
14/00563/LBC RAC
Redevelopment of Woodcote Park. Listed Building Consent application for:-
1. Demolition of the secretariat and administration building and partial demolition of clubhouse with replacement new 5 storey (basement, ground and 3 upper levels) motor heritage wing to provide overnight accommodation, offices, banqueting, events and club facilities.
2. Internal reconfiguration of clubhouse and demolition of rear ground floor kitchen extension of the clubhouse.
3. Creation of new arrival reception to clubhouse.
4. Restoration of the wall to the Walled Garden.
5. Restoration of the Gardener’s Cottage including replacement roof, and demolition of single-storey later additions.
6. Provision of children’s facilities within the Walled Garden, including a children’s activity centre, indoor swimming pool, cafe and associated areas.
These three separate applications are for a major redevelopment of the Woodcote Park Country Club site, with partial demolition and reconstruction/extension of the club house, new leisure and conference centre facilities, increased parking, repairs to the Walled Garden, and two new residences.
The sheer volume of the details provided in the applications prevented detailed analysis of and comment on all the documents. Nevertheless, the Committee (and Rob Austen in particular) invested no little effort in reviewing them and reaching conclusions on what seemed to be the key issues.
The Society objected on principle to the proposed residential development within the Green Belt, and was not convinced by the argument that this was needed to enable repairs to the (listed) walled garden and gardner’s cottage, since the RAC has owned these buildings for more than 100 years and should have budgeted for the cost of maintaining them in good condition during that time.
As for the proposed expansion to facilities and parking, the Society expressed concern about the implications of a greatly increased activity level within the Park. Taken together, the proposals imply a >60% increase in floor space, including a spa and conference centre. But the RAC forecast a much lower increase in traffic density to and from the Park and propose an even smaller increase in available parking facilities. Our letter suggested that the detailed traffic analysis contained in the Applications is unduly optimistic.
The Society also concluded that the Heritage Motor Wing appears to be an entirely commercial undertaking, and thus wholly inappropriate to the recreational context of the site.
Our letter can be found here.
Category: Planning Applications
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