35 homes south of Woodlands Close, Merstham, were approved by six votes to five on 28 October. Conway House, the Harlequin roof and the HMO rule also passed.
Outline planning permission for 35 homes south of Woodlands Close in Merstham was granted on Wednesday night by six votes to five. Reigate and Banstead’s Planning Committee first rejected a motion to refuse the scheme, then backed the officers’ recommendation to approve it.
The same meeting approved 24 affordable homes at Conway House in Reigate and a new roof for the Harlequin in Redhill. It also backed the borough-wide rule that will require planning permission for small house shares.
The minutes are not yet published. We took the votes from the council’s webcast of the meeting, where the chair, Cllr Simon Parnall, read each count aloud.
| Application | Where | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 35 homes, outline (25/02301/OUT) | South of Woodlands Close, Merstham | Approved, 6 for, 5 against |
| 24 affordable homes (25/01992/F) | Conway House, Castle Drive, Reigate | Approved, 11 for, none against, 1 abstention |
| Roof replacement (26/01476/F) | Harlequin Theatre, Redhill | Approved, 12 for, none against, 1 abstention |
| Small HMO Article 4 direction | Whole borough | Backed, 13 for |
Merstham: a refusal motion fails, then approval by one vote
The application came back four weeks after councillors deferred it on 30 September over the private road that would serve the site. Woodlands Close is a cul-de-sac of 20 homes, paid for by its residents. The land beyond it is allocated for housing in the council’s 2019 local plan.
The item took more than an hour and a half. At the end of the debate, Cllr Joel Gabriel proposed refusal. He told the committee he had written the reasons himself, because officers would not draft them.
A planning officer explained why. Under the committee’s protocol, officers help draft refusal reasons only where they think the reasons can be supported. Where they think the reasons are not backed by evidence, or could lead to costs being awarded against the council at appeal, they do not. “In this case, it was the latter,” the officer said.
Cllr Gabriel’s reasons said the scheme would:
- intensify the use of the close’s single access in a way that would “inconvenience and possibly make unsafe” road users, with no pedestrian routes through the site, against policy TAP1
- add to demand on foul sewage and wastewater on a private road, against policy INF1
- harm the “exceptional tranquility” and “intimate edge of settlement character” of Woodlands Close, against policy DES1
Asked which of the reasons officers could live with, the officer said none could be picked out. The reasons touched on highway safety, drainage and sewerage, “matters of which we have no technical objection from the relevant statutory consultee”.
The refusal motion failed. Six councillors voted against it. The committee then voted on the officers’ recommendation. Six voted to approve and five against, and the chair declared the application approved.
What the permission covers
This is an outline permission that fixes only the access, through Woodlands Close. Layout, design and parking come later in a reserved matters application. The officers’ report says the legal agreement would secure:
- 12 affordable homes (35%), 60% for social or affordable rent and 40% shared ownership
- public open space and play areas on site
- £8,875 towards the School Hill junction with the A23 London Road
- dropped kerbs at the Bletchingley Road junctions with Worsted Green
Surrey County Council, as highway authority, has asked for more parking than the 52 spaces plus 7 for visitors shown, up to 70 plus 7. It has also asked for a second path into Bridleway 119 that emergency vehicles could use. Both are for the detailed stage. If the legal agreement is not signed by 31 January 2027, officers can refuse the application.
Conway House, Reigate: 24 affordable homes
Raven Housing Trust will demolish Conway House, a block of 12 flats on Castle Drive, and a garage block beside it. It will build 21 flats for social rent and three shared ownership houses. The officers’ report recorded 47 objections out of 51 responses, mostly about parking.
Cllr Paul Chandler said he welcomed Raven adding parking in the area. “It won’t solve all the problems by any means, but it will improve the situation that we have today,” he said. Cllr Sam Walsh praised the design of the flats but called the three houses “bland”.
The vote was 11 for, none against and one abstention.
The Harlequin’s roof
The council’s own application to replace the Harlequin’s roof covering, add rooftop plant and remove a rooftop penthouse was approved by 12 votes, with none against and one abstention. The theatre has been shut since 2023 because of RAAC concrete. Officers told members that the builders’ site office, canteen and welfare area would be set up inside the building, leaving the yard free for the crane and hoist.
The council has still given no reopening date.
House shares: the Article 4 rule
The committee backed confirmation of the borough-wide Article 4 direction. It will require planning permission to turn a family home into a small house share for three to six people. Thirteen members supported it. The chair counted 12 hands, then added his own: “So that’s 13.”
Cllr Gabriel asked councillors to explain it carefully. “This is not about shoving HMOs everywhere,” he said. “This means they have to apply for planning permission, which means we control the quality of it.” The chair said the council would act on it the next day. The rule takes effect on 30 July 2027. The background is in our story on the consultation.
What it means for you
If you live in Woodlands Close or nearby. The principle and the access are now settled. You can still comment on the reserved matters application, which will set the layout, the number of parking spaces and the path to Bridleway 119. Our planning applications page explains how to find and comment on it when it is lodged.
If you live on Castle Drive. Building at Conway House will run under a construction management plan covering hours, deliveries and parking. Ask the council’s planning team for a copy once it is agreed.
If you own a home you might let as a share. You can still convert to a small HMO without permission until 30 July 2027.
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