Woodlands Close, Merstham, 35 homes approved 6-5 on 28 October; Conway House's 24 Raven homes and the Harlequin roof also passed. What each scheme includes.
Updated 29 October: all three applications were approved. Woodlands Close passed by six votes to five after a motion to refuse failed; Conway House 11 to 0 and the Harlequin roof 12 to 0, each with one abstention. Full report on the decisions.
A decision on 35 homes south of Woodlands Close in Merstham comes back to Reigate and Banstead’s Planning Committee on Wednesday, four weeks after councillors put it off over the private road that would serve it. The committee will also decide 24 affordable homes at Conway House in Reigate and a new roof for the Harlequin in Redhill. Officers recommend approval for all three.
The reports are on the meeting agenda. The committee meets at 7.30pm on Wednesday 28 October in the New Council Chamber at Reigate Town Hall, and the meeting is webcast.
| Application | Where | Officers’ advice |
|---|---|---|
| 35 homes, outline (25/02301/OUT) | South of Woodlands Close, Merstham | Approve |
| 24 affordable homes (25/01992/F) | Conway House, Castle Drive, Reigate | Approve |
| Roof replacement (26/01476/F) | Harlequin Theatre, Redhill | Approve |
Merstham: what has changed since September
The site is allocated for housing in the council’s 2019 local plan. The application by H2 Properties settles only the access now, through Woodlands Close. Layout and design would come later.
On 30 September, councillors deferred it after objectors said Woodlands Close is a private road paid for by its 20 households. Since then Surrey County Council, as highway authority, has sent a longer response, which is attached to the new report. It says:
- Traffic: the 20 existing homes plus 35 new ones would stay well within the limit for a shared road surface.
- Speed: the new section of road should have traffic calming every 70 metres. The developer cannot add any to the existing close, because it does not own it.
- Parking: the plans show 52 spaces plus 7 for visitors. The county now judges the site “low accessible” under the council’s standards, which would mean up to 70 plus 7. It asks for more spaces, to be settled at the detailed design stage.
- A second way in on foot: Surrey’s guidance expects two vehicle accesses once a site passes 50 homes. As there is no land for a second road, the county asks for a second path into Bridleway 119, which emergency vehicles could also use through collapsible bollards.
The report says the right to use the private road is not a planning matter. The applicant has served formal notice on the owner of Woodlands Close, as the rules require. It records 50 letters of objection from residents and the Woodlands Close Management Company.
If approved, 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
If the agreement is not signed by 31 January 2027, officers would be able to refuse.
Conway House, Reigate: 12 flats become 24 homes
Raven Housing Trust wants to demolish Conway House, a two-storey block of 12 flats on Castle Drive, and a garage block beside it. In their place it would build:
- a three-storey block of 21 flats for social rent, 10 with one bedroom and 11 with two
- a terrace of three three-bedroom houses for shared ownership
All 24 homes would be affordable, against the council’s usual 30% requirement. The report gives that weight because the borough has only a 4.08-year housing land supply and affordable delivery has fallen.
The application drew 51 responses: 47 objections, 1 in support and 3 neutral. Parking was the main worry. The scheme keeps 13 spaces and adds 48. After counting the informal verge parking it would replace, officers estimate a net gain of 20 to 22 spaces, below the council’s minimum of 31. They accept the shortfall, citing local car ownership data and parking surveys. The county raises no objection, subject to footway works, dropped kerbs and 25 electric vehicle chargers.
The Harlequin’s roof
The council has applied to strip and replace the Harlequin’s roof covering, add new plant on the roof and remove a rooftop penthouse. The theatre has been shut since 2023 because of RAAC concrete. The RAAC work inside the building does not need planning permission.
It comes to committee only because the council is the applicant. No neighbours objected. The Theatres Trust supports it, calling the work necessary to bring the venue back into use, which it says is “a substantial public benefit”.
The council has given no reopening date. At full council on 1 October the Leader said he was “confident” the theatre would reopen within its timeframe, the minutes record.
Also on the agenda
- House shares: councillors are asked to back the borough-wide rule requiring planning permission for small HMOs from July 2027. Our story on that vote.
- A smaller committee: from 31 October the committee drops from 15 to 13 members under the new national scheme of delegation, which fixes which applications officers decide and which go to councillors.
What it means for you
If you live in Woodlands Close or nearby in Merstham. This is an outline decision on access. If it is approved, the layout, the parking numbers and the paths to Bridleway 119 will come back as a further application, and you can comment again then.
If you live on Castle Drive or Castle Close. Building work would run under a construction management plan covering hours, deliveries and parking. Ask the council’s planning team for it if the scheme is approved.
If you want to watch. The meeting is open to the public and webcast from the agenda page. Our planning applications page explains how to comment on and follow an application.
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