Disused Surrey business park to be turned into over 250 homes
Elmbridge Borough Council’s approved plans to redevelop the former Hersham Place Technology Park on Molesey Road into 262 homes
An old Surrey office block is set to be transformed into 262 homes and potentially a GP Surgery.
Elmbridge Borough Council’s planning committee gave the thumbs up to redevelop the former Hersham Place Technology Park on Molesey Road. The largely empty office block site will be given a new lease of life as residential housing.
Developer Berkeley Homes plans to demolish the existing 1980s office buildings and build 262 homes on the main part of the site, including houses and flats. Around 14 per cent of the homes would be classed as affordable.
The scheme is made up of three sections, or so-called ‘character areas’: Hersham Lodge, Lodge Green and Queensway Villas. Hersham Lodge and Queensway Villas will consist of apartments, while houses of various sizes will surround Lodge Green.
A second phase, on neighbouring land, could bring further homes and a building for flexible commercial use, including a new GP practice.
But some councillors raised concerns about the aesthetic of the new-build plans, admitting no scheme is perfect. Cllr Lawrence Wells said: “It’s not going to win an architecture award,” before asking whether the scheme represented a “missed opportunity”. Cllr John Cope added: “But it couldn’t be worse than the brutalist block that is there at the moment.”
The majority of members were thrilled with the scheme, especially the amount of work and community engagement involved. Cllr Paul Hughes said he welcomed the proposal, adding: “It’s good to have a brownfield site instead of green belt land.”
Speaking at the meeting, the developer’s agent said the project would transform an outdated site. “I mean this sincerely: we couldn’t be more proud,” he said. “Our vision has been to repair this incongruous site and knit it seamlessly back into the character of the village.”
The redevelopment would take place on a five-hectare site currently dominated by office buildings, car parks and hardstanding, with about 76 per cent of the land already developed.
However, the proposal drew dozens of objections from residents, many of whom raised concerns about traffic, parking pressure and the impact on nearby homes. In total, 38 letters of objection were submitted to the council, warning the development could worsen congestion around Molesey Road and affect privacy for neighbouring properties.
The scheme will only go ahead if a legal agreement is signed within six months securing contributions for affordable housing, infrastructure improvements and environmental mitigation. If the agreement is not completed, planning permission could still be refused.