Letter regarding Land for Sale in Long Hill
Please find below a letter sent by Councillor Keith Jecks to the original auctioneers of the land currently being promoted for sale in Long Hill.
Please note – the letter was dated early April, the auction date has past, but the land is still being marketed via Rightmove.
The contents are relevant to any prospective buyer and a high level of due diligence is recommended. It should also be noted that Woldingham Neighbourhood Plan is upheld by the Woldingham Parish Council and Tandridge District Council.
To whom it may concern and without prejudice
Dear Sirs,
I understand you are auctioning some land in Woldingham at the forthcoming 9th April auction. The link below refers:
https://www.barnardmarcusauctions.co.uk/auctions/09-april-2019/93446/
I am writing to you in my capacity as Chair of Planning Policy for the local Planning Authority (Tandridge District Council), the Ward member for Woldingham and a member of Woldingham Parish Council. I am concerned that although your details make the usual disclaimers about the buyer needing to make their own investigations, this land is being sold as potential development land, which could be taken as misleading.
Please be aware that the land in question has been analysed by my council in the process of writing our new Local Development Plan and has been identified as not being suitable for development. It has therefore has not been allocated for development in the 20-year plan. It is not contiguous with the village, which makes it even less likely to gain permission and is in a part of the Green Belt which is “Good Green Belt”: i.e. Green Belt that is satisfying the purposes set out for the Green Belt.
Any application to build on this land would be vigorously defended by the Council, the Parish Council and by local residents and it would be an error for anyone to acquire this land in the expectation of there being any realistic probability of development potential in the foreseeable future.
Please ensure that any bidders are aware of this communication.
Yours faithfully
Councillor Keith Jecks
Chair, Planning Policy
Tandridge District Council
01883 722000