Development approved despite concerns over traffic

Plans to build 74 homes on former green belt land in Surrey have been approved – despite objections that the proposals would overload nearby roads.

Woking Borough Council's planning committee approved the development on Egley Road, Mayford after members said there were little grounds for refusal.

Concerns had been raised that with nearby developments, including those in Sutton Green, there would be 1,000 new homes in the area.

Developers Cala Homes said the homes would be equally split between affordable and market-rate properties, and that they would be available for hundreds of local people in need of housing.

Speaking for the application John Richards, planning director of Cala Homes Thames, said the site has been allocated for housing by the council, and given the lack of available land, it was important the plan was "approved as expediently as possible".

He added: "This development will go some way to housing those 1,196 households on the council's housing register."

The 37 affordable homes will be made up of 13 one-bedroom and four two-bedroom flats together with semi-detached and terraced housing,

Up until 2021 the area had been classified as green belt but has since been released for housing.

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