Protecting Hurst Park’s Green Spaces: Land Sales, Planning Updates & Community Action

Many residents will have heard that some of the areas of landscaped common land in our estate are being auctioned off. If developers buy them thinking they can build, this is a major threat to our environment.

The HPRA has set up a small working group/subcommittee to get to the bottom of the legal and planning issues and fight any development on this land. We meet monthly and are each taking on one aspect:

Charlotte Dean is the Acting Chair of HPRA

Amanda Evans (Monaveen Gardens) is contacting the Land Registry to see what land has been sold recently, and to whom. She found that in the north-east section of our estate covered by Hurst Riverside Lands (about 300 houses out of 900) the open land is owned freehold by them – really good.

Alastair Sturgis (Linkfield) is working with Surrey Highways to ensure that they protect the verge land which is ‘adopted’, and object to any proposal to change this.

Peter Wylde (Bedster Gardens) is working with Elmbridge Planning to understand the various policies which protect open space, and our beautiful trees

Two issues are current now:

The long strip of land between Linkfield and Hurst Road went to online auction on the 17^th October at Auction House London. But Surrey Highways warned that it was adopted by Highways, so the reserve price was only £5,000. It obviously didn’t sell and went back to auction (Lot 184) on the 12^th November for only £1,000. We think it has now sold for this price.

Kingston-based developers have resubmitted their plan for a block of 3 flats in Monaveen Gardens (Elmbridge application ref 2025/2278). For some reason, the address is shown as 8 Cherimoya Gardens. This is adopted Highways land, which gives some protection, but the HPRA will put in the strongest objection we can.

Elsewhere, here you see that the application for a very bright illuminated sign at the Esso garage was refused – a success!

We need everyone’s help, so if you have news of any land sales or planning applications, please e-mail hello@hurstpark.co.uk with the heading ‘Planning’ – thanks!