Interesting that Taylor Wimpey have lodged an appeal for consent to build 1700+ new homes in the isolated depths of Surrey’s countryside. Very near the Royal Horticulture Society’s HQ and following Guildford Borough Council failure to decide. They bought the site in 2020. Their roots in the area are transitory. Creating popular places, following the principles of long term sustainable and rural public open space are some of the key issues to creating premium values and locations of pride for local residents. How will a commercially driven trading project intended to make a capital profit for sure Taylor Wimpey’s shareholders fit into this spectrum based on other priorities besides simple commercial success? As a local councillor I would wonder about the absence of a long term socially alert manager. when it comes to maintenance and wear ad tear.
The obvious contrast is the Crown Estate’s Poundbury project in Dorset, now achieving 30% premiums for homeowners. But there is a new, private sector example to compare. Welbourne Garden Village, a new community of 6000 homes on the edge of Fareham. A local family has owned the land for 500 years, not 3 years. Their delivery vehicle will retain ownership of 50% of the site which will become the community’s public open space. Their emphasis is on longevity and local pride. Buy in Welbourne and you might have an asset for life. As the Wisley project is unrelated to any serious urban centre nearby, drivers of cars into their dotage will be fine. Others may struggle to reach the urban amenities we all need as the years pass by. Why they gave Wisley an outline consent here is another lesson: the broken planning system at its diabolical extreme.
Ian Campbell
24 August 2023
