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Surrey County Council has
granted itself planning permission
for a new permanent Walton Bridge, new viaduct and new
junction at Cowey Sale. The plan (below)
shows what is proposed.
The proposed tied arch bridge is big --
23.5 metres (77 feet) high, and twice as wide as the current
bridge -- and linked to a substantial new viaduct over Cowey
Sale. The proposed new junction layout is very big, with high
embankments (6.2 metres, compared with 3.8 metres of the current
single embankment). The southern slip road would occupy much of
the current car park to the south of the bridge, plus a fair bit
of floodplain. The proposed new northern slip road would be
built in a Site of Nature Conservation Importance. A stretch of
riverside on either side of the bridge would be taken over by
new roadway. In the words of the planning application, the
landscape would be "dramatically and irreversibly
changed" (Vol 1, Section 12.4.4).
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Click
here to view Surrey County Council news of the plans,
including an artist's impression of the bridge (which somehow
shows no junction embankments and no viaduct... and does
the artist make the bridge look a bit small for a structure three times the height
of most houses?)
Click here to read some residents' views on the 'clover
leaf' junction.
What do the Borough
Councils think of the plans?
Before Surrey County Council gave itself planning permission to
proceed with the new bridge, new viaduct and junction, it had to
get the views of Spelthorne and Elmbridge Borough Councils, via
a 'Regulation 3' consultative Planning Application. The
plans were forwarded to those councils on 8 January 2004.
What was the result?
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Elmbridge Borough Council opposed the design of
the bridge and junction
- Spelthorne
Borough Council opposed the clover leaf
junction design
Here are the Elmbridge BC reference details for the
application:-
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Application No: |
2004/0016 |
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Application Type: |
Surrey County Council Regulation 3 |
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Location: |
Walton Bridge Walton Lane Walton-on-Thames |
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Proposal: |
Consultation under Regulation 3 from Surrey County Council: Construction of a new tied arch bridge and approach viaduct over the River Thames and floodplain with new link roads to Walton Lane, Walton and associated landscape, ecological and flood storage mitigation works; replacement car park, public toilets and refurbishment facilities at Cowey Sale; change of use of 4.1 hectares of land from agriculture to public open space, common land and village green |
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Applicant: |
SCC Sustainable Development |
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Agent: |
SCC Sustainable Development, Chris Northwood, County Hall,
Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey KT1 2DY
Telephone 020 8541 9438 |
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EBC Case Officer: |
David
Cliff Telephone
01372 474812 |
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Sub Committee Area: |
North |
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Ward: |
Neighbouring Authority |
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Decision Level: |
Officer
Delegation |
Residents can inspect the
plans at the Elmbridge Borough Council Planning offices in
the Civic Centre, High Street, ESHER, Surrey KT10 9SD.
We encourage any resident who has concerns about the plans
to contact us, and also to write to Chris Northwood,
Surrey County Council Sustainable Development, County
Hall, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1
2DY.
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