Scaffolding firm lorries would cause danger on country roads, warn village residents
The plans have received a number of objections on Tandridge District Council's website
Residents of a Tandridge village say plans for expanding an industrial scaffolding site would cause havoc for the surrounding area.
Planning application to turn the current Ryall Edwards warehouse on Green Lane, Outwood (near Redhill, Surrey) into offices and storage facilities for Tone Scaffolding Services has faced stiff opposition from locals who object to the scope of the application.
There have been a number of comments submitted to Tandridge District Council's planning portal complaining about the proposals, with many pointing out that Tone, who are already located at the site and deny their plans would impact negatively on the area, have already caused disruption.
One objection from Richard and Sally Maher from nearby Millers Lane reads: "When meeting one of their oncoming scaffolding lorries in the lanes, it is necessary to pull over to the left at the lorry-width encroaches onto approaching vehicles.
"These encounters are stressful and dangerous.
"We have lived in a beautiful and hitherto tranquil Outwood for over 37 years. the village has never had an industrial operation of this scale in all that time.
"Why are Tone operating such a large-scale business within the Green Belt, when there are numerous industrial parks available to them in the Gatwick area and elsewhere?" they added.
Another from Catriona Knight read: "I often drive as well as cycle down Green Lane towards Salfords in my daily commute to Reigate and regularly see large lorries with the Tone logo carrying heavy loads of scaffolding and trying to manoeuvre round the tight and blind bends.
"There have been several near misses which I have witnessed from my bike, including HGVs turning left out of Masons Bridge Road onto Axes Lane which is a dangerous junction with many accidents over the years," she added.
Tone Scaffolding Services have not responded for comment so far, but a planning statement written on their behalf points to a Highways Report says incidents involving lorries in the area over the past five years have been minimal, with accidents down to driver error than any flaw in the road network.
They add that their development would not impact the Green Belt either: "While inappropriate development, the modest scale of the structure, read against the backdrop of the more extensive estate, means there is no perceivable impact on the openness of the Green Belt," the report states.
"The effective reuse of the site for employment purposes is not materially significant and justifies the grant of planning permission," it adds.
