The Surbiton Neighbourhood Committee met on 15 July 2025 to discuss a planning application, community grant applications, and traffic issues in the borough. Representatives from Transport for London (TfL) were scheduled to attend a question and answer session. The committee was also expected to review its work programme.

Planning Application for Southborough Close

The committee was scheduled to consider a planning application for The Ranch, 8 Southborough Close, which lies within the Southborough Conservation Area. The application, reference number 25/00232/FUL, requests permission for the:

Demolition of existing property and erection of 2nos. new family homes

The Director of Planning and Regeneration recommended that the committee agree to approve the application, subject to conditions.

According to the report pack, the key issues to be considered were:

• Principle of Development
• Housing Quality
• Playspace
• Heritage Considerations
• Character and Appearance
• Landscape Considerations including Urban Greening Factor¹
• Residential Amenity Considerations
• Biodiversity Considerations including Biodiversity Net Gains
• Sustainability Considerations
• Air Quality Considerations
• Land Contamination Considerations
• Refuse and Recycling Considerations
• Flooding / Drainage Considerations
• Highway Considerations
  • Car Parking Provision
  • Cycle Parking Provision
• Fire Safety Considerations

The report pack notes that this application was brought to the Surbiton Neighbourhood Committee because five objections were received.

The planning history of the site includes a previous application (23/02937/FUL) for the same development that was refused on 12 April 2024, and subsequently dismissed at appeal. The grounds for refusal related to design and appearance and impact on the Southborough Conservation Area. Another application (23/00750/FUL) for the same development was refused on 22 June 2023.

The key amendments in the new application include replacing the flat roofs with pitched roofs, and the change of materials to red brick and plain tiles.

The council received 12 representations, with 7 objecting and 2 supporting the scheme. Objectors raised concerns about design, appearance, overdevelopment, adverse impact on the conservation area, parking and traffic, overbearing impact and loss of light, impact on trees, loss of a single-storey dwelling, lack of affordable housing, and potential subsidence issues.

The council's Heritage Officer advised that:

The proposed scheme responds well to the character of the existing conservation area to the existing variety of external materials and the proposed architectural features such as pitched roofs, with the inclusion of hips and gables. The use of projecting gables to the front elevation reflects the existing character of the conservation area. Proposed fenestration especially to the front elevation should emphasize strong vertical proportions with the use of glazing bars.

The council's Neighbourhood Traffic Engineer noted that the site is located within a Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) of 0, which indicates very poor access to the public transport network. However, the engineer considered the parking provision acceptable, as the proposal would reduce the existing number of car parking spaces from 10 to 4, with an electric vehicle charging point for each dwelling.

The report pack also notes that the council cannot demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable housing sites, as required by the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).² As such, planning permission should be granted unless any adverse impacts would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits.

Community Grants Programme

The committee was scheduled to consider three applications for Neighbourhood Community Grants (NCGs), each requesting £3,000 in funding. The grants are intended to encourage local voluntary and community sector organisations, faith groups, charities and not-for-profit organisations to access funding and expand their capacity.

The applications were from:

• Voices for Hope, a Kingston-based charity, for their BRITE Box project, which provides weekly meal kits to families at risk of food insecurity. The grant would enable Voices for Hope to support 9 new families in Surbiton for 36 weeks.
• The Association QMC School of Capoeira, for Solta o Jogo 2025, a Capoeira festival celebrating Brazilian dance, music, and culture. The grant would be used to fund advertising, community engagement, workshops, performances, and free places in the competition for participants from Surbiton.
• Head2Head Sensory Theatre, a charity dedicated to providing accessible, multi-sensory theatre for children and young people with learning and physical disabilities. The grant would fund two multi-sensory, interactive shows and two pantomime performances for children and young people with disabilities and their families living in Surbiton.

The report pack includes a table that assesses each of the applications against minimum standards, including whether the group has a written constitution, a management committee with at least three members, and a bank account in the name of the organisation.

Transport for London (TfL) Question and Answer Session

Representatives from TfL were scheduled to attend a question and answer session regarding mitigation measures to address through traffic from the A3 into Fullers Way North.

A statement from TfL, dated 27 June 2025, was published as a supplement to the agenda pack. The statement addresses the Royal Borough of Kingston's request to consider the operational impacts of a banned left turn into Fullers Way North from the A3.

TfL's primary concern with a banned turn is the safety and performance of the nearby road network as a result of re-routing of traffic. TfL believes that the Kingston Bypass (A3), Tolworth Roundabout and Kingston Road (A240) form a busy part of the network that runs at full capacity during peak hours and is sensitive to change.

TfL's statement notes that, based on data collected by the Royal Borough of Kingston in October 2024, 431 vehicles turn left into Fullers Way North in the morning peak (8:00-9:00) and 474 vehicles turn left in the afternoon peak (17:00-18:00). TfL believes that the majority of this traffic has a destination within the survey zone, such as the Red Lion Road area, rather than immediately passing through.

TfL concludes that the left turn into Fullers Way North is used by over 400 vehicles per hour in the morning and afternoon peak, and that this flow cannot be accommodated through the nearby A3 eastbound slip and Tolworth Roundabout, which already operate at capacity.

Work Programme

The committee was scheduled to review its work programme, which includes upcoming items such as:

• Seething Wells - Update (Standing Item)
• Introduction of Traffic Management Measures on Surbiton Hill - Local Consultation Results
• Browns Road Area Permit Parking Area (PPA) Review
• Anti-Social Behaviour Update (Standing Item)
• Neighbourhood Manager's Report - Ranger Activity Undertaken in 2025 (Standing Item)
• Surbiton Neighbourhood Community Plan
• Verona Drive - Parking Issues
• Tolworth Close - Experimental Traffic Management Order (ETMO) Consultation