Campaign big guns team up to sink Surbiton Filter Beds plans

By Surb_People | Thursday, December 15, 2011, 15:50

The big guns of Surbiton campaigning are joining together in an effort to sink the latest Surbiton Filter Beds plans. The plans include floating homes, a nature reserve, marina, education centre, restaurant and public access to the riverside.

The latest plans for the Surbiton Filter Beds site includes a nature reserve, marina, education centre, restaurant, floating homes and public access to the riverside

A meeting at the YMCA on Monday 12th December saw 30 people turn out to discuss how the plans could be stopped. The list of those who organised and attended the meeting reads like a who's who of Surbiton anti-development campaigners, who are now acting under the title of 'Friends of Seething Wells'.

The list of campaigners includes:

Jill Green and Tony Johannsen who have a long history of fighting previous planning applications since 1998, on the Filter Beds site. They have also been stalwarts of SCARA, the Residents Association of central Surbiton.

Ken Peay was for many years involved with the Southborough Residents Association, also has a long history of fighting proposed development on the Filter Beds.

Simon Tyrell spoke about the history of the site and why it should remain as it is. Simon has been working with The Community Brain, a Community Interest Company who has received Lottery money to fund their investigations into the site history.

Chris Martin spoke on behalf of the newly formed 'River Thames Sports Alliance' group. He spoke against the plans as it would bring more boats onto the stretch of water that he and his group currently use for sailing.

Alison Fure spoke about the wildlife that lives on or near the Filter Beds. She is a professional Ecologist and spoke about the bats that live nearby and the beetles that live on the site.

The Surbiton Filter Beds site has previously been subject to quite a few planning applications , which includes an application for 226 flats in 1998 and 59 flats in 2001. Both were rejected by Kingston Council and by the planning inspectorate at appeal.

At the YMCA meeting, it was generally agreed that the latest plans for floating homes, a nature reserve, marina, education centre and public access were the best plans so far for the site. However, some had concerns that the developer would come back for a more intensive application at a later date while others simply wanted to prerve the site as it is.

The meeting ended with a 'call to arms' to fight the proposal full-on. Future tactics were discussed as well as the funding of their campaign to cover hall hire, printing etc.

We don't yet know whether the latest planning application will be successful or not. But if it is, they will have had to overcome some serious opposition. Does this new 'anti-development' group speak for you?

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Comments

My point being is that the filter beds have been here since 1852, there are an important part of Surbiton, Surrey, and England's Industrial History. Putting housing and a restaurant on this site is pure farce. If you want a riverwalk, use the towpath, restaurants- there are loads in Surbiton.
I've lived here all my life, have you? You seem to be the sort of person that if lived near the pyramids for instance , would want them knocked down for some high rises!!!!!

By cfcmark100 at 19:27 on 27/12/11
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cfcmark said

Of course, if you do not like it, you could move away and with your attitude, would be a good thing SueBradx.

He could also move away !!

By BPOSTANCE at 17:56 on 27/12/11
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There is a lot of Hydro Staff writing positive comments on here.
There are plenty of restaurants in Surbiton, why have one in a Marina. The Portsmouth Road could not cope with extra traffic, its not even wide enough for cyclists. If you want to walk along the river, go down the Queen's Promenade, walk into Kingston, cross over to Hampton Court side and take a walk along the towpath. Then take a look at the Marina and see the crass commercialism of Coopers and the garish Holiday Inn next to the god awful Storage building.
The Filter Beds have been here for over 150 years and deserve to stay here for their historical and ecological importance. Of course, if you do not like it, you could move away and with your attitude, would be a good thing SueBradx.

By cfcmark100 at 00:08 on 27/12/11
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I have to agree with SueBradx. The Thames is 346km long — plenty of space to swim, sail, snorkel or whatever. The fact is the filter beds was never intended as a nature reserve — it was originally conceived as an industrial site designed to purify water. It has simply reverted back to nature because it has been left derelict for so long.

It's all very well saying the site shouldn't be touched, but I don't hear the objectors coming up with any viable alternatives other than leaving it the eyesore it is. I believe that with some compromise on the part of developers and residents alike, an imaginative, mixed-use scheme such as the one proposed could work out well.

By surbyman at 10:56 on 23/12/11
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I just don't accept the arguement that a few sailing boats mean that no progress can be made and the rest of Surbiton suffers. There is plenty of sopace on the river. Why should the many suffer for the few? I would love to walk around the marina and park, then dine in the riverside restaurant etc on a lovely sunny day. The extra boats and people would boost the local shops too. Too many moaners in Surbiton spoling it for the majority.

By SueBradx at 21:50 on 22/12/11
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