Shopping centre development would destroy village, say residents

Developers say the Hersham Green Shopping Centre design is high quality

Surrey residents fear plans to turn part of a shopping centre into 200 homes would "destroy the village forever".

The development would see a six-storey building erected at Hersham Green Shopping Centre, independent units demolished and the loss of 97 parking spaces.

Resident James Woodburn said the proposal lodged by Quadrant Repurpose with Elmbridge Borough Council was "utterly appalling".

But developers say the scheme is "high quality" and "sensitive in scale".

Mr Woodburn, who is part of the Save Hersham Village campaign, said: "It is completely against the grain of the surrounding area."

He said residents were "angry" with the size of the building, which would house 109 senior living apartments.

But he said the real concern is the loss of nearly 100 parking spaces, which would "destroy" the local businesses, schools and GP surgery that relied on them.

Developers plan to demolish Walton Bathrooms, Focus Dry Cleaning, Moore by Design, Aura Fey and Hersham Pharmacy to make space for parking.

Mr Woodburn said: "The remaining businesses and all the users of the car park for whatever purposes will have nowhere to go.

"It's a major issue that's just not being addressed."

The developers said residents' views helped shape the plans

A spokesperson for developers Quadrant Repurpose said transport modelling over 12 months "demonstrates this is sufficient parking to meet current and future needs".

Quadrant Repurpose said the multimillion-pound plans will "revitalise the shopping centre and build new homes".

The spokesperson said local residents' views have "helped shape the plans" which are now "50% smaller".

The developer added, “By introducing other uses to the site, such as housing, we can secure the long term future of Hersham's centre.”

Campaigners have launched a petition in a bid to ‘save Hersham car park’, which has received nearly 2,100 signatures so far, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

In their design statement, developers say the scheme "offers high quality design that is sensitive in scale and appearance to the local character”.

The existing shopping centre and Waitrose food store would be retained and refurbished alongside 10 retail units, according to the statement.

But Mr Woodburn warned "the whole character and feel of the village will be completely destroyed forever" by the development.

A decision for the proposal is set for 18 June, with comments welcomed until 26 April.