Plans for new affordable homes in Surrey village

The scheme includes different styles of homes, including flats, maisonettes and semi-detached houses

Plans to demolish 10 existing properties and replace them with 26 new affordable homes in Surrey have gone out for public consultation.

The scheme at Springfield in Elstead includes different styles of homes, including flats, maisonettes and semi-detached houses.

Waverley Borough Council (WBC) said the new homes had been designed sympathetically to complement the style of the village, with off-street parking provided to "reduce pressure on the roads".

Councillor Janet Crowe said the development would provide "much-needed affordable housing" for people who would otherwise "struggle to find a place of their own".

'Creative plan'

Solar panels would produce renewable energy to power the new homes, including electric vehicle charging points, energy efficient LED lighting and air source heat pumps, said a council spokesperson.

The council said it had worked closely with Surrey County Council, the lead flood authority, and consultants to ensure the scheme not only has no impact on existing surface water drainage, but it "actually reduces flood risk in this part of Elstead".

Local residents who have commented on the council's planning portal were broadly in favour of the scheme, with one calling it a "creative plan to build more homes in the space".

However, there was a concern about whether the GP practices could cope with more people moving to the area.

The council also hopes to make improvements to the Quillets green space nearby to create a "more informal leisure space" by adding paths, an orchard, boarders and grassed areas.

The council said a formal planning application would be submitted later this summer.

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