New council homes approved on former sea cadet site

The plans in Caterham have been approved

New council homes have been approved at a former Surrey sea cadet site.

A planning application to demolish the existing buildings and replace them with 16 houses, each with a back garden, was approved by Tandridge District Council.

The planned development at The Grove and Hawarden Road in Caterham, which currently includes a former barracks, will have 35 car parking spaces.

Plans were green-lit on Thursday, with proposals for more social housing supported, but both councillors and residents were frustrated with the design.

Marilyn Payne MBE argued at the meeting that plans were "akin to inner city development rather than on the edge of the green belt".

She said the homes were too cramped together in the plot, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The small, north-facing gardens would not be big enough for children to play in and would not get any sunshine, she added.

Councillor Jeremy Pursehouse said there were 44 families living in B&Bs on the council's urgent need list.

He said they wouldn't "care about the size of the back garden, they want to be out of there".

The council bought the land from the Ministry of Defence in 2023.

Planning documents said the proposed new builds would look "contemporary and minimal" to reflect the residential area and the previous army barracks.

All the homes will be kept by the council and rented to families on its housing list.

The development includes 10 three-bedroom homes, five two-bedroom houses, and a wheelchair accessible one-bedroom home.