Elmbridge Council refused an outline planning application for the former Moore Place Golf Course on Portsmouth Road, Esher, Surrey.
The proposal sought permission for up to 206 residential dwellings, with 50 per cent affordable housing, plus new and altered access from Portsmouth Road and associated infrastructure, including earthworks, drainage, landscaping, play spaces, parking, servicing, and other supporting works.
The site, a former golf course vacant since 2019, lies in the Green Belt on the edge of Esher and includes grassland, woodland and ecological features. It is also close to heritage assets, including Esher Conservation Area and Moore Place Lodge.
The application was presented to the Planning Committee as a Grey Belt case, and the officer recommended granting permission, subject to referral to the Secretary of State. During the meeting, officers also proposed a condition limiting the development to no more than 206 homes. The updates reported four additional representations and an amended plan.
Members, however, voted to refuse the scheme. They concluded that the development would not qualify for the Grey Belt exception because the site strongly contributed to Purpose D of the Green Belt. They also found that the proposal would fail to preserve the setting of Esher historic town and would cause substantial harm to heritage assets, with the benefits not outweighing that harm. As a result, the development was judged to be inappropriate in the Green Belt and not justified by very special circumstances.
Refusal was also based on the absence of a completed legal agreement. The committee considered that this meant the scheme could not secure affordable housing, open green space, biodiversity net gain monitoring costs, SAMM mitigation for Thames Basin Heaths SPA, or necessary transport-related contributions and monitoring fees. These failures were said to conflict with local and national policy, including Green Belt, heritage, affordable housing, biodiversity and transport requirements.
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