CONTROVERSIAL MOSQUE PROPOSAL IN CAMBERLEY CONSERVATION AREA REJECTED APPLYING PPS5 POLICY

The Berkshire, Hampshire and Surrey Bengali Welfare Association appealed against Surrey Heath Borough Council's refusals of planning permission and conservation area consent for a proposed development of a new mosque and associated facilities and the demolition of a locally listed building in the Royal Military Academy/Staff College/A30 London Road Conservation Area on the edge of Camberley town centre. The Inspector appointed to determine the appeals, John L Gray DipArch MSc Registered Architect, dismissed both appeals for a number of reasons, including the following (shortly stated);

• First, the existing locally listed buildings (being Victorian school buildings) made a positive contribution to the character and appearance of the conservation area. The status of the buildings and their contribution meant that the proposal fell to be determined having regard to Policy HE9.4 of PPS5 as well as local plan policy.
• Secondly, the proposed development would not adequately reflect the characteristics of the conservation area (which would be lost through demolition of the existing buildings) and cause harm to its character and appearance as well as to the countryside protected by local plan policy.
• Thirdly, the need for the proposal or the benefits that might flow from it did not outweigh the harm, especially since a scheme to alter and extend the existing main building was approved in 2003 and there was no good reason why a variant of that scheme should not provide satisfactorily for the needs of the congregation.   

Craig Howell Williams QC acted for Surrey Heath Borough Council