Letter from High Street residents Stuart and Caroline James to residents13 September 2007

Dear Thames Ditton Resident

Laurel Cottage
20 High Street
Thames Ditton
Surrey
KT7 0RY

13 September 2007

You may be aware of the current development in the High Street. What you may not be aware of is that the buildings as they stand do not reflect the approved plans. (See attached)

1) All windows and doors should be timber framed.
2) The doors to the shop facing the High Street should be on ground level, currently you would need a big step to get into the premises.
3) The brick work above the first floor window should be fanned out.
4) There should be stone coving on the ground floor and a cast-iron porch.
5) The houses at the back should also have timber frames.

The Residents association and the Conservation Area Advisory Committee are taking action with the planning officers. However the developer could apply for planning permission retrospectively for the buildings to remain as is. This in our view would be a disgrace; the village centre must be protected from ugly developments otherwise precedents will set. The more people who contact the council the more chance we have to be heard.

We believe we should all make a stand to protect and enhance the Village Centre. Indeed the original plans for the buildings were perfectly acceptable however the buildings as they stand are not. We believe that the developer must be made to construct the buildings as they agreed they would. If you concur it would be very helpful if you could contact Martin Parker, Head of Planning at Elmbridge quoting the planning number 2001/1133.

If you have any questions then please don't hesitate to contact us.

Thank you and kind regards

Stuart and Caroline James