Torrington Lodge Car Park
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| O X S H O T T | ||||||||
May 2025
| C㉕037 | 22-MAY-25 | To add to June agenda discussion of Claygate Vision and TLCP future | Clerk | There was no June meeting. It was due to be discussed privately by cllrs at the July meeting. |
February 2025
February 2025
| Torrington [Lodge Car Park] Consultations |
| Dawn Crewe (DC) confirmed that from the four car parks that were being considered for possible development opportunities, only Torrington [Lodge] was proceeding at this time. She also said that a decision would need to be made this year, otherwise this would be on hold until the Unitary councils come into effect. |
| (extract from EBC-CPC liaison meeting, 3rd February 2025, item 5) |
December 2024
| To discuss a scenario for the consultation on Torrington Lodge Car Park (TLCP) which has been suggested. |
| Cllr Holt spoke with the owners of the chemist on The Parade while discussing the bench. He is interested in acquiring larger premises. He asked about the EBC consultation re TLCP. He made a suggestion that a chemist could be incorporated into a health hub somewhat like that at Cobham Day Centre. The doctors' surgery was also keen on this idea, he said, and had asked if he would be interested in representing the parties. This would not involve moving the surgery but operating daycare services from this site. This is something to consider in 2025 during the EBC consultation on TLCP but would need backing from the Integrated Care Board. |
| (extract from Parish Council meeting, 5th December 2024, item 23) |
October 2024
| To receive an update from Claygate The Way Forward (CTWF) on the meeting held on 25th September. |
| Cllr Bray noted that the main point of this meeting was that Dawn Crewe had undertaken to launch a piece of work—to be distinct and separate from the current “New Vision for Claygate” work—to develop and promote a number of options for the future of Torrington Lodge Car Park. |
| (extract from Parish Council meeting, 10th October 2024, item 10) |
So, what is the way forward with Torrington Lodge Car Park?
EBC and CPC agreed that a positive way forward would be to look at a set of mixed-use options for the car park and do the financial and qualitative assessment to explore what could realistically be delivered. This would then be shared with the community and views sought on the options which might work. This is similar to the work which is currently being carried out for Elm Grove in Walton. Senior officers at EBC are committed to working with Claygate residents and CPC to bring it to a positive conclusion.
We look forward to working with EBC and consulting widely with the Claygate community on this topic and will continue to report back to residents as the work on this and other projects and initiatives progress.
March 2024
The challenge of the Marks and Spencer proposal has dominated: a village meeting was organised by Claygate Parish Council, and Elmbridge Borough Council was encouraged to work more closely with both the Parish Council and Claygate Village Association (CVA) to define a way forward and vision for Claygate. The Parish Council fielded hundreds of emails, consulted with Elmbridge, and challenged all parties concerned. The CVA played a significant role and used its considerable people resources to produce an excellent website and galvanise the help of a large number of residents.
The Parish Council, the CVA, and residents, working together, secured a consultation which kicks off in the spring, with a CVA survey, announced in this newsletter (Pages 1 and 2), informing that discussion. Parish Councillors are collaborating with stakeholders to ensure that it has a positive outcome for Claygate.
CAR PARK SHOCK SPARKS CO-OPERATION
The proposal for a supermarket on the site of the Torrington Lodge car park has been the most contentious planning issue in our village for a very long time. Claygate Parish Council began monitoring events in November 2022, although at that time Elmbridge Borough Council said it would reveal only the barest outline until commercial confidentially allowed.
Real information only came to light last summer and it quickly became clear that many residents were not happy. The Parish Council held a public meeting on July 21, at which the extent of unhappiness became clear: the Council responded to more than 500 letters of objection and also heavily lobbied Elmbridge Borough Council, asking several times for proper consultation. At the same time, a “Claygate Can Do Better” campaign was created.
In the face of this opposition, Elmbridge said at its Cabinet meeting on September 27 that it had decided to withdraw from negotiations with Kilo Properties Ltd and Marks and Spencer plc. It further undertook to engage in a broad consultation with Claygate residents. Since then, “Claygate Can Do Better” has become “Claygate: The Way Forward” and has also been engaging with Elmbridge. Claygate Parish Council undertook at its meeting last November to work with Claygate: The Way Forward. Both organisations are waiting for the Borough Council to bring forward the details of its proposed consultation.
See also
Historical Notes
Claygate had several farms in centuries past. There was Beazley Farm by Littleworth Common which ceased milk production in the 1950s in favour of horses; Slough Farm had a dairy herd of Red Poll Cattle and later pigs but later had horses; Manor Farm had a dairy herd of prize-winning jersey cows but later had horses; Elm Farm had dairy cows and chickens and sold delicious cream, but later had a plant nursery business and horse-feed shop; Barwell Court had a big herd of Friesian milking cows and grew cereals, but later kept horses; Horringdon Farm had one of the last big dairy herds of Red Poll cattle and grew cereals and potatoes, but but later horses and grazes young cattle for Loseberry Farm; Loseberry Farm no longer keeps a dairy herd; it later kept a house cow and young stock for the dairy herd at Stoke D'Abernon.
Knightley Farm
Knightley Farm was located behind Torrington Lodge, Hare Lane, and extended over the area which today includes the car park, the western part of Derwent Close, and northwards parallel with Hare Lane to Torrington Close.
The farm had piggeries and two cow sheds. The acreage was rather small — not much more than six acres — enough for pig-rearing but hardly sufficient for cows; the latter were probably grazed elsewhere. R] Adams is recorded as being the tenant farmer in 1915, paying a yearly rent of £25. In 1920 it was sold by Edwin Napper for £1,100 to Charles Boitel-Gill, the then owner of Torrington Lodge.
Sources
- Peebles, Malcolm (1983). The Claygate Book. (Millennium edition). Stockbridge: by BAS Printers Ltd. ISBN 0-9508978-0-9.
- Many thanks also for the photos, many supplied by Terry Gale, from the Claygate Local History Facebook group.
- Claygate Life — 2004 issue 4
