New plan to increase homes at old sports club site

AN application to redevelop the former Astra Sports Club in Byfleet’s Kings Head Lane was agreed by councillors in April — but the applicant has applied to increase the number of houses in the development to five.

Godolphin Leisure and Care Homes of Distinction applied jointly for permission to build a residential care home for the elderly and four houses on the seven-acre site and permission was granted. They have now applied for a variation to provide a fifth house and a spokesman for Woking Borough Council said a decision was likely to be made at a committee meeting next month. The two-storey care home will have 40 bedrooms with 10 parking spaces. As part of the site is on the green belt “very special circumstances” had to exist before permission could be granted. Accompanying the plans, the applicants provided supporting information from two reports that predicted a boom in the growth of the population of elderly people in Surrey in the years to come. The area is home to a playing field and disused private members’ club. The applicants will hand around two thirds of the site to the council as publicly accessible playing fields. There will be 25 parking spaces for users of the recreational land and for parents dropping off and picking up from Byfleet Primary School. There will also be a £200,000 contribution to the council towards the reinstatement of the playing fields.