Maybury and Sheerwater

This Page...

About Maybury and Sheerwater
Local Shopping Centres
Existing Residential Areas
New Housing at Maybury Allotments / Monument Hill School
Industrial and Office Development
Recreation and Open Space
Natural Environment and Landscape
Built Heritage and Conservation
Community Facilities
Major Roads
Public Transport, Walking and Cycling
Useful Contacts

This Local Plan summary for Maybury and Sheerwater is one of a series of guides covering Woking Borough. It aims to provide a general user friendly overview of how the Woking Borough Local Plan 1999 will manage future development in this area. The Local Plan sets out the Council's policies for the development and use of land and includes the key considerations for determining planning applications. The Council also produces a number of other key strategies which feature policies that are not covered by the Local Plan.

The Local Plan summaries contain a brief discussion of the development issues within each area and how policies will affect them. They also contain details of any specific proposals for the area, together with an extract of the Local Plan Proposals Map. As well as policies on specific development issues, the Local Plan also includes general policies on related matters such as design, landscaping, parking and the effects of traffic which apply to all developments. Although the summary provides an overview of the policies for Maybury and Sheerwater, reference should be made to the Local Plan for the full text of any policies. Relevant Local Plan policies for each issue are shown in brackets.

About Maybury and Sheerwater

Maybury and Sheerwater contains both residential and important commercial areas. Part of Woking town centre lies within Maybury and Sheerwater ward and information on this particular area can be found within the Woking town centre Local Plan Area Summary.

The Walton Road area contains a range of businesses as well as some of the Borough's oldest houses while the residential areas of Sheerwater and Maybury were mainly developed in the 1950s. The focus of the Local Plan for the area is to ensure the industrial and commercial areas continue to be a major source of jobs but do not harm the environment. In addition, any new housing development should be in keeping with the area.

The following includes a brief description of some of the main features of the Maybury and Sheerwater area together with more general information and the relevant Local Plan polices.

Local Shopping Centres

There are shops and businesses along Walton Road/Boundary Road and in Princess Road.

In 1999 Sheerwater village centre had 14 shops which generally serve the needs of the surrounding housing estate.

Within Sheerwater and Walton Road, Local Plan policies seek to:

  • provide improvements to the streetscene and access to the centre by foot and cycle in conjunction with any new developments, to add to the Council's own programme of improvements. These have included repaving, new signs and notice boards (VCN3, VCN4)
  • encourage small office, shop, leisure and community developments (EMP2, REC5, CUS1, VCN2)

Within Sheerwater, the Local Plan:

  • allows the change of use of shops to other uses appropriate to the area (financial services and restaurants/takeaways) which maintain the economic health of the centre, provided an adequate range of shops remain (SHP1, SHP3, SHP4, SHP8)

Within Walton Road and Princess Road, the Local Plan:

  • allows the change of use of shops to other uses appropriate to the area (financial services and restaurants/takeaways) where it has been clearly demonstrated that there is no demand for the shop in its current use (SHP1, SHP6)

Existing residential areas

Houses in the Sheerwater and Maybury area range from late Victorian and Edwardian terraced properties to large estates built during the 1950's and some more modern homes around Walton Road. Houses are mostly two and three storeys high and have provided a source of small and cheaper accommodation. Sheerwater was built by the former London County Council during the 1950's to accommodate people from bomb damaged London. The Maybury Estate was also built around this time.

Opportunities to build more housing within the built-up area are limited, but in some cases house builders may want to redevelop sites to provide additional houses. The Local Plan:

  • allows the construction of new housing in the urban area, provided the development reflects the character of the area (HSG18)
  • allows house extensions which reflect the form of the building and do not harm the character of the area (HSG23)

New housing at Maybury Allotments/Monument Hill School

In addition to the limited opportunity to build houses within the built-up area of Maybury and Sheerwater, the Council has identified part of the Maybury allotments and adjacent Monument Hill School playing fields for residential development. This could provide up to 30 homes and will contribute to the supply of new housing in the Borough. The Local Plan will:

  • allow residential development on part of Maybury allotments/Monument Hill School ensuring that such development is sensitively designed and includes a range of property types including affordable housing. In addition, replacement school playing fields and a children's play area are required (HSG2, HSG9, HSG10, HSG18, REC1) No planning application has yet been submitted on this site (October 2000).

Industrial and business development

The area contains the largest concentration of industrial areas in the Borough including the Genesis, Sheerwater and Woking Business Parks together with Monument Way Industrial Estate (East & West). Some older buildings on these industrial estates may need redevelopment to provide suitable accommodation for the needs of modern businesses. Businesses are also located along the mainly residential Walton Road and Maybury Road. Local Plan policies:

  • allow industrial or warehousing redevelopment at Monument Way Industrial Estate (East & West), the Woking Business Park, the Sheerwater Industrial Estate and the Genesis Business Park provided it does not harm the environment of the area (EMP4, EMP5)
  • allow the redevelopment of existing employment sites elsewhere in the area to provide suitable modern business accommodation. These should be broadly similar in scale to the existing buildings (EMP3)
  • will not permit the loss of any existing employment sites unless the business activity adversely affects local residents. In such cases a less harmful employment activity or housing will be permitted (EMP7)

Recreation and open space

The Basingstoke Canal and its towpath are used by local residents for recreation such as canoeing and bike riding. To improve the Canal as a leisure facility, the Council is proposing a slipway into the Canal together with a car park at Boundary Common. The Sheerwater Recreation Ground is also an important facility for the area. The Local Plan:

  • resists the loss of formal and informal recreational open space in the area (REC3, REC4)
  • seeks an improved slipway at Boundary Road and the provision of a car park, moorings and picnic area adjacent to the Canal at this point (REC15)

Natural environment and landscape

The Canal is a fully navigable waterway through the Borough and is also recognised as a nationally important wildlife area through its Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) designation. The Canal is also an important landscape feature which the Council will aim to protect from harmful development. There are a number of other local sites which also contribute to the character of the area and are designated as Urban Open Space. The Local Plan:

  • ensures that development does not harm the nature conservation value of the SSSI (NE1)
  • ensures that any development preserves the landscape value of the Basingstoke Canal as a Canal Corridor (NE6)
  • protects the important areas designated as Urban Open Space along the Basingstoke Canal, at Sheerwater Recreation Ground, Boundary Road Common, land off Lambourne Crescent and land off Woodlands Avenue because of their contribution to the character and appearance of the area (BE7)

Built heritage and conservation

The Basingstoke Canal flows through Maybury and Sheerwater and has been designated as a Conservation Area to protect its historic character. Although there are no statutorily Listed Buildings, there are some which have been locally Listed for their architectural or historic interest. The Local Plan seeks to:

  • ensure that any development preserves the historic character of the Basingstoke Canal Conservation Area (BE9)
  • ensure that development does not harm the character or setting of Locally Listed Buildings in the area (BE14)

Community facilities

Sheerwater and Maybury have a range of community facilities including a community centre, church and school. The Local Plan seeks to:

  • resist the loss of community facilities unless there is no longer a need for the facility or that adequate alternative provision is made (CUS2)
  • develop a new health/community centre at Sheerwater to replace the existing community centre (CUS5). This has been completed.

Major roads

No main 'A' class roads pass through Maybury and Sheerwater, however the areas close to the town centre have suffered from through-traffic. As well as being inconvenient for road users, this can damage the quality of the environment in the area. Traffic calming measures and a Controlled Parking Zone have been introduced to reduce traffic problems. The Local Plan:

  • reserves land for a new road to link Chertsey Road and Monument Road which will in part require an improvement to Boundary Road. Following the construction of the new road, additional traffic management measures can be introduced particularly in the Walton Road area to prevent through traffic. There is currently, no indication regarding when this road and associated traffic calming will be constructed (MV26)

Public Transport, Walking and Cycling

Local Plan policies aim to support initiatives which reduce the demands on the road network by ensuring that alternatives such as public transport, walking and cycling are safe, convenient and accessible. Public transport accessibility in the area is very good in the areas close to the town centre and less accessible further away from the centre. Local Plan policies:

  • support proposals which lead to improvements in pedestrian and/or cycle facilities (MV17, MV18)
  • support infrastructure developments and priority measures which lead to improvements in bus services together with increased links with other types of public transport (MV20, MV21)

Detailed proposals for maintenance and improvement of roads, cycle and pedestrian routes and public transport are not part of the Local Plan. These are set out in the Surrey Local Transport Plan (Woking Area Implementation Programme).

Useful Contacts

For any other information, please contact the Council on 01483 755855, email wokbc@woking.gov.uk.