Mental health services approved for town site

Plans that would see mental health services being run from an office building in a residential area of a Surrey town have been approved despite concerns over "unacceptable" noise.

Oakleaf Enterprise, a mental health charity based in Guildford, offers "services designed to meet community needs and help people manage their mental health".

After its former home became dilapidated, the charity moved to Turret House on Jenner Road which has been used as its office.

Members of Guildford Borough Council's planning committee voted overwhelmingly in favour of the application to allow for "broader and more flexible usage including counselling services".

Some neighbours had objected to the application over fears there would be disturbance from people in "emotional or mental distress", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

More than 30 objections were sent to the council, opposing the plans on the grounds of noise, privacy, traffic concerns and incompatibility with the residential character of the area.

Operating hours were the main concern for residents, of which most were reportedly families and elderly residents in a "calm part of town".

Planning documents read: "On an average evening two or three clients would attend with very few staying until 11pm."

Clive Stone, chief executive of Oakleaf, said: "Since Covid we've seen a sharp rise in people needing our help.

"These people are just like you and me, individuals who simply need just a little extra support to maintain an otherwise normal life, while coping with challenges such as anxiety, loneliness and lack of confidence."

Officers and councillors agreed the public benefits of improved mental health services "outweighed" partial loss of office space.

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