Mansions approved close to river conservation area

Plans for five mansions near a Surrey riverside have been approved after previously being quashed at appeal.

The large detached homes are in Potters Lane on the edge of the village Send, near Guildford.

Sitting around 130m (426ft) from the River Wey Navigation Conservation Area, the houses would be visible from the picturesque nature spot.

Send Parish Council opposed the plans, arguing the homes would "greatly harm the present rural outlook" from the path by the River Wey.

The scheme was initially approved in 2024 but later quashed at appeal by Send Parish Council on the grounds that it failed to protect scenic and landscape views, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The application was reconsidered after developers made changes including adding off-street parking and more spacious housing plots.

Guildford Borough Council pushed through the application, after seven councillors voted in favour, five against and three abstained.

Councillors agreed that the benefits of five large houses outweighed the potential harm to the conservation area.

Around 40 people objected to the scheme, arguing the development would be a "blot on the landscape" and "erode the openness" to the River Wey views.

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