The land opposite this chamber, including the library, Amersham pools, the playing fields and car parks is less than 9 acres. The NSE wants to build a housing estate on green belt two and half times as big - to house 850 people, increase the population of Chalfont Common by 21%, and introduce over 400 cars.

The Planning Officer has done a good job of highlighting the stress the development would put on the infrastructure and services, whilst quite rightly raising safety issues. He has also captured the multitude of valid community and planning concerns put forward by hundreds of residents in opposition to the application.
THE SCHEME IS SIMPLY UNSUSTAINABLE.

The area would suffer severe loss of character and amenity for the local community and the NSE residents.

We all recognise the good works of the NSE in treatment and care for people with epilepsy and the need for its residents to live in decent accommodation. However, the planning committee should not be distracted by emotive arguments of medical need. This is a planning application which should be assessed on planning issues.

The applicant cites "very special circumstances", necessitating the sale of green belt land. However, these 'special circumstances' seem to be nothing more than the need for money for whole-scale redevelopment of this site. Green belt land should not be asset stripped in this way to prop up this "unique integrated health and social care centre of National importance". Surely significant National government funding should be found instead! After all, if as the NSE say, they would be forced to close if this application is not successful - the government, through the NHS, would then have to find the necessary funding for the treatment of epilepsy and care of the residents.

The stated need to raise £32M is totally unsubstantiated. The actual need is to provide accommodation which fulfils the requirements of the National Care Standards. This has been seized upon by the NSE management as an opportunity for whole scale redevelopment of its site paid for by the residents of the area, including the NSE residents, who would suffer the effects that the high density housing estate would bring.

Why then has the NSE stuck to this one shot deal?
Large sums of money which could have been spent directly on refurbishing and rebuilding their existing accommodation within existing boundaries will have been spent on surveyors and consultants fees, and more may be spent on legal fees trying to bulldoze through this scheme.
Why do this if their true intention is simply to comply with the Care Standards legislation?

Mr Chairman, we believe that the NSE are using this application as a means to unlock their green belt land asset value and if they are successful we fear that this would only be the start of continued erosion of the green belt and Colne Valley Park land on this site. We therefore ask that you reject these proposals outright, and recommend that the Council vigorously oppose the duplicate application which the NSE has already appealed to the Planning Inspectorate.