Dominic Raab responded to Linda Stotesbury’s letter about Sandown Park (see earlier post Write to Raab – about Sandown) as follows:

Dear Linda,

Thank you for your recent email regarding the decision by The Jockey Club (TJC) to appeal Elmbridge Borough Council’s decision to reject its application to redevelop Sandown Park Racecourse. As you are aware, this appeal has now been called in by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick.

Following the decision by TJC to submit its appeal, I wrote to both the Secretary of State and Simon Ridley, the Chief Inspector of the Planning Inspectorate. I asked that they uphold the original decision taken by Elmbridge Borough Council in rejecting TJC’s application. It is important in cases such as this that the local democratic process is respected. I have enclosed a copy of my letters to the Secretary of State and he Planning Inspectorate for ease of reference. I hope this provides you with some clarity and reassurance as to my position.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me on this important issue.

Yours sincerely,

Dominic

Linda’s subsequent reply to Dominic Raab is as follows:

Dear Mr Raab

Thank you for your reply and copies of your letters to the planning inspectorate and Secretary of State.  It is good to know that you support Elmbridge Council’s decision in this matter, however, we would like you to raise our specific questions with Mr Jenrick before he makes his decision on the appeal.  It is extremely important that he understands both the full facts of the case and the strongly held opinion of local residents, and we would like his replies to our questions.  

I appreciate that at the current time both his and your attention may be elsewhere, but in fact refusing a scheme such as this, which is against government planning policy and favours a private business over the needs of a community, is of critical importance. 

The negative impact of this scheme will be felt in Esher for years to come and unlike Covid, which will hopefully pass, once the Greenbelt is lost, it is lost for ever.

I look forward to receiving Mr Jenrick’s replies as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely,

Linda Stotesbury