Cobham

With reference to my previous comment (before anyone spots my mistakes): The new services at Beaconsfiled are on the M40, not the M4! The closest services on the M4 are, I think, at Reading. It still makes the point that the western M25 is poorly served by service areas.

Once built, I can't see the access loop having any noticable impact over that already caused by the M25. However it could be shielded by embankments built with the spoil which Elmbridge Council will not allow to be dumped locally (thus increasing disruption during construction).

As for location, Clacket Lane is 20 miles or so to the east and those joining the M25 from the south via the A3 are served by services at Ripley (about 5 miles away). Travellers from the south west, via the M3, have services at Fleet (about 25 miles away) and, via the M4, new services at Beconsfield. However, as pointed out by others, any traveller coming from the north via the west M25 is poorly served unless further services are built in the vicinity of Heathrow.

Personally I think it should be another 10 miles further clockwise. This would put it exactly between Clackets & South Mimms, which are currently over 60 miles apart.
I make this comment as a regular driver of the "road to hell" and not for any other NIMBY or enviromental reason

If there is a need for a service area on the M25 then it should not be built on green belt land. There is a huge amount of land consumed by the M4/M25 junction. Why can this not be used? Granted, it would be more costly to build here, but other countries, notably Germany, are able to build multiple level motorway sservice areas with multiple access roads and so this approach could be used. Yes it would cost more, but only if the value of green belt land is given no more value than its cost. It is much more valuable than this.

For anyone who thinks only NIMBYs are responding consider this:
This will be used as an overnight stop by international truck drivers - come and have a look at Leatherhead junction or at Clackett Lane services at night or early morning to see what I mean - it will be crowded with trucks as these areas are. On hot summer days many drivers keep their engines running to use air conditioning, on cold winter days to use their heating. The noise is appalling for anyone living close, and many people do live close by this proposed service station. It's function is to be a convenience (both literally and figuatively) primarily for continental truck drivers. Local people do not seem to realise the noise problems they will have.

I would much rather that British truck drivers are given a level competitive playing field by charging these drivers to use our roads, as is the case in many other countries, including Germany. If we are to have road pricing start with foreign truckers - they damage our roads but pay not a penny to their upkeep - they arrive with full double fuel tanks so do not buy fuel in this country. We desperately need jobs in this country, why not get our own truckers back on the road? At the same time this will reduce service areas overnight crowding, noise and litter issues - not to mention the appalling road safety record of foreign drivers on our roads.

So if anyone agrees with any of this - write to your MP and OBJECT to this appalling development.

If it goes ahead we need an action group to obstruct construction - any tree huggers available?

I don't know the area very well, but "impossible" sounds a little exaggerated to me, unless the plans involve a never-ending stream of lorries?

The Highways Agency say services should be 12-28 miles apart, nearer 28 than than 12, but with more frequent services on busier roads. I suspect most people would say that's reasonable, some would say we need more services than that. 20 miles between Cobham and Clacket Lane fits perfectly with what the Highways Agency want, especially considering that the nearest services on the M23 are further away than that.

No it wouldn't. For a start, the a service station near the M3/M25 junction would miss anyone heading from Portsmouth/Petersfield/Guildford to the East of England.

I'll give you everything else you've said, that all comes down to opinion. Some people would argue, for instance, that the serious need for a service area here overrules any local objections, although the lack of an inquiry for a scheme this controversial does seem a little odd. At the end of the day, there isn't a single place you can build a service station without upsetting residents or scarring the landscape, so it's about picking the best of a bad bunch, and clearly the developers think that this is the place!

(I should add that this is all just my opinion and I'm not representing anyone else)

I have just heard of this scheme.

Elmbridge District Council is planning to approve a M25 Service station near Cobham WITHOUT a PUBLIC INQUIRY

The waste from the site is to be deposited on green belt at Chasemore Farm just north of Great Bookham Common. It plans to do so by making Bookham Road a two way carriage way from Downside to the site. The vehicles will be 28 tonne earthmovers with 36 lorry movements per hour for 90 weeks i.e 2 years.

It will make going under the M25 bridge impossible and the dust & noise pollution to those using Great Bookham Common horrendous for 4-5 years !

Great Bookham Common is an area of Special Scientific interest used by walkers, runners, cyclists, horse riders and by local schools for education trips.People use this route to go under the M25 to the Cricketers pub at Downside and to the Tilt.

Clackett Lane Service station is only 20 miles from the proposed Service Station site which was put forward by the previous government.

If you do not agree with this proposal please object and demand a public inquiry.

Object by e mail* to Surrey County Council and demand a Public Inquiry to:-
The Chairman of the Planning and Regulatory Committee, Surrey County Council, c/o samantha.murphy@surreycc.gov.uk


I wish to register my objection to the above proposals in two respects:-

1) That there has not been a public inquiry in relation to the building of the service station when the nearest service station is only 20 miles away. A service station would be better located towards the M3/ M25 junction. No inquiry is un -democratic.

2) The disposal of the waste at Chasemore Farm and the conversion of Bookham Road into an earth moving carriageway will have a severe detrimental affect to this area of green belt and to Great Bookham Common and all those who use the area for recreational and educational purposes. Local schools use the Common for environmental and scientific course work and so what example is being set by this proposal ?

The Common is a special area for nature and to imagine the noise and detrimental effect on it is too much to imagine. People use Bookham Rd to access Downside and the Tilt and this proposal will remove this area of green belt and the pollution of dust, noise and scarring of the countryside for so many years is not justified.

Having driven from Reading to Brighton via M25, the first stop for petrol, rest etc is Pease Pottage at the end of the M23. A break at Cobham would have been very welcome as "Tiredness Kills" warnings are fine, but not if there isn't anywhere to stop. If there are refreshment areas near other turn offs, then they should be signposted. Reading the clamour on the Net from the NIMBY's living near the site, I get the feel this will never be built.

I recall that the evidence from official statistics showed a much lower rate of accidents due to fatigue on the western sector than predicted by coba. The only "clear and compelling" thing is the damage done to the adjacent settlement of downside by the access loop. The lack of urgency and progress underlines the lack of a safety case. Let us hope that this scheme falls foul of cuts and general recession.

This appeared on the HA News pages today: http://www.highways.gov.uk/news/whatsnew/26511.aspx. Basically the construction works for the access roads are due to start this summer and finish in 2012. So I guess the precludes and opening until 2012 at the earliest

Driving past what I imagine to be the site today, I saw what looked like a lorry, mini digger, a small section of builders' fencing and a couple of blokes standing by them. I don't know if they were related to this or just to do with the farm. The other day I called in at New Barn Farm and there seemed to be no activity at all. There has definitely been no start on the slip roads. I would have thought those would have needed to be constructed first. The lanes down from Cobham are very narrow and would not take builders' vehicles. I had to pull off the road to let another car through.