Thames Basin Heaths
Within Elmbridge, Chatley Heath and part of the Ockham and Wisley Commons Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) has been identified as an internationally important habitat for 3 rare species of ground nesting birds. This habitat is known as the Thames Basin Heath Special Protection Area (SPA).
Core Strategy Policy CS13: Thames Basin Heath’s SPA sets out a local framework to ensure that the SPA is protected from the implications of additional residential development and mitigation is secured.
If you are submitting a planning application for Cobham, Weybridge or Hersham please review the Development Contributions SPD to understand whether there are requirements relating to the Thames Basin Heath.
Use My Neighbourhood to check if your property is within the SPA zone.
A legal agreement is required for provision of both affordable housing and SAMM and a unilateral undertaking template is available. Email tplan@elmbridge.gov.uk to request a copy of the template.
Charge
From 1 April each year the Strategic Access Monitoring and Management (SAMM) charge is updated in line with the advice of Natural England.
The table below replaces that set out in the Developer Contributions SPD (Table 1: Elmbridge SAMM Tariff, page 15).
| Dwelling size | Average occupancy | Tariff per dwelling |
|---|---|---|
| 1 bed | 1.31 | £758.27 |
| 2 beds | 1.76 | £1,018.74 |
| 3 beds | 2.51 | £1,452.87 |
| 4 beds | 2.86 | £1,655.46 |
| 5+ beds | 3.73 | £2,159.04 |
For more information see the letter from Natural England requiring this update: