The Proposals

The Proposals

The Site

Abbey House is located to the South of Weybridge and East of Brooklands memorial.

The site is on a 0.5-hectare piece of land which includes an office building and a car park, accessed via a ramped access road on Wellington Way.

The building and car park are surrounded by lush green areas, with a strong tree belt around the north of the site that will be sustained and enhanced for people to enjoy.

Abbey House has approval to convert the existing building to residential units. This latest scheme that we are consulting on is for demolition and construction of a new building which the team have been discussing with the planning officers and will submit a planning application to Elmbridge Borough Council in due course.

Sorbon Estates believes there is an opportunity to mark the entrance to the Brooklands Conservation Area with a new building of higher quality, significantly improving on the conversion of an office building into flats and importantly ensuring more much needed homes are provided.

We provide more information on our approach below.

Meeting Local Housing Need

The borough has a clear need for housing. The proposals outlined would deliver 106 new high-quality homes, a substantial proportion of the Council’s annual housing supply, making a significant contribution to the area.

The development would provide 1 and 2 bed apartments, delivering the identified need for smaller homes in the borough.

Landscape and Environment

We have carefully considered the local setting and the proposals aim to integrate with the unique character and location.

A strong belt of trees, along with a number of smaller deciduous trees, will be retained and enhanced, giving new residents doorstep access to nature and effective screening from the surrounding roads.

We fully recognise the importance of the landscape and environment and have undertaken an extensive Landscape Visual Impact Assessment, to identify the effects of new development on views. The assessment confirms that long views will be protected.

Design

The homes are proposed in three separate buildings, in a similar ‘V’ shape to the current office development, with the tallest building reaching 7 storeys, and the lowest at 3 storeys.

Our aim is to build a high quality development with minimal impact on the local environment, providing new homes and a long-term legacy.

We have proposed a contemporary, sustainable style of architecture.

We would welcome your thoughts on our initial proposals.

Proposed Site Layout
Computer Generated Image
Illustrative Elevations

Heritage

We believe this is a unique opportunity to celebrate the history of Brooklands through design, drawing inspiration from the site’s heritage as a former aviation factory and motor racing circuit.
The current building provides no meaningful contribution to the Brooklands Conservation Area.

The architecture will reference different structures and designs that represent Brooklands heritage, for example industrial hangars and sheds and the structural framework of these early aircrafts (pictured below). We will also study the existing architectural styles in the area, including modern office buildings, Victorian villas and 90’s style housing.

Former Control Tower—present day
Former Control Tower

Transport and Connectivity

The new development will retain the current access roads to the existing site, ensuring integration with the existing area.

The site has the benefit of three surrounding stations (Weybridge, Byfleet & New Haw, and West Byfleet) and several bus routes, creating a desirable place to live for those who commute.

Car parking will be provided in a basement, one car parking space will be provided for each flat, in line with Council requirements.