If you follow the link below you will see a document showing a plan for a Cafe on the Newlands Corner site. NEWLANDS CORNER CAFE PLAN
You can see that this will not be where the current café is positioned but in the front of the parking area, therefore, spreading onto the grass area in front. When visitors arrive they will be faced with a view of a coach park and the back of the cafe instead of the wonderful views of the countryside! There are also plans to add 5 trails throughout the area one of which is a play trail.
Surrey County Council based their approval on a Cabinet meeting of 27th December 2015. You can read a report of the meeting by following the link below. There is no mention of the ancient yew trees, protection of wildlife and plants, effect on road safety, the effect on local car parks/parking areas or the adverse effect on the health of those people who cannot afford the new parking charges.
SCC REPORT – INVESTMENT IN IMPROVEMENTS TO THE VISITOR FACILITIES AT NEWLANDS CORNER.
February 14, 2016 at 11:39 am
This is a unique natural space and wonderful view which should not be compromised in the pursuit of commercialisation. It is there to be discovered and treated respectfully just as it is by those who do. I spent lots of happy times there with my young child, including when becoming a single parent on a le income. Taking picnics or getting good rustic food from the cafe was fine. Great hot dogs..People don’t need patronising with plans for too many facilities, nor does nature need over interpreting: just protecting.
Any cafe or facilities should keep to the side of the car park which it is on, so as to protect the gentle approach and great reveal of the view.
I left the whole area and have never had access to this sort of landscape since. Surrey, “You won’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone…”
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