BROOKLANDS SOCIETY DEVELOPMENT APPEAL - LATEST NEWS - 1330 hours, Saturday 9th June 2001. 1330, 9th June. From an article in today's Times and with our acknowledgements: "Insurers are poised to pass on their flood losses to householders after the past year's bad weather. Premiums are likely to rise by 5% to 10% this year - but not all policyholders will feel the same amount of pain. The bigger insurers (like Prudential Assurance for example - Ed.) are more likely to have been hit by flood claims so it is customers of these companies who will pay more. Comment: Ironic isn't it that the Prudential should have put themselves into this position? What does it say about the way they manage their strategy? Nothing, you might reply - if they just raise the price to the customers all the time it makes no difference to them other than their turnover increases year by year. However 30% of a lot is more than 30% of a bit less than a lot - so net profit increases in real terms. And you Dear Reader, because you buy insurance, are going to pay it whoever you insure with! Bulletin due - re Guildford Government Office for the South East - response from Nick Rainsford the Minister for Planning at the DETR - watch this space. 7th June - STOP PRESS - Lib Dems take Guildford in General Election. Now we all know that Guildford floods when Brooklands floods. The new MP for Guildford, with 42.55% of the vote is Sue Doughty age 53 who has taken the seat from the Tories. Sue, who is married with two children, is a former manager of Thames Water with her specific interests being listed as pensions and water. If you live in Guildford and you are concerned about your town flooding when Brooklands is overdeveloped - contact your new MP without delay. And while we are on the subject - the re-elected MP for Surrey Heath is Nicholas Hawkins age 44 who was elected to this seat in 1997. He is a barrister who was previously MP for Blackpool South from 1992 - 1997. If you live in the Weybridge, Byfleet, Addlestone or Chertsey areas and you are concerned about flooding and local congestion call him. 5th June - the application is with the Government Office for the South East at Guildford.  - who have to decide whether to refer it to John Prescott. We are now waiting to hear if Nick Rainsford, the Minister for Planning has decided to call it in. If you want to register your concerns to Guildford their details are: This data has been deleted although the page remains as a matter of record.   I have personally been in touch with Mrs Lockie by e-mail who has assured me that our "views will be taken into account".  2400, 23rd May: In the last few hours we have been able to ascertain that the area upon which Prudential Assurance intend to build five office blocks has been officially designated as flood plain by the Environment Agency. To see the map click here. You can see if the area you live in is affected by following the appropriate arrows. 1300, 23rd May: At a committee meeting last Monday night Michael Phillips very kindly explained to us that Helical Bar have agreed to various concessions which the Museum have accepted. We are however very concerned about the flood plain issue. The museum feel that they can not stop the development. We are concerned that the development will exacerbate Brooklands' flooding problem simply because the nature of a flood plain is that it exists to store water to protect the surrounding areas during times of flooding. If its ability to do this is restricted by building works not only will the surrounding areas be threatened but so also will areas upstream and downstream. As we understand it last November 7th sluice gates were opened on the River Wey to avoid flooding upstream. Brooklands did what a flood plain is supposed to do and took the lot. Last year's rains were heavier than normal. If we are to believe the experts about global warming they will be worse in the future and there will be millions of gallons more water next time. Brooklands 8th November 2000 - damage cost £1.5 million. Photo copyright Brooklands Museum Trust Ltd. If Brooklands' capacity to act as a sink is restricted, those both upstream and downstream could be affected worse next time. That means Guildford, which has flooded in the past, as well as Chertsey. So if you live upstream or downstream you have a right to be concerned. Personally if someone told me that a development five miles away might mean that I would have to get used to my house being flooded in future I would go ballistic. It affects property prices, public health, household income, children's education etc. etc. This is not Bangladesh is it? If the new Prudential buildings are expected to flood it means that the companies that occupy them will also have their business activities restricted periodically. Frankly, none of this seems to make any sense. The wake up call was when we were told that the Brooklands Museum is being intentionally refurbished in ways which will limit future flood damage which is regarded as inevitable. Almost all of Brooklands is designated as flood plain by the Environment Agency. You can see the official map by clicking here and by following the arrows you can see the affected upstream and downstream areas. We have pointed out to Elmbridge Borough Council by e-mail that there are clearly massive risks involved through possible future litigation arising from consequent flood damage and we are now looking in to this issue in greater depth. (Pardon the pun) We would prefer not to have to publish the words: "We told you so" on this web site some time in the future. Elmbridge Borough Council could be in a difficult position if John Prescott does not call this in. If you are resident or have a business in  Chertsey, Guildford, anywhere on the River Wey or any of the surrounding areas which might be affected you need to start asking questions. Millmead car park, Guildford, after the River Wey burst its banks on 7th November 2000 photographed from Debenhams. Photograph courtesy www.guildfordnews.co.uk You can see more pictures of Guildford in flood by clicking here.  No doubt various communities local to the river will be aware of any history of flooding or localised threats. As there is a General Election coming up you might consider asking your local Labour, Lib Dem  and Tory candidates if they are aware of this and what they and John Prescott's people intend to do about it. Feel free to refer them to this web site for information. As of 1300 on 19th May 2001 The Brooklands Society has not withdrawn its formal objections, previously submitted in writing to Elmbridge Borough Council, to the proposed Prudential Assurance office blocks and multi-storey car park developments. For details of the developments click here. Neither Elmbridge Borough Council, Prudential Assurance nor Helical Bar has contacted the Brooklands Society although we have made the PR person christine.o'grady@prudential.co.uk   at Prudential aware that this web site exists and is campaigning to preserve Brooklands and its unique heritage. In response to over a thousand people who have now voiced their objections and continue to do so on a daily basis this web site will continue to publish bulletins and respond to your comments. If you have something to say on the matter please email us. We are particularly interested in hearing from local residents and people who work in the area. If you are overseas you can help by continuing to e-mail using our form letter. Time constraints militate against us publishing all of your objections and of course many have been sent straight to Elmbridge. We have however published about 8 pages of them and you can see them by clicking on the MORE symbols as you go through the pages: 9th May - quote from Brooklands Museum: "On 24th April the developers submitted revised plans for Brooklands Heights which we intend to accept. They are a significant improvement on the original proposals. May we thank you for your support in raising the profile of this matter, which has enabled the Museum to insist on its concerns being met." J. Michael Phillips Museum Director 2nd April - I am now back in the office after a week's absence on the ski slopes. It has taken me three hours to sort through all of your e-mails and I will be adding an extra page of selected comments and copies of letters sent to Elmbridge this evening. Various newspapers and magazines have planned articles in the next week. If you want to keep an eye out for these they include The Evening Standard (London), Classic Car Weekly (Haymarket, National) and The Automobile (monthly magazine). No doubt there will be others which I have not caught up with yet. Keep those e-mails going to Elmbridge - we have made our point and we have got the attention of Elmbridge Council but if you have something to say please do so.  Brooklands' heritage and ambience belongs to all of us. Five office blocks and a multi-storey car park don't exactly enhance the Brooklands ambience.  Track refurbishment and landscaping plus family heritage, educational and entertainment and hotel facilities would be far more in keeping with the needs of Surrey's residents and the 115,000 people who visit Brooklands every year from all over the world.  I am not talking Disneyland here but a lot of things could be done that would generate revenue and would be far better than office blocks. They could even run a rail track into the site for special visitor trains from London. Think of the environmental advantages of that for the local residents - and the jobs it could bring. At the Elmbridge Borough Council West Area Planning Sub Committee  meeting held on Wednesday 21st March 2001 the committee voted 8 to 2 to allow the Prudential Assurance application, subject to examining our objections.  For those who would like to know more about Elmbridge's policies the Elmbridge Borough Council web site is at  www.elmbridge.gov.uk It was recorded that 714 letters and e-mails objecting to the development had been received leading up to the meeting. The response was described as "colossal" . Thursday 22nd March - councillors recommended that this application be forwarded to the Secretary of State, John Prescott. Come hell or high water we are going to stick with this and win it, so our thanks to everyone who has sent an e-mail. Public opinion matters. Once again our thanks to everyone who is helping to preserve Brooklands - you all know who you are - but particularly Nick Froome and Dennis David - and all those stroppy local residents who know what the score is. Rob T

The response to the proposed Prudential development has been fantastic. We have received several hundred e-mails opposing further development and Elmbridge Borough Council will have received many messages registering opposition from around the world.

COMMENT - apparently Helical Bar have engaged consultants to ensure that building in the Brooklands River Wey flood plain will be carried out without any risk of flooding. Rumours that the consultancy, the King-Canute Partnership, acted as advisors on the Mona and Ada dams are yet to be confirmed.

(subtle one that: - the Brooklands Clubhouse was of course Barnes Wallis's office during the war and he designed the bouncing bombs here)

During last year's appalling floods there was continuous television coverage, followed by a programme only last Thursday about the sheer folly of building in flood plains. BUT THEY ARE GOING TO DO IT ANYWAY! Folly - or just a cynical determination to make money regardless of common sense?

COMMENT - from a newspaper reporter who 'phoned us last Thursday - "You don't need to be concerned, the people acting as flood plain consultants are specialist professionals." Our question is this - Isn't it always the specialist professionals who build in flood plains? I personally haven't built any houses or office blocks lately - have you?

BOLIDE - Nick Froome has dedicated a page on his excellent web site from which you can send your message of objection straight from their site. You can access this page via their news section. or www.bolide.co.uk

CONFIDENTIAL INSIDE COMMENT - a comment from a Gallaher employee working on site at Brooklands - The new Prudential office development will apparently bring up to another 3,000 jobs to Brooklands. "I can't even get my car through the traffic each morning to get into work at Brooklands now. There are regularly major jams. What is it going to be like with another 3,000 people trying to get in to Brooklands every morning and out again each night? I think you can guess the answer. Local traffic will be horrendous for miles around. Brooklands Road is already dangerous and accidents are not unknown.

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MORE INSIDE COMMENT - CLICK HERE

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Many thanks Thanks for the e-mail regarding the current planning application. We have sent the e-mail and will also send a longer letter to the planning department - Sara and Bill Billett

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I complied.  Sure hope it can be saved.  Isn't "progress" wonderful?  Al Moss, USA. - presumably no relation to our President, Sir Stirling Moss.

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I am not familiar with this situation.  I expect to learn more about it when I visit in July.  I'll look for an opportunity to respond  more directly at that time.                                     Scott Couchman, Journalist, Irvine, California.

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From Dennis David - of the excellent Grand Prix History
http://www.ddavid.com/formula1 web site:

Take a look at http://www.atlasf1.com/bb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17303

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Members of the Maserati Club of Australia, Inc. are frequent visitors to Brooklands and other historic racing sites in the UK.  At a time when interest in the history of motor sport and historic racing is growing internationally at an unprecedented rate, it would be sad indeed if the oldest such site was diminished by the proposed development.  Quite apart from the historical perspective, we would have thought that support for the refurbishment and restoration of Brooklands would have a considerable positive long term economic impact, not only to the benefit of the Brooklands site but to adjoining areas as well.

Yours sincerely,

Jim Reark
President
Maserati Club of Australia

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> I am a Californian with an interest in British cars and history.  I own
> a 1954 MG which I bought new and a 1937 Alvis.  My wife and I have
> toured England several times and Brooklands is on the agenda for our
> next visit.  I have always admired the English for their dedication to preservation, which is not the case here, and often commented on the contrast between England and the USA.
>
> Don't prove I'm wrong.
>
> Bob Schindler
> Rancho Murieta, CA 95683

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Most certainly! How awful!

Hazel Burgess

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Rob,  sent a nicely worded letter via email to Mrs. Thwaites.  I hit on the
historical significance of the site for all fans of auto racing worldwide and
likened the fight to save it to our fighting over here to save Civil War
battlefield sites right here in my state of Virginia.  We have lost thousands
of prime acres of very historic land all for the sake of another housing
complex or shopping mall.  Once lost and bulldozed, you can't fix it later or
restore it to its former glory.  I intend to visit Brooklands, Goodwood, etc.
in the not too distant future and hope the site stays as intact as possible.
Regards, Wm Brown, Bedford, VA, USA

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Is it possible to consider it a "Heritage" site, and then push preservation with joint development: I suggest underpasses, allowing development inside the infield, and walls on that side to prevent accidents spilling inside, but bleachers outside for viewing races..novel? Larry B Bramlett, USA.

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My father raced cars on that track the first years it opened and I hate to see the area go to ruin by heartless developers. Brooklands should be on the National Registry and protected from these heartless developers.
Sincerely,
Norman T. Jolley, NC 28607 USA

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Thanks for bringing it to my attention.  Good luck with the "crusade".  Please keep me posted.   Clive Crowe.

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On my site:-
http://freespace.virgin.net/john.lovelock4/ASSOCWEB.htm
and posted to team.net. Barry.

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Who's the MP for the area? Atlas forum posting

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The MP is Phillip Hammond
Contact tel no: 01932 851239

Contactable at:
House of Commons
Westminster
London SW1.
or through the local Conservative headquarters at:
74a Church Street
Weybridge
Surrey KT13 8DL
Tel: 01932 843314
Fax: 01932 854246
Email: ESHERTORY@aol.com - please note - this doesn't work - Ed

From Roger Clark, via Atlas.

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Oh for crying out loud - not again.

I am sick of developers constantly targeting Brooklands, the oldest racing heritage site on the entire planet.

I think I will not be alone in saying that if this goes ahead, then I, my family, my friends, my associates and my company will never, ever do business with the Prudential Assurance company again under any circumstances.

Doesn't it strike you as ironic, incidentally, that an insurance company would endeavour to build on a site which has only this winter been immersed in a damaging flood.....

Criceto - Atlas Forum

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Let's set a target of at least 100 protests from TNF. If some members miss this thread we can send them personal E-mails. For once TNF can help to change the course of history, rather than just discussing it. I have sent the E-mail address to two non-members who will certainly respond. Together, we can use the power of the Internet to stop this vandalism.

Tony Kaye.

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Done, from Hawaii. - what we know is so much smaller .......
....... than what we don't know 

Hans Etzrodt

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From Barcelona,

it's done.

Jarama

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Sure..
Done (from Russia)

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I wish I had known this yesterday, I would have had my sister add her name while she was there. I will let her know when I speak with her later this morning. I think this post will tip me over into the "member" category, I find that appropriate.

Ursula Atkins

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Done  - Marc Ceulemans - Bruxelles - Belgium

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A form letter from Indiana isn't gonna carry a lot of weight.

Yes, I am fully aware of the historic significance of Brooklands, but for better or ill, economic viability is the only persuasive argument to The Powers That Be (whomsoever they may be at the time).

It breaks my heart to think of Brooklands as a shopping mall or residential subdivision site, but someone has to pay the bills. It seems as if some people want taxpayers to subsidize their nostalgia...so, pony up, make a business case, buy 'em out; just quit "whinging", OK?

Well, I probably gored some oxen here...back to the Paddock Club for a libation.


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While you're at the boozer, UD, think about the tourist potential of the place. This is the angle I focused on in my email.

There must be others, however, and those more familiar with the present surroundings would be better equipped to explain those and how they are presently viable and threatened by development. - Ray Bell.

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COMMENT - In the past the Brooklands Society has come up with a number of proposals for economic development and preservation of the old track and the entire Brooklands site. We were ignored - but that was in the days before we had the ability to make ourselves heard. This time we are not going away.

As the man from Indiana so rightly says though, the bottom line is money and there is no way we can raise the sort of money Prudential have under management and available for investment and speculation. This is a £250 million development! - so someone has to take a stand. The developers only want to wreck Brooklands because it is there as an opportunity to make vast profit. Take that opportunity away and we can move on to sensible proposals.

It is in the hands of Elmbridge and the UK government. We need a decision once and for all to stop non relevant development - problem over - then move on and start preserving, rebuilding and provide a leisure and conference site which thousands of families with children and businesses in the south of England have a screaming need for.

Sure - it could be tough on the speculators, but they are tough people, tough on Brooklands anyway - but they knew this was a hot potato before they laid money out. They obviously thought building on Brooklands wouldn't be a problem and they would get their way. On the other hand they could go along with it and actually profit from this world class heritage site.

Given the mindset they are just as capable of coming up with sensible ideas as we are.

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Cheers everyone! I live just a fifteen minute drive from the circuit, I'm a member of the Museum too. I can't believe that these people are going to try & build a HUGE office complex right next to the clubhouse. Why can't they just let it alone? I guess it's just prime real estate! Well, it's not going to happen, not this time! - Gary C.

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In my email I mentioned the article in MotorSport and the renewed interest it would generate in the site and the Museum. I agree that we should be willing to support the Museum financially but each time I return to England more and more historically valuable sites have been demolished to make room for rather ugly commercial buildings. Just because some locations are not stately homes, castles, or other "quaint" tourist attractions does not mean they are not significant and worthy of preservation. Has anyone thought of notify the Prince's Trust and see if someone there would be willing to champion this case in view of its patrons dislike of destruction of historically significant sites to build "modern" buildings. Perhaps I am way off base there but it is a thought.

By the way, this area is already an industrial site (quoting from the article) with "the Gallaher's tobacco company HQ (among others) sitting at the east end of the Member's bridge banking which was demolished for this purpose. However, Gallaher's leased the most crucial 30 acres to the Museum Trust, allowing the long-projected museum to become a reality. Then Gallahers blotted their copybook by removing the concrete from the only non-listed section of the Members Banking. Hiss here."

This is a really interesting article, I didn't realise that AC Cars (home of the Cobra) lies near the beginning of the Byfleet Banking. "There is also a new road that slices through the track to feed customers into a supermarket (Tesco) this is where the Byfleet Bridge once led in to the Flying Village." Some of the damage was done during WWII when Vickers-Armstrong took a swathe out to allow take-off clearance for the Wellingtons it made there." The test hill is still there but the Fork has been obliterated by car parks.

This is a brief sample of what is in the article, I have paraphrased for brevity. If anyone lives further away from the UK than I do (here in Alaska) and hasn't yet received their March issue, I would be happy to scan and post, or email photos.

Ursula

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Done - from Croatia....

BTW, couldn't someone start the initiative to claim the track as a 'monument of the culture' (or something like that, I'm not sure it's the correct term in English)? This can be done since buildings and even institutions have obtained that status, at least here. In that case the track would get legal protection from such devastations in the future.

IMHO, it wouldn't be hard to argue the historical and cultural aspects of the tracks history. I think it's worth a shot...

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Roger Wilco, from the USA.

History must be kept tangible, just ask Alain De Cadenet!!!

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Done from University of Liege, Belgium

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Done, from Swedish Hydrographic Department.

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Done - I sent a letter, as I am an Elmbridge resident and voter. Mind you, Elmbridge BC are such a complete shower of s**t that I have little confidence that they will see sense.

Brooklands is a very vulnerable site, falling in a high value housing area. It already has a lot of commercial development on it, originating from WW2 when the aircraft factory was built. Because of this, it was sealed off from the public gaze and all sorts of things were allowed. Since the supermarket was built (yes Uncle Davy, it already has a shopping mall) we have at least had access to the site and now people are more aware of it, which is a good thing.

But the final answer might be what Wolf suggested - get it made a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Anyone know how that is done?

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Done from Canada.

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From Norway too.

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Tube one fired electrically, wires cut and running!

from the good boat HMAS Australia.

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INSIDE INFORMATION - FINAL COMMENT - Right now the Prudential are engaged in a major charm offensive on the City of London. Why? Because their Chairman Jonathan Bloomer needs to convince everyone that his merger with American General is a winner. Their merger announcement last Monday saw Prudential's share price nosedive to 778p.

The City's concern is that Prudential will not be able to increase its market share in the fragmented American marketplace. Not without good reason - remember that disaster with Crocker Bank a few years ago?

British takeovers and mergers with American companies are notoriously difficult not least because of the cultural management clashes that have to be overcome. And there is another factor - Americans like to do business with Americans - particularly in the Financial Services sector. 

Have you ever heard that awful term 'pensions mis-selling' used in the USA? Are American investors scared of investing because they don't know what the fees are going to be? Fact is, there are a lot more silver haired people whose pensions actually paid out wandering around golf courses in the USA than you see here in the U.K. Americans understand other Americans in what is, in many respects, an insular and conservative marketplace.

The bottom line is that the Prudential probably has to get bigger to hack it in the marketplace - but it also needs to get the business done the fastest way possible and at the lowest cost.

Brooklands probably isn't the best place to start speculating right now given the widespread opposition there is to this latest insensitive and contemptuous move to defile the oldest and most culturally valuable historic motor racing and aviation site on the planet.

Given the nature of their present challenges, maybe the Prudential would be wiser to get into more straightforward developments than this particular hot potato.                                                             Gary Mathews - Epsom

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If you are an investor or a banker we would be interested in hearing your comments.

One thing is for sure - we have been hell bent on preserving Brooklands since 1967 so we are not going to quit now - or ever stop complaining if our beloved Brooklands is spoilt again by heavy handed insensitive development.

OUR THANKS TO ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

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To register your objection by sending an e-mail - click here.