On Tuesday, 8th April the new Rose and Young Task and Finish Group at Tandridge District Council presented its Report to the council's Planning Policy Committee. The comprehensive Report contains the Group's recommendations about how to bring about the redevelopment of the old Mercedes car showroom in Croydon Road, Caterham, that has been derelict for over 18 years. The Report had been put together after reviewing progress to date and meeting with other interested parties.

After discussing the content of the Report, the Committee voted unanimously to adopt its recommendations, which includes releasing up to £50,000 from the Economic Development Reserve. The money will be available to fund site investigations and provide details of a viable redevelopment scheme for the site. It will also be used for seeking advice from experts with regard to using Compulsory Purchase powers if the owner of the site refuses to engage in the redevelopment process. Another of the recommendations in the Report was that the council continues to support the CR3 Forum Neighbourhood Plan, including supporting the proposal for a Neighbourhood Development Order (‘NDO’) for the Rose and Young site.

Following the meeting, a spokesperson for the CR3 Forum said: "TDC have recognised the potential power of the Neighbourhood Plan for the CR3 area. By working in partnership with us, the long hoped-for project to see the site redeveloped is less risky financially and legally for the Council now than it was without us. This is a boost for the CR3 Forum, the Neighbourhood Plan and for Caterham as a whole".

Local resident, John Harvey, who has extensive experience of Compulsory Purchase Orders, was less convinced that an NDO would help to bring about redevelopment of the site, saying: “I regard the Task and Finish Group's enthusiasm for obtaining planning permission by an NDO as misplaced. This is a longwinded process that could be the long grass where future necessary decisions are kicked. It is also new and untried and its uncertainties could discourage a development partner.”

In response, the Chairman of the Rose and Young Task and Finish Group, Cllr. Jane Ingham, said: “It is the intention of the Rose and Young Task and Finish Group to explore different options to secure our goal with regards to the site. This is to establish an outline plan which will research partnership options in order to achieve an appropriate development of the site - the obtaining of an NDO is just one aspect of the work and will not preclude us from pursuing other options.”

Marc Hansen, one of the local businessmen who have been trying to help find a way to get the site redeveloped in recent years, was also present at the Planning Policy Committee meeting. After the meeting he said: “It was gratifying to witness the positive manner in which the proposed action was discussed at the meeting. Whilst some reservations were expressed by certain councillors, the overall view in the room was that progress must now be made towards reaching a satisfactory outcome to this long-standing blight on Caterham Valley.”

To view the full Report presented to the Planning Policy Committee by the Rose and Young Task and Finish Group visit http://bit.ly/1ngVp9G