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# Elmbridge Cabinet to consider sale of contaminated Claygate playing fields and launch of new local plan
- URL: https://elmbridgerecord.co.uk/elmbridge-cabinet-to-consider-sale-of-contaminated-claygate-playing-fields-and-launch-of-new-local-plan/
- Published: 2026-09-11T09:53:41.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-11T09:53:41.000Z
- Author: The Record
- Tags: Minutes

- Cabinet is due to approve the freehold sale of the 2.43-hectare Oaken Lane playing fields in Claygate, contaminated since 2018 when around 32,696 cubic metres of soil — more than double the permitted volume — were illegally deposited on the site.
- The council accepted a lease surrender from the original Elmbridge Eagles Rugby League Trustees in June 2026; the site has been unusable for sport since 2018 and remediation costs are estimated at up to £1.7 million.
- The council will not fund remediation itself and intends to sell the freehold to a leisure operator who will take on the soil clearance obligation; a decision is sought before the East Surrey unitary authority takes over on 1 April 2027.
- Cabinet is also asked to approve commencement of the new Elmbridge Local Plan 2039 under 2026 regulations requiring a formal Notice of Intention to Commence by 31 December 2026, with the plan to be produced within 30 months.
- A £2.2 million contract for three Splashpad facilities — at Hersham, Cobham and Molesey Hurst — is expected to be awarded on 6 October 2026, with works beginning in January 2027.

Elmbridge Borough Council's Cabinet is due to consider selling a 2.43-hectare site in Oaken Lane, Claygate, that has been rendered unfit for sport after more than double the permitted volume of soil was illegally deposited on it, when it meets on Wednesday 16 September 2026.

The Oaken Lane playing fields were formerly leased to the Trustees of Elmbridge Eagles Rugby League club, which has been unable to use the site for playing purposes since 2018\. Under a 2016 planning permission, the Trustees were authorised to import up to 15,348 cubic metres of recovered soil to upgrade two rugby pitches. However, approximately 32,696 cubic metres were deposited — around 113 per cent more than permitted — by contractor New Era Recycling Limited. The Environment Agency subsequently confirmed there is no valid permit for the deposits, which are considered to be effectively on site illegally.

The council accepted a surrender of the lease from the original Trustees with effect from the end of June 2026, following forfeiture proceedings initiated in November 2025\. A separate letter before action against SAS Waste Limited regarding the unauthorised deposits has been abandoned after that company entered liquidation.

Cabinet is recommended to delegate authority to the Strategic Director to market the freehold site for leisure and recreational uses, and to accept the most advantageous bid in consultation with the Leader, Portfolio Holder, Monitoring Officer and Chief Finance Officer. The council will not fund remediation itself; instead, any successful bidder will be required to finance the clearance of excess soil as part of their scheme. Officers have appointed a commercial agent to value and market the site, and several unsolicited approaches have already been received.

An informal information evening for interested parties is planned for 14 October 2026, and an Informal Member Steering Group — including a representative from Active Surrey — is to be convened in December to evaluate shortlisted bids. Officers aim to reach a disposal decision by January 2027, ahead of the vesting of the new East Surrey unitary authority on 1 April 2027.

Remediation cost estimates range from approximately £850,000 to £1.7 million. The report describes the upper figure as a material financial risk to the council should the Environment Agency enforce against it as landowner, and identifies transfer of that risk to a buyer as a primary driver of the disposal strategy. Project costs incurred to date — covering commercial, legal and environmental advice — total £59,120, funded from the existing Asset Management and Property Services budget.

The site sits within the Green Belt and partly within Flood Zones 1 and 2\. Officers advise that it does not meet the definition of Grey Belt under the current National Planning Policy Framework 2026, given its strong contribution to preventing the merging of settlements between Esher, Claygate and Greater London. Leisure or playing field uses may qualify as exceptions to inappropriate Green Belt development, though any scheme would be assessed on its impact on openness. Padel courts have been identified as a possible use but officers caution that noise, lighting, visual impact and residential amenity would be material planning considerations.

The council's bidding guidelines require prospective purchasers to address consideration offered, deliverability of the deal, and economic, social and environmental well-being benefits. If the sale price exceeds £100,000, approval will also be required from the East Surrey Shadow Executive under a Section 24 direction.

Officers note that Elmbridge Eagles Rugby League — described as strategically important as one of the few rugby league clubs in the south-east, running teams from under-sevens through to adult disability and girls' sides — will be supported in participating in the bidding process, but a requirement for rugby league to continue on the site will not be imposed, as this would restrict the range of bids received.

Also on the Cabinet agenda is the formal commencement of a new Elmbridge Local Plan 2039\. Under the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026, which took effect on 25 March 2026, all local planning authorities must publish a Notice of Intention to Commence a new local plan by 31 December 2026\. The new plan must be produced within a 30-month timetable, running from October 2026 to August 2029\. Cabinet is asked to approve publication of the timetable, replacing the current Local Development Scheme, and to delegate various decisions on scoping, consultation documents and Gateway assessments to officers and the Portfolio Holder for Planning.

Cabinet will also be asked to delegate authority to award contracts for three Splashpad projects — at Hersham Recreation Ground, Leg O'Mutton Field in Cobham, and Molesey Hurst Recreation Ground — within an approved budget of £2.2 million, with contract award anticipated on 6 October 2026 and works expected to begin in January 2027\. The quarter one performance monitoring report and revenue and capital budget update for 2026/27 are also on the agenda, along with the award and extension of existing contracts requiring Section 24 approval from the East Surrey Shadow Executive.