The future of the garden centre, which opened in 1969, was in the balance amid plans for nearly 150 homes on the land
Hill Park Roses Garden Centre in Long Ditton first opened in 1969, but throughout the last year its future has been in the balance (Image: Google)
Plans for 150 homes in a Surrey village not far from Kingston have been rejected, securing the future of a family-run garden centre which would have been demolished.
This week, Elmbridge Borough Council (EBC) planning officers chose to reject plans for nearly 150 homes in Long Ditton.
The plans had proven significantly unpopular in the village’s community, with over 750 comments of objection being submitted on the planning application during the consultation stage.
The EBC planning committee voted to reject the plans on Wednesday (March 25), which would have seen the family-run Hill Park Roses Garden Centre demolished.
Speaking to SurreyLive following the news, the garden centre’s owner, Maureen said: “Its amazing. I feel fantastic for the local people. Its great that our nursery will remain as everyone loves us being here.
The Hill Park Roses Garden Centre on Woodstock Lane North, Long Ditton(Image: Google)
Maureen, who owns and runs the garden centre alongside her husband Mike, continued explaining that they’d been there for well-over 50 years and were considering “giving it up” in the next few years depending on the application’s decision.
When asked if she thinks the land is now protected from future proposals, Maureen, who also goes by Mo, said: “We are used to it here, we are (located) in a very good position, so we can’t knock it (the plans) at all.
“I am sure they will get permission eventually but at the moment they (EBC) have said no. Its a skinny lane (Woodstock Lane north), its a nightmare for traffic, so how they would have made an entrance for the home, I don’t know.
“For me, I am very happy obviously, but for the local people its great.”
Maureen explained that she was pleased plans had been rejected for the sake of her garden centre, but chose to focus on how the development would have impacted the Long Ditton community and its green spaces.
Developers Taylor Wimpey’s plans for up to 144 homes, play areas and a pumping station on the land west of Woodstock Lane were first submitted to EBC back in May 2025.
In the months after, the application received 752 comments of objection, and just 11 in support.
Many residents expressed concern that such a development would take away from Long Ditton’s newly declared village green at One Tree Hill, with the proposed site barely a stones throw away(Image: Google)
Comments flooded the planning portal in the days leading up to the council’s decision, with one reading: “I walk my dog in this beautiful area most days. This space is green belt land and should not qualify for residential development.
“The development would destroy a precious, established wildlife and woodland habitat. Vehicle congestion and pollution would increase intolerably.
“The surrounding road infrastructure is not designed to support the additional population and would become more dangerous and jammed as a result of the increased traffic.
“I feel strongly that this application should be refused in order to preserve the community, overstretched infrastructure and the wildlife and habitat of the natural ‘green belt’ area.”
The Long Ditton Residents’ Association also commented, submitting two 50-page long documents detailing its objection and the impacts such a development would have on the area.
In the EBC planning debate leading up to its decision, Cllr Alex Batchelor raised concerns with the definition of ‘grey belt’ land and urban sprawl.
He said: “The reality is there is a substantial planning application for Hook Park (Chessington), and if this planning application and that planning application are put together (approved) essentially we are merging Long Ditton with Hook.
“The reality is, I don’t doubt that we need lots of houses, but I’m not sure this is a suitable site for that development.”
Elmbridge councillors were divided on whether to approved or reject the 144-home plans, eventually voting eight in favour of rejecting, and six in favour of approving(Image: Grahame Larter)
Cllr Laurence Wells disagreed, suggesting that on a visit to the site in Long Ditton and a newly protected village green, he was not impressed with the amount of rubbish.
“Its not my idea of a bucolic village green with cricket being played on a Sunday. And I think that Taylor Wimpey’s proposals will actually create an improvement to the site.”
Cllr Nick Dodds hit back at Cllr Wells and other’s sentiment in the meeting, saying: “Its the ‘othering’ of people who are desperately in need of housing which I’ve heard in this chamber this evening which I think is absolutely shameful.
“We desperately do need to do something to meet the housing requirements. Not to meet targets, its not about box-ticking.
“We do it because we believe in the community and we do it because we want to enable people that are born here and have got families here (to ensure) they can stay here. And so they don’t leave where their friends and where their family are.”
The councillors in attendance at the meeting voted eight in favour of refusing Taylor Wimpey’s application and six in favour of approving the plans.
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