Residents raise thousands to contest Redhill towers appeal

GROUP ACCUSES SOLUM OF 'TRYING TO OVERTURN LEGITIMATE DECISION'

- By JOSEPH BICKLE

AN appeal to fight the Redhill tower blocks planning application has raised thousands of pounds.

Residents have formed the Redhill Residents Action Group (RRAG) with the sole purpose of fighting Solum, the developers behind the redevelopment at Redhill Railway Station.

Its application for 255 homes in blocks up to 15 storeys high was rejected by Reigate and Banstead Borough Council in October but, as reported earlier this month, Solum has now appealed to the Planning Inspectorate to overturn that decision.

Jan Sharman, a spokesperson for RRAG, said: "Solum is trying to overturn a legitimate, well-founded decision made by the democratically-elected local council.

"A decision which was made rooted in very clear planning rules and reflected what residents wanted. They are ignoring democracy, they think they can bamboozle their way through with money."

The proposed scheme would see the station and car park revdeve-loped. One of the apartment blocks would range from 10 to 15 storeys, and the other from seven to 14 storeys. The proposals do not include any allocated affordable housing.