For most of us, the rules of planning are to be respected (even when we don’t always agree with them). Deliberately breaching a planning permission, with the risk of enforcement action, isn’t something to be done lightly.
So Tormead’s calculations must have concluded that breaching the permission is worth the potential enforcement consequences, because the school is reported to be using the new development regularly throughout the week, despite having been warned of its obligations by the planning team.
At least six planning conditions have still to be approved, and they include important ones like a proper Travel Plan.
We understand that the Enforcement Officer will be reviewing this repeated use of the site the week after next.
Meanwhile the most controversial aspect of the Urnfield development is now under consideration by Guildford planners: the floodlights. 
Tormead has to get approved a “Sensitive Lighting Management Plan” before the floodlights can be used. It’s a critical condition of the permission set out by the Inspector in her decision and was included in order to mitigate the harm of the floodlights to this part of the Surrey Hills, and particularly the impact of artificial light on wildlife. Tormead’s own ecologists logged “high levels of bat activity” throughout the woodland.
The Inspector was unequivocal in her decision letter: she said that the floodlights should result in no more than 1 lux light spill at the edge of the woodland facing the hockey pitch, in line with the recommendation made by Surrey Wildlife Trust.
1 lux isn’t much light. Here is how it is defined: the amount of light shining on an area of 1m square from a single candle 1 meter away. 
And Tormead has made a public commitment (in letters and emails) that it will meet this requirement of no more than 1 lux light spill at the woodland edge. Bear in mind the woodland edge is a vertical feature on a perpendicular plane to the playing surface of the hockey pitch. So the light spill needs calculating in that vertical plane, top to bottom, along its whole length.
The lighting information supplied thus far shows light spill across the ground surface of hockey pitch playing surface, but there are no contour maps or calculations to show the varying impacts on the woodland that lies all along the edge of the artificial surface.
MDRG has several serious concerns about the plan submitted by Tormead to discharge this crucial condition. And we have a number of suggestions for improvement which should ensure the development is built and used in accordance with the Inspector’s decision. You can see our submission here: Sensitive Lighting Management Plan MDRG response 5 Feb 2025
