The demolition of 18th century Moore Place is a step closer after plans to build a new hotel for Esher’s "gateway" got the go-ahead on Tuesday night after a chaotic planning meeting.

Moore Place holdings wants to build a 50-bedroom hotel with 78 car parking spaces and a bar and restaurant on green belt land next to Moore Place along the Portsmouth Road.

The developers will knock down boarded up Moore Place, recently known as Esteem, which has been painted purple and described as an "eyesore", and build the new hotel further back.

The decision will now have to be referred to the Government Office for the South East (GOSE), as it contravenes Elmbridge Council development plan, which does not allow for building on greenbelt land.

The committee received nine letters of objection including ones from Esher Residents' Association and Esher Conservation Area Advisory Committee. But it also heard there were 23 letters of support including letters from Clive Place Residents' Association.

Although the application was turned down at a sub-planning committee last month, Esher ward councillor David Archer promoted it to be heard at Tuesday's full planning committee in an attempt to finally push the controversial plans forward.

The Conservative councillor, who was narrowly defeated for a Surrey County Council seat in Thursday's elections, said the new hotel would be more attractive than the existing building and would "open up" the surrounding greenbelt area.

He said: "[The existing building] makes the gateway look like a car lot.

"English Heritage has said the building was not of special interest and does not meet their criteria - it is not worthy of listing by English Heritage.

"The urban design consultant said the new building adds quality to the edge of Esher.

"Are they all wrong? I think they are right. The footprint of the hotel is the same as the existing building."

Fellow Esher councillor and Conservative Deborah Oliver said she had opposed previous plans for the site, but would be supporting the current application.

She said: "This is a sympathetic application and will bring huge benefits to Esher."

However, councillors opposed to plans said the developers had not produced the "very special circumstances" needed to allow for building on greenbelt land.

Coun Karen Randolph, from the Thames Ditton and Weston Green Residents' Association, said: "As I understand it, there should be very special circumstances to build on greenbelt and in this case there isn’t.

"It has been suggested it will open up the greenbelt [but] I suggest the building will be more visible.

"I think we’re treading on dangerous ground if we agree to build on greenbelt land - it is going to be difficult to refuse similar applications that want to build further into the greenbelt."

Before the councillors on the committee could debate the proposals, a ten-minute interval was called by the chairman, councillor Barry Cheyne, to allow three other councillors to discuss with the council’s solicitor whether they should leave the meeting for prejudicial reasons.

This was after leader of the Conservative run council, Roy Taylor, said councillors Karen Randolph, Tannia Shipley and Ruth Lyon, who are all members of the Thames Ditton and Weston Green Residents' Association, should leave the room since their organisation had sent a late letter to the council outlining its objection to the proposals.

When the committee was resumed, the three councillors declared an interest but refused to leave the meeting.

Coun Shipley said despite consulting the solicitor during the interim, she was still unsure as to where she stood legally.

She said: "I am not going to leave the room, as I feel I should be able to speak on this matter."

The application was eventually granted permission, with 12 councillors voting for the application and 10 voting against it.

The application to demolish the 18th century building succeeded where several previous applications failed.

A 2006 plan included 20 flats in addition to the luxury hotel but the council’s decision to throw them out was upheld on appeal.

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