Green Belt Protest in Epsom

Following the above article we have had a reply from Cllr Steven McCormick, Chair of the Licensing & Planning Policy Committee:

“We continue to hear our residents’ concerns on the progression of the Local Plan, and I want to reiterate that no decisions have been made on site selection for the Local Plan at this stage. We continue to follow the government’s framework for developing a Local Plan, and are working on the evidence base that’s needed to be able to get to the point of a proposal for the next iteration of the Local Plan, Regulation 19. All brownfield sites that have been put forward through our call for sites process are still being considered.

In preparing a Local Plan we must take into account and tackle the competing and conflicting demands; for example, the Local Plan needs to protect our attractive and valued environment whilst also supporting our local economy and our communities by providing a plan for additional development in our borough.

Once the evidence base is developed and complete, a recommendation will come to the Licensing and Planning Policy Committee (LPPC) on a proposed Regulation 19 Local Plan, including sites. This is expected to be in November 2024. LPPC will then make a recommendation to Full Council who will then decide how it wishes to proceed with the Local Plan. It is only at this stage that a Full Council decision on the Local Plan will be made, and if it is agreed, it will go forward to another public consultation for a six-week period.”