We have agreed a Preferred Strategy to help guide our approach when we are developing the Local Plan. It outlines the areas which will be considered for development and the approach to infrastructure, economic development and the natural environment.
It does not set out in detail where new development will take place, but it gives guiding principles by which decisions will be taken in consultation with residents.
Having a Local Plan which delivers much needed homes and infrastructure through a new garden village and limited development of our urban and semi-rural areas, means we can provide much needed homes for people and the services to go with them. The Green Belt boundary will only be amended in locations where the Green Belt purposes are not served and it is evident there would be community benefit and where exceptional circumstances are demonstrated.
What happens now?
Detailed assessment of sites, gathering more evidence and liaison with infrastructure providers will be carried out to determine how the final Local Plan will look and what can be delivered.
Further assessment of all the sites submitted to the Council by landowners up to and including 30 December 2016 will take place. This will include assessing the following as possible locations for a garden village:
- Blindley Heath
- South Godstone
- Land west of Edenbridge (east of Lingfield)
- Redhill Aerodrome
Decisions will be reached only after rigorous consideration and testing of these sites.
When will further consultation take place?
The views of the community are important and have already contributed to the chosen Preferred Strategy. The Council has carried out two stages of consultation in accordance with Regulation 18 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Plan) (England) Regulations (2012) and further public consultation will take place to help inform what the Local Plan should include.
We are hoping to have a pre-submission version of the Local Plan for the Planning Inspectorate and for independent examination at the end of 2017. If we need to carry out extra consultation and research ahead of pre-submission we will do this, subject to the agreement of the Planning Policy Committee.
We can only formally take comments into account when these are made during an active consultation period. The next consultation period is scheduled to take place later this year. Find out how we consult and how to keep up to date.
Strategy paper
Item 9 Appendix A Strategy Paper
Council challenges developers on Garden Villages locations
The Council has held meetings with the developers of the potential garden village locations to challenge them on their proposals. The key issues discussed for each location are set out below.
Duty to co-operate discussions
As part of our Local Plan preparation, we are required to carry out constructive and active engagement with relevant organisations. To comply with this, we have held meetings with neighbouring councils to discuss the strategy and proposed locations. Notes from these meetings are given below: