Issue - meetings

The Committee is asked to note the progress being made in preparing the new Local Plan, authorise a revision of car parking standards and consider the Elmbridge local Plan Regulation 18 Consultations and the Council’s draft response.

The Committee:

(1)            Noted the progress being made in preparing the new Local Plan.

(2)            Authorised the commencement of a revision of the Borough wide car parking standards.

(3)            Considered the options set out in the Elmbridge Local Plan Regulation 18 Consultation and the Borough Council’s draft response.  Subject to an amendment agreed at the meeting, approved the draft response as the Borough Council’s formal position on the Elmbridge draft Local Plan.

The Committee received a report outlining the progress made towards the preparation of the Local Plan. 

The three areas covered in the report were:

(1)          Progress on technical studies

It was noted that the following technical studies were being prepared to support the emerging Local Plan, which included:

·                     Strategic Development Viability Assessment

·                     Spatial Economic Development Strategy

·                     Retail Needs Study and Town Centre Health Checks

·                     Sports Facilities Assessment and Playing Pitch Strategy

·                     Open Space Study

·                     Habitats Regulation Assessment

It was confirmed that when the studies were available they would be reported to the Committee.

(2)          Study to Support the Evolution of Car Parking Standards

It was reported that following approval being sought to use part of the Planning Delivery Grant for a review of the car parking standards in the Borough, a technical study would be commissioned and brought to the Committee for consideration.

(3)          Elmbridge Local Plan Regulation 18 Consultation

Members were informed that Epsom & Ewell’s neighbouring borough Elmbridge had commenced the consultation on their emerging local plan and officers presented an outline of the five options put forward.

A draft letter responding to the five options was circulated to Members at the meeting congratulating Elmbridge on their clear and concise Issues and Options paper and expressing the Council’s support for option 3 – the optimising of urban areas and release of green belt which demonstrated that Elmbridge could meet its requirement and need.  This was important for Epsom & Ewell as this option negated the need to transfer any unmet need.

The Committee discussed the response which was agreed with the addition of the following in the penultimate paragraph:

‘We both face challenging housing requirements that have been imposed from central government and has led to your needing to include green belt in your options.’

Having considered the Update Report, the Committee:

(1)          Noted the progress being made in preparing the new Local Plan.

(2)          Authorised the commencement of a revision of the Borough wide car parking standards.

(3)          Considered the options set out in the Elmbridge Local Plan Regulation 18 Consultation and the Borough Council’s draft response.  Subject to the amendment agreed as set out above, approved the draft response as the Borough Council’s formal position on the Elmbridge draft Local Plan.