Issue - meetings

Elmbridge Borough Council (EBC) and Mole Valley District Council (MVDC) are currently holding public consultations on their emerging Local Plans. The consultations provide an opportunity for all to make comments on their emerging Local Plans. It is important that Epsom & Ewell Borough Council make comments and raise any particular strategic cross boundary issues with the relevant authorities.

A response has been drafted to the respective authority’s consultation document. This report summarises the contents of the consultation and sets out draft responses.

Following consideration, it was resolved:

(1)      That the Committee considered the proposed draft responses and subject to minor typographical and stylistic changes agreed their submission to the respective authority’s consultation.

Elmbridge Borough Council (EBC) and Mole Valley District Council (MVDC) were holding public consultations on their emerging Local Plans. The consultations provided an opportunity to make comments on their emerging Local Plans. The Committee received a report summarising the contents of the consultation and setting out draft responses.

The following points were raised by the Committee:

a)            Consistency with previous responses: Members spoke about the importance of the Council’s response not conflicting with any previous response, and it was concluded that all responses were consistent with one another. Members discussed whether the tone of the Council’s response needed to be softened. Members discussed the importance of raising the issue of low density and the need for it to be increased and it was proposed to submit a figure for them to work to. It was concluded that, with the exception of a grammatical error that will be rectified, the nature of the response would remain the same in a bid for clarity.

b)           Status of consultation: Members noted that it was not the final opportunity to comment on the draft Plan; and that if it progressed to Regulation 19 the Council would have the opportunity to reinforce its consultation responses.

c)            Over-delivery of housing: Members discussed the risk of the Borough being forced into a situation of having to deliver unmet housing need displaced from neighbouring authorities in addition to the Borough’s own needs. Such a scenario could be avoided by maintaining a continuous dialogue with neighbours to ensure that they pursue strategies that meet their needs and do not prejudice our emerging strategy

d)           Evolving process: Members noted that the Duty to Co-operate is an evolving process. The Committee noted that the recent examination of Wealdon District Councils Local Plan highlighted the importance of the Duty to Co-operate as it was a key reason why their Plan was found unsound.

Following consideration, it was resolved:

(1)      That the Committee considered the proposed draft responses and subject to minor typographical and stylistic changes agreed their submission to the respective authority’s consultation.