Issue - meetings

Surrey County Council is seeking responses to its draft Surrey 2050 Place Ambition Strategy, and Implementation Framework by 4 March 2022.

The consultation response supports the high-level principles but raises concern over the identification of Epsom as part of the Strategic Opportunity Area 6, because the consequences of this and how it relates to our own local strategy for growth and meeting local housing requirements is unclear.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to:

(1)      Note the contents of the Surrey Place Ambition and agree the consultation response at Appendix 1 to the report.

(2)      Approve delegated authority to the Head of Place Development and Chair of Licensing Planning Policy Committee to finalise and submit the Council’s response to Surrey County Council.

The Committee received a report presenting the Council’s response to the  Surrey Place Ambition consultation. Surrey County Council was seeking responses to its draft Surrey 2050 Place Ambition Strategy, and Implementation Framework by 4 March 2022.

The consultation response supported the high-level principles but raised concern over the identification of Epsom as part of the Strategic Opportunity Area 6, because of the consequences of this and how it relates to the Borough Council’s local strategy for growth and meeting local housing requirements.

The following matters were considered:

a)            Proposed amendment to list of Primary Centres. Members of the Committee considered that the list of Primary centres detailed in paragraph 4.9 of the Surrey Place Ambition should be amended from “Epsom” to “Epsom, Ewell and Stoneleigh”.

b)            Amendments to draft consultation response. The Committee considered the following amendments to the draft consultation response:

a.    That the word “Epsom” in the final paragraph of the draft consultation response should be amended to read “Epsom and Ewell.

b.    That greater emphasis be given to 20-minute neighbourhoods and retention of key strategic employment areas within the consultation response.

c.    That paragraph 3 of the consultation response should make reference to Southern Railways, in addition to the existing reference to Southwest Rail.

d.    That the consultation response should make reference to improving air quality as a Priority Area for the Strategic Opportunity Area.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to:

(1)      Note the contents of the Surrey Place Ambition and agree the consultation response at Appendix 1 to the report.

(2)      Approve delegated authority to the Head of Place Development and Chair of Licensing Planning Policy Committee to finalise and submit the Council’s response to Surrey County Council.