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6th Feb 2024 Overview and Recent Developments

The borough’s current Local Plan is very out-of-date (2007) and overdue for replacement. The council is controlled by the Residents’ Association, itself an aggregation of several smaller RA groups across the various wards. They have been in power since the borough was first created in the 1930s and currently hold 26 of the 35 seats (an overwhelming majority).

A draft Local Plan (Reg 18) was published for consultation in late Jan, early Feb 2023 amidst a great deal of controversy. The Local Plan included building on large tracts of the protected Metropolitan Green Belt. It is the view of the majority of residents that this is undesirable and unnecessary.

A group of local residents opposed to this formed the Epsom Green Belt Group to share information with borough residents and encourage dialogue.

In response to the groundswell of public opinion, Councillors strongly encouraged residents to make their views known through the Reg 18 consultation, explaining that this would be the best route to amending the plan.

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council urges local people to respond to Draft Local Plan consultation | Epsom and Ewell Borough Council (epsom-ewell.gov.uk)

The Green Belt report showed that the vast majority of the Green Belt land proposed for development is very high performing and should not be developed.
The Strategic Flood Risk Assessment showed some of the proposed Green Belt areas to be at high risk of flooding, including Critical Drainage Areas. The presentations by officers stated that areas at risk of flooding would not be included in the plan, but nevertheless continued to include Green Belt sites that are subject to flooding.

The analysis of the consultation responses provided by the council indicated that 87% of residents did not support Development of the Green Belt (Q8). This analysis excluded the 40% of responses submitted by email rather than using the (badly worded) questionnaire, the vast majority of which also rejected Green Belt development.

Draft Local Plan (Regulation 18) 2022-2040 – Epsom and Ewell Borough Council Consultations (inconsult.uk)

Summary of Responses – Draft Local Plan (Regulation 18) 2022-2040 – Epsom and Ewell Borough Council Consultations (inconsult.uk)

A petition was also submitted, with 11,000 signatures, although this was not accepted by the Council.

Officially, decisions on the Local Plan will not be taken until Dec 2024/Jan 2025, with the Reg 19 consultation commencing in March 2025 to meet the July 2025 deadline (when the planning regime is scheduled to change). In practice, these can only be ratification meetings as it would be too late to prepare alternative Local Plan proposals and documentation at that stage and still meet the deadline. There are no LPPC or Full Council meetings scheduled for the discussion or direction of the Local Plan prior to the end of the year, so it can be assumed that the officers will continue with the unfettered and undirected inclusion of Green Belt in the Reg 19 submission.

The Draft Local Plan clearly does not reflect the views of residents. It does not properly adhere to government guidance. There is an absence of leadership in its development. Officers have misled and misdirected councillors.