MW Report on Local Plan 28 6 16

LRA-FPG - Notes of a meeting held on Friday 10^th June with Guy Davies of MVDC Planning Dept.

re the formulation of the Local Plan.

Present from FPG:          John Wilson and Martyn Williams.

Guy Davies is the co-ordinating officer for this exercise.

Guy is producing the Local Development Scheme. The principles to be adopted have changed since the last one. Previously the government (HMG) would accept that excess demand in one area could be diverted to other “growth” areas. Now each area has to meet its own demand for space. The only mitigating circumstances are where national planning policies make that difficult. In the case of MVDC that is likely to be the amount of land that is protected by the “Green Belt”.

The Process  (Target dates in brackets)

1.       MVDC are at the very start of the process, which is expected to take about two years.

2.       MVDC will call for owners of sites on ‘Brownfield Land’ (previously developed land) to offer them to be considered for development. (Summer 2016)

3.       MVDC will use outside consultants to prepare Spatial Strategy Options, i.e. to identify what the likely demand for space will be over the plan period (15 years). (Winter 2016/17)

4.       There will almost certainly be a deficit of available land relative to identified demand.  MVDC will then need to decide whether the deficit is justifiable to HMG or whether it needs to find more land. It is likely to be the latter.  If so MVDC will then call for other sites,  which might include change of use of existing buildings and release of low-grade “Green Belt” land. (Winter 2016/17)

5.       MVDC will then appraise all supply options to ascertain their feasibility.  The plan will then be formulated combining the likely demand where it can be met by supply and why the full demand cannot be met (if that is the case) because of national policies. (Summer 2017)

6.       The plan is then reviewed by an HMG appointed inspector. (Summer 2018).

7.       If approved it is then adopted. (Autumn 2018)

Comment

It is inevitable that much of proposed development will be in the north of the District as 2/3 of the District’s built up area is in the north in Leatherhead/Bookham/Fetcham/Ashtead and this was part of the existing Core Strategy.

HMG regulations dictate the minimum local consultation that any local authority must undertake, but it is open to any authority to do more.  MVDC are still deciding how much consultation and in what form, but were pleased with the “Transform” exercise and are likely to opt for more consultation rather than less and are likely to focus on social media to involve the younger elements of the population.

LRA is an acknowledged consultee and it and others will be advised in due course as to how we can become involved in the process.

LEPs have no involvement in the Local Plan formulation process.

Further Information

For further information on the Local Development Scheme click on this hyperlink: http://www.molevalley.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=29392 .  To refer to the existing Core Strategy 2009 click on this hyperlink:   http://molevalley-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal/cs/cs_-_adopted_oct_2009/core_strategy_-_adopted_october_2009_1?pointId=906692

MW/JWW