Issue - meetings

In view of the interest expressed in the report, the Mayor agreed to move the following item forward on the agenda.

The Council had before it the recommendations of the Local Development Framework Working Group following the public consultation exercise in respect of substituting the six sites safeguarded in the draft Site Allocations Development Plan Document (DPD) with land to the east of Martyrs Lane.  The sites proposed to be substituted were in Mayford, Pyrford and Byfleet.

The Working Group had accepted the Officers’ recommendation not to safeguard the land east of Martyrs Lane.  The Group had also accepted the recommendation not to allocate Ten Acre Farm as a Travellers’ site, and had supported the Officers’ revised proposal for meeting the accommodation needs of Travellers.  However, regarding the safeguarding of the six sites and on the DPD as a whole, the Working Group had resolved to make the following key conclusions:

·           There were exceptional circumstances which justified revising the Green Belt boundary in the locations set out within the draft Site Allocations DPD so as to meet the need for homes, infrastructure and Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANGs) from 2022 to 2027;

·           Exceptional circumstances did not exist so as to justify the release of the proposals in Pyrford and Mayford from the Green because the use of those sites for residential development would conflict with both local and national planning policies;

·           To ensure the enduring permanence of the Green Belt boundary, the Working Group was satisfied that exceptional circumstances have been demonstrated to justify the release of the two sites in Byfleet from the Green Belt and for their safeguarding to meet development needs into the next plan period.

In the main, the Working Group had recommended that only the two Green Belt sites in Byfleet should be released from the Green Belt and be safeguarded to meet future development needs between 2027 and 2040.

The proposals before the Council were introduced by Councillor Ashley Bowes, Portfolio Holder for Planning Policy.  Councillor Bowes moved and Councillor Bittleston seconded an amendment to the recommendation (ii) of the report as follows:

“(ii)    Save as for proposal sites GB9 (Land north east of Saunders Lane), GB10 (Land to the north west of Saunders Lane) and GB11 (Land rear of 79-95 Lovelace Drive) which are not to be released from the Green Belt in order to be safeguarded for future development needs or otherwise, and save that as for proposal site GB7 (Nursery Land adjacent to Egley Road), development is to be focused to the south end of the site, leaving the north end, beyond the playing fields of the Hoe Valley Free School and coloured green on the attached plan, as open space not to be developed, the draft Site Allocations DPD (Appendix 5) and the accompanying revised Sustainability Appraisal report and the Habitats Regulations Assessment (copies are in the Members’ Lounge) be supported for the purposes of Regulation 19 consultation to give the public an opportunity to make formal representation.”

The Members  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7