Core Strategy public hearings
A Government Planning Inspector has begun his hearings into whether there should be building on the Green Belt. Mr David Vickery will decide if the Council's development plan, known as the Core Strategy, should be accepted or rejected. If it is rejected that would pave the way for 650 houses on 2 Green Belt fields in Oxted. At the first hearing on June 23rd the Council was attacked by one developer after another. Village Developments, Asprey Homes, the Home Builders Federation, White and Sons, Arena Leisure, are all trying to get the Council's Core Strategy declared unsound so that building can take place on the Green Belt.
Oxted & Limpsfield Residents are taking part in all of the Core Strategy hearings. To do this they have had to raise thousands of pounds to buy in planning advice and a barrister to represent them.
There are 5 days of hearings into whether there should be building on the Green Belt and whether the Council's plan is sound. The Inspector has said that he has "deep concerns and reservations" about the plan. His decision is binding on the Council.
The hearing continue next week at the Council Offices in Oxted on Tues, Wed and Thurs, July 1st, 2nd and 3rd.
The morning session starts at 10am and the afternoon one at 2pm. These are public hearings and anyone can attend though it was made very clear by the Inspector on the first day that the public will not be allowed to speak.
Each hearing will cover different aspects and in case it helps you decide when you might want to attend here's a brief summary:
July 1st
(am) Environmental Protection/Quality of development
(pm) Character and Design/ Landscape and Countryside
July 2nd
(am) Affordable Housing/ Housing Balance
(pm) Infrastructure and Services
July 3rd
(am) The Economy/Rural Strategy
(pm) Town and other centres
There are more details on the Council's web site. See the Agendas near the end of this page click here
If you are concerned about what happens to the Green Belt and what happens with future housing development in Tandridge please do come along.
So far 8 English local authorities have had their Core Strategies rejected as "unsound". (Just 22 have been passed) Millions of pounds of taxpayers money have been wasted as the Councils are told to start again. The Green Belt is left open to attack. Don't let Tandridge become number 9.
Hundreds of residents have written in from all over Tandridge appealing to Mr Vickery to save the Green Belt and supporting the Core Strategy which demonstrates that building on the Green Belt is not necessary.
788 letters and emails have been sent in.
522 of these are heartfelt pleas to save the 2 Green Belt fields in Oxted where developers want to build 650 houses.
At his meeting on April 22nd Mr Vickery promised to take full account of them.
To read some comments from the letters click here
Meanwhile developers have launched a bitter attack on the Council in a last ditch attempt to have their way. In their efforts to persuade the Inspector to let them build on the Green Belt they have resorted to abusing the Council calling it: 'a twisty-turny thing like a character in the TV series Blackadder' and have implied that it has been obstructive.
The facts are:
The Council has done everything in its power to abide by constantly changing Government guidelines and has come up with a development plan that meets the guidelines, more than meets the housing targets it has been given and proves that it does not need to build on the Green Belt.
It is one of the first local authorities in Surrey to bring forward its Core Strategy yet has been criticised by developers for doing so without what's called a Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment. ( an assessment of potential development sites) It has conducted studies which provide this information and, had it held up the Core Strategy process to prepare a SHLAA, it would have wasted thousands of pounds of taxpayers money.
Indeed, the latest version of PPS12 (Government guidance) that was published last week reiterates the Government's previous guidance that Core Strategies should be brought forward promptly. This is what Tandridge has sought to achieve. If it had delayed publication of its Core Strategy to provide sufficient time to carry out a SHLAA (for which there is no legal requirement in relation to Core Strategies) then it would have been unable to comply with the Government's guidance.
Below is the full list of sites put forward by developers who are trying to get the Core Strategy declared "unsound" or changed so that the Green Belt is up for grabs.
Site 1 is the field (known as Stoneyfield) and woodland next to St Mary's Church. Site 2 is the field and bluebell wood by St Mary's School. Surveyors have been marking out these fields in preparation for the housing developments. These fields are fertile pieces of agricultural land and of great landscape value. To see the evidence click here
Site List:
1 Village Developments: Land adjacent to graveyard & St Mary's Church, Barrow Green Road, Oxted
Residential. 400 houses To see the plan click here
2 Village Developments: Land adjacent to St Mary's School, Chichele Road & Laverock School, Bluehouse Lane, Oxted
Residential. 250 houses To see the plan click here
3 Mr Keyte: Essendene Park, off Whyteleafe Road, Caterham
Residential
4 Mr Samarasekara: North west end Hillbury Road, Warlingham (267 and land adjacent)
Residential
5a Clifford W & R C Shrimplin: Redhill Aerodrome, South Nutfield.
Suggests a new settlement at Redhill Aerodrome would be a preferable strategy.
5b Jim Cobbe:Redhill Aerodrome, South Nutfield
Location for strategic housing and employment
6 Metropolis Planning and Design: Land north of Felbridge Hotel,Felbridge
Extra Care Housing
7 Mr D Post: Land opposite Doves Barn Nursery and 103-109 Copthorne Road Felbridge
Residential
8 Cophall Farm: Cophall Farm, Effingham Road, Copthorne
Major Developed Site in the Green Belt (commercial use)
9 Asprey Homes: Occasionally Yours Nursery, Lingfield Common Road, Lingfield.
Residential
10 Stephen Smith:The former Bays Nursery,Godstone Road, Lingfield
Suggests a green belt boundary review would resolve the situation with regard to the site
11 Mr Raison: Land at Willow Cottage, Newchapel Road, Lingfield
Refers to site on edge of Lingfield as boundary anomaly
12 Arena Leisure: Lingfield Park Racecourse and surrounding land
Lingfield should be designated as Broad Location for development, reference to 125 acres of surplus
land.
The Key Points
* The council has put together a plan, the Core Strategy, which does not involve building on Green Belt. We support this plan.
* We want this plan to be accepted by the Inspector, without any changes, in order to protect the Green Belt. The Core Strategy in our opinion is sound.
* We do not want the Inspector to say that the council has to change the Core Strategy by naming Green Belt fields to build upon. This is what the developers want (650 houses on Green Belt) and so, apparently, does the Government. We want our Core Strategy left alone because that way our Green Belt remains protected.
If the plan were to be rejected that would be quite against the publicly expressed views of local people, but quite in line with pressure from the unelected body "The Government Office for the South East"
Village Developments' recent article in the County Border News stated:
"Reading between the lines Inspector Vickery is giving the District Council clear indications that he thinks the whole strategy is unsound. The council would be wise to withdraw it and if so the entire process would have to be reworked."
"We will prove that this core strategy is unsound and eventually we will build our affordable houses. It is only a matter of time."
Sign the Save the Green Belt petition NOW by clicking the button on the left.
