Council's Local Plan targets all the Green Belt

Tandridge District Council is currently holding a consultation called the "Local Plan Garden Villages Consultation" but that is only part of the story...

As well as a "Garden Village" of at least 4,000 houses in the Green Belt at either Blindley Heath, South Godstone, Redhill Aerodrome or land between Lingfield and Edenbridge, the Council's Plan would mean building on the Green Belt everywhere else as well.

And that will happen first if the Plan is not stopped because any "Garden Village" would not be ready for 10 - 15 years or more. In the meantime, the Council aims to build 470 homes a year (almost 4 times its current target) and the rest of the Plan, known as the Preferred Strategy, will take effect. That is to:

• Build on Green Belt land around all the main settlements which are Oxted, Limpsfield, Hurst Green, Caterham on the Hill, Caterham Valley, Warlingham, Whyteleafe, Godstone, Lingfield and Smallfield.
• Build on open spaces.
• Take villages that are currently in the Green Belt out of the Green Belt, so opening them up to development.
• Continue infill building within the settlement boundaries.

If you want to protect your environment from huge over-development, please write in to say that you oppose the Council's unsustainable Local Plan Strategy because it means massive Green Belt development in Tandridge District, 90% of which is for inward migration from other areas that has nothing to do with meeting local housing need; because there has already been very large amounts of inward migration because Tandridge has built so much, which has not resulted in affordable housing for local people but instead has pushed up house prices; because it will add an unbearable strain on the existing infrastructure; and because it will result in excessive amounts of car travel which is not sustainable. More points listed below.

We urge you to say that you are not in favour of any of the settlement sites because, if you say you are, the Council will take this as support for the principle of massive Green Belt development to accommodate inward migration.

You can submit comments by:

Email localplan@tandridge.gov.uk OR

Letter marked 'Local Plan Consultation' to: Tandridge District Council, Council Offices, 8 Station Road East, Oxted, Surrey, RH8 0BT OR

Using the Council's consultation 'portal' click here.

More points:

1. The proposals exacerbate unsustainable travel patterns and reliance on the car with consequent negative impacts on the environment and on communities within and outside of Tandridge District.

2. Unlike many other local authorities, for years Tandridge District Council has approved large amounts of house-building in the District but without supporting infrastructure. There is already a large infrastructure deficit. The Preferred Strategy makes it clear that infrastructure can't be guaranteed going forward either.

3. The Council has chosen to meet an inflated and unreliable housing need figure, more than 90% of which is for inward migration that has nothing to do with local need. This is NOT required by Government policy - it is the Council's own choice as this recent article from The Times makes clear click here

4. For years there has been an exceptionally high amount of house-building in Tandridge District. Because Tandridge built so much, while other areas were not building enough, the District soaked up unmet housing need from those other areas resulting in a very large amount of inward migration. This has not brought affordable housing for local people - instead, those moving into the area with higher salaries have pushed up house prices.

5. The Council's Strategy is unsustainable . Expert opinion has made clear that the evidence documents on which it is based are seriously flawed and not compliant with Government Policy. These have still not been corrected.

7. This is a small Council, short of funds, and we believe money is the driving force - currently around 20% of its income comes from the New Homes Bonus. The more it builds, the more money it gets.

8. The Preferred Strategy has never been publicly consulted on. Instead, it was simply agreed on by the Conservatives and the 6 Liberal Democrat Councillors on Tandridge District Council. We believe it has no validity in terms of public support. On the contrary, there is widespread opposition to it throughout the District and it does not reflect the results of the Local Plan consultation so far.