Sadiq Khan’s draft London Plan makes Green Belt protection a priority
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Local Plan and Greenbelt Update
It has been a year since the Public Consultation on Elmbridge Borough Council’s (EBC) new Local Plan, which closed on 24th February 2017. EBC received around 3800 responses (including 1299 from the Dittons).
More detail can be found on our Latest News Summary
LDRA is Now on Facebook!
The LDRA is now on Facebook to help communication. Please request to join up by searching Long Ditton Residents Association or clicking below to receive the latest updates!
Date for the Diary – AGM (9th November 2017)
AGM
All residents are invited to our AGM which will be held at 8pm on the 9th November at St Mary’s Junior School. All our councillors will be present – residents will have an opportunity to ask them questions.
Local Plan and Greenbelt Update
SEE OUR NEWS SUMMARY FOR THE LATEST ON WHAT’S HAPPENING!
School Traffic Calming Update and Zebra Crossings
Surrey County Council proposed to establish a Zebra Crossing on Ditton Hill Road.
Followi
Please see a copy of the Public Notice below, together with a plan indicating the location.
The proposed crossing in Sugden Road, also formed part of the public consultation in 2016, and a crossing is still planned to be installed, but due to feedback SCC is reassessing the best site for its installation – in the vicinity of St Mary’s School entrance or between Rectory Lane and Ewell Road. Further investigations are currently being undertaken to determine the optimum location for the crossing. SCC will then proceed with implementing the most appropriate option.
NOTICE
SURREY COUNTY COUNCIL
PROPOSED PROVISION OF A ZEBRA CROSSING
ON DITTON HILL ROAD (C162) LONG DITTON
Date: 17 August 2017
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Surrey County Council, in exercise of their powers under Section 23 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and after consultation with the Chief Officer of Police in accordance with Section 23(2)(A) of the said Act of 1984, propose to establish a Zebra Crossing on Ditton Hill Road (C162), Long Ditton.
The centre line of the proposed crossing will be 1.72 metres west of the common property boundary of Nos. 50 and 50A Ditton Hill Road and will be 2.4 metres wide.
A copy of the plan showing the location of the proposed Zebra Crossing may be examined free of charge at Reception, Surrey County Council, Quadrant Court, Guildford Road, Woking, Surrey GU22 7QQ, during normal office hours; and at Dittons Library, Mercer Close, Thames Ditton, Surrey KT7 0BS, during normal opening hours.
If you wish to make representations about the proposal you must send them in writing, stating the grounds on which they are made, to the undersigned, at Traffic Regulation Orders Team, Surrey County Council, Hazel House, Merrow Lane, Guildford, Surrey GU4 7BQ, by 14 September 2017.
Jason Russell – Deputy Director Highways and Infrastructure
Any Enquiries relating to this notice should be directed to:
Traffic Regulation Orders Team
Surrey County Council – Highways
Hazel House, Merrow Lane
Guildford, Surrey, GU4 7BQ
Tel: 0300 200 1003
Parking Review In Moleseys & Dittons
On Friday 18 August Surrey County Council advertised by way of a press notice in the Surrey Advertiser our parking proposals following parking reviews in:
- the Moleseys and the Dittons
There will then follow a five week period during which we will accept objections and comments on the proposals. SCC posted around 950 A5 postcards to all properties fronting the proposals..
Hard copies of the plans and our reasons for making the proposed changes will be available for public inspection from Friday at the following locations:
- Elmbridge Borough Council, Civic Centre, High Street, Esher, KT10 9SD
- Dittons Library, Mercer Close, Thames Ditton, KT7 0BS
Of course all the relevant documents are also be available onSCC website via the following address:
www.surreycc.gov.uk/parking/elmbridge
The LDRA have objected to the St Mary’s Road proposals as we feel they would not address the parking problems in Effingham Road.
SCC will accept comments and objections using an online form on the website listed above (preferred), or in writing to:
Mr David Curl, Parking Team Manager, Hazel House, Merrow Lane, Guildford, GU4 7BQ
The closing date for comments is Friday 22 September.
Once this has passed, SCC will create a report which looks at all the comments received. The final decision about what to go ahead with is made by the Parking Team Manager in consultation with the chairman and vice-chairman of Surrey County Council’s local committee for Elmbridge and the relevant county councillor for the area concerned. SCC would expect to have the final decisions made before Christmas, and then look to get the new restrictions implemented before the end of this financial year, although the timescale will be dependant on the number and nature of comments received and how long it takes to resolve any objections.
LDRA – Spring Public Meeting 2017
Residents are all invited to attend our Spring Public Meeting in May. It is your chance to meet our councillors and to ask them questions! The Local Plan and Green Belt issues, top of the agenda!
Venue: St Mary’s Junior School, Sugden Road
Date: 18th May 2017
Time: 8.00pm
LDRA Response To Local Plan
The Long Ditton Residents Association have formerly responded to Elmbridge Borough Council.
(Our response can VIEWED HERE)
LDRA Statement
Our main concern is that the Council has prematurely treated Green Belt as an ‘option’ for meeting long term development when Government policy is clear that Green Belt release should only even be considered after all other options have been exhausted.
The Council has undertaken a comprehensive review of the Green Belt in Elmbridge to inform the options currently being considered. Green Belt releases have been suggested as potential options for meeting the objectively assessed housing need (of 9,480 to 2035) as a result.
However, national policy (National Planning Policy Framework) makes it clear that this should only happen in ‘exceptional circumstances’ and after all other options have been explored through the local plan review process. The Housing White Paper (Feb 2017) confirms that there will be no change to national policy but proposes amendments to the NPPF (to be introduced later this year) to make it clear that:
“authorities should amend Green Belt boundaries only when they can demonstrate that they have examined fully all other reasonable options for meeting their identified development requirements, including:
* making effective use of suitable brownfield sites and the opportunities offered by estate regeneration;
* the potential offered by land which is currently underused, including surplus public sector land where appropriate;
* optimising the proposed density of development; and
* exploring whether other authorities can help to meet some of the identified development requirement.”
This process should be applied before coming to the conclusion that there are exceptional circumstances for releasing Green Belt. Options 2 and 3 of the Council’s consultation are therefore premature as other ‘reasonable’ options have not been fully explored. In order for the Council to even consider Green Belt, further ‘urban capacity’ work that goes beyond the Land Availability Assessment, is needed.
LDRA OFFICIAL
RESPOND TO LOCAL PLAN BY 24th FEBRUARY
THE DEADLINE FOR RESPONDING TO THE ELMBRIDGE BOROUGH COUNCIL’S LOCAL PLAN IS
APPROACHING FAST!!
PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON HOW TO RESPOND OR REPLY
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