Elmbridge Council Faces Restart on 8,000-Home Development Plan

A local authority in Surrey is poised to revise its proposal for 8,000 new residential units, a process that could incur costs up to £1 million. In September, Elmbridge Borough Council received instructions from a planning inspector to re-evaluate its local development strategy, which included a directive to incorporate additional affordable housing provisions. The council had requested a 12-month extension to complete its provisional local plan, also making an appeal to government ministers for this extension. However, the council has now been informed that no extension will be granted. Consequently, Elmbridge Borough Council must either retract its current draft local plan or face a report from the inspector declaring it “unsound” or unviable. A collaborative statement released by three senior councillors asserted: “It is clear to us that building new homes is not this government’s priority.” They added, “Instead, it seems intent on forcing Elmbridge Borough Council and our residents to restart the lengthy 3-4 year process of developing a new local plan, with the significant additional costs (potentially £1m) this will bring to the council.” A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) stated that the determination rested with an independent inspector. The spokesperson commented: “We are in a housing crisis and all areas of the country need to play their part in building more and delivering the homes that communities need.“We want to see every council have a local plan as soon as possible, but it is for an independent Inspector to examine a local plan to ensure it is sound and legally compliant.” The planning inspector had previously characterized Elmbridge borough, encompassing the towns of Esher, Cobham, and Walton, as among the “least affordable in the country.” Mike Rollings, the council’s leader; Simon Waugh, the deputy leader; and Janet Turner, who leads the Hinchley Wood Residents’ Association, indicated that the council was ready to “take on board” the inspector’s conclusions regarding construction on green belt land to facilitate the local plan’s implementation. They further stated that councillors would evaluate the available options in early 2025, which include either withdrawing the existing plan or awaiting the inspector’s issuance of a conclusive report. The councillors affirmed: “In both scenarios, work will need to start on a new draft local plan for Elmbridge.” On Wednesday, Conservative councillor John Cope, alongside Ben Spencer, the Member of Parliament for Runnymede and Weybridge, dispatched a letter to the planning minister requesting a meeting to discuss the local plan and seeking an immediate review of the circumstances.