Epsom and Ewell Council to Decide on Housing Development Plan

A council in Surrey is scheduled to determine its course of action regarding proposals for constructing almost 5,000 new residences, some of which would be located on green belt land. Under its long-term housing strategy, Epsom and Ewell aims to establish an annual target of 261 homes by the year 2040. Designated green belt areas, specifically sites like Horton Farm and Hook Road Arena, would undergo reclassification to permit construction. The council states the necessity of a strategy “that meets the current challenges the borough faces”. The advocacy organization, Save Epsom’s Green Belt, argued for prioritizing brownfield sites and asserted that the proposal “would destroy all the green belt between Epsom and West Ewell”. According to a spokesperson, “When surveyed, 90% of local residents don’t want to lose this green belt. “They rightly fear the extra traffic, the strain on public services, the increased flooding and the mental health impacts. “They want clean air, somewhere to walk, somewhere to run.” Epsom and Ewell Borough Council indicated that it had already considered prior public input and consequently decreased the quantity of homes suggested for construction on green belt locations. A spokesperson for the council commented, “We need a local plan for the borough that meets the current challenges the borough faces and shapes future development.” The spokesperson further explained, “Every council is legally required to review their local plan at least every five years and as the borough’s current local plan is more than five years old, we need a new one. “Not having an up-to-date local plan may leave the borough at increased risk of unplanned and speculative development.” Councillors are expected to approve the local plan during a meeting scheduled for Tuesday and to authorize a six-week public consultation period, before its submission to a planning inspector.