Mole Valley’s Conservative Councillors have forced the Council to abandon work on its controversial Housing & Traveller Sites Plan and begin work on a Local Plan as required by the National Planning Policy Framework.
Speaking at a full Council meeting on Tuesday night (14th October), Cllr James Friend, Leader of MVDC Conservatives and Deputy Leader of the Council said, “An awful lot has changed since the Housing & Traveller Site plan process started. Not only has the estimate of Green Belt land required for housing reduced by more than half in nine months but the latest Government guidance now states clearly that Green Belt boundaries should only be altered in exceptional cases and that housing need, including for traveller sites, does not justify the harm done to the Green Belt by inappropriate development.
“We want to send a very clear message to our communities - if you need affordable housing in your local area, then champion sites and show us why an exceptional case should be made. We want to send a message to developers - intensify your search for brownfield sites, invest in our communities and re-use and recycle land.
“The new planning process needs to start with this clarity and leadership from Day 1.”
After the meeting Cllr Friend said, “We have taken the lead and ensured that the Council has now made the right decision, preserving the character of Mole Valley and maximising the impact of the latest Government guidance to safeguard the Green Belt. This will enable the Council to work together with local people to decide where development should and should not take place.”