MOLE VALLEY GREEN BELT CONSULTATION OPENS AS 10 SITES ADDED TO LIST THE time has come for the people of Mole Valley to have their say on where they want homes to be built in their district. A public consultation on which green-belt sites should be allocated for housing development opened on January 10 and signals an opportunity for residents to have their voices heard. Mole Valley District Council is preparing its Housing and Travellers Sites Plan, and has published a list of 70 sites being looked at as potential spots for new homes over the next 12 years. The number of sites under consideration rose to 80 on Friday (January 17), when another ten plots from Bookham were added to the list as a result of community group Bookham Vanguard’s decision to pass the responsibility of reviewing the village boundary to the council. Information on each site has been published and Mole Valley is now inviting residents’ views on which should or should not remain in the green belt. The consultation closes on Friday, March 7. Councillor John Northcott (Independent, Ashtead Common) said: “It is important the council has a local plan in place to show where new homes may or may not be granted planning permission. “If we don’t, there will be an increasing risk that government inspectors will take decisions on planning applications contrary to the wishes of the council and local communities. “Saying ‘no’ to new housing is not an option and while we will be making the most of available brownfield sites, it will be necessary to develop some land in the green belt. “The council’s aim is to ensure those sites which are chosen are the least harmful to the rest of the green belt and the environment.” Among the sites at risk is a 13.2-hectare plot with potential for up to 500 homes at the Leatherhead bypass site, which is currently occupied by the Barnett Wood Lane Allotments. The list also includes a 5.6-hectare site to the south of Yarn Way, with an estimated capacity for 200 to 250 homes and a 5-hectare site on land to the south of Windmill Drive, with a similar capacity. The former Leatherhead police station and sorting office in Station Road are also up for consideration, and are the only two proposed sites not in the green belt. The plan comes as the council aims to meet a target of providing 3,760 new homes between 2006 and 2026, of which 1,300 are still required. The 80 sites suggested by the council could deliver a potential capacity of more than 3,000 dwellings, it states, meaning not all locations would be required. The plan will also set out the council’s progress in identifying places to meet the need for homes for the district’s traveller community. The document can be viewed at molevalley.gov.uk and is also in hard copy at the council’s Pippbrook offices, the Leatherhead HelpShop and at the district’s libraries. Comments can be e-mailed to [email protected] or a comments form can be requested. In all cases, a site’s unique reference number – listed on the document – must be quoted. A series of drop-in events will be held in Leatherhead, Dorking, Bookham, Fetcham, Beare Green, Brockham, Capel, Charlwood, Hookwood and North Holmwood. Dates and times of these sessions are listed on the website. 16-Jan-2014 dorkingandleatherheadadvertiser.co.uk/Mole-Valley-green-belt-consultation-opens-10/story-20452680-detail/story.html
Posted on: Tue, 28 Jan 2014 12:53:08 +0000
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