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25/00846/OUT Outline application for up to 110 dwellings including affordable homes (all matters reserved except access from Langley Vale Road)

This is an outline planning application to establish the acceptability in principle of developing housing on a significant and working Green Belt location to the South of Langley Vale village. The Society believes that this site cannot be considered as “Grey Belt”, despite its location, since it is (a) classified as high performing Green Belt land in the 2024 Green Belt Review and (b) not included as a Green Belt site to be brought forward in the Local Plan Reg.19 submission. As such it is not suitable for development.

The Society has responded via the Comments facility on the EEBC Planning website as follows:-

“This comment is on behalf of Epsom Civic Society (ECS).

Whilst ECS acknowledges the Council’s lack of a forward 5 year housing supply, this does not simply mean that all new housing applications should be granted and in so doing overruling planning policies.

In this application there are important matters to consider.

ECS does not agree that the site can be designated or regarded as Grey Belt land and therefore become appropriate for development for housing.

Grey belt designation is not clear cut. ECS considers this site to be good agricultural land in the green belt with a potential to be more intensively farmed in the future, something which should be promoted to lessen reliance on imported food produce.

The site is high performing green belt land as indicated in the 2024 Green Belt review. It was given an AAA assessment rating.

Within the recent Local Plan Reg.19 submission there was a thorough process to establish which sites could be considered within an allocation proposals of existing designated Green Belt land for release. The inclusion of existing green belt land was considered a necessity to meet required housing targets. That process DID NOT include this application site being considered for being brought forward.

ECS supports the assessed AAA green belt rating which is logical given its closeness to Epsom and Walton Downs to the north and east and to the Surrey Hill ANOB to the south.

There are other aspects about the application which ECS finds unsatisfactory but these are not enumerated as principles about the status of the site have to be considered first. The application fails to meet these requirements and therefore falls away.

ECS requests refusal.”