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Epsom and Ewell Borough Council have approved the draft Local Plan, Regulation 19 consultation document. A vote was taken just before 10pm on 10th December. The plan includes repurposing or rebuilding the luxurious offices of EEBC, shown above.

Item 4 on the agenda of the meeting was the petition for Council Debate, which demanded that proposed developments on Green Belt land be excluded from the Local Plan Regulation 19 consultation document.

Apparently this was only the second petition to succeed in forcing a debate at EEBC council. This was despite the shortened timescales and technical problems with the EEBC web site. There were several animated speeches, with most Residents Association councillors supporting the Local Plan, but not all. Most of the councillors who are not RA argued against the Local Plan.

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Item 13 on the agenda was Proposed Submission Epsom and Ewell Local Plan. The debate was in three phases with strict enforcement of time limit for each councillor speaking at the meeting, with only one speech allowed. A common thread was the lack of time for councillors to be involved in the discussion and formulation of the Local Plan, including the strategy and the objectives. Hundreds of pages have been given to councillors, with about a week for the contents to be absorbed and for questions to be raised.

Many councillors spoke at the meeting, but 3 or 4 councillors did not attend the meeting. A recorded vote was taken, so there will be details of how each councillor votes at the meeting. There were 16 votes for, 8 votes against, 7 abstentions, so the Local Plan is approved to proceed to the next consultation. It is very surprising that 7 councillors were not prepared to vote for or against the Local Plan, also that 3 or 4 councillors gave apologies for not attending. This is not a strong endorsement of the Local Plan.

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The consultation phase of the Local Plan will last up to 6 weeks. There are several sites in the Local Plan that are likely to attract strong criticism. There are 5 sites in Green Belt, including Horton Farm and Hook Road arena. There are 2 car parks that are be scrapped. The offices of EEBC will be demolished or repurposed.

The council are not prepared to reduce the timescales, which will result in the Local Plan being subject higher targets for new homes than are the case now. Several councils in England have fast-tracked their Local Plans to be compliant with the current targets for new homes. It is unforgiveable that EEBC will stick to rigid timescales, which is not what several people had been lead to believe would happen. EEBC appear to be hell bent on building has many homes as possible, despite Epsom and Ewell being the most densely populated borough in Surrey, by some margin.

The Regulation 19 consultation is the second consultation stage on the Local Plan prior to the document being submitted for examination by a Planning Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State. The Regulation 19 consultation seeks representations on legal compliance and the four tests of soundness set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

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The start of the full meeting of Epsom and Ewell Borough Council on 10th December. The tone and the temperature were chilly. Several councillors were wearing winter coats, not the expected attire. The public gallery was very cold.

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The full list of sites is below. Some sites have been added for Regulation 19, so there has not been any consultation. The identification of sites has changed and the order has changed between the draft Local Plan and Regulation 19 Plan.

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Site SA1 – Southern Gas Network Site
Allocated for:
Approximately 455 dwellings (C3) and a bespoke performing arts centre for the Laine
Theatre Arts
Site Area: 1.54ha
Planning history: Application 24/01107/FUL

Site SA2 – Hook Road Car Park
Allocated for: Approximately 150 dwellings
Site Area: 0.48 ha
Planning history: None

Site SA3 – Solis House, 20 Hook Road
Allocated for: Approximately 20 dwellings (C3)
Site Area 0.07 ha
Planning history None

Site SA4 – Bunzl, Hook Road
Allocated for: Approximately 20 dwellings
Site Area: 0.17 ha
Planning history: 24/00230/FUL & 23/01440/PDCOU

Site SA5 – Epsom Town Hall
Allocated for: Approximately 90 dwellings (C3)
Site Area 0.74 ha
Planning history: None

Site SA6 – Hope Lodge Car Park
Allocated for: Approximately 30 dwellings (C3)
Site Area: 0.4 ha
Planning history: None

Site SA7 – Former Police and Ambulance Station Sites
Allocated for:
Erection of a new 85 bedroom residential, nursing and dementia care
home for the frail elderly (Use Class C2).
Site Area: 0.37 ha
Planning history: 22/00923/FUL (approved, subject to S106 agreement).

Site SA8 – Epsom Clinic
Allocated for: Approximately 30 dwellings
Site Area: 0.17 ha
Planning history: None

Site SA9 – Depot Road and Upper High Street Car Park
Allocated for: Approximately 100 dwellings (C3) and a decked public car park
Site Area: 1.24 ha
Planning history: None

Site SA10 – 79-85 East Street
Allocated for: Approximately 35 dwellings (C3)
Site Area: 0.22 ha
Planning history: 22/01953/FUL and 22/01954/FUL

Site SA12 – Global House
Allocated for: Approximately 75 dwellings (C3)
Site Area: 0.29 ha
Planning history: None

Site SA13 – Swail House
Allocated for:
Refurbishment of Swail House for residential use and the provision of
replacement purpose-built specialist accommodation for the RNIB
consisting of approximately 45 dwellings (net) located to the rear of Swail
House
Site Area: 1.05 ha
Planning history: None

Site SA14 – 60 East Street
Allocated for: Approximately 30 dwellings (C3).
Site Area: 0.24 ha
Planning history 24/00900/PDCOU

Site SA15 – Corner of Kiln Lane and East Street (101b East Street)
Allocated for: Approximately 5 dwellings
Site Area: 0.03 ha
Planning history: 15/01663/FUL (unimplemented)

Site SA16 – Land at Kiln Lane
Allocated for: Approximately 40 dwellings
Site Area: 0.67 ha
Planning history: None

Site SA17 – Hatch Furlong Nursery
Allocated for: Approximately 30 dwellings (C3)
Site Area: 0.5 ha
Planning history: None

Site SA18 – Land to the Rear of Rowe Hall
Allocated for:
Extra Care Accommodation (Class C2) comprising 96 self-contained
apartments, staff and communal facilities
Site Area: 1.23 ha
Planning history:
Outline Planning Application Granted June 2024 Reference:
EP23/00633/CMA

Site SA19 – 7 Station Approach
Allocated for: Approximately 5 dwellings (C3)
Site Area: 0.04 ha
Planning history:
21/01156/FUL – Redevelopment to provide 13 residential units
(Class C3) within a part 3, part 4 storey building (Refused)

Site SA20 – Esso Express, 26 Reigate Road
Allocated for: Approximately 10 dwellings (C3)
Site Area: 0.25 ha
Planning history: None

Site SA21 – Richards Field Car Park
Allocated for: Approximately 7 dwellings
Site Area: 0.07 ha
Planning history: None

Site SA22 – Etwelle House, Station Road
Allocated for: Approximately 20 dwellings (C3)
Site Area: 0.2 ha
Planning history: 07/00104/OUT – 10 semi-detached dwellings (not implemented)

Site SA23 – 140-142 Ruxley Lane
Allocated for: Approximately 12 dwellings (C3)
Site Area: 0.2 ha
Planning history: 23/00588/FUL – Redevelopment into 14 dwellings (Granted)

Site SA24 – Garages at Somerset Close & Westmorland Close
Allocated for: Approximately 6 dwellings (C3)
Site Area: 0.10 ha
Planning history:
Multiple applications for the redevelopment of garages to 6 flats
(20/01758/FUL – 20/01760/FUL) – refused

Site SA25 – 64 South Street Epsom
Allocated for: Approximately 6 dwellings
Site Area: 0.14 ha
Planning history: 20/00041/FUL – COU from B1 to 6 dwellings (LAPSED)

Site SA26 – 35 Alexandra Road
Allocated for: Approximately 8 dwellings (C3)
Site Area: 0.1 ha
Planning history: 21/01920/FUL – 9 flats (withdrawn)

Site SA27 – 22-24 Dorking Road
Allocated for: Approximately 18 dwellings
Site Area: 0.12 ha
Planning history: 19/01365/FUL – Demolition and erection of 20 flats (Refused)

Site SA28 – 63 Dorking Road
Allocated for:
Specialist Care Home (C2) with ancillary nurses accommodation
(equivalent to 6 net C3 dwellings)
Site Area: 0.14 ha
Planning history: None

Site SA29 – 65 London Road
Allocated for: Care home up to 81 bedrooms (use class C2)
Site Area: 0.30 ha
Planning history:
23/00817/FUL (approved, but not implemented), 22/00728/FUL
(approved, but not implemented) and 20/01079/FUL (approved, but not
implemented)

Site SA30 – Epsom General Hospital
Allocated for:
Approximately 305 units older people’s accommodation (Use Class C2),
24 key worker dwellings (C3) and a children’s nursey (Use Class E)
Site Area: 1.45 ha
Planning history:
21/00252/FUL (granted at appeal, development commenced),
20/00108/FUL (approved) and 19/01722/FUL (refused)

Site SA31 – Land at West Park Hospital (South)
Allocated for: Approximately 50 dwellings (C3)
Site Area: 1.81 ha
Planning history: None

Site SA32 – Land at West Park Hospital (North)
Allocated for: Approximately 150 dwellings (C3)
Site Area: 5.22 ha
Planning history: None

Site SA33 – Land at Chantilly Way
Allocated for: Approximately 30 dwellings (C3)
Site Area: 0.7 ha
Planning history: None

Site SA34 – Hook Road Arena
Allocated for:
New Sports Hub for the borough to include playing pitches (grass and
artificial), a new pavilion and changing facilities. The provision of
approximately 100 dwellings (C3) on the eastern part of the site.
Site Area: 14 ha
Planning history: None

Site SA35 – Land at Horton Farm
Allocated for:
Approximately 1,250 dwellings (C3) including some specialist housing and selfbuild plots, 10 gypsy and traveller pitches, business incubation space,
community building and a public park of approximately 7ha in addition to other green and blue infrastructure.
Site Area: 37.9 ha
Planning history: None