The Elmbridge Local Plan has now closed.
The Elmbridge Local Plan Consultation closed on the 30th September 2019.
Thank you to all those who responded and completed the consultation questionnaire.
We have been told that there were over 6500 responses with 2100 of those coming from Cobham, Oxshott, Downside and Stoke D'Abernon.
85% of the total responses received by the council were in favour of Option 4, our preferred option. Over 90% in our area chose Option 4 together with the Dittons, Hinchley Wood, Claygate and Esher.
Although the council made it clear that the consultation wasn't a referendum, this high level of support for Option 4 means it cannot be ignored.
A big thank you to all our volunteers who helped distribute leaflets and erected banners to make other residents aware of the consultation, without you, we could not have raised the profile of this important consultation.
What Happens Next
The council will now review the responses to the consultation and issue a feedback document by mid-December 2019. The next Local Plan consultation is expected in early 2020.
If you have signed up for our Cobham Green Belt newsletter you will receive updates as we get them.
The information on these pages is to provide some background information for the consultation.
Elmbridge Borough Council is required by law to have a Local Plan and the Government has made it clear that all local authorities must have an up-to-date plan. Failure to do so could lead to intervention whereby the Government writes the Elmbridge Local Plan and policies. The current Local Plan is out of date and must be replaced. Without a new plan, the council could find themselves unable to resist unacceptable development or applications being allowed on appeal. This could result in unplanned development in unsustainable locations.
The previous consultation in 2016/17 saw the residents of Elmbridge reject plans to build on our Green Belt across Cobham, Stoke D’Abernon and Oxshott. As a result, Elmbridge Borough Council is launching another consultation with local residents. This could mean as many as 16,000 new homes across Elmbridge. In the Cobham, Stoke D'Abernon, Oxshott and Downside area this could be up to 6,000 new homes and 15,000 more residents, threatening our Green Belt, intensifying building and creating characterless communities.
The consultation is asking residents to help the Council decide the future of housing in Elmbridge by choosing one of five options.