With the new NPPF to be released this December, residents are extremely concerned that EEBC's Planning Officers have not changed the Local Plan timeline shown below.

EEBC Local Plan Timeline
LPPC Approval Meeting: Nov 20 2024  (16 days in between)
Full Council Meeting: Dec 10 2024(Reg 19 Consultation starts, 6 week consultation will end 21st Jan)
Final Submission: April 2025

EEBC has spent 10+years and multi-million pounds on this Local Plan, however, if this plan cannot be submitted by Early-Mid January 2025, it will mean that
1) All previous work and cost are wasted; 2) EBBC needs to spend another multi-million pound and 18 months to re-work on a new Local Plan; 3) fulfil a new target of 817/year(up from 181 in the 2007 Local Plan, and 300 in the current draft new Local Plan).

It will mean that Epsom's character, environment and heritage will be completely destroyed by fulfilling this new ridicules amount of housing target.

The only way to avoid this disaster is by bringing the timeline forward, and submit the Local Plan by early-mid Jan 2025. As the 6 weeks' Regulation 19 consultation is mandatory and EEBC needs time to review the consultation result, the council has to push the officers to start the Reg 19 process ASAP.

As this is the only logic way, all other councils which are at a similar stage are fast-tracking their process, St Albans, Winchester, Uttlesford to name a few https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/news/council-speeds-its-local-plan-process

In EEBC, most of planning officers do not live in this borough and they are contractors paid solely for Local Plan. To miss the deadline will simply allow officers to secure their job for another 2-3 years.

This is an extremely urgent issue. It is not just about Greenbelt. It's about protecting the town you live in from becoming another London borough; it's about not wasting the millions of pounds spent already. Please write to your councilors today and ask them to fast-track the Local Plan with a goal to submit the plan by Early January 2025!

List of cllrs emails below:

aabdulin@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
cAmes@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
jbeckett@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
sbridger@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
kchinn@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
ccleveland@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
acoley@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
hdalton@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
jFreeman@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
lfrost@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
bfroud@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
aFroud@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
rgeleit@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
sGoldman@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
chowells@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
grahamjones@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
aKelly@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
rKing@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
jLawrence@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
rleach@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
jmason@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
smccormick@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
lmcintyre@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
jmorris@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
bmuir@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
pneale@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
po'donovan@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
kPersand@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
hreynolds@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
kSpickett@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
dTalbot@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
cWatson@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
awilliamson@epsom-ewell.gov.uk
cwoodbridge@epsom-ewell.gov.uk