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How to Respond to the Green Belt Consultation
Elmbridge Borough Council are proposing to remove Green Belt status from two large areas in the Cobham, Stoke D’Abernon and Oxshott area (see map on right, click on it for a larger view). These areas are best known as:
- The Fairmile & Chippings Farm (near the Portsmouth Road)
- Knowle Hill Park & Polyapes (near Blundel Lane, Littleheath Lane and Water Lane)
There is a third in Long Ditton near the A3 'Ace of Spades'.
If the proposals go through, each of these two parcels of land could accommodate up to 1000 homes each or even more. This would have a severe impact on our local infrastructure and local traffic problems as well as losing precious Green Belt land.
It is important you find out more about how this may affect you and make your opinion known, otherwise no response will be taken as acceptance.
The Council’s public consultation process concludes on Friday 24th Feb 2017 at 4pm.
What should you do?
The consultation takes the form of a questionnaire which is very carefully worded and therefore your answers must be carefully worded to ensure they are not misunderstood.
The Stoke D'Abernon Residents Association (SDRA) with the help from the Cobham Green Belt Group, Cobham Downside and Residents Association and Cobham Conservation and Heritage Trust have researched the Elmbridge Borough Council proposal and analysed the questionnaire and have identified key issues which we suggest you might want to include in your response to the questionnaire.
The SDRA organised a local meeting at the United Reformed Church on the 24th Jan 2017. Three hundred and twenty concerned residents from Stoke D'Abernon, Cobham and Oxshott packed out the church to find out more and to see presentations about the consultation and how best to respond to it. These presentations can be viewed on this website or on the SDRA website.
Our suggested steps for responding to the consultation are as follows but not all steps are essential. However, please follow steps 3. Reviewing the suggested responses and 4. Completing the consultation questionnaire as a minimum.
- View the presentations from the SDRA meeting, this will bring you up to speed quickly without wading though copious amounts of documentation on the Consultation Portal.
- Review the information on the Elmbridge Consultation Portal/Website.
- Review the suggested responses to the consultation document.
- Complete the Consultation Questionnaire either online in in hard copy form.
- Email or write to your local councillors to make them aware of your views.
- Emails or write to Dominic Raab MP.
More details and relevant links for each of these steps is available on our Action Plan page.
What if you don't have easy access to the Internet?
A lot of this information is available online but if you don't have easy access to the Internet, you can either visit the Esher Civic Centre and view the documentation on display or attend the last drop in session at the Esher Civic Centre on Saturday 4th February 2017 between 10am-2pm where Planning Officers will be available to discuss the proposals.
The questionnaire is available in paper form from the council by calling Michael Corbett on 01372 474823 and requesting a copy to be posted directly to you but please do it soon, as there is little time. You will find it useful to have sight of the questionnaire before viewing the documentation or attending the drop in session. Alternatively, ask a neighbour to download and print a questionnaire for you.
Do spread the word and make your friends and neighbours aware.
Stoke D'Abernon Residents Assoc. host packed out Meeting about Elmbridge Green Belt Consultation
Tonight (24 Jan 2017) the United Reformed Church in Cobham was overflowing with residents who came to hear the Stoke D'Abernon Residents association tell them about the Elmbridge Consultation for removing two large parcels of land from the Green Belt and what residents can do to make their opinion known.
The areas concerned are:-
- The area between Stoke d’Abernon and Oxshott – Knowle Hill Park, Fairmile Park and north of Blundel Lane, including the Polyapes Scout Camp
- The area between the A3 and the west of the Portsmouth Road - The Fairmile and Chippings Farm.
For those who weren't there, go to the Stoke D'Abernon Residents Association (www.stokedabernon-residents.org.uk) website via this link to see the presentations and find out more and how best to respond to the consultation.
The Consultation has been extended from the 10 Feb 2017 to the 24 Feb 2017 but that still leaves little time for residents to complete the lengthy questionnaire.
Tell your neighbours and friends about this to ensure as many as possible respond to the questionnaire.
Help Publicise the Threat to Our Local Green Belt
Elmbridge Borough Council is proposing to remove Green Belt status from 2 areas of land either side of Cobham plus one in Long Ditton to allow for housing development of up to 1,000 houses in each location to meet a projected shortfall of 5,755 homes in the borough. The local areas are:
- The area between Stoke d’Abernon and Oxshott – Knowle Hill Park, Fairmile Park and north of Blundel Lane, including the Polyapes Scout Camp
- The area between the A3 and the west of the Portsmouth Road - The Fairmile and Chippings Farm.
If you would like to help keep our local Green Belt, make your neighbours and other people aware of the issue by downloading and printing one of our A4 posters.
There are two to choose from:
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| Full Colour |
White Background version which uses less ink |
If you would like to get more involved please contact us via email at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Suggestions for responding to the Strategic Options Green Belt Consultation
Elmbridge Borough Council (“The Council”) is proposing to remove Green Belt status from 2 areas of land either side of Cobham plus one in Long Ditton to allow for housing development of up to 1,000 houses in each location to meet a projected shortfall of 5,755 homes in the borough. The local areas are:
- The area between Stoke d’Abernon and Oxshott – Knowle Hill Park, Fairmile Park and north of Blundel Lane, including the Polyapes Scout Camp
- The area between the A3 and the west of the Portsmouth Road - The Fairmile and Chippings Farm.
The Consultation is a formal process and concludes on 4pm on Friday 10 February 2017. Stop Press! Elmbridge have agreed to extend the closing date to 4pm on Friday 24th February 2017.
A number of local residents have suggested it would be helpful to have guidance on possible responses to the Green Belt Consultation Questionnaire, which is a lengthy and complicated document. The local organisations: Stoke D'Abernon Residents Assoc., Cobham & Downside Residents Assoc. Cobham Conservation & Heritage Trust, Cobham Green Belt Group and FEDORA (Oxshott) have joined together and produced a guide which may help.
Having read the Strategic Options Consultation and the other numerous documents on the website and attended the Council’s Drop-In Meetings this document provides some ideas and suggestions for responses to the on-line questionnaire.
To try and make it as easy for you as possible we have included both the questions and response suggestions (in blue italics). Because of the way the Questionnaire is cast it has not been an easy exercise for us and you may yourself find responding far from easy. We feel it is most important that you respond to Part 1 of the Questionnaire which focuses on the Green Belt. We have gone on to draft possible responses to a number of questions (but not all) in Part 2 which addresses housing, economy and retail, the environment and transport and infrastructure. We have provided some thoughts in the Any Other Issues section for consideration if you are so minded.
Remember completed questionnaires (either via the on-line Consultation Portal, by email or on paper) must be returned by 4pm on Friday 24 February 2017. All individuals are able to respond – it is not limited to one per household.
To view the suggested responses and our suggested action plan click View Action Plan
Responses need to be completed in one of 3 ways:
- Use the on-line Consultation portal consult.elmbridge.gov.uk/consult.ti/lpsoc/consultationHome. You will need to go on line and register first.
- Alternatively save the document and e-mail to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- If you do not have email you can request a paper copy. Ring Michael Corbett at EBC on his direct line of 01372 474823 to request a copy which will be posted direct to you and needs to be returned to :
Planning Policy, Planning Services
Elmbridge Borough Council
Civic Centre, High Street,
Esher, Surrey, KT10 9SD
If you need any help or guidance please contact your local Organisation by email:-
| Stoke D'Abernon Residents Assoc. | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | |
| Cobham & Downside Residents Assoc. | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | |
| Cobham Conservation & Heritage Trust | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | |
| Cobham Green Belt Group | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | |
| FEDORA (Oxshott) | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
We will be emailing all our members and we apologise if you receive multiple copies of the email.
PLEASE DO RESPOND – THIS IS A CRITICAL THREAT TO OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY, ENVIRONMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE WITH THE RISK OF UP TO 2,000 HOUSES BEING BUILT IN OUR IMMEDIATE AREA