23:59 on Monday 30th September 2019

No, you can call the council on 01372 474 474 and request a paper copy of the consultation questionnaire

Yes, all residents can and should complete the questionnaire to ensure everyone's views are represented, even the more junior members of our community can take part. There is no age limit.

The Local Plan has to go through a number of stages (dates shown are approximate and are subject to change):-

1. Options Consultation (Regulation 18) - 6 weeks, ends 30 Sep 2019
2. Council develop a Local Plan based on responses provided by the Options Consultation - Dec 2019
3. Further Consultation (Regulation 19) - 6 weeks Jan/Feb 2020
4. Council amends Local Plan if required - Mar 2020
5. Council approve Local Plan for submission to the Inspector - Mar 2020
6. Inspector examines the proposed Local Plan - Jul-Sep 2020
7. Inspector either approves or rejects Local Plan - Sep 2020
8. The Council makes changes if required by the inspector and then publishes the final Local Plan. - End of 2020
9. Local Plan is Adopted - Probably early 2021
10. Local Plan is reviewed every 5 years

Listed below are some of the key planning terms as defined in the Elmbridge Borough Council (EBC) Consultation document:

Urban Area

The urban area is all land not contained within the Green Belt.

Green Belt

Green Belt aims to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open. Its original purpose was to halt the outward and uncontrolled spread of London following the 1920s-1930s building boom as a result of the railway expansion. It also prevents neighbouring towns merging into one another and assists in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment. It is not an environmental policy that seeks to protect biodiversity or landscapes. To see the Green Belt boundaries, use the planning policy map in the ‘my maps’ tab of ‘My neighbourhood tool’ on the EBC website.

Brownfield Land

Brownfield land is land that has been previously developed. It might be overgrown and look like green space, still has buildings on it or is derelict. This does not include residential gardens. 

Greenfield Sites

Greenfield sites have never been developed, they can be found in urban areas and the Green Belt. A park in an urban area for example, would be a greenfield site.

Density

Density is a measure of how intensively land is occupied by built development. 

Intensification

Intensification would be seeking to maximise the number of homes a development site could accommodate with little regard for the existing character of the area across the borough.

Optimisation

Optimisation would be seeking to get the best out of each development site to ensure that schemes for new homes use land efficiently. This includes ensuring that new homes are of the right mix in terms of size and tenure and that the design and scale of new development respects the individual character of an area.

Absolute Constraints

Absolute constraints are designations or status which restrict development, areas like Esher Commons or those with very high flood risk. A map of the Absolute Constraints in Elmbridge can be viewed in the ‘Local Plan Evidence Base’ on the EBC website.

Affordable Housing

Affordable housing are homes that are for sale or rent including those that meet the Government’s policies on Social and Affordable rent as well as discounted and shared home ownership schemes that are provided for specified eligible households whose needs are not met by the market. 

5-Year Housing Land Supply

In very simply terms, a 5-Year Housing Land Supply is the amount of deliverable housing land divided by the local housing need or an up-date to-date housing target for a rolling 5 -year period. National planning policy expects us to have  least 5 years’ worth of housing supply.

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