Stop Press WBC

1. WHAT IS THE DPD

The main purpose of the DPD is to identify potential urban and Green Belt sites and allocate specific sites for future development needed for future housing, traveller sites, employment and infrastructure needs within Woking Borough.
The DPD will facilitate the delivery of the Woking Core Strategy (2012)  to the year 2027 which makes provision for the delivery of:

• 4,964 additional dwellings
• 93,900 sq. m of retail floor space
• 28,000 sq. m of office floor space
• 20,000 sq. m of warehouse floor space.

The Site Allocations DPD takes a long term strategic view of the future (period 2012 to 2027) and safeguards land for residential development beyond the Plan period (between 2027 and 2040).  It releases 1.93% of the total Green Belt in Woking, with the majority of future development sites are located within Woking Town Centre.
  
 

1. WHAT IS REG 19

The Regulation 19 consultation is the final opportunity for anyone to comment on the Site Allocations DPD before it is submitted to the Secretary of State.  The Secretary of State will appoint a Planning Inspector who will review the document and is likely to arrange public meetings.

Woking Borough Council says, that representations  made at this stage of the process should relate to one of the tests of soundness. To be sound the Site Allocation DPD should be positively prepared, justified, effective and consistent with national policy. The tests are in paragraph 35 of the National Planning Policy Framework (July 2018). (See Appendix 4 below). All comments received will be summarised by Woking Borough Council and passed onto the Secretary of State.

The next round of Regulation 19 public consultation started on 5th November 2018 for 6 weeks to 5pm 17th December 2018. 

Woking Borough Council have supplied a guidance note which goes into more detail and is available at http://www.woking2027.info/allocations/sadpdconsguidance
 

1. WHAT HAS HAPPENED

There was a Reg 18 consultation in June/July 2015 of the previous Draft DPD, followed by a Martyrs Lane consultation in January/February 2017.  All those comments were reviewed by Woking Borough Council but are no longer appropriate and are effectively “time expired”.

Even if you have made representations during Reg 18, you must make representations now if you wish to have the right to speak to the inspector and make your case at the examination.
 

1. WHAT ARE THE KEY CHANGES

The document covers all of Woking Borough but this section will concentrate on impacts across the three villages  Byfleet, West Byfleet & Pyrford within the Residents Association area.

The key points to note are:-

1. Development site proposals for use up until 2027 remain unchanged.

          (See lists in Appendices 1 & 2 below)
 

1. Safeguarded sites to remain in Greenbelt

•  Land West of Upshot Lane and to the rear of 79-95 Lovelace Drive

            (GB12 Reg 18)

• Land East of Upshot Lane & South of Aviary Road

            (GB13 Reg 18)
 

1. Safeguarded sites to be withdrawn from Green Belt:

• Land to the south of Parvis Road, Byfleet

           (GB4 Reg 18 & 19)

• Land to the south of Rectory Lane, Byfleet

           (GB5 Reg 18 & 19)
            N.B.  These two sites are for dwellings and “could also include a Gypsy and Traveller site.”
 

1. Sites to be removed from Green Belt

• West Byfleet Infant & Junior School including playing fields

           (GB21 Reg 19)
 

1. Traveller accommodation proposals:

• Temporary planning permission at Murrays Lane should be made permanent.
• 15 pitches be set aside at West Hall, West Byfleet.

1. The Martyrs Lane site is excluded from all development proposals.

1.  Site in West Byfleet identified as land for Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) to remain in Green Belt. (See Appendix 3 below)

1. WHAT NEXT

E.1) LOCATION OF DOCUMENTS

The Site Allocations DPD and its supporting Sustainability Appraisal Report, Habitats Regulations Assessment and Proposals Map are available for inspection at the following venues:

• Woking Borough Council, Civic Offices, Gloucester Square, Woking, GU21 6YL.           Monday to Friday 9am – 4.45pm
• Woking, Byfleet, West Byfleet and Knaphill libraries. Please see www.surreycc.gov.uk for addresses and opening times of the libraries.
• On the Council’s website www.woking2027.info/allocations

 
E.2) DROP IN SESSIONS

Woking Borough Council will be holding drop-in sessions where you can come and discuss the proposals in more detail with the Planning Policy Team.  These will be held on:

• Wednesday 21 November at HG Wells Conference and Events Centre, Church Street East, Woking GU21 6HJ, from 5.30 – 7.30pm;
• Monday 26 November at Woking Borough Council Civic Offices (address as above) from 1 – 4.45pm.

 
The RA will be arranging public meetings. Details will be announced soon.

E.3) YOUR FEEDBACK

Representations may be accompanied by a request to be notified at a specified address of any of the following:

• that the Site Allocations DPD has been submitted to the Secretary of State for Independent Examination;
• the publication of the recommendations of any person appointed to carry out an Independent Examination of the DPD; and
• the adoption of the DPD.

The representation form provided by the Council allows you to indicate whether you wish to be informed when the DPD progresses to the next stages.  If you do not use the form, please remember to specify whether you would like to be notified and provide your contact details.  

Representations can be e-mailed to planning.policy@woking.gov.uk or posted to:

        The Planning Policy Team
        Woking Borough Council
        Civic Offices
        Gloucester Square,
        Woking
        Surrey
        GU21 6YL
 
The full letter sent to registered residents is below in Appendix 5.

 
Appendix 1 –  Non Green Belt Sites
 

 
 
 
 

 
Appendix 2  – Development and infrastructure sites within the existing Green Belt
 

 

 
Appendix 3  – Land for SANG/open space use within the Green Belt
 

 
SANG means Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace
The purpose of SANG is to attract informal recreation users, such as walkers and dog walkers away from the Special Protection Area (SPA). SANGs will provide alternative open spaces for use by future occupants of development and existing residents to avoid the potential harm caused by more visitors to the SPA. SANG land can be new open space, or the improvement of existing open space to increase its capacity for informal recreation.

 
Appendix 4  – Tests of Soundness NPPF July 2018

35. Local plans and spatial development strategies are examined to assess whether they have been prepared in accordance with legal and procedural requirements. Plans are “sound” if they are:-
 
a) Positively prepared – providing a strategy which, as a minimum, seeks to meet the area’s objectively assessed needs; and is informed by agreements with other authorities, so that unmet need from neighbouring areas is accommodated where it is practical to do so and is consistent with achieving sustainable development;
b) Justified – an appropriate strategy, taking into account the reasonable alternatives, and based on proportionate evidence;
c) Effective – deliverable over the plan period, and based on effective joint working on cross-boundary strategic matters that have been dealt with rather than deferred, as evidenced by the statement of common ground; and
d) Consistent with national policy  –  enabling the delivery of sustainable development in accordance with the policies in this Framework.
36. These tests of soundness will be applied to non-strategic policies in a proportionate way, taking into account the extent to which they are consistent with relevant strategic policies for the area.

 
APPENDIX 5 –  Site Allocations Development Plan Document (DPD) – Regulation 19 Consultation
 
Woking Borough Council has published its Site Allocations DPD and its accompanying Sustainability Appraisal Report, Habitats Regulations Assessment and Proposals Map for Regulation 19 consultation to give you the final opportunity to submit any representations, which will be taken into account before the Publication version of the DPD is submitted to the Secretary of State for Examination.  The main purpose of the Site Allocations DPD is to identify and allocate specific sites to enable the delivery of the Woking Core Strategy (2012). The Site Allocations DPD also takes a long term strategic view of the future, and safeguards land to meet future development needs beyond the present Core Strategy period (between 2027 and 2040).

The Regulation 19 consultation is the final opportunity for you to comment on the Site Allocations DPD before it is submitted to the Secretary of State for Examination. The Council therefore values your involvement to ensure that the proposals of the DPD are sufficiently robust to manage development across the Borough.

The consultation period for the DPD is between 5 November 2018 and 17 December 2018 (by 5.00pm). You are encouraged to send any representations that you may have.
The Site Allocations DPD and its supporting Sustainability Appraisal Report, Habitats Regulations Assessment and Proposals Map are available for inspection at the following venues: 

• Woking Borough Council, Civic Offices, Gloucester Square, Woking, GU21 6YL.  Monday to Friday 9am – 4.45pm
• Woking, Byfleet, West Byfleet and Knaphill libraries. Please see www.surreycc.gov.uk for addresses and opening times of the libraries.
• On the Council’s website www.woking2027.info/allocations

The Council will be holding drop-in sessions where you can come and discuss the proposals in more detail with the Planning Policy Team.  These will be held on:

• Wednesday 21 November at HG Wells Conference and Events Centre, Church Street East, Woking GU21 6HJ, from 5.30 – 7.30pm;
• Monday 26 November at Woking Borough Council Civic Offices (address as above) from 1 – 4.45pm.

Representation forms are available at the inspection venues above, and also online at www.woking2027.info/allocations.  The Council has also produced a guidance note to explain in detail what we are consulting on, and to assist you in submitting your comments.  

Representations made at this stage should relate to one of the tests of soundness set out in paragraph 35 of the National Planning Policy framework (NPPF). To be sound, the Site Allocations DPD should be positively prepared, justified, effective and consistent with national policy. It must also satisfy the legal and procedural requirements. The representation form has been designed to guide respondents to do this.

Representations may be accompanied by a request to be notified at a specified address of any of the following:
 

• that the Site Allocations DPD has been submitted to the Secretary of State for Independent Examination;
• the publication of the recommendations of any person appointed to carry out an Independent Examination of the DPD; and
• the adoption of the DPD.

The representation form provided by the Council allows you to indicate whether you wish to be informed when the DPD progresses to the next stages.  If you do not use the form, please remember to specify whether you would like to be notified and provide your contact details.  
Representations can be e-mailed to planning.policy@woking.gov.uk or posted to:
          The Planning Policy Team
          Woking Borough Council
          Civic Offices
          Gloucester Square, Woking
          Surrey GU21 6YL

Representations must be received no later than 5pm on 17 December 2018

Please be aware that all comments will be made publically available and identifiable by name and organisation. Any other personal information provided will be processed by Woking Borough Council in line with the General Data Protection Regulation.  Please do let the Council know if you do not want your details to be retained on the Council’s consultation database.

Next stages of the process

After the consultation period, all duly made representations received together with the DPD and its supporting documents will be submitted to the Secretary of State for Independent Examination. You will be notified of the details of the Examination.
If you have any questions on the draft DPD, please do not hesitate to contact the Planning Policy Team on 01483 743871 or e-mail: planning.policy@woking.gov.uk.
 
Yours sincerely,
 

Ernest Amoako
Planning Policy Manager