Letter: Local Plan Update Work is Underway

Published on: 27 Mar, 2024
Updated on: 27 Mar, 2024

From: Fiona White

In response to: We Should All be Asking ‘Where Is the New Local Plan?’

There is a very simple answer to the question “Where is the new Local Plan” posed by Angela Richardson MP.

At its meeting on February 21, Guildford Borough Council agreed to start the process of updating the 2019 Local Plan. The work of updating is now underway and there will be regular reports on our progress as well as periods of consultation.

However, there is a lot to do. The Planning Policy Team have to assess the information which we currently hold to see whether it is still valid or whether it needs to be updated. Much of our behaviour has changed since 2019 and the update needs to reflect the way we live now in terms of shopping and working habits as well as where we live.

The plan update must be evidence driven and gathering that evidence will be the first part of the process. I am very lucky to have good team of experienced officers to carry out this work.

We will be looking at brownfield sites first, particularly the urban area of Guildford. The work already done on “Shaping Guildford’s Future” will be a part of that work although we will be looking at the whole town and not just the area along the river. Much of that development will depend on work with the Environment Agency to deal with the flooding issues along the River Wey.

As I said earlier, there is a lot to do and we can’t rush it. It is essential that we get this right and that when we put proposals to the Public Inquiry, they are supported by robust evidence.

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