Pause in the Mole Valley Local Plan Process

Please click here for more recent update from 6th January

Mole Valley District Council (MVDC) has taken the decision to pause before moving on to the next stage in its Future Mole Valley timetable. MVDC will await clarification on the government's plans for the planning system and Green Belt before deciding its next course of action.

Councillor Margaret Cooksey, Cabinet Member for Planning, said: "Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, made three announcements relating to housing targets and Local Plan production last week. Broadly, those announcements suggest changes being made to the National Planning Policy Framework before Christmas. We have informed the Inspector in charge of the Local Plan Examination that we wish to pause proceedings until the implications of the announcements are clear."

The Liberal Democrat administration has always challenged the government housing target for Mole Valley. Its Regulation 19 version of the Draft Local Plan includes criteria to justify only meeting 77% of the Government housing target.

The Liberal Democrat administration's Draft Local Plan has been guided by these aims:

• To increase the supply of affordable homes and meet specialist housing needs for our population
• To require infrastructure (education, health, transport) to support sustainable new developments and the local economy
• To protect the Green Belt, maximise use of brownfield sites, and increase biodiversity requirements on developers
• To increase energy efficiency requirements in order to address climate change
• To protect and enhance the character and rural setting of our towns and villages

What is the Conservative Government policy for house building?

In 2020, the Conservative Government used an algorithm to set housing targets that would have led to a housing boom in London and the South and fewer homes built in the North, despite the 'Levelling up' agenda. They used population projections that are now clearly out of date and too high. The only way to fully meet these targets in rural areas such as Mole Valley would be to build on Green Belt and greenfield sites or put tower blocks in our towns.

Conservative MPs in the South have belatedly rebelled and Michael Gove has recently indicated that the housing target numbers might be 'advisory'. This throws the whole system into disarray. A weak and rudderless Government appears to be making another U-turn despite the urgent need for new housing.

Our Conservative MP wants all new building to be in our towns and villages on brownfield sites, but the numbers of homes needed don't stack up without tower blocks that would alter the character of Mole Valley.

What is the current status of the submission version of the Draft Local Plan?

MVDC submitted the Regulation 19 version of the Draft Local Plan in February 2022 following consultation. They responded to comments with a significant reduction in housing units and fewer Green Belt sites than the previous Regulation 18 Draft that was prepared by the previous Conservative administration. The current Draft includes criteria to justify only meeting 77% of the Government housing target.

It has now been examined by the Planning Inspector. She communicated with respondents and conducted Hearings Sessions between March and November 2022. The next stage would have been to consult with stakeholders on the proposed modifications to the Draft Local Plan in January 2023 and potentially to adopt the plan in Summer 2023 if it had been approved by the Inspector.

We had to compromise on our objectives, especially with regard to the Green Belt, because of the current requirements when submitting the Draft Local Plan. If the Government really intends to give Councils more freedom to do what is right for their area, then there are adjustments that we would like to make. So it makes sense to wait to see what the Government will actually let us do.

Why not rip up the Draft Local Plan and start again?

Two Draft Local Plans have been written and consulted on, several years' work for many people and a lot of expense have gone into this process. Clearly a pause is necessary while the Conservative Government clarifies the rules around Local Plans and housing targets. But the delay and uncertainty are very frustrating for everyone concerned and our green spaces continue to be at risk.

Unfortunately any delay in adopting the new Local Plan would lengthen the current period when Mole Valley is unable to demonstrate a 5-year housing land supply. This is used by some developers to justify applications that might otherwise conflict with local planning policies. So we need rapid clarification from the Government on what its new announcements mean in practice.