In May 2006 the Council's Planning Committee refused a planning application for a large retail store and car park on a site facing Upper High Street. 

The reasons for refusal were that the need for a retail store of the size proposed had not been demonstrated; that it would cause excessive traffic and congestion and that highway safety would be affected; that there would be some loss of existing car parking; that the living conditions in some of the Upper High Street properties would be harmed, as would the character and appearance of the conservation area and locality.

The owners of the 'Iceland' site (Helical Bar (Epsom) Ltd) appealed against that decision (November 2006) and a public inquiry is to be held, although the Council has yet to hear when this will be.

The Council owns a large area and needs to consider what to do with its land.  It believes the way forward is to:

• First obtain public views on what development could or should happen, and then
• Use this information to produce appraisals of its own lands and others nearby

Location of site
Map of existing trees
Map of underground mains

In order to establish these public views, two public meetings were held on Friday the 19th January 2007.

These meetings were run by an independent organisation, rather than the Council, and aimed to get a wide range of views on the future planning of the area.  The independent facilitation company have now produced a report, drawing out the views expressed, and this can be read below.  A number of local bodies and site owners have been asked for their views.

Community Workshops Report by Dialogue

As and when further meetings take place, notes of these will be added to the website, as will the report from the two public meetings.  The technical appraisals of the Council's sites (and others nearby) will then build on the public information and the comments that came from the meetings.

A meeting with the Business Partnership took place on 7 February 2007 in order to obtain the views and ideas of the partnership members on how the development of the study area should proceed. Minutes of this meeting can be viewed here.

There are number of practical and legal constraints on the development of the Council's lands, such as underground services and the need to provide vehicular access to the Electricity depot, and these will be taken into account.

The appraisal work was reported to the Council's Environment Committee on 28 March 2007, the minutes of which may be viewed below:
Minutes of Environment Committee

If you wish to make a comment on how you would like to see the development of the sites in the area, independently of the meetings, then you can contribute by sending your views directly to your Ward Councillors.

You may access notes of the meetings below:

Helical Bar
Council's Affordable Housing Services
Council's Leisure Services
Epsom Protection Society
Residents Group
Rosebery Housing Association
A Business View - The Best of Epsom
Residents Associations