Draft Local Plan 2022-2040
The Council is preparing a new Local Plan to strengthen our borough’s future, while also delivering new homes, jobs, improved transport and green spaces. Formed in consultation with residents, the new Local Plan will put in place a clear strategy to bring investment, growth and prosperity to the borough.
The new Local Plan, when adopted, will replace the Core Strategy (2007), Plan E (2011) and Development Management Policies Document (2015).
What is a Local Plan?
The Epsom and Ewell Local Plan will set out a vision for how Epsom and Ewell will develop as a place up to 2040. It looks at our future needs for development and provides guidance as to where it will go and what it will look like.
The Local Plan will provide guidance about the type of growth we expect to see, protecting the borough from ad hoc and inappropriate development.
The Local Plan is informed by a suite of evidence that can be viewed on our evidence base pages. Visit our evidence base pages.
Consultation and responses
Regulation 18 Draft Local Plan: Preferred Options (2022-2040)
The Council consulted on a Regulation 18 Draft Local Plan from 12:00 on Wednesday 1 February to 23:59 Sunday 19 March 2023.
During the consultation period the planning team hosted six public consultation events, and promoted the consultation through a wide range of communications channels, to engage residents as widely as possible.
Thank you to the 1,736 individuals or organisations that responded to the consultation on the Draft Local Plan during the consultation period through our consultation platform, by email or in writing.
The responses received during the consultation period are now available to view on our consultation portal.
Please note: Any comments that were received during the consultation period which were considered to be inflammatory, offensive or otherwise inappropriate have been redacted.
Whilst the comments have gone through a redaction process to remove offensive comments from the published responses, it is possible that some comments remain publicly viewable that may be offensive to some people. Such comments are not the views of Epsom and Ewell Borough Council, and the council does not condone the use of potentially offensive language and/or remarks. If you come across any comments which you or others may find offensive, please email localplan@epsom-ewell.gov.uk and we will consider redacting them.
Local Plan Pause
Following the close of the consultation on the Draft Local Plan, on the 22 March 2023 an Extraordinary Council Meeting was held where a Motion was debated and the Council agreed that the Local Plan process be paused.
On the 15 June 2023 a Local Plan Update Report was considered by the Licensing and Planning Policy Committee (LPPC) to provide an update on the work undertaken following the decision on the 22 March by Council.
On the 26 September 2023 the Licencing and Planning Policy Committee considered a report on un-pausing the Local Plan. This was followed by a decision by Full Council on 24 October 2023 to un-pause the plan.
At the Licencing and Planning Policy Committee on the 22 November 2023 an updated timetable (Local Development Scheme) was approved.
Next Steps
We are working on the evidence base that is needed to produce the next iteration of the Local Plan, known as the Draft Pre-Submission.
Once the evidence base is gathered and complete, a recommendation will come to the Licensing and Planning Policy Committee (LPPC) on a proposed Pre Submission Local Plan. This is expected to be in November 2024. LPPC will then make a recommendation to Full Council who will then decide how it wishes to proceed with the Local Plan. It is only at this stage that a Full Council decision on the Local Plan will be made. If it is agreed, then it will go forward to another six-week public consultation.
We have published some frequently asked questions on the Local Plan which can be accessed from the link below.
Please check this webpage for further updates.