Review our new Local Plan
Epsom and Ewell Local Plan 2017-2037: A New Local Plan
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. It will also set out strong guidance about the type of growth we expect to see, protecting the borough from ad hoc and inappropriate development. Our new Local Plan will cover the period to 2037.
We are developing a new Local Plan which will ensure that Epsom and Ewell continues to evolve as a modern market borough, which offers a special and unique place for people to live, work, learn and enjoy themselves.
The borough’s previous Local Plan and related strategies were successful in helping to mould the borough into the welcoming and successful place that it is today. The new Local Plan will have a similar role, responding to the latest challenges we face as a borough and listening to the views of local people to help shape an even better future for decades to come.
Getting Involved
More information on the Local Plan can be found on our new dedicated website: www.epsom-ewell.gov.uk/localplan
Current Epsom and Ewell Local Plan
The Epsom and Ewell Local Plan provides the local policy framework for the borough against which planning applications will be assessed.
The adopted Plan currently consists of:
Plan E - An Area Action Plan for Epsom Town Centre (2011)
Development Management Policies Document (2015)
The Local Plan is supported by an extensive Evidence Base. These background studies and surveys have helped to inform the adopted policies and will underpin future policy preparation. Amongst other material, this evidence base includes the Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) and Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA).
As a result of changes to national planning policy, work is currently underway to review our Local Plan policies. The timetable for the review of the Local Plan is available here.
The Council has published a new document 'Making the Efficient Use of Land Optimising Housing Delivery 2018' in response to the publication of the revised National Planning Policy Framework. This is an interim measure to boost housing delivery and give greater certainty to the local plan process.
Housing Delivery Test Action Plan
The publication of the revised national policy and guidance (National Planning Policy Framework NPPF and Planning Practice Guidance PPG) in 2018 saw the introduction of various measures by central government to increase housing delivery in the country through the Planning system. This included the introduction of a new test known as the Housing Delivery Test (HDT). The HDT measures the previous three years housing delivery in an authority area against the authority’s housing requirement. The failure to meet 95% of the requirement results in the need to prepare an Action Plan and failure to meet 85% of the requirement results in the addition of a 20% buffer to the five year supply of deliverable sites. The Borough failed to deliver 95% housing delivery for the previous three years against the housing requirement and a Housing Delivery Action Plan has been prepared to identify the causes of under-delivery and actions to increase it in the future.
