Spelthorne Local Plan consultation - Liberal Democrat submitted comments

The consultation on the new Spelthorne Local Plan closed at midnight on the 21st January. Amonst the huge number of comments from individuals and local residents groups has been one from Spelthorne Liberal Democrats and a link to our submission is below.

Spelthorne Liberal Democrat submitted comments

Most submissions from residents have focused on their immediate area and local sites which will directly affect their lives. But we have instead looked closely at the policies that will be used to determine planning applications in the years to come, and we are seeking to ensure that developments as a whole will conform to the highest possible standards. We all have to accept that there will be more development is Spelthorne, but it needs to be in the right places and done to the highest possible standards with proper infrastructure and social amenities to meet needs.

We are particularly concerned that the infrastructure in Spelthorne (schools, medical services, transport etc.) is already inadequate and this consultation has not included a plan to address these needs. The Council is committed to producing an Infrastructure Plan during 2020 and when this is available your Liberal Democrat councillors will be subjecting it to the closest possible scrutiny.

It is also important to remember that the consultation is also an opportuity for developers to lobby for there proposed sites. In many cases, developers have a strong financial incentive to get their site accepted for development. In the case of Green Belt sites, the value of the land goes up hugely when planning permission becomes a real possibility. We should expect the developers to be lobbying hard in their submissions.

Your local Liberal Democrats will be following the Local Plan closely and keeping you informed of developments.