Draft Local Plan Consultation

It has taken some time to get the Consultation Draft on-line as there have been plenty of late amendments to evidence documents to consider.

The consultation went live on 1st July 2014 and there is a drop in shop at 25, Swan Lane, Guildford in which everyone can inspect documents, make comments and give feedback.

It is worth stepping back from any debate about whether we like the plan and recognising the huge amount of work put in by officers and Councillors (especially Councillor Juneja who has the lead for the Local Plan).  It is easier to criticise the documents than to prepare them.

We have criticised elements of the Evidence Base and some of the shortcomings have led to some issues in the policies and narrative.

Stepping back from the documents and looking afresh, it is evident that the Local Plan may be too general in places and not enough about Guildford and our specific issues.

All of that notwithstanding, we should thank officers and Councillors for their hard work.

Here are the documents (and there are a lot of them).  The Guildford Society slides from the fifth talk in its Local Plan series will be provided on a separate post on this website and at www.guildfordsociety.org.uk.

The Draft Local Plan

Three ‘Topic’ Papers (issued on 17th July 2014)

The Evidence Base (at the Consultation launch on 1st July 2014)

We have grouped these according to our own approach.   There is no such grouping in the Draft Plan nor on the GBC Website: http://www.guildford.gov.uk/evidencebase

The Vision and Priorities

Although the Council’s Corporate Plan (2013-2016) will have run its course when the Plan is due to be adopted, it forms a significant part of the basis of the vision and strategy in the Draft Local Plan:

Constraints (Issues to be addressed AND/OR impacting on Development)

Infrastructure Baseline

Town Centre Vitality and Viability Report

Access & Transport

Guildford Town Movement Strategy

Growth Options and Scenarios

Green Belt & Countryside Reports

Flood Risk Assessments

There are several documents on the Borough’s website (not directly copied here) which will inform constraints but which would require technical assessments of any strategy or proposed development:  I have included the lnk to the GBC web page for any up to date documents

At the time of writing, the Flood Risk Assessment dates from 2010 (pre-dating the major flood event in 2013) and those documents are provided below:

Sites of Nature Conservation Importance

These survey reports date from 2004-2007; there should have been updated versions available in parallel with any review of green field sites and options.

Surface Water Management Plan

This report dates from 2013

Habitats Regulation Assessment

This report dates from 2013

Land Uses

Objectively Assessed Need and Demand

Strategic Housing Market Area Assessment

Affordable Housing Viability

Traveller Accommodation Assessment

Retail and Leisure Study

Updated from 2006 reports which themselves were based on 2004 data

Economic and Employment Need

no specific papers in the evidence base

Land Availability Assessments

Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment

Traveller SHLAA

 Employment Land Availability Assessment

Qualitative and Character Analyses

Sustainability Appraisal

Settlement Profiles and Hierarchy

Landscape Character Assessments (2007)

Conservation Areas Character Assessments

 Open Space and Green Infrastructure (2006)

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About GuildfordPlan

GuildfordPlan is a 'whiteboard' set up by Julian Lyon to think out loud as part of the process of preparing the Guildford Society representations to the various Local Plan Consultations