SURREY STRUCTURE PLAN 2004 - Surrey County Council
SURREY STRUCTURE PLAN 2004 - Surrey County Council
SURREY STRUCTURE PLAN 2004 - Surrey County Council
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<strong>SURREY</strong> <strong>STRUCTURE</strong> <strong>PLAN</strong> <strong>2004</strong>
<strong>SURREY</strong> <strong>STRUCTURE</strong> <strong>PLAN</strong> <strong>2004</strong><br />
ADOPTED ON 4 DECEMBER <strong>2004</strong><br />
ROGER HARGREAVES<br />
Head of Planning & Countryside<br />
<strong>County</strong> Hall | Kingston upon Thames | <strong>Surrey</strong> KT1 2DY<br />
ISBN 1 899706 77 1 32 1<br />
Published by <strong>Surrey</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong><br />
March 2005
CONTENTS<br />
Introduction …07<br />
Chapter 1 The Spatial Strategy …14<br />
Chapter 2 The Location of Development …29<br />
Policy LO1 The Location of Development …29<br />
Policy LO2 Managing Urban Areas …32<br />
Policy LO3 Town Centres …34<br />
Policy LO4 The Countryside and Green Belt …36<br />
Policy LO5 Rural Settlements …40<br />
Policy LO6 Housing Provision …41<br />
Policy LO7 Employment Land …45<br />
Policy LO8 Retail Development …50<br />
Chapter 3 Sustaining the Environment …52<br />
Policy SE1 Natural Resources and Pollution Control …52<br />
Policy SE2 Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation …54<br />
Policy SE3 Flooding and Land Drainage …56<br />
Policy SE4 Design and the Quality of Development …58<br />
Policy SE5 Protecting the Heritage …62<br />
Policy SE6 Biodiversity …64<br />
Policy SE7 Nature Conservation …66<br />
Policy SE8 Landscape …67<br />
Policy SE9 Trees and Woodland …70<br />
Policy SE10 River Corridors and Waterways …72<br />
4<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong>
Chapter 4 Infrastructure and Development Needs …74<br />
Policy DN1 Infrastructure Provision …74<br />
Policy DN2 Movement Implications of Development …75<br />
Policy DN3 Parking Provision …76<br />
Policy DN4 Public Transport …78<br />
Policy DN5 Cycle and Pedestrian Routes …80<br />
Policy DN6 The Motorway and Primary Route Network …81<br />
Policy DN7 Freight Transport …83<br />
Policy DN8 Airport Development …84<br />
Policy DN9 General Aviation …86<br />
Policy DN10 Housing Type and Need …88<br />
Policy DN11 Affordable Housing …89<br />
Policy DN12 Social and Community Facilities …92<br />
Policy DN13 Leisure and Recreation Facilities …93<br />
Policy DN14 Tourism Development …95<br />
Policy DN15 Further and Higher Education Facilities …96<br />
Policy DN16 Agriculture …97<br />
Policy DN17 Mineral Workings and Restoration …99<br />
Policy DN18 Waste Management …100<br />
Chapter 5 Implementing the Structure Plan …104<br />
Chapter 6 Monitoring and Review …109<br />
Acronyms, Glossary and Further Information …112<br />
The Key Diagram<br />
… inside back cover<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong> 5
introduction<br />
The Structure Plan – Shaping <strong>Surrey</strong>’s Future<br />
The planning framework in <strong>Surrey</strong><br />
The planning system is entering a period of transition<br />
as the provisions of the Planning & Compulsory<br />
Purchase Act <strong>2004</strong> come into effect. Currently, the<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> Structure Plan provides the strategic framework<br />
for land use planning in the county, shaping <strong>Surrey</strong>’s<br />
future physically and environmentally, and influencing it<br />
economically and socially. The Plan, together with local<br />
plans prepared by the 11 borough and district councils,<br />
and the Minerals and Waste Local Plans prepared by the<br />
<strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong>, form the Development Plan for <strong>Surrey</strong>.<br />
At the national level, the Structure Plan is guided by a<br />
series of Planning Policy Statements (PPSs), Planning<br />
Policy Guidance Notes (PPGs), Minerals Policy Guidance<br />
Notes (MPGs) and circulars which set out how<br />
Government policy should be applied through the<br />
planning system.<br />
Regionally, the Plan has been prepared in accordance<br />
with the provisions of Regional Planning Guidance for<br />
the South East (RPG9). RPG provides an overarching<br />
spatial strategy for the development plans in each region.<br />
It has a particular role in determining overall housing<br />
requirements for each county and unitary authority area<br />
and includes the Regional Transport Strategy. RPG is<br />
prepared in conjunction with the regional assemblies and<br />
subject to examination in front of an independent panel<br />
of planning inspectors, although the Government has the<br />
final say over RPG contents.<br />
The Planning & Compulsory Purchase Act <strong>2004</strong> has<br />
initiated fundamental changes to this system. Regional<br />
Planning Guidance will be replaced with a statutory<br />
Regional Spatial Strategy (now referred to as the South<br />
East Plan), prepared by the South East England Regional<br />
Assembly (SEERA) and ultimately approved by the<br />
Government Office. At a district level, local plans will<br />
be replaced by Local Development Frameworks (LDFs),<br />
which are intended to provide a streamlined and more<br />
positive approach to managing development. Together<br />
with the South East Plan, the LDFs in <strong>Surrey</strong> will form<br />
the development plan for the county.<br />
The Structure Plan will be ‘saved’ for a period of 3 years<br />
from the date of adoption of the Plan and will continue<br />
to form part of the Development Plan for the county for<br />
this period, or until it is superseded by the South East<br />
Plan. As such, it will provide the policy basis for the<br />
development of the first round of district LDFs, which<br />
are required to be in place by 2007.<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong> 7
introduction<br />
Regional Planning Areas<br />
This Plan replaces the existing 1994 <strong>Surrey</strong> Structure Plan.<br />
It covers housing provision for the period up to 2016, in<br />
line with the requirements of RPG9, but is intended to<br />
set out the broad land use strategy (the Spatial Strategy)<br />
for <strong>Surrey</strong> for the longer term.<br />
The Eastern<br />
Region<br />
The<br />
South East<br />
Region<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong><br />
London<br />
Making <strong>Surrey</strong> a better place<br />
The <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong>’s priorities for <strong>Surrey</strong> are set out<br />
in its Annual Performance Plan, Making <strong>Surrey</strong> a Better<br />
Place, which aims to improve the quality of life for<br />
everyone in <strong>Surrey</strong>. At the heart of this is the aspiration<br />
of sustainable development which the Government has<br />
summarised as:<br />
f social progress which recognises the needs of<br />
everyone<br />
f effective protection of the environment<br />
f prudent use of natural resources<br />
f maintenance of high and stable levels of economic<br />
growth and employment.<br />
The Common Agenda for a Sustainable<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong><br />
The Common Agenda for a Sustainable <strong>Surrey</strong> is a set<br />
of guidelines for achieving sustainable development in<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong>. It was formally adopted by the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong><br />
in February 2000. Its key commitments are to:<br />
8<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong>
introduction<br />
f use natural resources wisely<br />
f promote more sustainable transport<br />
f protect and enhance the environment<br />
f encourage a successful local economy<br />
f care for and protect people<br />
f encourage successful communities<br />
f meet people’s differing needs.<br />
The Common Agenda was prepared by the Sustainable<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> Forum (SSF) which brought together key<br />
organisations to achieve social, economic and<br />
environmental wellbeing in the county. The SSF was used<br />
as the basis for a new <strong>Surrey</strong> Forum set up as one<br />
element of the <strong>Surrey</strong> Strategic Partnership which brings<br />
together the community, statutory and non-statutory<br />
bodies and voluntary organisations to deliver the<br />
Government’s requirement to prepare community<br />
strategies. The objective of such strategies, to enhance<br />
the quality of life for local communities and contribute<br />
to the achievement of sustainable development through<br />
action to improve the economic, social and<br />
environmental wellbeing of an area’s inhabitants, mirrors<br />
that of The Common Agenda. The Structure Plan is one<br />
of the mechanisms by which the aims of community<br />
planning will be achieved and will provide a spatial<br />
dimension to the local community strategies.<br />
The Structure Plan and Sustainable Development<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong> 9
introduction<br />
Integrating land use and transportation<br />
The <strong>Surrey</strong> Local Transport Plan (LTP) July 2000, is a five<br />
year plan setting out how strategic and local transport<br />
problems are to be tackled within the context of<br />
regional and national policy frameworks. It seeks to<br />
reinforce the integration between transport and land use<br />
planning, and promote more sustainable travel. Its five<br />
objectives are:<br />
Objective A: Integration<br />
To improve co-ordination between all forms of<br />
transport, and to integrate transport with other policies.<br />
Objective B: Environment<br />
To protect and improve the environment of <strong>Surrey</strong> and<br />
health of its people by reducing the adverse effects of<br />
motorised transport.<br />
Objective C: Safety<br />
To improve the safety and security of transport for all<br />
travellers.<br />
Objective D: Economy<br />
To promote an efficient transport system which supports<br />
a sustainable economy.<br />
Objective E: Accessibility<br />
To make it easier for everyone to travel to everyday<br />
facilities, especially people without a car.<br />
The Structure Plan policies will assist in delivering the<br />
strategy of the Local Transport Plan which aims to:<br />
f widen travel choice<br />
(Structure Plan Policies DN4 and DN5)<br />
f manage traffic and restrain the demand for travel<br />
(Structure Plan Policies LO2, DN2 and DN3)<br />
f produce a more integrated transport system<br />
(Structure Plan Policies DN1 and DN2)<br />
f plan and manage the highway network<br />
(Structure Plan Policy DN6)<br />
f address the transport needs of rural areas<br />
(Structure Plan Policies LO4, DN16)<br />
f help to make freight transport more sustainable<br />
(Structure Plan Policy DN7)<br />
f integrate transport with other policies<br />
(all Structure Plan policies).<br />
Supporting a sustainable economy<br />
The <strong>Surrey</strong> economy is one of the largest outside<br />
London. The county’s share of employment in the rest<br />
of the South East is over 13% and the total number of<br />
business sites in the county is one of the highest county<br />
figures outside London. <strong>Surrey</strong> has some significant<br />
advantages over other local economies. The high skills<br />
profile of its workforce, the concentration of knowledge<br />
based industries, the quality of the commercial building<br />
stock and general environment and the affluence of its<br />
catchment population are all important attributes of the<br />
economy. When linked to other significant factors such<br />
as proximity to a global capital and national and panregional<br />
airports, and a good if congested transport<br />
network, it suggests that the county has a significant<br />
competitive advantage over other areas of the UK.<br />
The <strong>Surrey</strong> economy has continued to grow in recent<br />
years with significant growth taking place in financial and<br />
business services. The number of jobs in <strong>Surrey</strong> has<br />
grown at a faster rate than the labour supply, i.e. <strong>Surrey</strong>’s<br />
10<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong>
introduction<br />
resident workforce. The trend of commuting flows in<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> for the period 1971-1991 was one where incommuting<br />
increased significantly whereas outcommuting<br />
grew less rapidly. By 2001, the number of<br />
people both living and working in <strong>Surrey</strong> was 341,900;<br />
the number working in the county but living outside it<br />
was 145,200; and the number living in <strong>Surrey</strong> but<br />
commuting out for work was 190,900. In the past ten<br />
years net out-commuting from <strong>Surrey</strong> has reduced from<br />
60,000 to 45,700 workers. <strong>Surrey</strong> has become more self<br />
contained as a labour market by providing more jobs for<br />
its resident workforce but less self contained so far as<br />
generating continued growth in both in and outcommuting.<br />
There are no apparent reasons to consider that the<br />
prospects for the <strong>Surrey</strong> economy are not good for the<br />
Plan period. In spite of recessionary fears for the world<br />
economy in general, the strong economy of the South<br />
East as a whole suggests that should there be an<br />
economic slowdown it is likely to be short lived,<br />
followed by a robust recovery. The position of <strong>Surrey</strong> as<br />
a key component of the South East economy is unlikely<br />
to alter. The South East is the second largest regional<br />
economy in the UK, marginally behind London and<br />
accounting for almost 16% of the UK’s GDP. The <strong>Surrey</strong><br />
economy is significantly less self-contained than some of<br />
its neighbours; it is very open and interrelated with that<br />
of London and the wider South East. Given the complex<br />
inter-relationship with the economies of other areas, it<br />
is difficult to make reliable forecasts for the local<br />
economy.<br />
The <strong>Surrey</strong> Economic Partnership’s Economic Strategy<br />
for 2002-2005 was published in February 2002. It<br />
contains 5 Steps to Business Success, designed to overcome<br />
the major barriers that threaten the continued economic<br />
success of <strong>Surrey</strong>. These are to:<br />
f facilitate innovation throughout the economy<br />
f raise productivity<br />
f encourage the most efficient and effective use of<br />
land and property<br />
f reduce dependency on the road network; and<br />
f promote a culture of corporate responsibility.<br />
The Strategy and Action Plan will also help to<br />
implement, at a local level, the Regional Economic<br />
Strategy 2002-2012 (RES) which was prepared by the<br />
South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) in<br />
2002. The RES identifies three key problems associated<br />
with the success of the region: transport congestion,<br />
lack of affordable housing and skill shortages. The first<br />
two of these have also been identified as key issues<br />
which the Structure Plan is trying to address.<br />
Supporting a living and working countryside<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong>’s Rural Strategy provides an overview of the issues<br />
affecting the countryside across <strong>Surrey</strong>. Despite the high<br />
average density of development in the county, the<br />
quality of its natural resources, both scenic and<br />
ecological, are high and the long history of settlement<br />
and land management has provided a rich cultural<br />
inheritance. Many people also live in the rural areas. The<br />
social, economic and environmental issues, along with<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong> 11
introduction<br />
those of transport and recreation, are different in nature<br />
and degree from the issues faced within urban<br />
communities. The Rural Strategy complements the<br />
Spatial Strategy set out in this Plan and brings together<br />
representatives of the different interests to develop<br />
holistic solutions and to safeguard the particular<br />
character and qualities which contribute to <strong>Surrey</strong>’s<br />
identity.<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> in Europe<br />
Spatial and transportation aspects of the European<br />
Union (EU) policies are increasingly governed by the<br />
European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP) which<br />
has been developed as an intergovernmental approach to<br />
achieving sustainable, balanced development throughout<br />
the Union. Rather than relying on Commission<br />
regulations, it seeks to co-ordinate national spatial<br />
development policies, taking account of the main<br />
economic, demographic and environmental trends in the<br />
EU. The UK and <strong>Surrey</strong> are also affected by EU policy and<br />
legislation, particularly relating to a range of<br />
environmental issues – disposal of waste, water and air<br />
quality, noise, pollution, transport (including aviation).<br />
across all EU territories by directing aid particularly to<br />
those regions affected by unemployment and low Gross<br />
Domestic Product (GDP). Following the most recent EU<br />
enlargement to 25 members it will be predominantly<br />
central and eastern European regions which will benefit<br />
most directly. Although large parts of the UK, including<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong>, are not eligible for much of this support, there<br />
are still opportunities to bid for funding to support<br />
projects in the fields of social policy, research and<br />
development, and the environment. <strong>Surrey</strong> is also<br />
eligible to bid, in association with other partners, for<br />
funds to support transnational co-operation on spatial<br />
planning, including exchanges of best practice.<br />
EU funding support for regional development is<br />
committed to reducing inequalities between regions<br />
12<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong>
introduction<br />
How the Structure Plan works<br />
Chapter 1 sets out the Spatial Strategy, which guides<br />
the location of development within the county.<br />
Chapters 2, 3 and 4 contain the policies (the<br />
Written Statement), which are accompanied by a<br />
brief explanation (the Explanatory Memorandum).<br />
The policies contained in the Plan must be treated<br />
as a whole and not considered in isolation from<br />
one another.<br />
Separate sections for each policy explain how the<br />
policies are to be implemented and provide indicators<br />
of how the performance of the policies is to be judged.<br />
In most cases the policies will be implemented through<br />
the more detailed policies included in local<br />
development frameworks. In some cases, additional<br />
guidance on implementation is provided in the form<br />
of supplementary planning guidance, or will be<br />
provided through good practice guides. Chapters<br />
5 and 6 provide more detailed information on<br />
implementation and monitoring.<br />
The Key Diagram comprises two illustrative maps<br />
of the policies and proposals contained in the<br />
Structure Plan.<br />
A comprehensive Glossary of words and phrases<br />
used in the Plan is also provided.<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong> 13
CHAPTER<br />
1<br />
the SPATIAL<br />
strategy<br />
Introduction<br />
T<br />
1.1 he Spatial Strategy sets out the proposed<br />
pattern of development for <strong>Surrey</strong> to 2016 and<br />
in the longer term, and the priorities for managing<br />
development and the infrastructure and services required<br />
to deliver it. The strategy builds on the existing structure<br />
of the county and its connections with London and the<br />
wider South East Region. It sets out overall objectives<br />
for the urban and rural areas but also includes specific<br />
guidance for the five sub-areas identified on the Key<br />
Diagram which reflect the strategies required to address<br />
the different characteristics and needs of each area.<br />
1.2 The priorities set out for each sub-area are land use<br />
based and are supported by the policies in this Plan.<br />
Delivery of the strategy will need to be supported by<br />
other infrastructure and service provision, particularly<br />
in terms of transport and will require close co-operation<br />
between the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong>, the borough and district<br />
councils, parish and town councils and other partners.<br />
The current transport strategy for the county is set out<br />
in the Local Transport Plan (LTP). However, as this was<br />
developed in advance of this Structure Plan review, it<br />
does not fully take into account the level of<br />
development or the spatial priorities proposed. Neither<br />
does it take into account emerging proposals in the<br />
Regional Transport Strategy (RTS) and will therefore have<br />
to be amended to reflect the proposed long term spatial<br />
strategy in the next review.<br />
General objectives<br />
N<br />
1.3 ew development will continue to be focused<br />
in the urban areas but with greater emphasis<br />
on the positive management of change, ensuring that<br />
development enhances the economic, social and<br />
environmental wellbeing of the area. Within this overall<br />
approach, the focus for development and for the<br />
provision of important services and functions will be<br />
major centres which are important transport<br />
interchanges and employment areas.<br />
1.4 The Metropolitan Green Belt will be strongly<br />
defended. This will be supported by a commitment<br />
to improve the environmental quality of urban fringe<br />
areas and the countryside will be protected for its own<br />
sake. Limited development in rural communities where<br />
it is needed to support their social and economic<br />
wellbeing will be acceptable.<br />
1.5 The pattern of land use change and community<br />
development required during the next 25 years is<br />
reflected in the different priorities set out for five subareas<br />
of the county: North <strong>Surrey</strong>, North West <strong>Surrey</strong>,<br />
South East <strong>Surrey</strong>, South West <strong>Surrey</strong> and the Blackwater<br />
Valley.<br />
14<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong>
chapter 1 : the spatial strategy<br />
Managing change in urban areas<br />
S<br />
1.6 urrey is the most urbanised shire county in<br />
England. About 85% of people in <strong>Surrey</strong> live<br />
within the urban areas, which cover 15% of the county.<br />
For many years, the planning strategy has emphasised<br />
the need to make best use of land and buildings within<br />
urban areas and to provide continued protection for the<br />
Metropolitan Green Belt. The network of town centres<br />
has been the primary focus for new commercial and<br />
retail development and for other social and community<br />
facilities. Despite continuing development, many of the<br />
county’s residential areas and town centres provide very<br />
high quality environments in which to live, work and<br />
visit. Redevelopment and the re-use of existing land and<br />
buildings have provided most of the additional housing,<br />
employment development, retail, leisure, social and<br />
community facilities required in the county.<br />
1.7 However, at a time when national planning policy is<br />
still urging greater use of urban areas to meet future<br />
development needs, the urban areas of <strong>Surrey</strong> are<br />
showing signs of stress. This is manifest in a number of<br />
ways: through increased traffic congestion, loss of open<br />
land, pressures on community facilities and services<br />
including school places and doctors’ surgeries, and<br />
increased levels of noise and environmental pollution.<br />
Alongside these pressures, many people also express<br />
concern at perceived increases in crime and anti-social<br />
behaviour, which can make urban areas less attractive<br />
places to live.<br />
1.8 The current state of our urban areas, be it real or<br />
perceived, is a major factor in growing opposition to<br />
further development amongst those who live there.<br />
There is real concern that a deterioration in the quality<br />
of life will be inevitable if the future development needs<br />
of the county are to be met entirely within our towns.<br />
There is a need to more proactively manage urban areas,<br />
working with infrastructure and service providers to<br />
make them more attractive, recognising and maintaining<br />
the character that makes them distinctive, to ease<br />
movement within them and to provide the services that<br />
local communities require.<br />
The aim<br />
To actively manage change within urban areas to<br />
deliver a better quality of life and environment.<br />
1.9 The priorities<br />
To improve the management of change in<br />
urban areas where significant change is expected<br />
through the preparation of area action plans or<br />
supplementary planning documents in accordance<br />
with local development frameworks and ensuring<br />
that:<br />
a) development is more integrated and community<br />
focused, reflecting the priorities of community strategies<br />
as well as good planning principles to achieve urban<br />
renaissance, and<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong> 15
chapter 1 : the spatial strategy<br />
b) development is planned in collaboration with<br />
service/infrastructure providers and in the context<br />
of their investment plans, and delivers necessary<br />
infrastructure, service and environmental improvements<br />
alongside the proposed development.<br />
1.10 The key spatial and land use priorities to achieve<br />
this are to (in no priority order):<br />
f protect and enhance open land and green corridors,<br />
both in urban areas and on the urban fringe;<br />
f improve the quality of urban design and public spaces<br />
for aesthetic and environmental reasons, and to deter<br />
crime and increase safety;<br />
f support higher density developments in accessible<br />
locations where it can make a positive contribution<br />
to enhancing local character, particularly as part of<br />
urban regeneration schemes and within town centres;<br />
f maintain the qualities of <strong>Surrey</strong>’s established<br />
residential areas, retaining and building on sense of<br />
place and local distinctiveness;<br />
f ensure that new housing development provides a mix<br />
of size and type and addresses local needs, including<br />
the need for affordable and key worker housing;<br />
f ensure that development is supported by adequate<br />
infrastructure, community facilities and services;<br />
f maintain the roles of town centres and invest in<br />
improvements to make them more attractive locations<br />
for housing, employment and service provision;<br />
f adopt a more flexible approach to mixing different<br />
land uses;<br />
f ensure that development supports initiatives to<br />
promote self reliance.<br />
1.11 The delivery of improvements to the quality of life<br />
in towns across <strong>Surrey</strong> will require more partnership<br />
working between all agencies and organisations<br />
responsible for planning and investing in urban areas.<br />
Involvement of the community and the voluntary sector<br />
should be encouraged. Such working will enable change<br />
to be managed in a way which delivers a renaissance in<br />
the quality of urban living through:<br />
f promoting new development and investment in<br />
existing built-up areas;<br />
f making best use of previously developed land, open<br />
space and infrastructure;<br />
f integrating service provision with development; and<br />
f conserving character and environmental resources.<br />
16<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong>
chapter 1 : the spatial strategy<br />
Principles of urban renaissance<br />
f Vision – long term vision linked to community<br />
strategy objectives to deliver urban renaissance<br />
f Design – better design everywhere as a potential<br />
contributor to regeneration and to deliver<br />
enhanced personal security<br />
f Enhancing the urban environment – retaining<br />
a sense of place and conserving areas of townscape<br />
merit<br />
f Better use of land – resisting further urban<br />
dispersal and supporting intensification and re-use<br />
of urban land, especially around transport nodes<br />
f Economic wellbeing – supporting a prosperous<br />
and developing economy in urban areas within a<br />
sustainable framework; providing sufficient and<br />
diverse employment opportunities for the local<br />
population<br />
f Vitality and viability – promoting the vitality<br />
and viability of existing town and local centres<br />
f Mixing uses – supporting mixed use and mixed<br />
tenure approaches<br />
f Access to services – ensuring ready access from<br />
residential areas to a full range of services and<br />
facilities<br />
f Sustainable transport – promoting sustainable<br />
and integrated modes of transport to improve<br />
urban accessibility<br />
f Management – better urban and town centre<br />
management including improvements to, and better<br />
maintenance of, the public realm<br />
f Green space – developing a hierarchy of open<br />
spaces which meet community requirements<br />
f Cleaning up – reducing pollution in urban areas.<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong> 17
chapter 1 : the spatial strategy<br />
Supporting rural areas<br />
R<br />
1.12 ural parts of <strong>Surrey</strong> have long been held in high<br />
regard for their natural beauty and recreational<br />
value. There is a considerable diversity in physical<br />
appearance, often reflecting underlying geology such as<br />
the contrast between the terrace gravels of the Thames<br />
Valley and the chalk of the North Downs. The diversity<br />
also reflects the impact of people, with the metropolitan<br />
fringe countryside in North <strong>Surrey</strong> having a much more<br />
urbanised feel than much of the southern half of the<br />
county.<br />
1.13 The countryside reflects the evolution of man’s<br />
influence on the natural environment over thousands<br />
of years and this will continue to be the case. The<br />
economic base of <strong>Surrey</strong>’s countryside is probably less<br />
dependent on rural enterprises than anywhere else in<br />
England. The implication of this is that the community<br />
as a whole needs to commit to a long term strategy<br />
which will safeguard the character, diversity and quality<br />
of <strong>Surrey</strong>’s countryside. Partly this means limiting the<br />
further pressures for development within the<br />
countryside, and partly it means finding new ways of<br />
ensuring the ongoing management of the countryside to<br />
ensure that it delivers the services that people require.<br />
The aim<br />
To protect the openness and character of the<br />
countryside whilst meeting the needs of the rural<br />
community.<br />
1.14 The priorities<br />
To manage change in the rural areas, ensuring that<br />
an enhanced range of services is provided to meet<br />
people’s aspirations, whilst safeguarding the<br />
intrinsic natural and cultural value of rural areas,<br />
through the continuing development and<br />
implementation of the Rural Strategy.<br />
1.15 The key spatial and land use priorities to achieve<br />
this are to (in no priority order):<br />
f protect and enhance the rural character of the<br />
countryside;<br />
f manage and enhance the landscape, and promote<br />
biodiversity through improvements to existing, and<br />
the creation of new, plant and animal habitats;<br />
f support small scale development within and on the<br />
edge of villages which meets the economic, social<br />
and affordable housing needs of the rural community;<br />
including affordable and key worker housing;<br />
f support the diversification of agriculture;<br />
f support land based rural enterprises which contribute<br />
to the management of the countryside;<br />
f promote informal and formal recreation which<br />
meets community needs and improves access<br />
to the countryside.<br />
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Sub-area priorities<br />
North <strong>Surrey</strong><br />
T<br />
1.16 his sub-area generally lies between the M25<br />
and the London boundary across the full width<br />
of the county but also includes the built-up parts of<br />
Leatherhead, Fetcham and Great and Little Bookham.<br />
North <strong>Surrey</strong> is densely developed, with suburban<br />
residential areas surrounding the older towns and<br />
following lines of communication. The density of<br />
population is reflected in pressures on infrastructure,<br />
particularly transport (congestion is greater here than<br />
other parts of the county and the M25, one of Europe’s<br />
busiest stretches of road, runs directly through the area).<br />
The rail network is generally radial in nature and needs<br />
significant investment to overcome existing capacity<br />
limitations, particularly during the peak periods.<br />
1.17 North <strong>Surrey</strong> is the most pressurised part of the<br />
county. As such, the Metropolitan Green Belt in this<br />
part of the county has become fragmented over time.<br />
However, it is even more important today in terms<br />
of separating the towns and villages in the area and<br />
preventing the further sprawl of London itself. Pressures<br />
for development are expected to remain high because of<br />
the proximity to London as a whole, to economically<br />
buoyant areas in outer London, including Heathrow<br />
Airport and Croydon, and to the M25. The area lies<br />
within the wider London Fringe Sub-region identified<br />
within the emerging South East Plan by the South East<br />
England Regional Assembly.<br />
1.18 North <strong>Surrey</strong> is characterised by a large number of<br />
smaller centres, all in close proximity to one another.<br />
Each centre has a continuing role in providing local<br />
services commensurate with the needs of their<br />
community. The two major centres in the area are Epsom<br />
and Staines which along with Kingston, Sutton and<br />
Croydon in outer London, provide higher order facilities<br />
serving this area.<br />
1.19 Heathrow Airport, although not within <strong>Surrey</strong>,<br />
lies on its border and is a major generator of traffic,<br />
pollution and employment. The Fifth Terminal is<br />
programmed to open in 2008 and further expansion in<br />
terms of an additional runway is one of the proposals in<br />
the White Paper The Future of Air Transport (2003). It is also<br />
identified as an International Gateway in the Regional<br />
Transport Strategy. Considerable investment in<br />
infrastructure will be required to support the approved<br />
growth of Heathrow in a sustainable way. The London<br />
Plan envisages that the growth of Heathrow should<br />
support regeneration in the western part of London<br />
rather than add to pressure in adjoining areas.<br />
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The aim<br />
To resist the outward spread of urban areas and<br />
restrict new development to previously developed<br />
land and buildings within the existing urban area<br />
by maintaining the Metropolitan Green Belt and<br />
preventing the coalescence of towns and villages<br />
in the area.To improve the quality of life and the<br />
environment within the existing urban areas<br />
whilst enhancing the quality of the urban fringe.<br />
1.20 The priorities<br />
The key spatial and land use priorities to achieve<br />
this are to (in no priority order):<br />
f protect the Metropolitan Green Belt and its<br />
function of separating communities;<br />
f restrict development to the re-use of previously<br />
developed land and buildings;<br />
f retain and improve the quality of all urban open<br />
land and urban fringe countryside;<br />
f protect floodplains and encourage restoration of<br />
mineral workings in the Lower Thames Valley;<br />
f consolidate the existing role of Staines and Epsom<br />
as major centres, recognising the limited<br />
opportunities for them to expand;<br />
f invest in other centres, particularly the continuing<br />
revitalisation of Addlestone, Chertsey and<br />
Leatherhead, to maintain their role in providing<br />
local services;<br />
f support investment in public transport infrastructure<br />
to improve orbital movement, access to London and<br />
to Heathrow Airport.<br />
North West <strong>Surrey</strong><br />
1.21 This sub-area lies to the north and west of the<br />
centre of the county. It focuses on the towns of<br />
Guildford and Woking and includes the predominantly<br />
open countryside which surrounds these towns and<br />
separates the Blackwater Valley from North <strong>Surrey</strong>.<br />
Guildford and Woking play a major strategic role within<br />
the county in terms of the economy and transport. Both<br />
towns are identified as centres of strategic importance,<br />
and as regional hubs in the RTS. ‘Hubs’ are considered to<br />
be essential for economic activity and need to be<br />
fostered to reflect the region’s gateway role as well as<br />
delivering the region’s own needs. The area lies<br />
predominantly within the London Fringe Sub-region of<br />
the emerging South East Plan, although the western<br />
fringe lies within the Western Corridor Sub-region.<br />
Guildford and Woking are close to one another therefore<br />
movement between the two is considerable.<br />
1.22 Guildford is an historic market town. Its emergence<br />
as the ‘county’ town reflected this historic role and its<br />
position on the A3. The quality of the built environment<br />
in the centre and in parts of the built-up area<br />
contributes to the character and identity of the town and<br />
must be safeguarded. Guildford’s own economy has a<br />
strong base with, relative to its size, more jobs than<br />
other towns. It is the dominant retailing centre in the<br />
county and in terms of turnover qualifies as a regional<br />
centre. The town also supports many high order facilities<br />
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such as the University of <strong>Surrey</strong>, <strong>Surrey</strong> Research Park,<br />
the Royal <strong>Surrey</strong> Hospital and the Spectrum Leisure<br />
Centre, and has continued to develop as a regional<br />
shopping centre. The Regional Economic Strategy (RES)<br />
draft Action Plan seeks to develop the <strong>Surrey</strong> Enterprise<br />
Hub, of which Guildford is part, and to develop<br />
integrated long term plans to address the development<br />
pressures in the area.<br />
1.23 Guildford has experienced considerable<br />
employment growth during the last decade, particularly<br />
with the expansion of the <strong>Surrey</strong> Research Park and<br />
development within the town centre. In recent years it<br />
has emerged as an important regional administrative<br />
centre within the South East. Employment growth has<br />
outstripped housing provision, resulting in the growth<br />
of in-commuting to the town, with the ratio between<br />
the number of jobs and workers available increasing from<br />
0.94 to 1.02 between 1991 and 2001. Guildford’s status as<br />
a major employment centre is set to continue,<br />
particularly in the high value added sector. Major drivers<br />
in this are the planned expansion of the University of<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong>, additional retail floorspace to consolidate the<br />
town’s retail function and the spin-offs from the <strong>Surrey</strong><br />
Enterprise Hub.<br />
1.24 Guildford already benefits from good rail links to<br />
London, Epsom, Gatwick Airport, Redhill, Reading and<br />
Portsmouth, and interregional services to the Midlands<br />
and the North West. Services will be enhanced by the<br />
proposed direct rail link to Heathrow Airport (Airtrack)<br />
and by the Thameslink 2000 proposals. However, there<br />
are still problems with traffic congestion at certain times<br />
of the day in certain locations, particularly the town<br />
centre and the A3 which runs through Guildford.<br />
Problems on the A3 are likely to get worse as other<br />
bottlenecks are improved, particularly at Hindhead. The<br />
RTS recognises this and proposes, as a matter of priority,<br />
a regional study aimed at improving traffic flow through<br />
Guildford. This Plan similarly recognises the need for an<br />
integrated transport strategy for Guildford and the wider<br />
area encompassing Woking as well.<br />
1.25 Woking has a different but complementary role to<br />
Guildford. It has also experienced high employment<br />
growth over the last decade, although not on the same<br />
scale as Guildford. The RES draft Action Plan identifies<br />
Woking as an important free-standing town and one of a<br />
number of key economic drivers in the region. It is also<br />
a significant transport node for rail and bus with direct<br />
rail links to London, Portsmouth, Southampton and<br />
Farnborough. As with Guildford, Woking has been<br />
identified as a key public transport hub in the emerging<br />
RTS and rail services are likely to be enhanced even<br />
further through the AirTrack proposals. The main road<br />
link between Woking and Guildford is the A320 but<br />
capacity on this road is already restricted at peak times.<br />
Woking has no direct access to the Motorway and<br />
Primary Route Network.<br />
1.26 In line with the role of Woking in the Regional<br />
Transport Strategy (RTS) as a key public transport hub,<br />
there is an opportunity within and around the town<br />
centre to deliver concentrations of higher density land<br />
uses and mixed land uses that require a high level of<br />
accessibility. In particular, the juxtaposition of a modern<br />
and dynamic town centre, an area of less intensive<br />
commercial activity and a residential area which exhibits<br />
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signs of relative disadvantage, presents an opportunity<br />
for a comprehensive approach to the improvement of<br />
both the built and living environment which could<br />
deliver additional housing provision supported by both<br />
new infrastructure and services.<br />
1.27 The countryside area west of Guildford and Woking<br />
separates the Blackwater Valley from the rest of <strong>Surrey</strong>.<br />
The area is notable for extensive stretches of heathland<br />
which are of international importance in terms of their<br />
ecological value. The value of this wildlife corridor is<br />
enhanced by its continuation to the south in the South<br />
West <strong>Surrey</strong> sub-area and to the north in adjoining parts<br />
of Berkshire. Numerous small settlements occur in this<br />
countryside area, many with an historic core surrounded<br />
by more suburban forms of development. The<br />
settlements along the A322 from Bagshot to West End<br />
have expanded in size significantly in the last twenty<br />
years. Development in these settlements should support<br />
their continuing economic and social viability whilst<br />
retaining their character and overall quality of life.<br />
The aim<br />
To support the continuing role of Guildford and<br />
Woking as centres of strategic importance within<br />
the county.<br />
1.28 The priorities<br />
The key spatial and land use priorities to achieve this are<br />
to (in no priority order):<br />
f support the role of Guildford and Woking as centres<br />
of strategic importance;<br />
f provide additional housing at Guildford and Woking<br />
to support the growth of the towns as part of the<br />
longer term spatial strategy;<br />
f deliver a significant proportion of the housing<br />
allocations in Policy LO6 on previously developed<br />
land within Guildford town and in and around<br />
Woking town centre through local development<br />
frameworks and area action plans;<br />
f support the expansion of the University of <strong>Surrey</strong><br />
and research and development activity associated<br />
with the University;<br />
f maintain the individual identity of Guildford and<br />
Woking by retaining the Metropolitan Green Belt<br />
gap between the two towns;<br />
f develop and implement an integrated transport<br />
strategy focusing on Guildford and Woking to support<br />
their role as regional hubs;<br />
f support the provision of a solution to movement<br />
along the regionally important A3 corridor,<br />
particularly through Guildford;<br />
f support AirTrack proposals to provide a direct rail<br />
link from Guildford and Woking to Heathrow<br />
Airport;<br />
f maintain a broad natural corridor separating the<br />
Blackwater Valley from Guildford/Woking and North<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong>;<br />
f support the restoration and enhancement of<br />
internationally important heathland habitats;<br />
f allow small scale development to maintain the<br />
economic and social wellbeing of small communities<br />
and rural settlements.<br />
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South East <strong>Surrey</strong><br />
1.29 This sub-area extends eastwards from the A24 to<br />
the county boundary with Kent. Its northern extent is<br />
marked in general terms by the M25 and to the south<br />
by the county boundary with West and East Sussex. It<br />
includes Redhill and Horley and the market towns of<br />
Reigate and Oxted. The main focus of the sub-area is the<br />
A23/M23 corridor which runs from Redhill in the north<br />
to the Crawley/Gatwick area in the south. Regionally,<br />
the corridor’s influence extends further north beyond<br />
the M25 into greater London and south through West<br />
Sussex to Brighton on the south coast.<br />
1.30 The A23/M23 corridor forms part of the area<br />
identified in Regional Planning Guidance for the South<br />
East (RPG9) as the Crawley/Gatwick/M23 Sub-region.<br />
Within the emerging South East Plan, Redhill is identified<br />
as being within the London Fringe Sub-region, whilst the<br />
area south of Redhill, including Horley, lies within the<br />
Gatwick Sub-region. It is also identified as a movement<br />
corridor of regional importance in the RTS and Gatwick<br />
Airport is identified as an International Gateway. The<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> section of the corridor coincides with one of the<br />
narrowest stretches of Metropolitan Green Belt around<br />
London, where the Metropolitan Green Belt is critical in<br />
maintaining the separation of London, Reigate/Redhill,<br />
Salfords and Horley.<br />
1.31 Gatwick Airport is a major employment generator,<br />
exerting its influence over central Sussex, south east<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> and parts of East Sussex. The area also has<br />
significant clusters of employment in financial services,<br />
chemical and pharmaceutical industries which, combined<br />
with the airport, represent a significant economic base.<br />
With the proposed expansion of the airport’s annual<br />
passenger throughput to 40 million by 2012, the<br />
employment generated by the airport directly and<br />
indirectly is set to increase.<br />
1.32 The White Paper The Future of Air Transport (2003)<br />
recommends the safeguarding of land for a second<br />
runway at Gatwick Airport and development of this may<br />
be required from 2020 if the proposed third runway at<br />
Heathrow is not practicable.<br />
1.33 Redhill is a centre of strategic importance, being a<br />
major employment and business centre in its own right,<br />
specialising in advanced electronics, engineering and<br />
financial services. This area has traditionally looked<br />
northwards towards London as a major source of<br />
employment, rather than southwards to Crawley/<br />
Gatwick. Redhill, a regional hub in the RTS, has good<br />
rail links to London, Brighton, Ashford, Dorking,<br />
Guildford and Reading.<br />
1.34 The 1994 <strong>Surrey</strong> Structure Plan has already identified<br />
a contribution towards meeting sub-regional housing<br />
needs through the allocation of 2,600 new dwellings at<br />
Horley. This housing allocation is now being progressed<br />
through the Reigate & Banstead Local Plan (First<br />
Alteration), principally through two proposed urban<br />
extensions to the north east and north west of the town.<br />
Additional housing is also being proposed within West<br />
Sussex to meet sub-regional needs through the review<br />
of the West Sussex Structure Plan. The economic ties<br />
between Horley, Gatwick and Crawley are evidenced by<br />
the Fastway public transport initiative.<br />
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1.35 The northern part of the area is dominated by the<br />
scarp slope of the North Downs, part of the <strong>Surrey</strong> Hills<br />
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The Vale of<br />
Holmesdale and greensand ridges, which form part of<br />
the High Weald Area of Great Landscape Value (AGLV),<br />
lie to the south and contain the towns of Reigate,<br />
Redhill and Oxted. Between these towns and the county<br />
boundary the Low Weald landscape is relatively flat and<br />
featureless. Outside the main M23/A23 corridor, the area<br />
is mainly open countryside, almost all of which is<br />
designated Metropolitan Green Belt. In the extreme<br />
south east, this area also includes part of the High Weald<br />
AONB. The market towns of Oxted and Reigate provide<br />
services and facilities to the area and have a continuing<br />
economic and social role to play in providing jobs and<br />
services for the area. There are also many smaller<br />
villages and rural settlements.<br />
The aim<br />
To support the role of Redhill as a centre of<br />
strategic importance and contribute to growth<br />
associated with Gatwick Airport by meeting<br />
development needs within the M23/A23 corridor,<br />
allied to improvements to public transport and<br />
other infrastructure.<br />
1.36 The priorities<br />
The key spatial and land use priorities to achieve this<br />
are to (in no priority order):<br />
f support preparation of a strategy for the London<br />
Fringe and Gatwick Sub-regions to inform the<br />
development of the South East Plan and to ensure<br />
that it is planned in a co-ordinated way, taking into<br />
account future economic, housing and transport<br />
needs, as well as the environmental constraints and<br />
impact of the airport;<br />
f support sub-regional housing needs in the short to<br />
medium term through provision within the urban<br />
areas and the existing planned development of<br />
Horley, and address longer term need when this has<br />
been demonstrated;<br />
f maintain the individual identity of settlements within<br />
the Metropolitan Green Belt along the A23/M23<br />
corridor;<br />
f support Redhill as a centre of strategic importance;<br />
f oppose further expansion of Gatwick Airport beyond<br />
its current planned capacity as a one runway airport;<br />
f support investment in public transport infrastructure<br />
required to improve movement along the A23/M23<br />
corridor and the east-west rail corridor (North<br />
Downs Line);<br />
f conserve the innate qualities of the High Weald<br />
AONB and distinctive landscape character areas east<br />
and west of the M23;<br />
f allow small scale development to support the role of<br />
Reigate and Oxted as market towns providing local<br />
services;<br />
f allow small scale development to maintain the social<br />
and economic wellbeing of the villages and smaller<br />
rural settlements.<br />
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South West <strong>Surrey</strong><br />
1.37 This sub-area is predominantly open countryside<br />
covering the southern part of the county from south of<br />
Farnham in the west as far east as Dorking. It includes<br />
the greater part of the <strong>Surrey</strong> Hills AONB and the<br />
Wealden countryside south of that. Landscape quality, as<br />
reflected in the AONB designation and the Areas of Great<br />
Landscape Value (AGLV) which adjoin the <strong>Surrey</strong> Hills,<br />
underpins the character of this area.<br />
1.38 The countryside is also significant for its ecological<br />
value, with extensive stretches of heathland on the<br />
sandstones, different habitats on the chalk along the<br />
North Downs and significant remnants of ancient<br />
woodland in the Wealden part of the area. These diverse<br />
resources, which are of national and European<br />
significance, add considerably to the quality of the area.<br />
The value of these resources in contributing to broad<br />
wildlife corridors which continue to the north in the<br />
North West <strong>Surrey</strong> sub-area and to the south and west in<br />
adjoining parts of Sussex and Hampshire, is of regional<br />
significance.<br />
1.39 The market towns of Cranleigh, Dorking,<br />
Godalming and Haslemere provide services and facilities<br />
to the area, supported by other towns adjoining the area,<br />
notably Farnham and Guildford. Numerous small,<br />
generally attractive, villages complete the settlement<br />
pattern.<br />
The aim<br />
To protect the countryside resource in its widest<br />
sense, reflecting the innate qualities of much of the<br />
countryside and support the long term viability of<br />
the market towns and rural communities.<br />
1.40 The priorities<br />
The key spatial and land use priorities to achieve this<br />
are to (in no priority order):<br />
f support development needed to underpin the<br />
economic and social wellbeing of the rural<br />
community;<br />
f support the role of Cranleigh, Dorking, Godalming<br />
and Haslemere as market towns serving the rural<br />
communities;<br />
f maintain the quality of landscapes in the <strong>Surrey</strong> Hills<br />
AONB and adjoining AGLV;<br />
f safeguard and manage the Wealden heathland habitats<br />
to enhance their ecological diversity;<br />
f safeguard the countryside to maintain broad wildlife<br />
corridors facilitating the movement of species;<br />
f enhance recreational opportunities provided by the<br />
Greensand Way, North Downs Way and Downs Link<br />
long distance footpaths;<br />
f enhance management of woodland for multiple use –<br />
timber, biomass, recreation and biodiversity;<br />
f safeguard mineral resources of sand and clay;<br />
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f support improvements to the A3 at Hindhead and the<br />
A24 south of Capel.<br />
The Blackwater Valley<br />
1.41 The Blackwater Valley area is distinct from adjoining<br />
areas in the west of the county in that it forms a large<br />
area of relatively dense urban development centred on a<br />
number of medium sized and smaller towns within<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong>, Hampshire and the former Berkshire. In <strong>Surrey</strong>,<br />
the area covers the western parts of the boroughs of<br />
Guildford, <strong>Surrey</strong> Heath, and the town of Farnham and<br />
its immediate surrounds which lie in Waverley borough.<br />
1.42 The Blackwater Valley area has seen rapid growth in<br />
the past 25 years in response to former regional policy,<br />
particularly in Camberley and the surrounding area. It<br />
now supports a population of around 300,000 people<br />
and 120,000 jobs. The buoyancy of the local economy,<br />
allied to business park and further aviation development<br />
at Farnborough Aerodrome in Hampshire, give rise to<br />
pressures for continued economic development.<br />
Pressures on transport infrastructure remain significant<br />
despite the completion of the A331 road.<br />
1.43 For these reasons and because the Blackwater Valley<br />
straddles so many local authority boundaries, it was<br />
identified as a sub-region in RPG9 and was the subject of<br />
a sub-regional study. As a result of this study, the area<br />
has now been subsumed into the wider Western<br />
Corridor Sub-region within the emerging South East<br />
Plan.<br />
1.44 Farnham is a particularly attractive historic market<br />
town with a character and sense of place which must be<br />
safeguarded. The valley of the River Blackwater itself<br />
provides a narrow natural corridor within the heart of<br />
the built-up area. This is an extremely important<br />
environmental and recreational resource and performs<br />
a strategic gap function on either side of the river.<br />
Extensive areas of lowland heath which are habitats of<br />
European importance adjoin the built-up area.<br />
The aim<br />
To plan the area in an integrated way, focusing<br />
on improvements to the quality of the built<br />
environment and the transport network.<br />
1.45 The priorities<br />
The key spatial and land use priorities to achieve this are<br />
to (in no priority order):<br />
f contribute to the preparation of a shared vision for<br />
the Blackwater Valley within the wider Western<br />
Corridor Sub-region to inform the South East Plan and<br />
to ensure that the area is planned in a co-ordinated<br />
way, taking into account the social and economic<br />
needs, recognising the limited potential of <strong>Surrey</strong> to<br />
contribute to the wider sub-regional development<br />
needs;<br />
f support an integrated transport solution to improve<br />
accessibility in the area;<br />
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f facilitate sustainable economic growth through the<br />
re-use of existing employment land;<br />
f give priority to the re-use of previously developed<br />
land and buildings within the existing urban area and<br />
maintain the existing Blackwater Valley Strategic Gap;<br />
f safeguard the character and sense of place of<br />
Farnham;<br />
f conserve and manage the character of the Blackwater<br />
Valley river corridor and promote its value as a<br />
resource for wildlife, recreation and outdoor pursuits.<br />
Urban extensions (new communities)<br />
1.46 The priorities for Guildford include the provision of<br />
additional housing on previously developed land within<br />
Guildford town. If this process fails to identify sufficient<br />
housing capacity, then consideration will be given<br />
through the local development framework to the<br />
development of a new community, through an urban<br />
extension in north east Guildford. If required, the new<br />
community will be progressed through a masterplan<br />
approach.<br />
1.47 Development of the new community will be<br />
conditional upon:<br />
f the amount of housing delivered on previously<br />
developed land within Guildford town; and<br />
f delivery of the supporting infrastructure and services<br />
identified through the masterplanning process and<br />
on a suitable transport strategy being in place. In<br />
particular, there will be a need for the Highways<br />
Agency to bring forward proposals to improve<br />
movement along the A3 through Guildford, together<br />
with access and egress to and from this key route.<br />
1.48 Where required to meet the aims of the Spatial<br />
Strategy, urban extensions should be delivered through<br />
a master planning process prepared through local<br />
development frameworks. Proposals for urban<br />
extensions should aim to create new communities in<br />
which housing, employment, service, transport and<br />
environmental needs are fully integrated. To achieve<br />
this, the master planning process should be inclusive,<br />
involving landowners and local communities and<br />
should take into account needs arising from local and<br />
countywide community strategies and Housing Needs<br />
Statements. Other mechanisms used for implementation<br />
include:<br />
f supplementary planning documents on design,<br />
based on the principles in <strong>Surrey</strong> Design;<br />
f environmental and sustainability appraisal;<br />
f joint working between transportservice/<br />
infrastructure providers, utility service providers,<br />
health and community services providers, the local<br />
authorities and developers;<br />
f legal agreements under planning and transport<br />
legislation.<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong> 27
chapter 1 : the spatial strategy<br />
Our vision for new communities<br />
New communities should:<br />
f have a community development initiative set up<br />
and staffed from outset;<br />
f be designed to the highest quality, in accordance<br />
with the principles set out in <strong>Surrey</strong> Design, with<br />
identifiable neighbourhoods, landmarks and views,<br />
and a layout which encourages pedestrian/cycle<br />
use for local trips and is sensitive to natural and<br />
cultural features on, and adjacent to, the site;<br />
f be efficient in the use of resources – land, water<br />
and energy (sustainable drainage systems to<br />
achieve net nil run-off from the sites will be used);<br />
f have an accessible local centre with schools, shops,<br />
social and community buildings;<br />
f have open space, recreation and sports facilities<br />
planned as an accessible network;<br />
f have a choice in housing tenure, type and size,<br />
with at least 40% affordable/key worker housing;<br />
f provide a range of local service employment and<br />
home working opportunities (with integral ICT<br />
networks to facilitate home working/shopping);<br />
f have quality bus services to the town centre,<br />
transport interchanges and employment hubs.<br />
28<br />
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CHAPTER<br />
2<br />
the location<br />
of development<br />
POLICY LO1/<br />
The Location of Development<br />
New development will be located primarily within the<br />
existing urban areas, through the re-use of previously<br />
developed land and buildings. New development should<br />
be directed to locations that can be easily accessed<br />
without a car, or appropriate measures should be<br />
introduced to ensure adequate accessibility for those<br />
without a car.<br />
Limited development will be permitted to support the<br />
vitality of rural settlements. Major development in the<br />
open countryside will be inappropriate.<br />
Within the five sub-areas identified on the Key Diagram,<br />
development should accord with the following principles:<br />
f North <strong>Surrey</strong>: to improve the quality of life and the<br />
environment and promote an urban renaissance,<br />
resisting the outward spread of urban areas and<br />
restricting new development to the use of previously<br />
developed land and buildings within the existing urban<br />
area.<br />
f North West <strong>Surrey</strong>: to provide additional housing on<br />
previously developed land within the urban areas of<br />
Guildford and Woking to support their role as centres<br />
of strategic importance and regional hubs; in Guildford<br />
an urban extension will be provided to the north east<br />
of the town if the housing allocation identified in<br />
Policy LO6 cannot be accommodated on previously<br />
developed land within the urban area.<br />
f South East <strong>Surrey</strong>: to implement the existing planned<br />
proposals for comprehensive development in and<br />
around Horley as <strong>Surrey</strong>’s contribution to sub-regional<br />
housing requirements and make the best use of<br />
previously developed land in Redhill to support its role<br />
as a centre of strategic importance and a regional hub.<br />
f South West <strong>Surrey</strong>: to restrict development to<br />
previously developed land and buildings within the<br />
market towns of Cranleigh, Dorking, Godalming and<br />
Haslemere and to small scale development within<br />
other settlements to meet local needs.<br />
f Blackwater Valley: to make best use of opportunities<br />
for housing on previously developed land and buildings<br />
within the urban area, ensuring that new development<br />
contributes to improvements to the quality of the built<br />
environment and transport network.The Blackwater<br />
Valley Strategic Gap will be maintained.<br />
P<br />
2.1 olicy LO1 sets out the locational strategy of the<br />
Plan and reflects the priorities included within<br />
the Spatial Strategy. New development will be focused<br />
primarily on existing urban areas, where most homes,<br />
jobs and services are already located. This will:<br />
f improve access to services and jobs by walking,<br />
cycling and public transport;<br />
f provide an opportunity to improve the prosperity of<br />
urban areas as centres for business, shopping and<br />
social and community services;<br />
f assist urban revitalisation and promote improvements<br />
to the urban environment;<br />
f increase the choice of local employment<br />
opportunities;<br />
f help to protect the countryside and the Metropolitan<br />
Green Belt.<br />
2.2 The re-use of previously developed land and<br />
buildings within urban areas is a key objective of<br />
national land use policy and will be the principal means<br />
of meeting development requirements in <strong>Surrey</strong>.<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong> 29
chapter 2 · the location of development<br />
Proposals for such development will need to<br />
demonstrate, through design and sustainability<br />
statements, that the process will enhance the quality<br />
of life and townscape and ensure the provision of all<br />
necessary infrastructure and services.<br />
2.3 Traffic congestion remains a major problem in<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong>’s towns and new development that is likely to<br />
attract a significant number of car borne trips will only<br />
add to this problem. The policy therefore supports the<br />
aim of reducing the length of journey needed to access<br />
jobs and services, and the need to travel by car, by<br />
directing such development to locations that are easily<br />
accessible by public transport. These tend to be town<br />
centres or the edge of town centres but may also be next<br />
to a major public transport node within the urban area<br />
generally.<br />
2.4 Limited development will be acceptable within<br />
rural settlements where it can be shown to support the<br />
economic and social vitality of rural communities. Major<br />
development in the countryside will not be permitted as<br />
this would result in further dispersal of development and<br />
intensification of activity. The exceptions to this are:<br />
f the existing planned urban extensions at Horley, and<br />
f where it is demonstrated that the development<br />
needed to meet the allocations identified in Policy<br />
LO6 for Guildford cannot be accommodated on<br />
previously developed land within the urban area.<br />
This presumption against development also applies to<br />
previously developed land in the countryside, except<br />
where major developed sites have been identified, or<br />
where small scale development or agricultural<br />
diversification can be shown to support the local<br />
economy.<br />
2.5 Within the 5 sub-areas identified on the Key<br />
Diagram, a number of key development principles have<br />
been identified. These principles reflect the development<br />
and other priorities for the sub-areas outlined in the<br />
Spatial Strategy. They should be considered in<br />
conjunction with the general approach to development<br />
in urban and rural areas set out in the Spatial Strategy<br />
and the more detailed policy guidance elsewhere in this<br />
Plan.<br />
2.6 Further development in the A23/M23 corridor and in<br />
the Blackwater Valley will only be considered if a need<br />
has been fully demonstrated through the South East Plan<br />
and the need for investment in transport infrastructure<br />
has been identified as a priority through the Regional<br />
Transport Strategy(RTS). Any requirement for<br />
development in these areas emerging out of the South<br />
East Plan will be considered through local development<br />
frameworks.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f The local authorities will:<br />
g assess the implications of proposals for the re-use<br />
of previously developed land and buildings in<br />
urban areas against the availability of infrastructure<br />
and services;<br />
g look first to previously developed land and<br />
buildings when considering planning applications<br />
and allocating land in local development<br />
frameworks;<br />
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chapter 2 · the location of development<br />
g progress proposals for development in and around<br />
Horley as set out in the Reigate & Banstead<br />
Borough Local Plan (First Alteration) and the<br />
accompanying masterplan;<br />
g work closely with other authorities in the A23/<br />
M23 corridor and Blackwater Valley areas to<br />
develop a co-ordinated land use, transportation<br />
and environmental strategy for these areas;<br />
g work closely with partners to identify<br />
opportunities to develop the role of the centres<br />
of strategic importance identified in the Spatial<br />
Strategy.<br />
f Local development frameworks will:<br />
g define urban areas and rural settlements;<br />
g allocate land for new development primarily<br />
within urban areas;<br />
g identify those rural settlements where additional<br />
development to support the economic and social<br />
vitality of the settlement will be acceptable;<br />
g include policies which reflect the development<br />
principles and other priorities for the 5 sub-areas,<br />
set out in the Spatial Strategy.<br />
f The Transport Authority will advise on the<br />
transportation implications of development that<br />
could attract a high level of car borne trips.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Amount and proportion of development by land<br />
use on previously developed land<br />
f Amount and proportion of development by land<br />
use on previously developed land in urban areas<br />
f Amount and type of development within the<br />
Blackwater Valley Strategic Gap<br />
f Amount and type of development at Horley<br />
f Number and proportion of major developments<br />
located at sites which have good access by<br />
public transport, cycling and foot<br />
TARGETS 1, 2 & 3/<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong> 31
chapter 2 · the location of development<br />
POLICY LO2/<br />
Managing Urban Areas<br />
The planning authorities will manage development within<br />
the urban areas and promote the principles of urban<br />
renaissance through a comprehensive and co-ordinated<br />
approach to policy development and infrastructure and<br />
service delivery.The re-use or redevelopment of<br />
previously developed land and buildings should enhance<br />
the quality of the built environment, the facilities and<br />
services available, and movement within <strong>Surrey</strong>’s towns.<br />
These objectives will be achieved through the local<br />
development framework process, using area action plans<br />
in all urban areas where significant change is anticipated.<br />
Development leading to the loss of urban open land,<br />
which is important to the amenity of local communities<br />
or identified in a greenspace strategy, will not be<br />
permitted.<br />
A<br />
2.7 lthough <strong>Surrey</strong>’s urban areas generally offer a<br />
high quality environment and a high quality of<br />
life, there are growing concerns that increased levels of<br />
development, and associated increases in traffic levels,<br />
are undermining the quality of urban living.<br />
2.8 Urban areas are dynamic with land uses changing<br />
over time to meet new development needs. The planning<br />
authorities will manage the development of the urban<br />
areas and promote an urban renaissance. In their local<br />
development frameworks and area action plans, local<br />
planning authorities will co-ordinate the requirements of<br />
community strategies, the Spatial Strategy and relevant<br />
plans of infrastructure and service providers. An<br />
important role for the planning authorities will be to<br />
identify existing and potential infrastructure and service<br />
deficiencies and provide a framework for the negotiation<br />
of developer contributions as required by Policy DN1.<br />
2.9 The planning authorities will give priority to<br />
proposals for the re-use or redevelopment of previously<br />
developed land and buildings and encourage mixed use<br />
development. New development should:<br />
f be of a high quality of design and layout, recognising<br />
the potential biodiversity or historical interest often<br />
attached to previously developed land;<br />
f be compatible with the need to protect and enhance<br />
natural or cultural resources;<br />
f ensure sufficient provision for the infrastructure<br />
requirements and the social, community, recreational<br />
and cultural needs arising out of the development and<br />
contribute towards the improvement of existing<br />
facilities;<br />
f not undermine the special qualities that contribute<br />
to local character and sense of identity; and<br />
f contribute to the wider objectives of improving the<br />
quality of life in towns.<br />
2.10 This will ensure that future development leads to<br />
an improvement in the quality of the environment and<br />
an enhanced quality of life in urban areas.<br />
2.11 With the emphasis on making the best use of<br />
opportunities for development within the urban area,<br />
it is important to retain existing areas of open land<br />
which are essential to maintain a high quality urban<br />
environment and for the enjoyment of urban living.<br />
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chapter 2 · the location of development<br />
Policy LO2 aims to protect open land, both public and<br />
private, where it is important to the amenity of local<br />
communities or has been identified in a greenspace<br />
strategy. Urban open land has the ability to play a<br />
number of roles, sometimes more than one at the same<br />
time, and greenspace strategies need to reflect their value<br />
for recreation, biodiversity, amenity and movement.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f The local authorities will work with local<br />
communities, local business and service providers<br />
to guide the future development of urban areas.<br />
f The local planning authorities will:<br />
g give priority to proposals for the re-use and<br />
redevelopment of previously developed land and<br />
buildings when considering planning applications<br />
and allocating land in local development<br />
frameworks;<br />
g prepare development briefs for large sites, setting<br />
out the principles of development and the<br />
necessary economic, transport and social and<br />
community improvements required;<br />
g require the submission of design statements and<br />
sustainability statements for major proposals;<br />
g require that all development provides for, or<br />
contributes towards, remedying the deficiencies<br />
in local economic, social, infrastructure and<br />
environmental needs;<br />
g establish criteria in local development frameworks<br />
for the protection of urban open land, which is<br />
important to the amenity of local communities or<br />
has been identified in a greenspace strategy in<br />
accordance with PPG17.<br />
f Guidance will be prepared to help the delivery of<br />
infrastructure and services in association with<br />
development, in accordance with the principles<br />
of urban renaissance.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Number of development briefs prepared and<br />
design statements/sustainability statements<br />
submitted<br />
f Amount and proportion of development by land<br />
use on previously developed land in urban areas<br />
f Amount of development allowed on urban open<br />
land as an exception to local development<br />
framework policies<br />
TARGETS 1, 2, 3 & 6/<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong> 33
chapter 2 · the location of development<br />
POLICY LO3/<br />
Town Centres<br />
Town centres will continue to be the main focus for the<br />
development of employment, retail, leisure and other<br />
service facilities. Higher density residential development<br />
(over 50 dwellings per hectare) and mixed use<br />
development will be encouraged.<br />
Development in the major town centres will be permitted<br />
where it accords with the priorities set out in the Spatial<br />
Strategy and where it supports the roles of Guildford,<br />
Woking and Redhill as centres of strategic importance<br />
and regional hubs, the role of Staines as a transport<br />
interchange and major all-purpose centre, and the roles<br />
of Camberley and Epsom as major all-purpose centres.<br />
Development in other town centres will be encouraged<br />
to maintain their role and improve their vitality.<br />
T<br />
2.12 own centres are the activity hubs of <strong>Surrey</strong> and<br />
contain significant heritage and cultural assets.<br />
They are at the heart of the strategy to concentrate<br />
development in urban areas. Policy LO3 aims to attract<br />
appropriate development and investment to all <strong>Surrey</strong>’s<br />
town centres, both large and small, to sustain and<br />
improve their vitality and significance.<br />
2.13 Within and around town centres, higher density<br />
residential development (over 50 dwellings per hectare),<br />
particularly as part of mixed use schemes, will be<br />
encouraged where it is compatible with the character of<br />
the centres and with the overall aim of maintaining and<br />
enhancing their commercial and retail roles. Significantly<br />
higher densities may be appropriate where the potential<br />
has been identified through local housing capacity<br />
studies, and reflected in local development frameworks.<br />
2.14 The six major town centres have a key strategic role<br />
to play in the Spatial Strategy’s aim of reducing the need<br />
to travel. They provide the widest choice of services,<br />
shops and employment opportunities in one place and<br />
therefore limit the need to travel to a number of<br />
different centres and locations to meet these needs. They<br />
also have better access by public transport than other<br />
town centres and provide an opportunity to reduce the<br />
need to travel by car. The policy aims to direct<br />
development to the major town centres in accordance<br />
with the Spatial Strategy and their individual roles:<br />
f Guildford supports many major commercial and<br />
regional administrative functions as well as being a<br />
regional shopping and leisure centre. It has been<br />
identified as a regional hub in the Regional Transport<br />
Strategy (RTS) and as a strategically significant urban<br />
area and key economic driver in the Regional<br />
Economic Strategy (RES) draft action plan. It is the<br />
county town and seat of the University of <strong>Surrey</strong>.<br />
Future development should support and enhance the<br />
town’s role as a regional centre and its potential to<br />
develop as a nationally significant business cluster.<br />
f Woking has major commercial, retail and leisure<br />
facilities and has been identified as a major town<br />
centre and key economic driver within the region in<br />
the RES draft action plan, as well as being identified<br />
as a regional hub in the RTS. Future development<br />
should continue to support the centre’s significant<br />
economic, retail and leisure base.<br />
f Camberley and Redhill are major commercial, retail<br />
and leisure centres and Redhill is identified as a centre<br />
34<br />
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chapter 2 · the location of development<br />
of strategic importance. Future development should<br />
enhance their respective roles and provide<br />
environmental improvements where necessary. Major<br />
expansion of activity should be considered in the<br />
context of the outcome of sub-regional strategies for<br />
the Western Corridor, the Blackwater Valley and the<br />
London Fringe as reflected in the emerging South East<br />
Plan.<br />
f Epsom and Staines are also major commercial,<br />
retail and leisure centres. Future development should<br />
concentrate on consolidating their current roles<br />
and in providing environmental improvements to<br />
residents and businesses alike.<br />
2.15 Other town centres in <strong>Surrey</strong> will continue to be<br />
supported in fulfilling their significant but more local<br />
role. Development required as part of the ongoing<br />
revitalisation of both Addlestone and Leatherhead will<br />
be particularly encouraged. The role of market towns<br />
serving rural communities within the South East and<br />
South West <strong>Surrey</strong> Sub-areas and providing wider<br />
services and facilities for visitors will also be supported.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f Local development frameworks will:<br />
g define the boundaries of town centres, and<br />
maintain and review these boundaries;<br />
g set out proposals for development sites within<br />
town centres;<br />
g take into account the roles of Guildford, Woking<br />
and Redhill as centres of strategic importance and<br />
regional hubs and, in particular, the pre-eminent<br />
role of Guildford.<br />
f The local planning authorities will:<br />
g prepare town centre strategies, taking particular<br />
account of the transportation needs of centres;<br />
g prepare town centre design briefs;<br />
g prepare development briefs for key town centre<br />
sites;<br />
g undertake periodic health checks of market and<br />
other small towns to establish local needs.<br />
f The Local Transport Plan will include schemes for<br />
improvement to town centre transport networks in<br />
its local implementation programme areas.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Amount of commercial, retail, tourism,<br />
residential and other development in each<br />
of the town centres, and in proportion to the<br />
rest of the county<br />
f Economic and social health of town centres<br />
(note: to be measured through town centre<br />
health checks)<br />
f Proportion of total employment in town<br />
centres<br />
f Proportion of all town centre development<br />
in the six major town centres<br />
f Amount of higher density residential<br />
development/mixed use development in and<br />
around town centres<br />
TARGETS 2 & 4/<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong> 35
chapter 2 · the location of development<br />
POLICY LO4/<br />
The Countryside and Green Belt<br />
The openness and intrinsic qualities of the countryside<br />
will be protected. Most development outside the urban<br />
areas should be in or near to local service centres, and<br />
all development must respect the character of the<br />
countryside.<br />
Development will be permitted where it is required for<br />
agriculture, forestry, or where it relates to the essential<br />
needs of outdoor sport and recreation or for<br />
management of the countryside as a resource.<br />
Operational development associated with water supply<br />
and treatment, sewage treatment, flood defence purposes,<br />
energy generation from renewable resources, mineral<br />
working and waste management and any other essential<br />
utility development will be acceptable where need is<br />
justified and adverse impacts can be satisfactorily<br />
managed.<br />
The Metropolitan Green Belt<br />
The general extent of the Metropolitan Green Belt in<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> will be maintained.Within the Metropolitan Green<br />
Belt there will be a presumption against inappropriate<br />
development.At Guildford, the local development<br />
framework will include amendments to the Metropolitan<br />
Green Belt boundary north east of Guildford if the need<br />
for an urban extension to the town is confirmed. Land<br />
previously removed from the Metropolitan Green Belt<br />
to serve as a long term reserve for future development<br />
requirements should be reassessed against the Spatial<br />
Strategy of this Plan through local development<br />
frameworks.<br />
Urban fringe<br />
Measures to secure the enhancement of the character<br />
and management of countryside on the urban fringe<br />
consistent with the appropriate use of such land, including<br />
recreational use, will be encouraged.<br />
Major developed sites<br />
Where major developed sites in the countryside are<br />
identified in local development frameworks, further<br />
infilling or redevelopment may be acceptable.Any<br />
proposal should demonstrate how any adverse impacts<br />
are to be mitigated and what measures to enhance the<br />
character of the area can be achieved.<br />
Existing buildings<br />
The re-use and adaptation of buildings in the countryside<br />
is acceptable in principle, provided that the new use<br />
would not harm local amenity.<br />
T<br />
2.16 he character of the countryside finds expression<br />
in the diversity of its landscapes, the wealth of<br />
its natural resources and its ecological, historical,<br />
recreational and archaeological value. These intrinsic<br />
qualities need to be conserved and development should<br />
promote this objective. The Spatial Strategy sets out<br />
priorities for the rural parts of the county as a whole.<br />
These will help maintain the character and quality of the<br />
countryside in its generality. The significance of different<br />
parts of the countryside in contributing to landscape,<br />
nature conservation and spatial development objectives<br />
is identified in the priorities for each of the sub-areas.<br />
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2.17 While <strong>Surrey</strong>’s countryside has been admired and<br />
enjoyed for generations, it is also a working countryside.<br />
In recognition of this, Policy LO4 allows small scale<br />
development where it is needed in the open countryside<br />
away from settlements to support rural activities.<br />
Minerals can only be worked where they are found<br />
and their extraction will, subject to environmental<br />
safeguards, continue in the countryside. Other forms<br />
of development, such as certain utility and waste<br />
operations, may be acceptable in the countryside where<br />
an applicant or local development framework has<br />
demonstrated satisfactorily that alternative locations<br />
in urban areas are not practicable and any adverse<br />
impacts are adequately mitigated. In the case of waste<br />
management facilities in the countryside, priority will<br />
be given to development on existing waste management<br />
sites or previously developed land rather than greenfield<br />
sites. All such development, including mitigation, must<br />
respect the character of the countryside within which<br />
it is sited.<br />
2.18 Much of <strong>Surrey</strong>’s countryside is also subject to<br />
Metropolitan Green Belt policy wherein particular<br />
justification for development is required in order to<br />
safeguard the openness of the countryside. The<br />
Metropolitan Green Belt (MGB) plays a crucial role in<br />
spatial planning throughout the South East Region. The<br />
presumption against inappropriate development in the<br />
MGB helps direct investment to those locations where<br />
regeneration is a priority or where expansion is<br />
proposed. In <strong>Surrey</strong>’s case, the MGB supports the role of<br />
London as a World City, preventing it from sprawling<br />
further out into the adjoining areas and directing<br />
investment back into urban regeneration. In <strong>Surrey</strong>, the<br />
MGB, which covers approximately 73% of the county,<br />
has helped to focus development on the existing urban<br />
areas where most people live and work, and its<br />
continued general protection is consistent with national<br />
and regional objectives.<br />
The purposes of the Metropolitan Green Belt,<br />
as set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note<br />
Green Belts (PPG2) are:<br />
i) to check the unrestricted sprawl of large<br />
built-up areas;<br />
ii) to safeguard the surrounding countryside<br />
from further encroachment;<br />
iii) to prevent neighbouring towns from merging<br />
into one another;<br />
iv) to preserve the special character of historic<br />
towns;<br />
v) to assist in urban regeneration.<br />
PPG2 also identifies the following uses for<br />
Metropolitan Green Belts:<br />
i) to provide opportunities for access to the<br />
open countryside for the urban population;<br />
ii) to provide opportunities for outdoor sport<br />
and recreation near urban areas;<br />
iii) to retain attractive landscapes, and enhance<br />
landscapes, near to where people live;<br />
iv) to improve damaged and derelict land<br />
around the towns;<br />
v) to secure nature conservation interests; and<br />
vi) to retain land in agricultural, forestry and<br />
related uses.<br />
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chapter 2 · the location of development<br />
2.19 The general extent of the MGB in <strong>Surrey</strong> has been<br />
defined in earlier structure plans and detailed boundaries<br />
around urban areas are identified in local plans There is<br />
no intention to alter the general extent of the MGB as<br />
part of this Plan, although detailed Metropolitan Green<br />
Belt boundaries around Guildford may need to be<br />
amended if the need for urban extensions is<br />
demonstrated in the local development framework.<br />
2.20 Elsewhere in <strong>Surrey</strong>, local development<br />
frameworks will also need to consider any consequential<br />
modifications to local Metropolitan Green Belt<br />
boundaries where land has previously been excluded<br />
from the MGB to meet possible future development<br />
requirements. Where the development of such land is<br />
not compatible with the Spatial Strategy or does not<br />
conform to principles of sustainability, its continued<br />
exclusion from the MGB is not justified.<br />
2.21 PPG2 states that in addition to the general policies<br />
controlling development in the countryside, there is a<br />
presumption against inappropriate development within<br />
Metropolitan Green Belts. Very special circumstances<br />
will need to be demonstrated to justify an exception<br />
being made to this presumption.<br />
2.22 Regional Planning Guidance for the South East<br />
(RPG9) points out the need for positive management to<br />
improve the landscape and nature conservation value of<br />
land on the urban fringe. In the area of North <strong>Surrey</strong><br />
where the MGB is fragmented and its landscapes<br />
relatively degraded, positive action is particularly<br />
important and is in line with Government advice set out<br />
in the box following paragraph 2.18. Such initiatives may<br />
also provide opportunities for recreational access and<br />
use within the urban fringe, an issue emphasised in the<br />
2002 revision to PPG17 Planning for Open Space, Sport and<br />
Recreation. In all cases, the management and use of land<br />
on the urban fringe has to be integrated with its<br />
continued agricultural use.<br />
2.23 Existing strategic facilities for sport and recreation<br />
are found both in urban fringe areas and elsewhere in<br />
the countryside. Some, such as country parks, golf<br />
courses and racecourses, cover extensive areas of land<br />
and contribute to the character of their locality. Such<br />
facilities should be supported as part of a regional<br />
resource, although additional or replacement facilities,<br />
particularly buildings, must respect the underlying<br />
objectives of preserving the openness and character of<br />
the countryside. Further guidance on recreation is given<br />
in Policy DN13.<br />
2.24 A general presumption in favour of the re-use of<br />
previously developed land applies in urban areas. This<br />
may not be a sustainable approach in the countryside,<br />
depending on the scale and location of the land. PPG2<br />
includes specific advice on major developed sites in the<br />
Metropolitan Green Belt, to the effect that limited<br />
infilling or redevelopment, which offers environmental<br />
improvement without adding to the impact on<br />
countryside character, may be acceptable. This approach<br />
will be applied within and beyond the MGB to support<br />
the Spatial Strategy of focusing major development<br />
within urban areas in the interest of achieving a more<br />
sustainable pattern of development.<br />
2.25 Life has changed a great deal for people living and<br />
working in the countryside over the years. One result of<br />
this is that many buildings are no longer needed for the<br />
38<br />
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chapter 2 · the location of development<br />
purpose for which they were originally built. Policy LO4<br />
therefore encourages the re-use of existing buildings in<br />
the countryside, recognising the role they play in<br />
providing opportunities to meet social and economic<br />
needs without requiring additional buildings.<br />
2.26 It is accepted that many buildings are located away<br />
from any settlements and from public transport facilities,<br />
and the re-use of such buildings may result in an<br />
increase in road traffic. The benefits from re-using these<br />
buildings will generally outweigh this factor, provided<br />
the new use does not result in significant increase in<br />
traffic or impacts on minor roads. The use and activity<br />
should also be compatible with safeguarding amenity in<br />
the surrounding area, safeguarding the interests of<br />
protected species, and should not prejudice the viability<br />
of services provided within rural settlements. These<br />
considerations also apply to farm diversification schemes<br />
covered by Policy DN16.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f The local planning authorities will develop the<br />
assessment work of The Future of <strong>Surrey</strong>’s Landscape and<br />
Woodlands into guidance similar to the Countryside<br />
Agency’s concept of Countryside Design Statements<br />
to protect the character of the countryside.<br />
f Local development frameworks will:<br />
g maintain Metropolitan Green Belt boundaries<br />
except where land previously removed from the<br />
MGB to meet possible future development<br />
requirements is not compatible with the Spatial<br />
Strategy and should be re-instated in the MGB;<br />
g include policies consistent with PPG2 to resist<br />
inappropriate development in the Metropolitan<br />
Green Belt;<br />
g encourage the re-use of existing buildings and<br />
provide criteria to assess the implications of such<br />
development;<br />
g identify major developed sites in the countryside<br />
and Metropolitan Green Belt, where relevant, and<br />
provide criteria-based policies to guide their<br />
future use.<br />
f The local authorities will, in conjunction with<br />
partner organisations and landowners, promote<br />
improvements to the character, use and quality<br />
of urban fringe land.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Amount of greenfield land in the MGB that is<br />
lost to appropriate and inappropriate<br />
development<br />
f Amount and type of development on greenfield<br />
land and on previously developed land in the<br />
countryside<br />
f Amount and type of development on major<br />
developed sites in the countryside and MGB<br />
f Number and extent of positive urban fringe<br />
land management schemes<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong> 39
chapter 2 · the location of development<br />
POLICY LO5/<br />
Rural Settlements<br />
Limited development in rural settlements will be<br />
permitted where it contributes to meeting the social,<br />
economic and recreational needs of the local community,<br />
and its scale, layout and appearance maintains or enhances<br />
the character of the settlement.<br />
A<br />
2.27 pproximately 15% of homes in <strong>Surrey</strong> are<br />
located outside the urban areas, mainly in the<br />
rural settlements identified in local plans. Policy LO5<br />
aims to help sustain these areas by allowing development<br />
within those settlements, where social, economic and<br />
recreational needs of the local community have been<br />
demonstrated. Provision for affordable housing in<br />
relation to rural settlements is considered in Policy DN11.<br />
2.28 The quality of the environment in rural settlements<br />
is generally very high. Their heritage value, recognised in<br />
numerous listed buildings, conservation areas and<br />
archaeological features, forms an important part of the<br />
cultural history of the county. Development must<br />
therefore be sensitive to its surroundings, reinforcing the<br />
character and separate identity of these communities.<br />
2.29 Maintaining or providing everyday services and<br />
local employment opportunities within rural settlements<br />
will help to reduce the need to travel to nearby centres.<br />
However, urban areas will remain the main focus for<br />
employment opportunities and service provision, so<br />
significant development in rural settlements would<br />
conflict with this objective.<br />
2.30 The need to sustain rural communities will<br />
generally override concerns about modest additional<br />
traffic and activity, provided the development is clearly<br />
related to, and at a scale commensurate with, the needs<br />
of the local community. Emerging community strategies<br />
should assist in establishing the case for retaining or<br />
augmenting existing services and facilities within<br />
settlements.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f Local development frameworks will:<br />
g identify rural settlements and their boundaries;<br />
g provide criteria based policies to influence the<br />
design, scale and impact of development in such<br />
settlements;<br />
g encourage the preparation of village design<br />
statements.<br />
f Local planning authorities will promote the use of<br />
conservation area appraisals and enhancement<br />
schemes.<br />
f Community strategies and parish plans will enable<br />
identification of social, economic, recreational and<br />
environmental issues within rural areas.<br />
f The Rural Strategy promotes the use of parish plans<br />
to establish local needs.<br />
f The Heritage Strategy promotes conservation and<br />
interpretation of the historic environment.<br />
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chapter 2 · the location of development<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Availability of key services in rural settlements<br />
f Number of parish plans and actions arising<br />
f Number of village design statements and<br />
conservation area enhancement schemes<br />
POLICY LO6/<br />
Housing Provision<br />
Provision will be made for 35,400 (net) dwellings<br />
within <strong>Surrey</strong> between April 2001 and March 2016,<br />
in the following way:<br />
Total provision<br />
Elmbridge 3,370<br />
Epsom & Ewell 3,000<br />
Guildford 4,750<br />
Mole Valley 2,330<br />
Reigate & Banstead 6,290<br />
Runnymede 2,030<br />
Spelthorne 2,580<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> Heath 2,780<br />
Tandridge 2,120<br />
Waverley 2,810<br />
Woking 3,340<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> 35,400<br />
Most of the above dwellings will be provided on<br />
previously developed land, principally through the<br />
proactive approach to the management of urban areas<br />
set out in Policy LO2.<br />
The local planning authorities will adopt a Plan, Monitor,<br />
Manage approach to housing provision, with appropriate<br />
phasing policies in local development frameworks.Where<br />
there is a significant shortfall or surplus in the supply of<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong> 41
chapter 2 · the location of development<br />
housing relative to the above allocations, the local<br />
planning authorities will review the proposed phasing<br />
either through the preparation of supplementary planning<br />
documents or through a formal review of the local<br />
development framework.<br />
In Reigate & Banstead, 2,600 of the borough’s dwellings<br />
allocation will be provided at Horley primarily through<br />
urban extensions to the north east and north west of the<br />
town.<br />
In Guildford provision for a new community to the north<br />
east of the town will be made in the local development<br />
framework if sufficient capacity on previously developed<br />
land cannot be identified to meet the full housing<br />
allocation within the LDF period.<br />
R<br />
2.31 egional Planning Guidance for the South East<br />
(RPG9) requires <strong>Surrey</strong> to provide an average<br />
of 2,360 net additional dwellings per year for the period<br />
up to 2006. Beyond this date, the RPG advises that<br />
provision should continue to be made at the same annual<br />
rate until such time as any different rate is adopted<br />
through a revision of RPG9. Currently, the review of RPG<br />
is scheduled for completion in 2006. Over the 15 years to<br />
2016, this equates to a requirement of 35,400 dwellings,<br />
a level which is met in Policy LO6.<br />
2.32 Implementation of <strong>Surrey</strong>’s regional housing<br />
requirement will be monitored and assessed against the<br />
results of the <strong>Surrey</strong> Housing Capacity Study, and district<br />
housing capacity studies. The Plan, Monitor, Manage<br />
approach will be implemented to ensure that the best<br />
use is being made of previously developed land,<br />
particularly within existing towns and villages, whilst<br />
protecting the quality of life for those who live, work<br />
and visit these areas.<br />
2.33 The distribution of the overall housing requirement<br />
has been derived from the results of the <strong>Surrey</strong> Housing<br />
Capacity Study (SHCS), carried out jointly by the <strong>County</strong><br />
<strong>Council</strong> and the borough and district councils. This study<br />
indicates that, of the total housing requirement, by April<br />
2003, 15,239 dwellings had either been completed, had<br />
the benefit of an outstanding planning permission, or<br />
had been allocated in local plans or through<br />
development briefs. The remainder of the provision will<br />
be delivered through new housing allocations within<br />
local development frameworks and through windfall<br />
development on unidentified sites, including small and<br />
medium sites.<br />
2.34 A number of the borough and district council local<br />
plans contain sites identified against the strategy of<br />
earlier structure plans to help meet longer term housing<br />
needs. Many of these are greenfield sites within, or on<br />
the edge of, existing urban areas and some have been<br />
excluded from the MGB. The release of these sites to<br />
meet the dwelling requirement set out in this policy is<br />
unlikely to be necessary before 2016. In accordance with<br />
the requirements of Policy LO4, all reserve sites should<br />
be reviewed through the production of local<br />
development frameworks. They should be assessed in<br />
terms of the sequential approach set out in Planning<br />
Policy Guidance Note on Housing (PPG3) and the Spatial<br />
Strategy of this Plan.<br />
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Reigate & Banstead<br />
2.35 Within Reigate & Banstead, 2,600 of the borough’s<br />
dwelling allocation will be provided at Horley. This<br />
will be met largely through two new urban extensions<br />
to the north east and north west of the town. The<br />
development of these extensions is subject to the<br />
provisions of a comprehensive masterplan currently<br />
being progressed through the Reigate & Banstead<br />
Borough Local Plan (First Alteration).<br />
Woking<br />
2.36 In Woking a significant proportion of the borough’s<br />
total housing provision will be met in and around<br />
Woking town centre.<br />
Guildford<br />
2.37 The dwelling allocation for Guildford is greater<br />
than the potential identified within the <strong>Surrey</strong> Housing<br />
Capacity Study, reflecting the identification of this area<br />
as a centre of strategic importance. This additional<br />
provision should be delivered primarily through the use<br />
of previously developed land within the urban area of<br />
Guildford town. The potential to meet the allocation in<br />
this way will need to be demonstrated through a local<br />
housing capacity study and through the allocation of<br />
suitable sites within the local development framework.<br />
If the capacity study fails to identify sufficient previously<br />
developed land within Guildford town, then the Borough<br />
<strong>Council</strong> should consider the need for a new community<br />
to the north east of Guildford town.<br />
2.38 The planning of the new community should be<br />
subject to the provisions of a detailed masterplan<br />
prepared through the local development framework for<br />
Guildford. The masterplan should determine the precise<br />
site areas, boundaries and housing capacity of the new<br />
community. It should also demonstrate how<br />
development will interact and connect with the existing<br />
urban area and adjoining countryside, and provide for a<br />
clear separation from the village of West Clandon to<br />
maintain its identity. The masterplan should:<br />
f reflect the vision for new communities set out in<br />
the Spatial Strategy, and<br />
f set out how and when infrastructure will be provided,<br />
to ensure that new development does not overload<br />
existing facilities, and<br />
f provide for a mix of land uses, including housing,<br />
employment, retail and social and community<br />
facilities, and<br />
f demonstrate how transportation issues will be<br />
addressed, particularly the need for strategic<br />
transportation improvements, the provision of public<br />
transport and access to and within the adjoining<br />
urban areas, and<br />
f identify the potential to contribute towards meeting<br />
longer term development needs, beyond 2016.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f Local planning authorities will:<br />
g undertake detailed local housing capacity studies<br />
to demonstrate how they will meet the allocations<br />
in Policy LO6;<br />
g ensure that there is sufficient provision for housing<br />
to meet annual average requirements for at least<br />
5 years;<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong> 43
chapter 2 · the location of development<br />
g phase the release of housing sites, having regard<br />
to the provision of adequate infrastructure and<br />
services, and the availability of previously<br />
developed land within the urban areas;<br />
g jointly with the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong>, monitor the rate<br />
at which new housing is being developed.<br />
f The <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> will:<br />
g work with the borough and district councils to<br />
deliver further housing capacity through a more<br />
proactive approach to the management of urban<br />
areas;<br />
g work with Guildford Borough <strong>Council</strong>, the<br />
Highways Agency, other infrastructure and service<br />
providers and the local community to identify the<br />
infrastructure and service provision required for a<br />
possible new community;<br />
g provide further guidance on how the local<br />
authorities should implement the Government’s<br />
proposals for Plan, Monitor, Manage, including the<br />
delivery of additional housing in urban areas.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Amount, location and previous use of land<br />
developed for housing<br />
f Amount and rate of windfall development on<br />
previously developed land<br />
f Monitoring of the <strong>Surrey</strong> Housing Capacity<br />
Study and local housing capacity studies<br />
TARGET 1/<br />
f A detailed masterplan for the development of the<br />
existing planned urban extensions around Horley is<br />
being developed through the Reigate & Banstead<br />
Borough Local Plan (First Alteration).<br />
f <strong>Surrey</strong> Design will contribute towards the achievement<br />
of high quality residential and mixed use<br />
environments by promoting best practice both in the<br />
development process and the use of key urban design<br />
principles.<br />
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POLICY LO7/<br />
Employment Land<br />
The development needs of sustainable economic growth<br />
will be met primarily through the re-use of suitably<br />
located land already in or available for employment use.<br />
Suitably located land will be safeguarded. Employment<br />
land, particularly in or around town centres, may be<br />
redeveloped for mixed uses.<br />
Local planning authorities will seek to ensure an<br />
appropriate mix of types and scale of premises for a<br />
range of economic activities. In particular, the<br />
development of small and medium sized enterprises,<br />
including those requiring ‘move-on’ accommodation from<br />
incubator units, and the development of business clusters,<br />
will be supported.<br />
Local planning authorities will be expected to review<br />
existing employment land allocations and policies<br />
protecting land for employment use and reallocate<br />
surplus or unsuitably located employment land for<br />
alternative uses.Where unsuitably located land is<br />
reallocated for alternative uses, local planning authorities<br />
will review the adequacy of existing employment land<br />
allocations and designate additional land if justified.<br />
A<br />
2.39 successful economy is an important key to<br />
ensuring a good quality of life. However,<br />
economic growth must be encouraged in a sustainable<br />
way, as economic success can bring unwanted pressures<br />
such as traffic congestion or high house prices, which<br />
could undermine this success. In <strong>Surrey</strong>, this means<br />
creating wealth without adding to the stock of<br />
employment land, and not being excessively expansive<br />
in terms of job or travel generation. <strong>Surrey</strong>’s economy<br />
enjoyed considerable growth in the 1990s primarily<br />
through the redevelopment of existing sites and<br />
premises. Policy LO7 seeks to continue this approach but<br />
with more flexibility to respond to changing economic<br />
and development needs, thus ensuring the best use is<br />
made of urban land. The re-use of existing suitably<br />
located land will continue to be the primary method of<br />
meeting future growth in the <strong>Surrey</strong> economy and, in<br />
particular, for knowledge based commercial activities<br />
that can demonstrate high levels of productivity and<br />
investment per square metre. Suitably located land will<br />
need to be safeguarded for employment use, although<br />
mixed use redevelopment will be encouraged,<br />
particularly in and around town centres.<br />
2.40 It is also important that the economy grows in a<br />
balanced way by ensuring that a range of sizes and types<br />
of sites and premises are available and the associated<br />
service activities needed to maintain economic diversity<br />
are provided for. The continuing development of<br />
innovative and novel ideas into new commercial<br />
enterprises will provide an important element of the<br />
economy. It is important that appropriate premises are<br />
available for such entrepreneurs to build and implement<br />
their innovations.<br />
2.41 In 1982, Gross Value Added in the <strong>Surrey</strong> economy<br />
totalled £7.8bn. By 2002, this had grown to £16.5bn,<br />
equivalent to an annual growth rate of 3.8%. Output has<br />
grown steadily above the UK annual trend growth rate<br />
of 2.5%, particularly during two periods of sustained<br />
growth, from 1982 to 1988, and from 1992 to 1999. Output<br />
might be expected to continue growing above the UK<br />
trend growth rate from 2003 onwards.<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong> 45
chapter 2 · the location of development<br />
2.42 In 2003, the single largest sector in output terms in<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> was business services, including activities such as<br />
professional services, IT services, and consultancy. The<br />
sector contributed £400m to output, almost twice as<br />
much as the second largest producer, the retail sector.<br />
Manufacturing industries produced relatively small<br />
components of total output, with paper, printing and<br />
publishing the largest at £30m, 1.5% of the total output<br />
of <strong>Surrey</strong>.<br />
2.43 The sectoral components of output have changed<br />
over time, with <strong>Surrey</strong> seeing dramatic increases in the<br />
importance of business services. In 1982, as well as<br />
making the largest contribution to employment, the<br />
health sector also made the largest contribution to<br />
output. However, the business services sector grew to<br />
be the largest component of total output by 2003, and<br />
is expected to continue growing.<br />
2.44 It is likely that the strongest employment changes<br />
in the period to 2016 will be in the business services,<br />
retailing, health, wholesaling and education sectors. The<br />
policy response to such outcomes will need to have<br />
regard to the Spatial Strategy, the need to minimise travel<br />
to work (by car primarily) and the availability of suitably<br />
located employment land. The encouragement of<br />
workers (commuters) into <strong>Surrey</strong> would exacerbate the<br />
existing problems on the road network unless reliable<br />
and frequent public transport alternatives are in place. In<br />
addition the employment implications do not have to be<br />
met by a predict and provide response. Through changing<br />
working practices and the more efficient use of business<br />
space including spaceless economic growth, the land use<br />
implications as well as the number of workers needed<br />
can be lessened.<br />
2.45 A general objective of the Spatial Strategy is to<br />
focus new development in the urban areas, particularly<br />
in the major centres in the county which are important<br />
transport interchanges and employment areas. The focus<br />
of development and the provision of important services<br />
and functions will be in these major centres, principally<br />
Guildford, Woking and Redhill. Town centres are seen as<br />
the main focus for employment opportunities and where<br />
people live and transport infrastructure is optimal. The<br />
priorities of the Spatial Strategy include the<br />
consolidation of the existing roles of Staines and Epsom;<br />
particular investment in and revitalisation of Addlestone,<br />
Chertsey and Leatherhead to maintain their roles in<br />
providing local services; and small scale development to<br />
maintain the roles of Reigate, Oxted, Cranleigh, Dorking,<br />
Godalming and Haslemere as market towns. Additionally<br />
Camberley, Epsom, and Staines are identified as major<br />
commercial, retail and leisure centres whose roles<br />
should either be enhanced or consolidated.<br />
2.46 As a result of its prosperous economy, <strong>Surrey</strong> has<br />
experienced significant employment growth in recent<br />
years. This has led to some recruitment and skills<br />
shortages. Local planning authorities will have to<br />
consider whether some employment sites should<br />
therefore be used for housing, to help increase labour<br />
supply to meet the demands of the local economy. A<br />
change of use, or mixed use development, will be<br />
particularly encouraged on sites that have historically<br />
been in employment use but are not suitably located<br />
either in relation to modern commercial requirements<br />
or for environmental reasons. It is also important that<br />
local planning authorities maintain an adequate supply<br />
of employment land for future requirements. Where<br />
46<br />
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chapter 2 · the location of development<br />
reallocations of employment land take place, local<br />
planning authorities will be expected to consider<br />
whether alternative suitably located employment land<br />
needs to be identified.<br />
i) The expectation is that this would result<br />
in the loss of up to 20% of secondary<br />
employment sites across the county but<br />
would involve the retention and/or more<br />
intensive use of primary employment<br />
locations, such as business parks. In and<br />
around town centres, where there is a mix<br />
of uses and the use of individual sites may<br />
change to or from employment use during<br />
the plan period, the expectation is that<br />
overall employment floorspace would not<br />
be reduced as a result of this policy, and<br />
may well increase.<br />
ii) <strong>Surrey</strong>’s core supply of commercial and<br />
industrial land and premises is located in its<br />
established town centres, business parks and<br />
industrial estates. In principle these sites<br />
should be retained in employment use,<br />
although redevelopment for mixed uses may<br />
be appropriate in and around town centres.<br />
High density employment uses should be<br />
concentrated in town centres or other<br />
locations with good public transport<br />
accessibility, particularly if these are within<br />
the fringe of a town centre.Where a site<br />
is redeveloped for mixed use, the<br />
redevelopment scheme should avoid a net<br />
loss of employment floorspace. On industrial<br />
estates and business parks, the possibility of<br />
a change of use should only be considered<br />
where there is significant evidence of a lack<br />
iii)<br />
of market interest in the site for employment<br />
use. Employment sites within local or district<br />
centres should also be retained in<br />
employment use unless there is a lack of<br />
market interest in the site or there are<br />
amenity problems associated with the<br />
employment use of the site.<br />
The principal way for implementing Policy<br />
LO7 will be through local development<br />
frameworks.These should identify key<br />
employment sites which are significant and<br />
inalienable.A main principle in determining<br />
such sites will be the Spatial Strategy.The<br />
review process should include an audit of<br />
outstanding commitments and current stock<br />
of employment land.The practical approach is<br />
to assess changes in the supply and availability<br />
of employment land and premises through<br />
monitoring development completions,<br />
availability of land and premises, and<br />
outstanding planning consents.The<br />
monitoring information should be considered<br />
in conjunction with surveys of and liaison<br />
with the business community as to the<br />
adequacy of employment land supply.Together<br />
these should indicate employment land<br />
requirements which can be assessed against<br />
the availability of labour supply.This<br />
information would then inform judgements<br />
on the weight that should be given regarding<br />
competing land use demands (or reallocation)<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong> 47
chapter 2 · the location of development<br />
such as housing. If outstanding commitments<br />
and the floorspace estimates for allocated<br />
sites exceed the development levels achieved<br />
for previous years (ten years is recommended<br />
as an appropriate period), this indicates a<br />
possible excess of industrial and commercial<br />
land provision, although such a mechanistic<br />
approach must be assessed carefully.<br />
Comparisons should also be against county<br />
and district employment forecasts, which may<br />
change over time. If they do change<br />
significantly, industrial and commercial land<br />
requirements may need to be re-assessed.<br />
iv) Other commercial and industrial sites are<br />
scattered throughout the urban area. It is<br />
among these sites that there may be potential<br />
for a change of use, particularly to residential.<br />
If the site is well located for public transport<br />
and does not generate significant adverse<br />
amenity impacts, then the presumption that<br />
the site should remain in employment use still<br />
pertains. Such sites contribute to a desirable<br />
mix of activity within the urban area.<br />
However, where there are public transport<br />
accessibility and/or amenity problems, or<br />
where there is evidence of a lack of market<br />
interest in the site for business use, then a<br />
change of use should be considered.<br />
v) Some employment sites isolated within<br />
residential areas may be considered to have<br />
potential for reallocation to housing.<br />
However, such locations clearly may already<br />
meet the requirements of minimising car<br />
usage since they are more likely to attract<br />
and retain local employees, providing as they<br />
do opportunities for people to live and work<br />
locally.Where redevelopment of such sites<br />
would lead to intensification, this may lead to<br />
recruitment of staff from a wider catchment<br />
and generate more car trips to an out of<br />
centre location. Redevelopment of such sites<br />
in terms of mixed use may be preferable in<br />
such cases.<br />
vi) Commercial and industrial sites located in<br />
close proximity to the Primary Route<br />
Network need to be considered in terms<br />
of the type of the activity that is appropriate<br />
at such locations. Road-based warehousing<br />
development at such locations may be<br />
appropriate. Other employment development<br />
which may lead to long distance car<br />
commuting is likely to be inappropriate<br />
vii) Where the access to an employment site is<br />
constrained, the suitability of the site for<br />
continuing in industrial and commercial use<br />
should be reviewed. Redevelopment for other<br />
uses may be appropriate, if limitations on the<br />
employment usage to satisfy access concerns<br />
would lead to poor utilisation of the site.<br />
viii) The redevelopment for employment purposes<br />
of existing employment sites in rural<br />
settlements is supported by Policy LO5.This<br />
is intended to maintain rural employment<br />
opportunities in locations where there is<br />
some concentration of people offering the<br />
best chance of a close home and work<br />
relationship. Only where there is compelling<br />
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chapter 2 · the location of development<br />
ix)<br />
evidence of a lack of interest in the site for<br />
business or other employment use, should<br />
a change of use be considered. Mixed use<br />
solutions may be appropriate for larger<br />
employment sites in rural settlements.<br />
Using the approach detailed above, local<br />
development frameworks can ensure that<br />
there is a suitable range of employment<br />
sites and premises in terms of size, tenure<br />
and cost in order to foster economic<br />
diversity within the Plan area.Where a<br />
surplus of industrial and commercial land is<br />
identified, individual sites and allocations<br />
should be assessed in terms of their<br />
accessibility, impact on amenity and<br />
marketability. Unsuitably located sites<br />
should be considered for alternative uses,<br />
such as housing.The views of the <strong>County</strong><br />
<strong>Council</strong>’s Transportation Development<br />
Control Group and the <strong>Surrey</strong> Economic<br />
Partnership should be sought.There is a<br />
presumption of refusal for planning<br />
applications involving the loss of industrial<br />
and commercial land contrary to the<br />
development plan. If an application<br />
proposes a significant net loss of<br />
commercial or industrial floorspace and the<br />
district council considers that such a loss<br />
has strategic implications, the proposal<br />
should be referred to the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong><br />
as a strategic consultation.The <strong>County</strong><br />
<strong>Council</strong> will apply the criteria outlined<br />
above to determine whether a strategic<br />
objection should be raised to the proposal.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f Local planning authorities will:<br />
g undertake a local employment land capacity study<br />
identifying ‘key’ and ‘secondary’ employment<br />
sites;<br />
g examine the likely future relationship between<br />
floorspace, jobs and workforce taking account of<br />
the housing allocations;<br />
g review the adequacy of existing land allocations<br />
in the light of this relationship, the desirability of<br />
a better balance between job opportunities and<br />
resident work force, and the scope to release up<br />
to 20% of secondary employment land which is<br />
unsuitably located or surplus to requirements.<br />
f The <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> will assist in the preparation of<br />
local forecasts of future economic needs, based on<br />
the requirements for innovative or emerging industry<br />
and established local industry, including small<br />
businesses, bearing in mind the forecasts for the<br />
county and the need to retain diversity.<br />
f The Economic Strategy will promote economic<br />
growth within the land use framework set by the<br />
Structure Plan in order to achieve sustainable<br />
development.<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong> 49
chapter 2 · the location of development<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Amount, percentage and type of commercial,<br />
industrial and mixed use development on land<br />
previously developed for employment<br />
floorspace<br />
TARGETS 2 & 3/<br />
POLICY LO8/<br />
Retail Development<br />
Retail development will be directed in accordance with<br />
the strategic retail hierarchy of centres in <strong>Surrey</strong>.<br />
Where there is a need to allocate land for retail<br />
development the local planning authorities will consider<br />
town centre sites followed by edge of centre sites if these<br />
are not available. Only where there are no suitable sites<br />
in these locations will out of centre sites be considered.<br />
Retail development in edge of centre and out of centre<br />
locations will only be permitted where need and a<br />
sequential approach to site selection are demonstrated,<br />
where it would not undermine the vitality and viability of<br />
any existing centre and where it is accessible by means of<br />
transport other than the private car.<br />
S<br />
2.47 hops play a crucial role in ensuring the success<br />
and the vitality of town centres. Policy LO8<br />
therefore aims to ensure that retail development needs<br />
are addressed through the local development framework<br />
process and that these needs are met as far as possible in<br />
town centres. If there are insufficient sites within a town<br />
centre, local planning authorities should consider sites<br />
on the edge of the centre. Only as a last resort should<br />
other sites be considered.<br />
2.48 The policy also aims to ensure that the existing<br />
hierarchy of shopping centres in <strong>Surrey</strong> is maintained.<br />
New retail provision should be appropriate to the scale,<br />
function and accessibility of the town centre where the<br />
new development is planned, having regard to the<br />
hierarchy of shopping centres. The strategic retail<br />
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chapter 2 · the location of development<br />
hierarchy below identifies three main groups, with<br />
Guildford identified as a regional retail centre.<br />
Maintaining the vitality and viability of smaller local<br />
centres is also important and local development<br />
frameworks may identify further groups at a local level.<br />
The <strong>Surrey</strong> retail hierarchy of town centres<br />
Group 1 – Guildford<br />
Group 2 – Camberley, Epsom, Redhill, Staines,Woking<br />
Group 3 – Dorking, Farnham, Godalming, Reigate,<br />
Walton-on-Thames.<br />
Local centres as identified in local development<br />
frameworks<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f Local planning authorities will assess retail needs and<br />
identify any sites needed for retail development in<br />
local development frameworks, area action plans or<br />
town centre briefs.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Amount and location of retail development<br />
TARGET 4/<br />
2.49 If a retail planning application is received for<br />
an edge of centre or an out of centre site that is not<br />
allocated for retail development in the local<br />
development framework, its potential impact on the<br />
viability and vitality of existing centres will be assessed.<br />
Both its impact individually and its impact cumulatively<br />
with other existing or proposed retail developments will<br />
be part of this assessment. The applicant must<br />
demonstrate the retail need to justify the application and<br />
that the site search has followed a sequential approach.<br />
The policy will also apply to proposed extensions of<br />
existing edge of and out of centre retail establishments.<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong> 51
CHAPTER<br />
3<br />
SUSTAINING<br />
THE ENVIRONMENT<br />
POLICY SE1/<br />
Natural Resources and Pollution Control<br />
Designated areas and features of acknowledged<br />
importance within the natural environment should be<br />
conserved and enhanced.<br />
Development should be located and designed to promote<br />
the efficient use of energy and water, and the careful use<br />
of natural resources, including land and soils.<br />
Development which requires the provision of new water<br />
supply or sewage treatment infrastructure should not<br />
prejudice existing water abstractions, river flows, water<br />
quality, wetland habitats or fisheries.<br />
Development must comply with prevailing standards for<br />
the control of emissions to air, water and land.The<br />
planning authorities will not permit development which,<br />
by reason of noise, odour, radiation or light pollution,<br />
would be harmful to the environment or to other land<br />
users in the area and will avoid locating sensitive<br />
development in the vicinity of known sources of pollution<br />
or hazard.<br />
P<br />
3.1 rotection of the environment requires that<br />
development should not prejudice the quantity<br />
or quality of important elements of the natural<br />
environment. Where the scale or nature of a proposed<br />
development, its potential impact on the environment,<br />
or its location in relation to sensitive areas could affect<br />
areas or features of acknowledged environmental<br />
importance, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)<br />
should be undertaken. Such developments must also be<br />
considered against the objectives set out in various<br />
national strategies, for example, the UK Biodiversity<br />
Action Plan and the National Air Quality Strategy, as well<br />
as European Directives and international obligations.<br />
3.2 The policy is central to ensuring the prudent use of<br />
the basic natural resources of air, land and soils, water<br />
and minerals, and protecting the environment. These<br />
are key strands of the national strategy for sustainable<br />
development. One of the basic resources, often<br />
neglected in the past, is soil quality, which contributes<br />
to a range of environmental and economic goods.<br />
Development should re-use previously developed land<br />
and be more intensive in form to promote the<br />
conservation of land. The more concentrated form of<br />
development will facilitate adoption of energy<br />
conservation measures, which along with greater use<br />
of public transport, cycling and walking, can help to<br />
reduce the growth in greenhouse gas emissions. New<br />
development should be as sustainable as possible,<br />
designed to achieve a BREEAM or EcoHomes standard<br />
of ‘excellent’ (please see Glossary).<br />
3.3 Water resources to support development are finite<br />
without major investment in new storage facilities and<br />
the attendant environmental impacts associated with<br />
them. This, and the uncertainty over future seasonal<br />
fluctuations in supply associated with climate change,<br />
supports taking a precautionary approach to resource<br />
conservation. Ground and surface water resources need<br />
to be protected from the pressure for over-abstraction<br />
and from pollution to ensure that they remain available<br />
to provide drinking water, to sustain agriculture and<br />
related activity and to support wetland habitats. Creation<br />
of ponds for storage of winter rainfall for subsequent<br />
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chapter 3 · sustaining the environment<br />
agricultural use reduces pressure on water resources and<br />
should be supported.<br />
3.4 The impact that increasing discharge rates has on<br />
water quality in <strong>Surrey</strong>’s rivers raises concern. In<br />
particular, in headwater locations, the dilution rates for<br />
sewage effluent are low. Further development in areas<br />
where treatment works are at or near capacity must not<br />
be allowed prior to the upgrading of the treatment<br />
works. Development prejudicial to the achievement of<br />
river water quality objectives will not be acceptable.<br />
3.5 If a proposed development has any potential<br />
pollution risk associated with emissions or discharges to<br />
air, land or water, the risk must be reduced to comply<br />
with national or European standards of control,<br />
whichever is the more stringent. The planning<br />
authorities, in conjunction with other agencies, will<br />
promote the use of the best available techniques to<br />
achieve this. The Environment Agency has specific<br />
responsibilities in relation to the regulation of waste<br />
management, radioactive substances and emissions to air<br />
from complex industrial processes, as well as regulating<br />
discharges to the water environment. Other forms of<br />
pollution, such as noise, odour and light emanating from<br />
a development, will be controlled in the interests of<br />
local amenity and the environment. Where Air Quality<br />
Management Areas have been designated, or known<br />
sources of pollution or potential hazard exist,<br />
restrictions on the form and nature of development<br />
proposals will be imposed in the interests of personal<br />
safety.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f The local planning authorities will:<br />
g select locations for development which contribute<br />
to conserving the use of natural resources and<br />
avoid harm to areas of environmental or cultural<br />
importance;<br />
g require Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA)<br />
for major developments, those in sensitive<br />
locations or those that impact on features of<br />
particular importance;<br />
g produce EIA Best Practice Guidance to assist<br />
scoping of EIAs in <strong>Surrey</strong>;<br />
g adopt policies which require use of the principles<br />
in <strong>Surrey</strong> Design concerned with resources;<br />
g include policies in local development frameworks<br />
which promote greater efficiency in the use of<br />
energy by improved siting, layout and design of<br />
development, better building insulation, passive<br />
solar design and use of energy efficient domestic<br />
appliances and heating systems;<br />
g adopt policies which require careful use of natural<br />
resources and the salvaging and re-use of<br />
secondary aggregates in construction;<br />
g consult water supply undertakers and the<br />
Environment Agency to ensure that adequate water<br />
resources are available to meet demands arising<br />
from development;<br />
g promote, in conjunction with water companies<br />
and the Environment Agency, the incorporation of<br />
water efficiency measures in new development;<br />
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chapter 3 · sustaining the environment<br />
g consult the Environment Agency where<br />
development poses a pollution risk or a threat to<br />
groundwater quality;<br />
g require development affecting contaminated or<br />
unstable land to include measures to rectify the<br />
problems identified;<br />
g phase development in relation to the available<br />
capacity of sewage treatment works to deliver<br />
effluent which does not prejudice river water<br />
quality objectives.<br />
f The local authorities will:<br />
g consult and liaise with other agencies to ensure<br />
best practice is applied to limit polluting<br />
discharges to air, land and water;<br />
g designate Air Quality Management Areas where<br />
standards are not satisfactory and develop action<br />
plans including land use planning responses;<br />
g resist further development in areas of known risk<br />
from pollution or other hazard.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Number of occasions when air quality fails to<br />
meet statutory targets<br />
f Number of development schemes with water<br />
efficiency measures<br />
f Water quality in rivers and groundwater<br />
f Number of pollution incidents<br />
f Trends in the level of groundwater<br />
POLICY SE2/<br />
Renewable Energy and Energy<br />
Conservation<br />
Development for the generation of energy from<br />
renewable resources of wind, sun and biomass as a<br />
contribution to the regional target will be encouraged.<br />
Small scale proposals to serve individual buildings, or<br />
small groups of buildings, are becoming practicable and<br />
will be supported. In areas such as the AONBs, landscape<br />
considerations may preclude larger schemes, but small<br />
scale schemes may be acceptable.<br />
Commercial and residential development should be<br />
designed such that a minimum of 10% of the energy<br />
requirement is provided by renewable resources.The use<br />
of combined heat and power or similar technology will<br />
be encouraged, and for all developments in excess of<br />
5,000 sq m floorspace should be regarded as the norm.<br />
All types of development should incorporate energy<br />
efficiency best practice measures in their design, layout<br />
and orientation.<br />
A<br />
3.6 long term objective in the UK is for more<br />
energy to be generated from sources which emit<br />
little or no carbon dioxide, and in particular from<br />
renewable energy resources such as solar or wind power<br />
and biomass. The Government’s present target to achieve<br />
10% of UK electricity generation from renewable<br />
resources by 2010 will only be achieved if development<br />
providing for such technology is permitted. Targets of<br />
generation capacity from renewable sources for the<br />
South East region have been developed by the South East<br />
England Regional Assembly (SEERA). The SEERA strategy<br />
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chapter 3 · sustaining the environment<br />
proposes that planning authorities should undertake<br />
assessments of potential and collaborate on a subregional<br />
basis to identify how the targets are to be<br />
achieved.<br />
3.7 In <strong>Surrey</strong>, SEERA’s research indicates that biomass<br />
has considerable potential in the period to 2016. The<br />
England Rural Development Programme provides support<br />
for biomass projects, although landowners are unlikely to<br />
commit to growing fuel crops until a local market is<br />
available. Wind power is capable of making a valuable<br />
contribution either in the form of clusters of small wind<br />
turbines and/or single large turbines. Solar power, either<br />
passive or active, is a further valuable resource although<br />
it is assumed that the contribution from active solar<br />
power (photovoltaics) will be greater after 2016.<br />
Electricity generation from landfill gas will continue to<br />
make a limited contribution to energy supply up to 2016.<br />
3.8 Development of biomass processing plant and wind<br />
turbines to enable the exploitation of renewable energy<br />
resources should be encouraged where the wider benefits<br />
outweigh any local impacts on amenity and character.<br />
Particular care will need to be taken in the case of<br />
proposals within areas designated for their landscape or<br />
nature conservation quality. Technological advance is<br />
also facilitating the localised generation of energy from<br />
renewable sources to meet the needs even of individual<br />
buildings and opportunities should be taken wherever<br />
possible to adopt such technologies in smaller schemes.<br />
3.9 The energy demands from new development should<br />
reflect the wider national objective of increasing supply<br />
from renewable resources by incorporating appropriate<br />
technology within the design of buildings. Larger<br />
development sites provide the opportunity to promote<br />
innovative approaches to heat and energy, such as<br />
district heating or combined heat and power (CHP).<br />
Mixed use schemes in and around town centres offer<br />
particular opportunities to share both heating and<br />
cooling demands between different users. These<br />
technologies offer substantial benefits in terms of energy<br />
efficiency, reducing the impact of development over its<br />
lifetime.<br />
3.10 Greater energy efficiency is an objective common to<br />
all forms of development and further guidance is given in<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> Design. Energy efficient design and layout should be<br />
seen as the norm for new development, with passive<br />
solar design being the basic starting point. Development<br />
briefs for larger schemes should establish the need to<br />
incorporate measures that go beyond the minimum<br />
requirements set out in the Building Regulations.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f Local development frameworks will include policies<br />
to:<br />
g encourage renewable energy generation from<br />
wind, sun and biomass resources including supply<br />
for individual properties;<br />
g require new development to provide a proportion<br />
of its energy requirement from renewable<br />
resources;<br />
g encourage the use of combined heating (and<br />
cooling) and power schemes for major<br />
developments;<br />
g promote energy conservation in construction<br />
of buildings (building energy ratings).<br />
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chapter 3 · sustaining the environment<br />
f <strong>Surrey</strong> Design promotes energy conservation through<br />
innovation and layout designs which make best use of<br />
natural light and energy.<br />
f The local planning authorities will:<br />
g collaborate on the assessment of the local<br />
potential for renewable energy generation in the<br />
light of the regional targets to 2026;<br />
g identify criteria for the assessment of renewable<br />
energy proposals.<br />
f The local planning authorities will collaborate on<br />
the assessment of the local potential for renewable<br />
energy generation and the sub-regional deployment<br />
of such resources.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Energy generated from renewable sources in<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong><br />
f Proportion of new buildings achieving high<br />
energy conservation rating<br />
f Take up of energy conservation schemes within<br />
existing buildings<br />
f Number of district heating systems and installed<br />
capacity of CHP plant<br />
POLICY SE3/<br />
Flooding and Land Drainage<br />
Development for residential or commercial purposes in<br />
undeveloped areas at high risk from flooding is<br />
unacceptable.A flood risk assessment will be required<br />
for any proposal within a high risk area and for new<br />
residential development in areas of low to medium risk.<br />
Proposals for redevelopment of existing buildings and<br />
their curtilage within areas where there is a high risk of<br />
flooding should aim to improve conditions locally and<br />
not worsen flood risk elsewhere in the catchment.<br />
New development should not lead to an increase in<br />
run-off, which would exacerbate flood risk elsewhere.<br />
The regulation of run-off will be required as part of<br />
development proposals, including the use of sustainable<br />
drainage solutions as appropriate, to reduce the impact<br />
of development on flood risk elsewhere.<br />
New development will not be permitted in the functional<br />
floodplain unless it relates to the use or management of<br />
the water environment or to open recreation.<br />
S<br />
3.11 ignificant areas of <strong>Surrey</strong> within each of the main<br />
river catchments are prone to flooding. The<br />
predictions of the impact of climate change include the<br />
prospect of increased flood risk as a result of higher<br />
rainfall, greater seasonality in rainfall and a greater<br />
incidence of extreme events. The Environment Agency<br />
produces indicative flood risk maps for main rivers<br />
showing areas at risk of flooding from an event occurring<br />
once in a hundred years. These may be supplemented by<br />
Section 105 maps for some stretches of the main rivers.<br />
PPG25 Development and Flood Risk defines events of this<br />
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chapter 3 · sustaining the environment<br />
magnitude as high risk and advises that residential or<br />
commercial development should not take place within<br />
undeveloped areas exposed to such a risk.<br />
3.12 The implications of larger residential schemes in<br />
areas of low to medium risk also need careful<br />
assessment. PPG25 defines low risk as areas where<br />
flooding may occur in an event with a return period of<br />
once every thousand years. The Environment Agency is<br />
in the process of producing indicative maps for this level<br />
of risk. Flood risk assessment should become the norm<br />
for all developments within high risk areas and for larger<br />
developments elsewhere. The planning authorities will<br />
liaise with the Environment Agency on the outcome of<br />
flood risk assessments and run-off mitigation proposals.<br />
3.13 Many existing buildings within the Mole, Wey and<br />
Lower Thames catchments lie in areas of high flood risk.<br />
Proposals for redevelopment of existing buildings and<br />
land within these high risk areas will be carefully<br />
assessed in consultation with the Environment Agency.<br />
The objective will be to reduce risk to people and<br />
property as far as possible by the design and method of<br />
construction.<br />
3.14 The control of run-off within the catchment as a<br />
whole can help to reduce risks to existing property in<br />
the future. At appropriate locations, the use of<br />
sustainable urban drainage solutions will be promoted in<br />
all new development or redevelopment schemes across<br />
the catchments to control the rate and quality of run-off<br />
as close to its source as possible. Advice on sustainable<br />
urban drainage is included in <strong>Surrey</strong> Design as part of the<br />
advice on resource efficiency in new development. The<br />
intensification of development within existing urban<br />
areas imposes extra demands on sewerage infrastructure<br />
which need to be mitigated. Development which would<br />
exacerbate the threat of pollution from the surcharging<br />
of the sewerage system at times of flood will only be<br />
accepted where improvements are undertaken<br />
contemporaneously. Advice from the water utility<br />
companies will be sought as appropriate.<br />
3.15 The natural function of undeveloped parts of flood<br />
plains needs to be retained as a means of mitigating the<br />
risk of flooding elsewhere. This is a greater priority given<br />
the predicted effects of climate change. There will be a<br />
presumption against development which affects the open<br />
nature of undeveloped parts of the flood plain or reduces<br />
its capacity to store water at times of flood. Some land<br />
uses such as recreation and mineral working may be<br />
acceptable in such areas and development related to<br />
essential infrastructure or river management functions<br />
may be necessary.<br />
3.16 The role played by floodplains in absorbing and<br />
retaining flood waters and their consequent value as<br />
wetland habitats has diminished. The UK Biodiversity<br />
Action Plan places emphasis on the restoration of<br />
wetland habitats and in floodplains this can also bring<br />
benefit in helping protect people and property elsewhere<br />
in the catchment. The land use imperative in floodplains<br />
is therefore to restore their natural function and expand<br />
wetland habitats at the expense of other land use.<br />
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chapter 3 · sustaining the environment<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f The local planning authorities will:<br />
g require the provision of flood risk assessments<br />
for development proposals within areas of high<br />
risk of flooding and for larger developments in<br />
areas of low to medium risk;<br />
g consult the Environment Agency on development<br />
within previously developed land at high risk from<br />
flooding;<br />
g promote source control techniques to regulate<br />
land drainage and ensure that run-off from<br />
development does not exacerbate flood risk<br />
downstream;<br />
g in partnership with the Environment Agency, resist<br />
development within undeveloped parts of flood<br />
plains and adopt a precautionary approach.<br />
f <strong>Surrey</strong> Design provides advice on sustainable urban<br />
drainage systems.<br />
f Liaison with the Environment Agency and water<br />
utility companies on issues of flood risk and land<br />
drainage will inform implementation of this policy.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Development on land at risk from flooding<br />
f Number of development schemes with source<br />
control measures<br />
TARGET 5/<br />
POLICY SE4/<br />
Design and the Quality of Development<br />
Development should contribute to improvements to the<br />
quality of urban and rural areas whilst retaining features<br />
that contribute to sense of place.The design, both of<br />
buildings themselves and of the way they integrate with<br />
their surroundings, must be of a high standard.Within this<br />
framework, new residential development should be built<br />
at a density which makes best use of limited land<br />
resources.<br />
The layout of new development and the opportunities<br />
presented by redevelopment within built-up areas should<br />
give emphasis to the needs of pedestrians, cyclists and<br />
public transport users, thereby enhancing movement<br />
choice.<br />
The local planning authorities will identify, promote and<br />
safeguard a framework of open spaces and green<br />
corridors for each settlement.<br />
D<br />
3.17 evelopment, particularly where higher<br />
densities are proposed, is often seen as a<br />
threat to the quality of life within existing developed<br />
areas but there is no reason why this should be so. The<br />
design and layout of new buildings and landscape<br />
features are ways in which new development can<br />
complement what already exists, strengthen the sense<br />
of place or form the basis of new character. Design<br />
excellence and a design led approach to development are<br />
national and regional objectives which must be applied<br />
locally and are a means of achieving greater efficiency in<br />
the use of urban land.<br />
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3.18 Design excellence will also be concerned with the<br />
objectives of sustainable construction which include:<br />
f high energy efficiency and increased use of<br />
renewable supplies;<br />
f high water efficiency with sustainable supply and<br />
water collection systems;<br />
f healthy buildings – natural light & ventilation,<br />
non-toxic materials;<br />
f maximising the use of local and regional materials<br />
and products;<br />
f minimising waste.<br />
3.19 The Spatial Strategy seeks to make the best use of<br />
urban and suitably located previously developed land.<br />
This puts a premium on the quality of development if<br />
higher densities are to be achieved and the objective of<br />
improving the quality of life is also to be satisfied. Higher<br />
densities also have other benefits, such as improving the<br />
viability and patronage of public transport services,<br />
increasing support to a range of local services and<br />
offering improvements in energy conservation and the<br />
potential for alternative means of energy generation,<br />
such as combined heat and power schemes (CHP).<br />
3.20 PPG3 sets out minimum density standards for new<br />
residential development, avoiding densities below 30<br />
dwellings per hectare and encouraging development at<br />
between 30 and 50 dwellings per hectare or higher in<br />
central locations. The local planning authorities should<br />
have regard to this guidance, and to the principles set<br />
out in this Plan and <strong>Surrey</strong> Design when setting local<br />
density guidelines. Where residential development is<br />
proposed on its own or as part of a mixed use scheme in<br />
an area with good public transport accessibility, such as<br />
within and around a town centre, higher densities of<br />
over 50 dwellings per hectare (net) should be sought.<br />
Significantly higher densities may be appropriate to<br />
deliver the objectives for the centres of strategic<br />
importance.<br />
3.21 An imaginative approach to design and density<br />
should create attractive developments which enhance<br />
the character of an area. To ensure that higher density<br />
development makes a positive contribution to improving<br />
the quality of the living environment, proposals will<br />
need to be accompanied by:<br />
f an infrastructure and needs statement which<br />
demonstrates that the proposed development<br />
addresses local social, economic and transport needs,<br />
particularly the need for affordable housing, and<br />
does not overload local infrastructure or exacerbate<br />
existing deficiencies. Effective mitigation measures<br />
should be proposed to overcome, reduce or avoid<br />
any identified harm; and<br />
f a design statement which demonstrates how the<br />
development responds to relevant design principles<br />
and identifies the positive benefits of higher density<br />
development to urban form, movement and the<br />
overall sense of place.<br />
3.22 All development proposals, including small scale<br />
infill and redevelopment schemes, will be required to<br />
satisfy the fundamental design principles set out in the<br />
design guide <strong>Surrey</strong> Design, the maxim being that proposals<br />
must be good enough to approve, not bad enough to<br />
refuse. Small scale infilling and redevelopment schemes<br />
should not prejudice the established character and sense<br />
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chapter 3 · sustaining the environment<br />
of place within existing primarily residential areas.<br />
Where green or open space is protected, this should be<br />
because it contributes to public amenity or nature<br />
conservation. Integration with existing development,<br />
particularly to facilitate and widen transport choices and<br />
connections, is a prerequisite<br />
of good design.<br />
3.23 <strong>Surrey</strong>’s towns and villages are rich in character.<br />
A traditional building, a famous landmark or view, or a<br />
natural asset like a stream or meadow, distinguish<br />
localities and stamp an identity on a settlement. Many<br />
features may already be protected through legislation but<br />
others are worthy of retention in their own right. Such<br />
local identity should be cherished and not submerged by<br />
anonymous new development. Where significant change<br />
is anticipated, consultation with local communities may<br />
be warranted to achieve new development which is<br />
sympathetic in form and layout to that which already<br />
exists.<br />
3.24 Open land, such as parks, allotments and<br />
recreational areas, is important and appreciated by<br />
residents and visitors alike. Often a “corridor” that links<br />
open spaces can be just as important, whether it is a<br />
river or stream, or even a railway line or road. These can<br />
in themselves provide opportunities for informal<br />
recreation, have biodiversity significance, or form part<br />
of pedestrian or cycle routes. A greenspace strategy for<br />
settlements is required to ensure that future<br />
developments create the opportunity for new open<br />
spaces to be made or for improvements to the network<br />
and linkages between existing open spaces and playing<br />
fields to be achieved.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f <strong>Surrey</strong> Design promotes a design led approach to<br />
new development to:<br />
g promote good design through the development<br />
process;<br />
g create attractive and accessible places that are<br />
easy to move through;<br />
g ensure that all development contributes to local<br />
character and distinctiveness;<br />
g conserve energy and water, maintain and enhance<br />
biodiversity and reduce waste and pollution;<br />
g encourage vibrant and mixed communities where<br />
people feel safe;<br />
g create places and buildings for people that are<br />
safe;<br />
g make the best use of the available land;<br />
g maximise the potential for the future conversion<br />
of buildings and occupation for alternative uses.<br />
f The local planning authorities will:<br />
g adopt policies which require all new development<br />
to be of the highest design quality in accordance<br />
with the objectives and principles set out in <strong>Surrey</strong><br />
Design;<br />
g require design statements, as part of an application<br />
for development sites to explain the design<br />
philosophy and integration with surroundings;<br />
g as part of a design statement, encourage an<br />
objective assessment of the sustainability of a<br />
development by using the SEEDA Sustainability<br />
Checklist, the Building Research Establishment’s<br />
Environmental Assessment Methods (BREEAM) or<br />
equivalent;<br />
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g identify areas for urban renaissance and renewal;<br />
g identify and justify areas of special character;<br />
g identify local features contributing to sense of<br />
place;<br />
g identify a greenspace framework including<br />
strategic open space and corridors;<br />
g promote conservation area enhancement schemes;<br />
g promote the use of village design statements,<br />
parish plans and conservation area appraisals;<br />
g work with local communities to develop a shared<br />
vision of the type of built and physical<br />
environment they wish to see;<br />
g set density standards for new residential<br />
development;<br />
g prepare development briefs to guide the<br />
appearance, layout and density of major new<br />
residential development;<br />
g require the submission of infrastructure and<br />
needs statements where there is a net increase in<br />
dwelling provision.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Number of major developments subject to a<br />
design statement<br />
f Number of design awards achieved for new<br />
development<br />
f Adoption of greenspace strategies<br />
f Area of and accessibility to greenspaces<br />
according to their function<br />
f Number of developments achieving a BREEAM<br />
rating of ‘excellent’<br />
f Average density of new residential development<br />
f Density of development in and around town<br />
centres relative to urban and rural areas<br />
TARGETS 6 & 11/<br />
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POLICY SE5/<br />
Protecting the Heritage<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong>’s valuable cultural heritage of buildings, sites and<br />
landscapes will be conserved and enhanced. Heritage<br />
resources are irreplaceable and development affecting<br />
them will only be permitted where it has been clearly<br />
demonstrated that there is an overriding need for the<br />
proposal which outweighs the need to protect the<br />
heritage interest, and that no alternative is possible.<br />
Prior archaeological assessment, and if necessary<br />
evaluation, will be required on all development of sites<br />
over 0.4 hectares or within areas of high archaeological<br />
potential.Where important archaeological remains are<br />
found, there will be a preference for their preservation<br />
in situ.<br />
A record will be required of any features discovered,<br />
removed or altered.<br />
S<br />
3.25 urrey is one of Britain’s most historic counties,<br />
with many buildings, landmarks and landscapes<br />
that remind us of our proud heritage and are<br />
irreplaceable assets. The historic environment not only<br />
provides an important insight into our cultural heritage<br />
but also contributes to the identity and distinctiveness of<br />
a place. Policy SE5 will ensure that development<br />
conserves the heritage and, where possible, enhances it<br />
as well. <strong>Surrey</strong>’s Heritage Strategy contains further<br />
guidance as to how the heritage will be conserved<br />
whether by initiatives associated with development or<br />
otherwise.<br />
3.26 Every effort should be made to protect the historic<br />
environment, for instance, by encouraging the sensitive<br />
re-use of historic buildings for purposes which meet<br />
economic or social needs. Tourism is playing an<br />
increasingly important role in the local economy and<br />
conservation and enhancement of the cultural heritage<br />
supports this activity.<br />
3.27 This policy also affords protection to features of<br />
archaeological importance. Scheduled monuments and<br />
other sites of national importance are already given<br />
strong protection. In order to safeguard other, presently<br />
unknown, archaeological resources, the developer will<br />
be required to take responsibility for the provision of an<br />
assessment prior to development on larger sites or areas<br />
of known high archaeological potential. Assessment may<br />
result in the need for a site evaluation: the outcome of<br />
this evaluation will indicate whether in situ preservation<br />
is recommended. Recording of archaeological features or<br />
buildings that are altered, disturbed or removed as a<br />
consequence of development will be required. Such a<br />
record is essential if knowledge of their contribution to<br />
the cultural heritage of the county is to be retained for<br />
the benefit of future generations.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f The local planning authorities will:<br />
g include policies in their local development<br />
frameworks for the protection of buildings/areas<br />
of heritage value (listed and locally listed buildings,<br />
historic parks and gardens, scheduled monuments,<br />
conservation areas, areas of special historic<br />
landscape value, county sites of archaeological<br />
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importance, sites and areas of high archaeological<br />
potential);<br />
g include policies in their local development<br />
frameworks to require archaeological assessment<br />
and evaluation, and to provide for subsequent<br />
preservation in situ of important archaeological<br />
remains and for adequate recording of features and<br />
listed buildings affected by development;<br />
g promote schemes for enhancement of<br />
conservation areas;<br />
g periodically review the schedule of listed and<br />
locally listed buildings with a view to making any<br />
appropriate additions, and review buildings at risk;<br />
g promote schemes under the Townscape Heritage<br />
Initiative and the Local Heritage Initiative;<br />
g promote the elements of the Heritage Strategy<br />
which relate to the built environment, the<br />
countryside and archaeological resources.<br />
f Supplementary planning guidance will provide further<br />
policy advice on archaeology and historic landscapes,<br />
including that arising from the Historic Landscape<br />
Characterisation and Extensive Urban Archaeology<br />
Strategy Projects.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Development adversely affecting heritage<br />
buildings, sites or areas, and historic parks and<br />
gardens<br />
f Number and proportion of listed buildings at<br />
risk<br />
f Number of sites and buildings where<br />
preservation in situ is achieved<br />
f Number of schemes for the enhancement of<br />
conservation areas<br />
f Proportion of developments on sites over 0.4<br />
hectares or within areas of high archaeological<br />
potential for which a prior assessment of the<br />
archaeological resources was prepared<br />
f Records made where development affecting<br />
sites or areas takes place<br />
TARGET 7/<br />
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POLICY SE6/<br />
Biodiversity<br />
Biodiversity within <strong>Surrey</strong> should be conserved and<br />
enhanced and development will be expected to<br />
contribute to actions safeguarding and managing habitats<br />
identified as important through the UK and <strong>Surrey</strong><br />
Biodiversity Action Plans, or where they are protected<br />
by wildlife legislation. Species protection will contribute<br />
to safeguarding biodiversity.This will be secured by:<br />
1 ensuring that site evaluation is undertaken to<br />
establish the nature conservation value of<br />
proposed development sites;<br />
2 providing for the identification, safeguarding and<br />
management of existing and potential land for<br />
nature conservation as part of development<br />
proposals, particularly where a connected<br />
series of sites can be achieved.<br />
Features within the landscape which are of importance<br />
for wild fauna and flora should be protected.<br />
Development should seek to retain such features and<br />
their management will be encouraged by agreements<br />
or conditions as appropriate.<br />
Developers will be required to provide information on<br />
species or features present within sites, or on adjoining<br />
land, and to propose how impacts on their conservation<br />
will be mitigated.<br />
B<br />
3.28 iodiversity includes all living things; it includes<br />
rare or threatened species but encompasses the<br />
whole of the natural world. The threat to biodiversity is<br />
an increasing one in a world facing pollution, climate<br />
change and development pressures. Policy SE6 aims to<br />
tackle that threat in <strong>Surrey</strong> while at the same time<br />
ensuring we meet our commitments to conserve<br />
biodiversity outlined in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.<br />
3.29 The <strong>Surrey</strong> Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) sets out<br />
how <strong>Surrey</strong>’s biological resource is to be conserved and<br />
enhanced for future generations. It identifies ten priority<br />
habitats within the county. Habitat action plans address<br />
the need for conservation and management of land<br />
within these important habitats. Habitats are not simply<br />
a countryside issue as one of the action plans for <strong>Surrey</strong><br />
covers urban areas. Development will be expected to<br />
contribute to these biodiversity objectives and local<br />
development frameworks will identify locations where<br />
habitat creation can be achieved.<br />
3.30 The EU Habitats Directive and advice within PPG9<br />
Nature Conservation point to the need to conserve wildlife<br />
outside the designated sites. The UK Sustainable<br />
Development Strategy highlights concern over the<br />
decline in many species of birds and mammals in the UK.<br />
There are many features within the landscape that are of<br />
benefit to the survival and dispersal of species, e.g. rivers<br />
and streams, ditches, field boundaries, ponds and small<br />
woods. Such features should be properly managed and<br />
wherever possible conserved by careful detailed<br />
planning. Preventing further fragmentation by<br />
safeguarding existing habitats and improving linkages<br />
between them will help to maintain the current range<br />
and diversity of flora and fauna.<br />
3.31 Where development, essential to meet social and<br />
economic objectives, requires the removal of features,<br />
their replacement or the enhancement of similar features<br />
in the locality should be provided for. The developer<br />
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should undertake a prior assessment of the development<br />
site in order to ascertain whether it contains species or<br />
features of importance to <strong>Surrey</strong>’s biodiversity, how<br />
these are affected by the proposal and what mitigation<br />
is to be undertaken.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f Local development frameworks will:<br />
g include policies to conserve and enhance<br />
biodiversity, ensure protection and management of<br />
key habitats, conserve features of value to wildlife,<br />
provide for species protection, and provide for<br />
measures to offset loss or damage to landscape<br />
features which are of value to wildlife such as<br />
trees, hedgerows and ponds;<br />
g include a species protection policy;<br />
g identify features of major importance for wild<br />
fauna and flora.<br />
f Local planning authorities will:<br />
g require prior assessment of the development site<br />
by the developer to provide information on<br />
species and features of the landscape important<br />
to <strong>Surrey</strong>’s biodiversity;<br />
g use conditions and agreements to manage<br />
development affecting species and features of the<br />
landscape important to <strong>Surrey</strong>’s biodiversity;<br />
g identify locations and proposals for habitat and<br />
species managements, restoration and creation.<br />
f English Nature’s Natural Areas profiles and policy,<br />
including advice on geological and physiographical<br />
sites and features of interest, will be followed.<br />
f The <strong>Surrey</strong> Biodiversity Action Plan will provide<br />
specific habitat and species targets and local<br />
development frameworks will identify locations<br />
where habitat creation is proposed.<br />
f When preparing local development frameworks and<br />
assessing planning applications, advice on local nature<br />
conservation issues will be sought from the<br />
appropriate agencies.<br />
f Supplementary planning guidance provides further<br />
information on Biodiversity and Nature Conservation.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Area of each key habitat for which <strong>Surrey</strong><br />
Biodiversity Action Plan prepared and area of<br />
these habitats created or restored<br />
TARGET 8 /<br />
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POLICY SE7/<br />
Nature Conservation<br />
Land or water habitats designated as of importance for<br />
nature at an international, national, regional or county<br />
level will be conserved and enhanced and inappropriate<br />
development will be resisted.The degree of protection<br />
given will be appropriate to the status of the site in terms<br />
of its international, national or local importance.<br />
Development, whether directly or indirectly, which may<br />
harm designated sites that are important for nature<br />
conservation will be permitted if mitigating measures can<br />
be put in place to prevent damaging impacts or where it<br />
has been clearly demonstrated that the need for the<br />
proposal outweighs the need to safeguard the nature<br />
conservation importance, and that no alternative site is<br />
available.<br />
C<br />
3.32 onservation of land or water comprising<br />
habitats designated as important to nature<br />
conservation is essential for the maintenance of <strong>Surrey</strong>’s<br />
biodiversity and has implications for the quality of life of<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong>’s residents. The nature conservation value of a site<br />
should be taken into account in all developments both<br />
in the countryside and the urban areas.<br />
3.33 Sites of nature conservation and natural history<br />
importance have been designated by reference to their<br />
international, national, regional or local importance and<br />
are identified in local plans. Sites designated for their<br />
nature conservation importance cover about 15% of<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> and it should therefore be possible to meet<br />
development requirements without prejudice to this<br />
land. The intention of the policy is that there should be a<br />
presumption against development which directly affects<br />
such sites. This protection extends to indirect impacts,<br />
such as changes to groundwater levels or potential<br />
downstream pollution, which may harm their nature<br />
conservation interest. Wildlife corridors between such<br />
sites should be created, conserved and enhanced.<br />
3.34 Where a proposal does affect a site, the<br />
presumption against development will be assessed in<br />
relation to the status of the site as set out in the<br />
Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) Act 2000, the<br />
Habitats Regulations 1994 and PPG9, the potential impact<br />
on the interests which justify its importance, the need<br />
for the development and the objectives of the <strong>Surrey</strong><br />
Biodiversity Action Plan. The presumption against<br />
development will be strongest for internationally and<br />
nationally designated sites as mentioned in RPG9. Where<br />
development harmful to a designated site takes place,<br />
measures to compensate for the loss of nature<br />
conservation value must be provided by the developer.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f Local development frameworks will:<br />
g include policies to protect land of nature<br />
conservation value/earth science interest including<br />
SPAs, potential SPAs, SACs, candidate SACs, Ramsar<br />
Sites, SSSIs, NNRs, LNRs, SNCIs and RIGs (all are<br />
defined in the glossary);<br />
g include policy and proposals on the protection<br />
of Local Nature Reserves.<br />
f Supplementary planning guidance provides further<br />
information on Biodiversity and Nature Conservation.<br />
f When preparing local development frameworks and<br />
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assessing planning applications, advice on local<br />
nature conservation issues will be sought from the<br />
appropriate agencies.<br />
f The local planning authorities will periodically<br />
reassess the status of nature conservation sites in<br />
conjunction with other agencies.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Area of land in active conservation management<br />
f Area of designated sites and extent of loss,<br />
damage or enhancement of such land resulting<br />
from development<br />
f Creation of wildlife corridors between<br />
designated sites<br />
TARGET 8/<br />
POLICY SE8/<br />
Landscape<br />
The quality of landscape in Areas of Outstanding Natural<br />
Beauty (AONBs) and Areas of Great Landscape Value<br />
(AGLVs) should be conserved and enhanced. In the<br />
AONBs, development inconsistent with the primary aim<br />
of conserving the natural beauty of the landscape will be<br />
resisted. Major development will only be permitted where<br />
it has been clearly demonstrated that the need for<br />
development is of national importance, and that there is<br />
no alternative site.<br />
Development in the AGLV will be expected to maintain<br />
the existing character of the area particularly in locations<br />
which are visible from the AONB or contribute to the<br />
setting of urban areas.<br />
Elsewhere, development should retain the distinctiveness<br />
of the <strong>County</strong> Landscape Character Areas, thereby<br />
conserving and enhancing the diversity of the <strong>Surrey</strong><br />
landscape. Development will be expected to contribute to<br />
meeting the objectives of local countryside management<br />
projects and, in particular, to improvements to areas<br />
where landscape is becoming degraded, especially on the<br />
urban fringe.<br />
S<br />
3.35 ignificant parts of <strong>Surrey</strong>’s countryside are<br />
recognised nationally as of high landscape<br />
quality and designated as Areas of Outstanding Natural<br />
Beauty (AONB). An AONB Management Plan exists for<br />
each, prepared in response to the Countryside and Rights<br />
of Way Act 2000, and local planning authorities will<br />
have regard to this in considering development proposals<br />
in the area. There will be a presumption against major<br />
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residential or commercial development within these<br />
areas, while new development in areas visible from the<br />
AONB should not prejudice enjoyment of their natural<br />
beauty. However, there are numerous villages in the<br />
AONB and limited development to provide services and<br />
local employment for these communities may be<br />
necessary. Where this is the case, schemes should<br />
respect the character of the settlement and of the<br />
surrounding countryside in order to conserve the<br />
qualities for which the AONB was designated. Mineral<br />
resources may need to be worked in the AONB or nearby<br />
and in either case mitigation of the impact of any<br />
development will be required to a high standard.<br />
3.36 Areas of Great Landscape Value (AGLV) were<br />
designated in the 1950s before the AONB and are<br />
significant within <strong>Surrey</strong> in conserving the landscape<br />
setting of some towns, in part acting as a buffer to the<br />
AONB and also for their own inherent landscape quality.<br />
Landscape quality within the AGLV will be conserved<br />
and detailed criteria to guide development in these areas<br />
will be developed within the context provided by the<br />
countryside character assessment and set out in relevant<br />
local development frameworks. The review of landscape<br />
character will develop criteria specific to each of the 25<br />
<strong>County</strong> Landscape Character Areas (which are set out<br />
below) and also identify areas of degraded landscapes<br />
where action needs to be taken to arrest the decline in<br />
landscape character.<br />
3.37 <strong>Surrey</strong> has a rich diversity of landscape, reflecting<br />
the variety of geology, topography, land cover and<br />
human influence on the countryside. The Countryside<br />
Character Initiative was developed by the Countryside<br />
Commission (now Countryside Agency) and English<br />
Nature with the help of English Heritage. The underlying<br />
philosophy is the recognition that every part of the<br />
countryside has a distinct character which is important<br />
to people’s enjoyment of the English countryside. It does<br />
not deny that some areas are of higher quality than<br />
others, but the National Map defines, at a regional level,<br />
areas of broadly similar character and suggests<br />
management opportunities to conserve or enhance this<br />
character. The national map of countryside character<br />
shows seven countryside character areas in <strong>Surrey</strong>. A<br />
more detailed assessment, The Future of <strong>Surrey</strong>’s Landscape<br />
and Woodlands (SCC 1997), has enabled the identification<br />
and description of 25 <strong>County</strong> Landscape Character Areas<br />
within these seven areas. Retaining this diversity, which<br />
is a characteristic feature of <strong>Surrey</strong>’s countryside,<br />
requires that development should respect the elements<br />
of the landscape which contribute to the individual<br />
character of the different areas. The box sets out the<br />
basic components of <strong>Surrey</strong>’s landscape as defined in the<br />
National Map and how the more detailed countywide<br />
assessment relates to this.<br />
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Regional Countryside <strong>Surrey</strong> Countryside Sub-division of <strong>Surrey</strong> area<br />
Character Areas (7) Character Areas (25) for descriptive purposes (17)<br />
Thames Valley Thames Floodplain Stanwell<br />
Laleham and Sunbury<br />
Molesey<br />
Thorpe<br />
River Thames<br />
Thames Basin Heaths Western <strong>Surrey</strong> Virginia Water<br />
Chobham and Ottershaw<br />
Bagshot and Pirbright<br />
Worplesdon<br />
Painshill<br />
Blackwater Valley<br />
Lower Wey<br />
Thames Basin Lowlands<br />
Wanborough<br />
Ockham and Clandon<br />
Lower Mole<br />
Esher and Epsom<br />
North Downs<br />
Hogs Back<br />
Ranmore and Hackhurst Downs<br />
Mole Gap<br />
Woldingham, Chaldon and Box Hill<br />
Wealden Greensand<br />
Low Weald<br />
High Weald<br />
Puttenham and Seale<br />
Greensand Plateau<br />
Valleys of the Upper Wey<br />
Hindhead Greensand<br />
Hascombe Greensand<br />
Pippbrook and Tillingbourne<br />
Leith Hill Greensand<br />
Holmesdale<br />
Reigate Greensand<br />
Wooded Weald<br />
Open Weald<br />
Upper Medway<br />
Shackleford<br />
Witley and Churt<br />
Dippenhall<br />
Dockenfield<br />
Limpsfield Chart<br />
Nutfield and Tilburstow<br />
Reigate Heath<br />
Deepdene<br />
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chapter 3 · sustaining the environment<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f The <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong>, in partnership with the relevant<br />
authorities, will:<br />
g review the AGLV in <strong>Surrey</strong> as part of a wider<br />
assessment of landscape quality and character;<br />
g define criteria to guide development design in<br />
relation to character and quality.<br />
f The local planning authorities will include policies<br />
in their local development frameworks to conserve<br />
the diversity and distinctiveness of the landscape.<br />
f The Future of <strong>Surrey</strong>’s Landscape and Woodlands (FSLW)<br />
identifies 25 <strong>County</strong> Landscape Character Areas<br />
(see box); supplementary landscape guidance will<br />
be prepared, to illustrate how the character and local<br />
identity of these areas can be conserved.<br />
f The Forestry Commission and other agencies will<br />
promote multi-purpose woodland management.<br />
f Management plans for the <strong>Surrey</strong> Hills and High<br />
Weald AONBs will be implemented.<br />
f Schemes based on the Countryside Agency Local<br />
Heritage Initiative will be undertaken.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Type, amount and quality of development<br />
in AONB and <strong>County</strong> Landscape Character<br />
Areas<br />
f Maintenance of distinctiveness within and<br />
between landscape character areas<br />
POLICY SE9/<br />
Trees and Woodland<br />
Trees and woodlands, particularly ancient woodlands,<br />
will be protected and their management promoted.The<br />
planning authorities will seek to ensure that the extent of<br />
tree cover in the county is maintained and in particular<br />
will resist the fragmentation and loss of woodland.<br />
Proposals for new development will be expected to show<br />
how new planting and existing trees and woodland will be<br />
effectively managed and integrated whether in town or<br />
country. Development associated with the positive long<br />
term management of woodland resources, such as wood<br />
to energy schemes or the processing of local wood, will<br />
be encouraged.<br />
Hedgerows, parklands and wood pasture are a<br />
characteristic feature in many parts of the county and<br />
should be safeguarded where their landscape, biodiversity,<br />
or historical interest is significant.<br />
S<br />
3.38 urrey is England’s most wooded county with<br />
almost three times the national average<br />
woodland cover. The well wooded nature of <strong>Surrey</strong>’s<br />
landscape contributes to making <strong>Surrey</strong> an attractive<br />
place in which to both live and work, adding to the<br />
quality of life. While appropriate new planting is<br />
welcome, particularly in relation to new development<br />
and linking or expanding woods, the conservation and<br />
management of existing woodland is more of a priority.<br />
Selective felling may be required to retain historic<br />
landscapes and in areas of nature conservation value in<br />
order to maintain or promote biodiversity.<br />
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Encroachment of trees and scrub on to valuable open<br />
habitats such as heathlands and grasslands will result in<br />
the loss of their wildlife value. Habitat management<br />
including removal of trees in such circumstances is<br />
appropriate.<br />
3.39 The Government’s England Forestry Strategy<br />
recognises the important role woodlands play in<br />
delivering a range of benefits for society. These range<br />
from their function as carbon sinks and their role in<br />
ameliorating atmospheric pollutants, to their value in<br />
reducing both the visual and audible impact of<br />
development. Woodland is an important ecological<br />
resource and also an important resource for recreation<br />
and tourism. Timber is a valuable commercial crop and<br />
wood fuel is potentially a major source of renewable<br />
energy in <strong>Surrey</strong>.<br />
3.40 Ancient woodlands over two hectares in size are<br />
identified in English Nature’s provisional inventory of<br />
ancient woodland. Ancient woods are important as<br />
historic landscapes and in the contribution they make<br />
towards biodiversity. They are an irreplaceable national<br />
resource and will continue to be conserved.<br />
3.41 Individual and groups of trees within the urban area<br />
have a number of roles, not least the psychological one<br />
of providing contrast and tranquillity within towns.<br />
Intensification of development in urban areas should not<br />
be at the expense of the contribution which trees can<br />
make to the street scene, air quality and sense of<br />
wellbeing.<br />
3.42 Hedgerows can be a significant feature in the<br />
landscape and may be important for a number of<br />
reasons. Important hedgerows should be conserved and<br />
other hedgerows should be retained as features within<br />
new development wherever possible.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f The local planning authorities will include policies<br />
in their local development frameworks to conserve<br />
woodland, to encourage schemes which promote<br />
woodland management and to protect individual or<br />
groups of trees, including specimen and veteran trees,<br />
within both urban and rural areas.<br />
f The Forestry Commission and other agencies will<br />
be encouraged to promote multi-purpose woodland<br />
management.<br />
f The Forestry Commission should be consulted where<br />
tree felling is proposed to determine whether or not<br />
a felling licence is required.<br />
f Supplementary Planning Guidance is available in<br />
The Future of <strong>Surrey</strong>’s Landscape and Woodlands – Part 3 –<br />
Woodland Strategy.<br />
f Where a planning application may affect ancient<br />
woodlands, the Forestry Commission should be<br />
consulted in accordance with Circular 9/95.<br />
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chapter 3 · sustaining the environment<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Loss of woodland cover to development<br />
f Extent and quality of woodland cover<br />
f Extent of woodland under active management<br />
f Number of schemes which exploit woodland<br />
resource<br />
f Loss of semi-natural or ancient woodland<br />
POLICY SE10/<br />
River Corridors and Waterways<br />
Development should conserve the character, setting,<br />
ecology and heritage of river corridors or waterways.<br />
Development ancillary to water-based recreation will<br />
be encouraged where consistent with the above.<br />
The function of rivers and waterways as green corridors<br />
within and between urban areas should be safeguarded<br />
as part of a greenspace strategy for settlements and as<br />
valuable links in access between town and country.<br />
S<br />
3.43 urrey has many rivers, streams and canals, each<br />
of which are important features in the landscape<br />
or townscape and for many people, contribute to their<br />
quality of life. They also contribute to sustaining<br />
ecological diversity by forming a basis for wildlife<br />
corridors and supporting one of the priority habitats in<br />
the <strong>Surrey</strong> Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP). Some of the<br />
rivers and canals are extensively used for boating and all<br />
provide recreational opportunities as linear routes either<br />
through town or country or linking the two. Use of<br />
rivers and waterways for boating requires the provision<br />
of infrastructure in the form of boatyards and moorings.<br />
Floodplains are a characteristic feature of many corridors<br />
and it is important that this natural function is not<br />
prejudiced.<br />
3.44 <strong>Surrey</strong>’s waterways combine some or all of these<br />
functions as well as being important in providing a rich<br />
heritage of industrial archaeology. It is important that<br />
they are cherished and that development affecting them<br />
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should seek to conserve or enhance their character,<br />
retaining features of natural and cultural heritage<br />
importance. In urban areas, the redevelopment of<br />
riverside and canalside sites should promote<br />
enhancement of the townscape, the natural qualities of<br />
the river/canal and its role as a corridor for movement<br />
and recreation, linking with other open space. This<br />
should form part of a greenspace strategy for each<br />
settlement, as required under Policy SE4.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Number of development related enhancement<br />
schemes within river corridors<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f The local planning authorities will:<br />
g identify river corridor policy areas for the Thames,<br />
Wey, Mole, and Blackwater rivers and for<br />
tributaries within their catchments;<br />
g identify and protect corridors for the Basingstoke<br />
and Wey and Arun Canals;<br />
g identify a green framework, including strategic<br />
open space and corridors (greenspace strategy).<br />
f The local authorities and other agencies will:<br />
g develop a River Thames Policy Area Strategy;<br />
g promote integrated management of the Mole Gap<br />
between Dorking and Leatherhead;<br />
g promote the Wey and Godalming Navigation<br />
conservation area;<br />
g encourage/facilitate public access for water-based<br />
or waterside recreation, including use of corridors<br />
as linear features in town and country;<br />
g promote the creation of buffer zones along<br />
watercourses.<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong> 73
CHAPTER<br />
4<br />
INFRA<strong>STRUCTURE</strong><br />
AND DEVELOPMENT NEEDS<br />
POLICY DN1/<br />
Infrastructure Provision<br />
The local planning authorities will ensure that the<br />
infrastructure requirements of a development are<br />
established when identifying proposals in local<br />
development frameworks and in determining planning<br />
applications.<br />
Local planning authorities will not permit development<br />
unless the infrastructure that is required to service the<br />
development is available or will be provided within a<br />
timescale determined by the local authorities.<br />
In assessing infrastructure requirements local planning<br />
authorities will have regard to the cumulative impact of<br />
development.<br />
The developer will be expected to provide or contribute<br />
to the infrastructure improvements related to new<br />
development including any requirements emerging out<br />
of local development frameworks.<br />
I<br />
4.1 nfrastructure includes transport facilities<br />
(including roads, access, on-site circulation and<br />
servicing, cycle paths, footpaths and public transport),<br />
water supply (including water supply for the fire services<br />
and fire sprinkler systems), utility services, land<br />
drainage, surface and foul water sewerage, sewage<br />
treatment, public open space, facilities for education,<br />
social and health care, libraries, waste disposal and other<br />
community facilities, combined heat and power plant<br />
and district heating systems. Policy DN1 aims to ensure<br />
that the right infrastructure is provided in relation to<br />
development and at the right time. While infrastructure<br />
is often provided in response to an application, the<br />
local authorities should work closely with infrastructure<br />
providers and other partners to identify infrastructure<br />
requirements for important sites as early as possible in<br />
the planning process.<br />
4.2 By seeking to accommodate most of the additional<br />
35,400 dwellings proposed under Policy LO6 within the<br />
existing settlements, existing infrastructure can be used<br />
more efficiently by utilising spare capacity and the<br />
provision of major new infrastructure can be kept to a<br />
minimum.<br />
4.3 Where improvements to supporting infrastructure<br />
and services related to new development have been<br />
identified, the developer will be asked to contribute to<br />
the costs of providing new or improved infrastructure<br />
and services commensurate with the scale of the<br />
development. These improvements will be secured by<br />
either a planning condition or obligation, or other legal<br />
agreement or undertaking.<br />
4.4 In setting out a vision for how an urban area should<br />
develop and change, local development frameworks<br />
should include an assessment of infrastructure capacity<br />
and opportunities for expansion. This will inform the<br />
potential scale and location of development<br />
opportunities and ensure the vision includes a coordinated<br />
programme for all essential infrastructure<br />
improvements. Where such local assessment has been<br />
undertaken, it will justify a standard approach to<br />
development contributions for all proposed<br />
developments within the area covered by the<br />
assessment and throughout a specified time period.<br />
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How the policy will be implemented<br />
f Good practice guidance, Infrastructure and Amenity<br />
Requirements to Support New Development, provides further<br />
advice on the principles behind the need for<br />
development related infrastructure provision and sets<br />
out a consistent, easily understood and co-ordinated<br />
approach to securing infrastructure contributions<br />
throughout the county.<br />
f <strong>Surrey</strong> Design contains guidance regarding the<br />
provision of transport and sustainable drainage<br />
infrastructure.<br />
f In preparing local development frameworks and<br />
local transport plans, the local planning and transport<br />
authorities will:<br />
g develop policies that ensure that development<br />
does not proceed without adequate infrastructure<br />
either in place or firmly committed;<br />
g identify areas where existing infrastructure is<br />
either overloaded or at capacity to ensure that all<br />
new development in the area contributes in a<br />
cumulative way towards necessary enhanced<br />
provision.<br />
f Where new communities are proposed, the local<br />
planning and transport authorities will ensure that<br />
infrastructure provision is planned and provided in<br />
an integrated and sustainable way.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Planning obligations requiring infrastructure<br />
related to development<br />
POLICY DN2/<br />
Movement Implications of Development<br />
Development will only be permitted where it is, or can be<br />
made, compatible with the transport infrastructure in the<br />
area.The implications of all proposed development for<br />
transport and the environment should be assessed.<br />
Measures to encourage walking, cycling and the use of<br />
public transport should be incorporated in development<br />
proposals.Where the transport implications of<br />
development would lead to a harmful impact on other<br />
people or the environment, mitigation measures should<br />
be included.<br />
T<br />
4.5 raffic generated by development can place a<br />
strain on the surrounding transport network<br />
in terms of safety, capacity and environmental<br />
considerations. Policy DN2 aims to minimise the<br />
transport impact of new development, helping to make<br />
the most efficient and effective use of existing road<br />
capacity and maximising potential for movement by<br />
walking, cycling and public transport.<br />
4.6 The environmental consequences of road traffic are<br />
also a matter of concern and can result in increased<br />
noise and air pollution, as well as having an impact in<br />
terms of visual intrusion, severance and reduced safety<br />
for all road users. Proposals for development will<br />
therefore be expected to contain appropriate mitigation<br />
measures, which minimise the adverse environmental<br />
impact of road traffic generated by new development.<br />
4.7 Proposals expected to have significant transport<br />
implications must be supported by a Transport<br />
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chapter 4 · infrastructure and development needs<br />
Assessment. This should indicate how any adverse<br />
transport impact can be ameliorated by mitigation<br />
measures, designed to reduce car dependence and<br />
promote walking, cycling and use of public transport.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f The local planning authorities may require planning<br />
applications to be supported by an assessment of the<br />
transport impact. Measures to increase the proportion<br />
of walking, cycling and use of public transport will be<br />
set out in an accompanying travel plan.<br />
f The Highway Authority:<br />
g will advise on the requirement for a Transport<br />
Assessment, with reference to national guidance;<br />
g will have regard to the Local Transport Plan (LTP)<br />
local area implementation programme as part of<br />
any mitigation measures;<br />
g will advise on the internal geometry and layout<br />
of all development sites where they potentially<br />
affect the adjacent highway.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Proportion of major applications:<br />
g incorporating improvements to walking,<br />
cycling and public transport facilities<br />
g supported by Travel Plans<br />
POLICY DN3/<br />
Parking Provision<br />
Development proposals should comply with the aim of<br />
promoting sustainable travel choices by reducing the<br />
amount of land used for car parking but increasing cycle<br />
parking facilities.<br />
Maximum car parking standards will be set according to<br />
location, type of development and public transport<br />
accessibility. Minimum cycle parking standards will be<br />
retained.<br />
Park and Ride schemes will be supported where they<br />
form part of an integrated planning and transport<br />
strategy for an area.<br />
C<br />
4.8 ar parking often takes up valuable land in<br />
urban areas and encourages people to drive to<br />
locations that are accessible by other means, particularly<br />
public transport. Maximum standards for all forms of<br />
development will be applied based upon Government<br />
guidance. A lower level of provision below the<br />
maximum standard will be expected in areas where<br />
accessibility by non-car means is good, particularly in<br />
town centres, where long stay parking will be<br />
discouraged. Tighter controls on parking provision will<br />
be sought in areas adjoining London. Whilst it is<br />
accepted that out-of-centre developments will require<br />
higher standards of car accessibility than town centre<br />
developments, it will be inappropriate for the larger outof-centre<br />
developments to be located where public<br />
transport cannot provide for a significant proportion of<br />
travel movements. The provision of long stay car parking<br />
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chapter 4 · infrastructure and development needs<br />
at railway stations should be managed to ensure that it<br />
is only for rail users. Any changes in the provision of<br />
parking at railway stations should be made as part of<br />
an integrated surface access strategy.<br />
4.9 Parking provision must also be considered in terms<br />
of other demand management measures included in the<br />
Local Transport Plan (LTP) and in terms of promoting an<br />
integrated approach to transport. It may therefore be<br />
necessary to release land for Park and Ride schemes that<br />
reduce the need to travel by car to congested areas or as<br />
part of an integrated planning and transport strategy<br />
which promotes the use of public transport.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Completion of Local Parking Management Plans<br />
f Proportion of new development incorporating<br />
maximum parking standards<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f The local authorities will:<br />
g adopt proposals for the control and provision<br />
of public parking facilities;<br />
g include maximum car parking standards for<br />
development proposals in local development<br />
frameworks, but minimum parking standards<br />
for disabled facilities and cyclists;<br />
g prepare local (district wide) parking management<br />
plans within the context of Supplementary<br />
Planning Guidance, A Parking Strategy for <strong>Surrey</strong>, as<br />
part of the LTP strategy to manage traffic and<br />
restrain the demand for travel;<br />
g consider proposals for Park and Ride facilities<br />
where they form part of integrated planning<br />
and transportation strategy for the area.<br />
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chapter 4 · infrastructure and development needs<br />
POLICY DN4/<br />
Public Transport<br />
Development which would result in the use of public<br />
transport will be supported, particularly where it is<br />
related to the priorities set out in the Local Transport<br />
Plan or to the Spatial Strategy.<br />
Any necessary land required for the strategic proposals<br />
set out in the Local Transport Plan will be safeguarded in<br />
local development frameworks.<br />
B<br />
4.10 us and rail travel is the most realistic alternative<br />
to car travel for medium and longer distance<br />
journeys. The local authorities in <strong>Surrey</strong> are strongly<br />
committed to promoting public transport improvement<br />
in order to reduce dependence on the private car and as<br />
a consequence, reduce traffic volumes and pollution<br />
at the local level.<br />
4.11 Policy DN4 endorses support for this approach and<br />
the major public transport proposals that are already<br />
reflected in the Local Transport Plan 2001/2-2005/6.<br />
These schemes, listed in the box below, will be<br />
examined in greater detail as part of the Regional<br />
Transport Strategy (RTS). The <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> will give<br />
priority to these schemes and other proposals that<br />
improve accessibility to the transport hubs and the links<br />
or spokes between them as identified in the RTS. Further<br />
public transport schemes may come forward during the<br />
course of the Structure Plan.<br />
Strategic public transport schemes<br />
set out in the Local Transport Plan<br />
2001/2 – 2005/6<br />
AirTrack is designed to provide a direct rail<br />
connection between Heathrow Airport and the<br />
south west rail network, including Farnham,<br />
Guildford,Woking, Reading, Bracknell and London.<br />
The scheme would facilitate the creation of a<br />
number of major public transport interchange ‘hubs’,<br />
such as at Woking and Guildford. Land for the<br />
construction of a new station and associated rail<br />
track in Staines town centre and further rail track<br />
across Staines Moor will be safeguarded. Further<br />
appraisal work including assessment of the<br />
environmental impacts associated with the scheme<br />
will also be necessary.<br />
Thameslink 2000 expands the current Thameslink<br />
network to enable trains to run between<br />
destinations to the north of London and Guildford,<br />
Horsham, Littlehampton, Brighton, East Grinstead,<br />
Ashford (Kent) and Dartford via central London.<br />
Land for station improvements and ancillary works<br />
will be safeguarded.<br />
Blackwater Valley rail link: land will be<br />
safeguarded for the provision of an improved rail<br />
access between the Ascot – Camberley – Aldershot<br />
Line and London, which is necessary to address the<br />
poor rail service provision at Bagshot, Camberley<br />
and Frimley.<br />
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Fastway: land will be safeguarded for bus route and<br />
priority measures proposed for the High Quality<br />
Public Transport Service which will provide a bus<br />
network linking Horley, Gatwick Airport and<br />
Crawley.<br />
Rail capacity improvements: any land necessary<br />
will be safeguarded for improvements to rail<br />
capacity, particularly the London Victoria to Brighton<br />
line via Gatwick and the London Waterloo to<br />
Basingstoke line via Woking, which will provide<br />
opportunities for enhanced services for rail users in<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong>.<br />
North Downs rail line: enhanced orbital rail<br />
services and infrastructure will be provided through<br />
upgrading the line between Gatwick Airport and<br />
Reading via Redhill and Guildford.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f The local planning authorities will:<br />
g require development related contributions to<br />
improve public transport facilities;<br />
g safeguard land required for public transport<br />
proposals in local development frameworks,<br />
including retention or replacement of off-street<br />
accommodation provided in connection with bus<br />
services.<br />
f The Regional Transport Strategy (RTS) will set the<br />
public transport priorities for the South East Region.<br />
f The Local Transport Plan (LTP) will include proposals<br />
for the integration of public transport facilities and<br />
promote the long term strategic transport priorities<br />
in accordance with the Spatial Strategy.<br />
f The Strategic Rail Authority has set out a programme<br />
of rail infrastructure improvements in its Strategic<br />
Plan.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Proportion of all journeys to work by public<br />
transport<br />
f Progress towards implementation of regional<br />
and sub-regional public transport schemes<br />
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POLICY DN5/<br />
Cycle and Pedestrian Routes<br />
Local development frameworks will identify a network<br />
of pedestrian and cycle routes to improve accessibility<br />
to facilities and to widen travel choice.<br />
Priority will be given to providing safe and convenient<br />
access to town centres, public transport interchanges,<br />
schools, colleges and shopping areas.<br />
C<br />
4.12 ycling and walking can provide a practical,<br />
genuine and healthy alternative to car travel,<br />
particularly for shorter distance trips. To increase the<br />
proportion of trips made on foot and by cycle, the<br />
<strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> is seeking to promote measures in the<br />
Local Transport Plan (LTP) and through other initiatives<br />
aimed at improving access to schools and traffic<br />
management in rural areas. Improvements will be carried<br />
out through various management and design measures.<br />
Although proposals contained in the LTP will be the<br />
means of implementation, local development<br />
frameworks will provide policy support for the<br />
development of pedestrian and cycle networks. They<br />
must also ensure that any facilities for pedestrians are<br />
suitable for people with mobility and sensory difficulties.<br />
Where appropriate, the needs of horse riders should also<br />
be taken into consideration in the planning of routes.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f The local planning authorities will identify pedestrian<br />
and cycle routes and safeguard land for this purpose,<br />
including links with the National Cycle Network and<br />
the Thames Valley Cycle Route, in local development<br />
frameworks.<br />
f The LTP will promote measures to encourage cycling<br />
and walking and include detailed proposals through<br />
the Transport Programme Areas.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Proportion of all journeys by bicycle and on<br />
foot<br />
f Improved accessibility by bicycle and on foot<br />
f Extent of the cycle and pedestrian networks<br />
(kms)<br />
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POLICY DN6/<br />
The Motorway and Primary Route<br />
Network<br />
The <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> will support a Motorway and<br />
Primary Route Network in <strong>Surrey</strong> that contains routes<br />
of national or regional significance, as shown on the<br />
Key Diagram. Development proposals adjacent to this<br />
network will be resisted where the traffic generated<br />
would reduce its efficiency and safety.<br />
Any necessary land required for highway schemes on<br />
the Motorway and Primary Route Network will be<br />
safeguarded in local development frameworks.<br />
T<br />
4.13 he Motorway and Primary Route Network,<br />
which is shown on the Key Diagram, is kept<br />
under review by the Department for Transport (DfT).<br />
The major highway schemes proposed on the network<br />
that require land to be safeguarded for their construction<br />
are listed in the box below. A countywide study to<br />
identify potential new major schemes is being carried<br />
out, with particular reference to passenger transport<br />
improvements and local by-passes affecting that part of<br />
the Primary Route Network and other roads which are<br />
the responsibility of the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong>.<br />
4.14 The Government Office for the South East (GOSE)<br />
is leading on the London Orbital multi-modal study<br />
to determine what investment is needed to tackle<br />
movement problems around London. With the<br />
commitment by the Government to relieve the<br />
bottleneck on the A3 at Hindhead, it is recognised that<br />
the section of the A3 through Guildford will become<br />
the next critical bottleneck. The Regional Transport<br />
Strategy (RTS) refers to the need for a study to consider<br />
further the options for resolving the transport issues<br />
associated with the future role and advantages of this<br />
hub. This study should also consider the impact on the<br />
A3 of the further residential development in and around<br />
Guildford and Woking set out in this Plan.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f The DfT will keep the motorway and trunk road<br />
network under review. GOSE, for the DfT, will keep<br />
the Primary Route Network under review in<br />
conjunction with the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong>.<br />
f The DfT will review the programme and priorities<br />
as set out in Transport 2010: The 10 Year Plan.<br />
f The Local Transport Plan (LTP) will indicate the<br />
<strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong>’s programme and priorities.<br />
f The Highways Agency will consider planning<br />
applications adjacent to motorways and trunk roads.<br />
f The local planning authorities will safeguard land<br />
required for improvements to the network.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Progress on schemes implemented by the<br />
<strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> and by the DfT<br />
f Development proposals adjacent to the<br />
motorway and primary route network refused<br />
on grounds of safety and/or efficiency of the<br />
network<br />
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Major highway schemes proposed or under construction on the Motorway and Primary Route<br />
Network<br />
DfT schemes<br />
M25 junctions 12–15 widening: this scheme is included<br />
in the Targeted Programme of Improvements announced in<br />
the New Deal for Trunk Roads White Paper. Completion is<br />
due by the end of 2005.The scheme involves widening the<br />
section between junction 12 and 14 to five lanes in each<br />
direction and the section between junctions 14 and 15 to<br />
six lanes in each direction.This work will be carried out<br />
within existing highway boundaries.A new spur road from<br />
a free flow interchange on the M25 to the proposed<br />
Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 building will also be built.<br />
A3 Hindhead improvements: the scheme at Hindhead<br />
involves the construction of a twin bore tunnel under<br />
this environmentally sensitive area. It will also relieve the<br />
congested bottleneck at the cross roads with the A287.<br />
As the start of construction depends upon a successful<br />
outcome at the Public Inquiry, the best estimate is for a<br />
start in 2005, with tunnel construction getting under<br />
way in 2006 and open in 2008/9, and final completion in<br />
2010. Land required for construction of this scheme is<br />
safeguarded in the Waverley Borough Local Plan.<br />
A23/M23 Hooley improvements: this scheme involves<br />
the reconstruction of a complicated junction to allow full<br />
turning facilities between the A23 and M23.Any land<br />
required for this scheme will be safeguarded in the Reigate<br />
& Banstead Borough Local Plan.<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> schemes<br />
A24 Capel – West Sussex Boundary (as part of<br />
the A24 Capel to Horsham scheme): this is a joint<br />
scheme with West Sussex <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> to improve the<br />
route of the A24 between the southern end of the Capel<br />
By-pass at Clark’s Green and the junction with the A264<br />
to the north of Horsham.The scheme is proposed for<br />
construction during the current LTP period up to 2006.<br />
A31 Farnham By-pass (Hickleys Corner): this<br />
scheme involves an improvement to the carriageway and<br />
the signal controlled junction with the B3001 South<br />
Street/Station Hill. Land for the scheme is safeguarded in<br />
the Waverley Borough Local Plan but a construction start<br />
has not been set.<br />
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POLICY DN7/<br />
Freight Transport<br />
Development that provides for sustainable methods<br />
of freight distribution will be encouraged.<br />
The transfer of freight from road to rail, including the<br />
development and use of railhead facilities, will be<br />
supported provided the benefits to the wider community<br />
are clearly demonstrated to outweigh the local impact.<br />
Local planning authorities will safeguard the necessary<br />
land along railway lines for future transfer of freight<br />
from road to rail.<br />
E<br />
4.15 ffective freight distribution is essential to<br />
accessing goods and services but the main<br />
mode of distribution, the heavy goods vehicle (HGV),<br />
contributes to adverse environmental conditions in<br />
many of <strong>Surrey</strong>’s historic town centres and rural areas.<br />
In order to minimise the impact of lorry traffic on local<br />
neighbourhoods, HGV drivers should use the highest<br />
category of road available for their journey and<br />
particularly <strong>Surrey</strong>’s advisory HGV routes.<br />
4.16 Development which attracts significant freight<br />
movements, such as warehousing and distribution<br />
centres, should be located away from congested town<br />
centres and residential areas. The environmental issues<br />
associated with road freight transport will be addressed<br />
through Freight Quality Partnerships. Proposals for<br />
transhipment depots identified as part of a Freight<br />
Quality Partnership should be safeguarded by local<br />
planning authorities.<br />
4.17 In seeking sustainable methods of freight<br />
distribution and reduction in the number and length<br />
of heavy goods vehicle movements, the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong><br />
will encourage development which is or can realistically<br />
be served by rail, through the promotion of railhead<br />
facilities at suitable locations with good access to the<br />
Motorway and Primary Route Network. Railhead facilities<br />
will not be permitted in residential areas or areas of<br />
countryside designated for their environmental quality.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f The local planning authorities, in conjunction with<br />
rail freight operators, should identify and safeguard<br />
sites suitable for development to support rail freight<br />
operations.<br />
f The LTP will include measures to reduce the<br />
environmental impact of heavy goods vehicles in the<br />
Transport Programme Areas.<br />
f Site applications for goods vehicle operator licences<br />
will be monitored to reduce the environmental<br />
impact and to ensure highway safety is maintained.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Number of rail freight schemes and Freight<br />
Quality Partnerships<br />
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POLICY DN8/<br />
Airport Development<br />
When responding to consultations for airport related<br />
development, the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> will wish to safeguard<br />
the role of Heathrow and Gatwick as major international<br />
airports, provided that:<br />
a) at Heathrow, the impacts on <strong>Surrey</strong> are sufficiently<br />
mitigated and substantial investment in supporting public<br />
transport infrastructure is provided to address current<br />
and future needs;<br />
b) the development of Gatwick Airport makes best use<br />
of its existing capacity of one runway and two terminals,<br />
in accordance with the Airport’s Sustainable Development<br />
Strategy. Proposals for any further runway or terminal<br />
capacity at Gatwick will be opposed.<br />
Provision for all development directly related to an<br />
airport should be provided within its boundary, with the<br />
exception of facilities to improve public transport, cycle<br />
and pedestrian access. Development that is not directly<br />
related to airport operations should not be permitted<br />
within the airport unless its relationship to airport<br />
related business can be explicitly justified.<br />
S<br />
4.18 urrey is located between Heathrow and<br />
Gatwick, two of the busiest international<br />
airports in the world. As a consequence, <strong>Surrey</strong> enjoys<br />
unrivalled worldwide accessibility making it a very<br />
attractive business location and this contributes to a<br />
buoyant local economy. The contribution of the airports<br />
to <strong>Surrey</strong>'s prosperity is fully acknowledged. However,<br />
the proximity of Heathrow and Gatwick also results in<br />
significant environmental impacts such as traffic<br />
congestion, urbanisation, noise and pollution.<br />
4.19 In November 2001, the Government granted<br />
planning permission for a fifth terminal at Heathrow<br />
Airport. Key conditions included an annual movement<br />
limit of 480,000 air transport movements and<br />
restrictions on the level of noise and car parking. The<br />
new terminal is due to open in 2008 and will increase<br />
the capacity of the airport from 63 to approximately<br />
90 million passengers per annum (mppa).<br />
4.20 At Gatwick, a Sustainable Development Strategy<br />
was produced in July 2000 to support the expansion<br />
of the airport from 30 to 40 mppa by 2008. However,<br />
due to the recent downturn in air traffic, the airport<br />
operator (BAA Gatwick) now forecasts that a passenger<br />
throughput of 40 mppa will not be reached until 2012.<br />
The Strategy contains strict limits on aircraft noise,<br />
ground noise and levels of air pollution, and seeks to<br />
reduce airport related car trips and increase the<br />
proportion of passengers using public transport. A legal<br />
agreement commits BAA Gatwick to monitor progress<br />
towards achieving the commitments set out in the<br />
Sustainable Development Strategy.<br />
4.21 The Government published its White Paper,<br />
The Future of Air Transport in December 2003. This<br />
promotes the development of two new runways in the<br />
South East to meet the forecast growth in air transport<br />
over the next 30 years. The White Paper supports a new<br />
runway at Stansted around 2011/12, followed by a new<br />
short parallel runway to the north of Heathrow between<br />
2015 and 2020. This would enable the airport to handle<br />
116 mppa and is likely to require the development of a<br />
sixth passenger terminal. In the meantime, the White<br />
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Paper supports greater utilisation of Heathrow’s two<br />
existing runways, subject to carrying out a detailed study<br />
and a full public consultation.<br />
4.22 The Government’s support for a new runway at<br />
Heathrow is conditional on measures to prevent a<br />
deterioration of the noise climate, improve public<br />
transport access, and meet EU mandatory air quality<br />
limit values for nitrogen dioxide (NO2). However, the<br />
Government cannot be confident that air quality limits at<br />
Heathrow with the addition of a third runway can be<br />
met. As a consequence, if these conditions are not<br />
achievable, the White Paper proposes a second widespaced<br />
runway to the south of Gatwick after 2019 and<br />
requires land to be safeguarded for that purpose. This<br />
would increase capacity at Gatwick to 83 mppa.<br />
4.23 Provision for airport related development,<br />
excluding improvements to transport access as set out in<br />
this policy, should take place on the airport in order to<br />
minimise the impact of aviation related activities on<br />
surrounding areas and countryside.<br />
4.24 The <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> considers that if further<br />
growth at Heathrow is to be considered then it should<br />
be conditional on adequate mitigation measures,<br />
together with substantial investment in surface access<br />
including AirTrack. The statement in the Air Transport<br />
White Paper that the Government will not take action to<br />
overturn the 1979 legal agreement between BAA Gatwick<br />
and West Sussex <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong>, which prevents the<br />
construction of a second runway at Gatwick before 2019,<br />
is welcomed. However, the provision of a second runway<br />
at Gatwick after 2019 would have a significant adverse<br />
impact on <strong>Surrey</strong> and for this reason, cannot be<br />
supported.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f The local planning authorities will work with BAA<br />
Gatwick to ensure that the targets and commitments<br />
contained in both the Sustainable Development<br />
Strategy and the legal agreement are met, and that<br />
remedial action is undertaken where it is evident that<br />
sufficient progress has not been made.<br />
f The local planning authorities, airport operators<br />
and other relevant organisations will work together in<br />
applying sustainable development principles to the<br />
planning and operation of the airports affecting<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong>.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Airport passenger numbers, aircraft movements,<br />
noise levels, air quality, proportion of airport<br />
trips by car and public transport, and levels of<br />
freight.<br />
f Amount and location of airport development<br />
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POLICY DN9/<br />
General Aviation<br />
When responding to consultations for airport related<br />
development:<br />
a) the development of Biggin Hill Airport to support<br />
its role as a general aviation airfield will be accepted,<br />
provided any adverse impacts on <strong>Surrey</strong> are sufficiently<br />
mitigated and the development fully complies with the<br />
terms laid out in the existing lease.<br />
b) the development of Farnborough Airport will be<br />
supported within the parameters of the existing planning<br />
conditions, provided any adverse impacts on <strong>Surrey</strong> are<br />
sufficiently mitigated.<br />
Within <strong>Surrey</strong>, the development of business aviation<br />
facilities at Fairoaks Airport will be permitted on a limited<br />
scale where the impact on the surrounding area is<br />
acceptable. Development likely to cause an intensification<br />
of flying and other related activities at Redhill Aerodrome<br />
will be resisted.<br />
With the exception of Dunsfold Aerodrome, the<br />
development of new airfields or the reopening of disused<br />
airfields will not be permitted.Airstrips or landing sites<br />
for private and recreational flying will only be permitted<br />
where the environmental impacts are acceptable.<br />
T<br />
4.25 he Future of Air Transport White Paper, published<br />
in December 2003, explains that the potential<br />
of Biggin Hill Airport to provide services to meet local<br />
demand should not be overlooked, and in principle,<br />
supports the development of the airport for this<br />
purpose, subject to relevant environmental<br />
considerations.<br />
4.26 In 1994 Biggin Hill Airport Limited signed a lease<br />
with Bromley Borough <strong>Council</strong>, the landlord, enabling<br />
them to manage and operate the airport for 125 years.<br />
The lease places a number of controls on flying activity<br />
at Biggin Hill in order to control the environmental<br />
impact of the airport on the surrounding area. The<br />
provision of scheduled flights for fare paying passengers<br />
however is not currently permitted.<br />
4.27 The White Paper also acknowledges the important<br />
contribution made by small airports in the South East<br />
in providing capacity for business aviation and supports<br />
the continued provision of these services at Biggin Hill,<br />
Farnborough and Fairoaks. Whilst the role of general<br />
aviation airfields in supporting the <strong>Surrey</strong> economy is<br />
acknowledged, it is recognised that they can have an<br />
adverse environmental impact on <strong>Surrey</strong> residents<br />
which needs to be controlled.<br />
4.28 At Farnborough, the Ministry of Defence leased<br />
the airport to TAG Aviation in 1998 for the continuation<br />
of business flying. TAG received planning consent in<br />
2000 to operate 28,000 business aircraft movements<br />
per annum, subject to limits on both the nature and type<br />
of flying to ensure that future growth is contained and<br />
controlled. The local council has also imposed a number<br />
of environmental and other obligations on TAG to<br />
minimise the impact of flying.<br />
4.29 The location of Fairoaks Airport and Redhill<br />
Aerodrome within the Metropolitan Green Belt places<br />
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a constraint on the scale and type of new development<br />
that can be permitted. Fairoaks Airport has a fixed wing<br />
movement limit within which there is scope for<br />
expansion of business aviation, taking full account of<br />
environmental and infrastructure considerations. There<br />
are no controls over the number of movements at<br />
Redhill Aerodrome, which caters more for recreational<br />
and training flights which tend to generate more<br />
environmental disturbance. Any further development<br />
which leads to increased disturbance from such flying<br />
will generally be resisted.<br />
4.30 The development of new airfields, or the reopening<br />
of existing ones, will not be permitted as there is<br />
sufficient capacity at both Fairoaks and Redhill for<br />
additional flying activity. The only exception is Dunsfold<br />
Aerodrome, which was vacated by British Aerospace at<br />
the end of 2000. The local planning authority will<br />
prepare an area action plan for the site which will<br />
indicate whether a future aviation use is considered<br />
appropriate. If the site is promoted for aviation, then<br />
light aviation use is considered as being the most<br />
suitable option, provided any adverse impacts are<br />
sufficiently controlled.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f The <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong>’s interests will be promoted<br />
through its representation on airport consultative<br />
committees.<br />
f In responding to consultations for airport related<br />
development, Policy DN9 will be used to provide a<br />
policy justification in support of the <strong>Council</strong>’s<br />
response.<br />
f The local planning authority will prepare an area<br />
action plan to determine the most suitable long term<br />
use for Dunsfold Aerodrome.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Aircraft movements (business and other<br />
general aviation: fixed and rotary wing) and<br />
noise levels<br />
f Amount of development at general aviation<br />
airfields<br />
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POLICY DN10/<br />
Housing Type and Need<br />
New dwelling provision should incorporate a mix of<br />
sizes and types and contribute towards meeting the<br />
needs of all sections of the community.The identification<br />
of specific needs and the mix of dwellings on each site<br />
will be determined by the local authorities.<br />
W<br />
4.31 ithin <strong>Surrey</strong>, there has been widespread<br />
concern that market demand for larger,<br />
executive style, housing is excluding not only those<br />
most in need but also families who require two or three<br />
bedroom accommodation. Continuing reductions in<br />
household size also suggest that there is a need for more<br />
dwellings suited to one and two person households.<br />
4.32 The <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> is committed to addressing<br />
the needs of all sections of the community and to<br />
encouraging social cohesion. Government Planning<br />
Policy Guidance on Housing (PPG3) indicates that a<br />
community’s need for a mix of dwelling types is a<br />
material planning consideration which should be taken<br />
into account in formulating development plan policies<br />
and determining planning applications. Borough and<br />
district councils should determine the type, mix and size<br />
of dwellings on individual sites in response to local<br />
assessments of need and the priorities set out in local<br />
Housing Strategy Statements and having regard to local<br />
market, site and environmental considerations to ensure<br />
that a choice of housing is available. The mix of<br />
dwellings should have regard to the need to create<br />
balanced communities and the potential for Lifetime<br />
Homes, taking account of the advice in <strong>Surrey</strong> Design.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f The local planning authorities will:<br />
g work closely with housing departments to<br />
determine priority housing groups and their needs,<br />
through local housing needs surveys, having regard<br />
to the Housing Strategy Statement, and with local<br />
employers to determine the housing needs arising<br />
out of existing and proposed economic<br />
development;<br />
g provide policy guidance, development briefs<br />
and supplementary planning documents, where<br />
required, on the overall mix of dwellings required<br />
in local development frameworks having regard to<br />
the principles set out in <strong>Surrey</strong> Design;<br />
g determine the type, mix and size of dwellings<br />
required on individual sites.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Size and type of housing completed<br />
TARGET 9 /<br />
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POLICY DN11/<br />
Affordable Housing<br />
Local development frameworks will include a target for<br />
affordable housing, having regard to the objective that at<br />
least 40% of new housing provision in the county should<br />
be affordable, including housing for key workers.<br />
Local authorities will:<br />
· determine the sizes of sites on which a contribution<br />
to affordable housing will be sought, based on<br />
evidence of local need and the supply of housing land;<br />
· negotiate with applicants to determine the amount<br />
of affordable housing to be provided on each site,<br />
taking into account market, identified need, site<br />
and other considerations;<br />
· in rural areas, where there is evidence of local need,<br />
permit small scale affordable housing within or well<br />
related to settlements, on land that would not<br />
otherwise be released for development.<br />
E<br />
4.33 nabling people to live in a home which is<br />
suitable to their needs and which they can<br />
afford is fundamental to the achievement of sustainable<br />
development, to the economic success of the county<br />
and critical to the development of mixed and balanced<br />
communities. <strong>Surrey</strong> is one of the most expensive places<br />
in England in which to buy or rent a home and, in recent<br />
years both house prices and rents have risen rapidly.<br />
Many public and private sector organisations within the<br />
county are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit and<br />
retain key staff, partly because of the high cost of<br />
housing. A greater proportion of the workforce is now<br />
commuting longer distances to work from lower cost<br />
housing areas, often outside <strong>Surrey</strong>. The provision of an<br />
adequate supply of affordable and key worker housing<br />
has been identified as a priority by both SEERA and<br />
SEEDA. All local plans in <strong>Surrey</strong> have policies actively<br />
seeking the provision of new affordable housing and it<br />
is also a key issue emerging out of the development of<br />
community strategies across the county.<br />
4.34 More than 40% of the total dwelling provision up<br />
to 2016 will need to be affordable to meet the needs of<br />
those who are currently unable to buy or rent a home on<br />
the open market. Achieving this level of affordable<br />
housing will require a significant increase in current<br />
provision, which will depend on major policy changes<br />
by the Government and other agencies and a significant<br />
increase in the funding available for affordable housing.<br />
In order to meet the objective for affordable housing<br />
provision, a target that 40% of all new housing should<br />
be affordable has been set for the county as a whole.<br />
This is not a target for individual sites but is intended to<br />
provide a strategic framework within which individual<br />
borough and district councils should set their own<br />
targets, based upon local evidence of need. The target<br />
includes provision for key workers but any such<br />
provision should not be achieved at the expense of<br />
others in demonstrable housing need. To ensure that this<br />
does not occur, local authorities should devise separate<br />
targets for the provision of key worker and other<br />
affordable housing provision based on local assessments<br />
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of housing need.<br />
4.35 Circular 6/98 provides that local authorities can<br />
negotiate for the provision of affordable housing on sites<br />
of 25 or more dwellings, or 1 hectare or more in size.<br />
RPG9 indicates that local authorities should consider<br />
whether local circumstances justify seeking thresholds<br />
lower than those set out in the Circular. Draft revisions<br />
to PPG3 now propose a lowering of the Circular<br />
thresholds to 15 dwellings or 0.5 hectares. Nearly 60%<br />
of new housing in <strong>Surrey</strong> is currently being provided<br />
on sites of less than 1 hectare. To better assist the local<br />
authorities in meeting their housing requirements,<br />
affordable housing will need to be provided on a<br />
significant proportion of sites below current and<br />
proposed national thresholds. The local planning<br />
authorities should, therefore, determine appropriate<br />
site size thresholds locally, in response to evidence of<br />
local need and the overall supply of housing land. Where<br />
justified by such evidence, the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> will<br />
support the application of thresholds below those set<br />
out in Circular 6/98, RPG9 and draft revisions to PPG3.<br />
In accordance with Government guidance, affordable<br />
housing should normally be provided on site.<br />
4.36 The scale of need for affordable housing in <strong>Surrey</strong>,<br />
together with the limitations on funding available to<br />
deliver such housing, highlights the need to look for<br />
alternative means of both delivery and funding. The local<br />
planning authorities should, therefore, consider whether<br />
it is appropriate to require a contribution to meeting<br />
local affordable housing needs from commercial as well<br />
as housing development.<br />
Affordable housing in <strong>Surrey</strong> is defined as housing<br />
for people who cannot afford to buy or rent on<br />
the open market, usually subsidised housing for<br />
rent or home ownership provided by the local<br />
authorities or a registered social landlord, and<br />
where planning conditions or agreements exist<br />
to ensure that it remains affordable in perpetuity.<br />
This may include low cost market housing where<br />
a subsidy has been provided by the developer<br />
to reduce the initial costs, and the costs to all<br />
subsequent occupiers, of the housing to a level<br />
significantly below open market levels.This<br />
definition includes provision for those people<br />
identified by the local housing authority as being<br />
in housing need and provision for key workers.<br />
Low cost market housing does not mean either<br />
smaller housing or housing of a lower standard of<br />
construction or finish.The term refers instead to<br />
the purchase price relative to similar properties<br />
available elsewhere in the locality.<br />
4.37 This policy is intended to address the issue of<br />
affordability irrespective of the size or type of<br />
accommodation. The community’s needs for a specific<br />
type and size of housing and the mix of housing on<br />
individual sites are dealt with in Policy DN10.<br />
4.38 Where a local housing needs survey provides<br />
evidence of need, small scale affordable housing may<br />
be permitted within or well related to rural settlements<br />
on land which would not otherwise be released for<br />
development. Such exceptions will only be permitted<br />
where no other more suitable sites are available. Housing<br />
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provided in this way should be available to meet local<br />
needs in perpetuity and should respect the form and<br />
character of the settlement and its setting in the<br />
surrounding countryside.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f The local planning authorities will:<br />
g set targets in local development frameworks for<br />
the provision of housing for those in housing need<br />
and key workers, based on the evidence of housing<br />
needs surveys;<br />
g identify in local development frameworks<br />
appropriate site size thresholds for the provision<br />
of affordable housing;<br />
g seek appropriate contributions for new affordable<br />
housing from residential and commercial<br />
development;<br />
g set out in local development frameworks or<br />
supplementary planning documents how affordable<br />
housing will be provided, having regard to the<br />
best practice guide, Making Affordable Housing Happen,<br />
prepared jointly by the <strong>Surrey</strong> Chief Housing and<br />
Planning Officers;<br />
g work closely with registered social landlords,<br />
business representatives, the house builders and<br />
regional bodies to ensure an adequate supply of<br />
housing at affordable rents and prices;<br />
g work closely with rural communities to promote<br />
and support the production of parish plans, to<br />
provide inputs to the determination of local needs<br />
and to identify suitable sites for rural affordable<br />
housing, including the proportion of subsidised<br />
rented and low cost home ownership properties;<br />
g jointly prepare new guidance on seeking affordable<br />
housing contributions from commercial<br />
development.<br />
f Further information on the need for key worker<br />
housing is available in the <strong>Surrey</strong> Local Government<br />
Association key worker housing strategy, Housing to<br />
Underpin Economic Success, published in September 2001.<br />
The local authorities will work together to review and<br />
update this strategy.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Number of affordable homes completed<br />
f Overall level of need for affordable housing<br />
as assessed by district housing need surveys<br />
f House price/rent information, relative to<br />
average incomes<br />
f Number of dwellings completed within rural<br />
exceptions schemes<br />
TARGET 10 /<br />
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POLICY DN12/<br />
Social and Community Facilities<br />
The local planning authorities should identify sites for<br />
social and community needs at locations easily accessible<br />
to the community being served, particularly in those areas<br />
where major new development is proposed.<br />
Where development leads to the loss of existing facilities,<br />
for which there is a continuing need, alternative<br />
equivalent provision must be made.<br />
M<br />
4.39 eeting the needs of the existing population<br />
and those of future generations is an essential<br />
component of sustainable development. The <strong>County</strong><br />
<strong>Council</strong> attaches great importance to promoting social<br />
cohesion within <strong>Surrey</strong>. Although <strong>Surrey</strong> is an affluent<br />
county, there are pockets of absolute and relative<br />
deprivation where remedial action is needed. The<br />
Structure Plan can help to promote this by ensuring<br />
that adequate social and community facilities are<br />
retained or are provided within new development in<br />
both urban and rural areas.<br />
4.40 The Spatial Strategy emphasises the need to locate<br />
development primarily within urban areas, in order to<br />
create a more sustainable pattern of development. For<br />
this to be acceptable, urban areas need to be made more<br />
attractive places in which to live and work. Ensuring that<br />
people in such areas have good social and community<br />
facilities is an essential part of this process.<br />
4.41 There is a growing problem of reducing facilities<br />
and services (including local shops, post offices, pubs,<br />
health care and transport) in the rural parts of the<br />
county and local responses to this should be developed<br />
within parish plans and community strategies. There are<br />
also problems of the loss of residential care homes<br />
throughout the county.<br />
4.42 New and replacement facilities should be provided<br />
in locations which are both easily accessible to the<br />
communities being served and are in an equally<br />
accessible location to any facilities being lost. This<br />
means that some facilities will need to be located<br />
outside town centres and within established residential<br />
areas.<br />
4.43 This policy also provides a framework for<br />
contributing to the maintenance of existing facilities<br />
where threatened by development proposals. When<br />
assessing the impact of development proposals on<br />
existing facilities, the local planning authorities should<br />
also take into account the potential for the re-use or<br />
sharing of existing facilities.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f The local planning authorities will:<br />
g allocate sites in local development frameworks<br />
for community facilities in areas accessible to the<br />
community, ensuring that they can be accessed by<br />
both public and private means of transport;<br />
g work closely with local communities, through the<br />
community strategy process, service providers and<br />
the voluntary sector, to assess the need for social<br />
and community facilities;<br />
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g include policies within local development<br />
frameworks requiring developers to submit an<br />
impact assessment of the loss of existing facilities;<br />
and ensuring the retention of existing facilities<br />
where a need has been identified;<br />
g ensure the retention and improvement of existing<br />
facilities and the provision of new facilities by the<br />
developer where required as part of a new<br />
development;<br />
g include within local development frameworks a<br />
definition of social and community needs,<br />
identifying priorities for new facilities and the<br />
retention of existing facilities;<br />
g maximise the opportunities for meeting<br />
community needs through the re-use and<br />
sharing of existing community facilities.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Net change in amount of land/floorspace<br />
allocated to social or community use<br />
POLICY DN13/<br />
Leisure and Recreation Facilities<br />
Development for recreation or leisure use will be<br />
encouraged in urban areas, particularly where it<br />
overcomes deficiencies in existing provision.<br />
Opportunities for informal recreation, such as improved<br />
pedestrian and cycle networks in town and between<br />
town and country, should be provided in conjunction<br />
with development.<br />
Land and buildings used for sport and recreation should<br />
be retained in such use unless surplus to requirements.<br />
Development for other purposes will only be acceptable<br />
where it is demonstrated that the land is not suitable<br />
to meet a deficiency in another form of open space<br />
provision or where relocation of facilities will achieve<br />
a better and more accessible network.<br />
S<br />
4.44 port and recreation are essential parts of the<br />
quality of life of the community as a whole.<br />
Demand for facilities changes with changing lifestyles<br />
and the local authorities will be responsible for assessing<br />
local needs and auditing the quality and type of<br />
provision. There is currently a growing demand for built<br />
facilities, such as gyms and fitness centres. Policy DN13<br />
aims to ensure that the provision of leisure and<br />
recreation facilities reflects the demand arising in the<br />
community. Major built leisure facilities should be<br />
located in or on the edge of town centres, or adjacent<br />
to a major public transport node, in accordance with<br />
Policies LO2 and LO3.<br />
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4.45 Opportunities for informal recreation, such as<br />
walking, cycling and equestrianism, both in town and<br />
country, figure highly in people’s perceptions of what<br />
makes <strong>Surrey</strong> an attractive place to live and work. These<br />
need to be encouraged not just for this reason but for<br />
their potential health benefits and to encourage people<br />
to change their lifestyles in a way which supports a more<br />
sustainable approach to day to day living. The extensive<br />
rights of way network in <strong>Surrey</strong> is a valuable resource<br />
which should be protected and expanded.<br />
4.46 More intensive use of previously developed land<br />
places a premium on retaining adequate open land for<br />
sport and recreation. The policy therefore aims to<br />
protect outdoor recreation facilities such as playing<br />
fields, play space, open space and allotments. These are<br />
important facilities that are unlikely to be returned to<br />
their original use once built upon. Changing demands<br />
and interests mean, however, that some change in usage<br />
is inevitable, although the emphasis must be to find<br />
alternative open space and recreational uses which<br />
benefit the local community. In some localities, new<br />
patterns of open space offering better and easier access<br />
for local people may justify a rationalisation of existing<br />
open space. Qualitative improvements may also justify<br />
changes in local provision.<br />
4.47 <strong>Surrey</strong> has many sporting facilities that are both<br />
regionally and nationally important, such as its race<br />
courses and golf courses. Such facilities are important in<br />
sporting terms but are also valuable to the local<br />
economy and in some cases, such as that of the horse<br />
training industry at Epsom, contribute to the heritage of<br />
the county. Sport England aims to protect and enhance<br />
national and regional facilities and is in the process of<br />
identifying Significant Areas for Sport. The local planning<br />
authorities should therefore support the continued<br />
presence of these facilities and such ancillary activity as<br />
is justified to ensure their viability.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f The local planning authorities will:<br />
g audit recreation facilities and the need for playing<br />
field provision, and identify where deficiencies in<br />
provision exist and how these might be overcome,<br />
against the advice in PPG17 and the good practice<br />
guide, Assessing Needs and Opportunities: A companion<br />
guide to PPG17;<br />
g allocate land for new facilities, following<br />
consultation with partner organisations, including<br />
Sport England and sports’ governing bodies, where<br />
deficiencies in quantity or quality are established;<br />
g protect existing recreational land and buildings<br />
where deficiencies exist;<br />
g promote the dual use of recreation facilities.<br />
f Sport England will identify Significant Areas for Sport.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Provision of new and replacement recreation<br />
facilities<br />
f Loss of existing recreation facilities as a result<br />
of development<br />
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POLICY DN14/<br />
Tourism Development<br />
Tourism development will be encouraged in urban areas.<br />
Outside urban areas, small scale tourism development<br />
will be encouraged in rural settlements and where it<br />
assists farm diversification or the retention of buildings<br />
contributing to the character of the countryside.<br />
Extensions to existing tourism development in the<br />
countryside will be permitted, where benefits to the<br />
local economy are demonstrated.<br />
P<br />
4.48 olicy DN14 encourages tourism development<br />
in the urban areas. Town centres are the<br />
preferred locations for tourism development. It is<br />
where businesses and facilities are concentrated and<br />
accessibility by public transport is highest. Business<br />
tourism is recognised as a particularly significant sector<br />
and development which meets the objectives of<br />
facilitating sustainable economic growth will be<br />
encouraged. Tourism is an important source of local<br />
employment which also provides ways of conserving the<br />
heritage and enriching the quality of life. There has been<br />
a net loss in the availability of tourist accommodation in<br />
parts of the county. It is evident that many<br />
accommodation providers achieve high occupancy rates<br />
which indicates that there is not an oversupply of this<br />
type of development. It will be important to retain the<br />
existing stock of accommodation in the county to<br />
provide the needed facilities. The provision of hotels<br />
where they form part of mixed use schemes will be<br />
supported.<br />
4.49 Tourism is also an important element in <strong>Surrey</strong>’s<br />
countryside and contributes to the local economy by<br />
supporting local services. The policy looks to encourage<br />
appropriate tourism development in the countryside for<br />
the benefit of the rural economy, taking into account<br />
Metropolitan Green Belt policy which applies across<br />
most of <strong>Surrey</strong>’s countryside. The <strong>Surrey</strong> Tourism<br />
Strategy provides guidance on development proposed<br />
to be undertaken beyond that in association with farm<br />
diversification. Where economic benefits are evident,<br />
existing tourist facilities may be extended where the<br />
extension is in keeping with the scale, character and<br />
setting of the establishment and the traffic impact is<br />
acceptable. ‘Green tourism’ schemes which promote<br />
walking, cycling and horse riding are particularly<br />
welcome.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f Local development frameworks will:<br />
g allocate hotel sites in urban areas where a need<br />
is identified;<br />
g encourage appropriate development of all types<br />
of accommodation;<br />
g foster tourism in the countryside with criteria<br />
for acceptable tourism development in rural areas.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Amount and location of tourism development<br />
f Hotel occupancy rates<br />
f Volume and value of tourism by purpose of visit<br />
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POLICY DN15/<br />
Further and Higher Education Facilities<br />
Provision for the expansion of further and higher<br />
education facilities in <strong>Surrey</strong> should be made within the<br />
urban areas.Where a further or higher education facility<br />
on the edge of the urban area demonstrates that there<br />
are no suitable sites for expansion within the urban area,<br />
provision may be made for its expansion beyond the<br />
urban area through the local development framework.<br />
T<br />
4.50 he expansion of further and higher education<br />
facilities to provide further opportunities for<br />
lifelong learning is a key element of Government<br />
education policy. It is also a vital element in securing<br />
the training of a suitably skilled workforce for the<br />
knowledge based, higher value economic activity<br />
envisaged both in the draft Regional Economic Strategy<br />
and the <strong>Surrey</strong> Economic Partnership’s Economic<br />
Strategy. It also contributes towards achieving wider<br />
education, quality of life and sustainability objectives.<br />
The <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> accepts that the links between study<br />
and research are likely to be much stronger in the future<br />
and will therefore consider sympathetically proposals<br />
involving a mix of academic and research activity.<br />
4.51 Further education has an important role in meeting<br />
the educational and vocational needs of young and adult<br />
people in <strong>Surrey</strong>. In particular, whilst <strong>Surrey</strong> has a<br />
relatively high overall level of educational attainment,<br />
there are significant concerns regarding the extent of low<br />
literacy and numeracy skills in the South East, including<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong>. This represents a considerable challenge to<br />
further education providers and other key stakeholders.<br />
The <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> will therefore look sympathetically<br />
at proposals for the development of new accommodation<br />
where this is shown to be needed. There may be<br />
circumstances where dual use of further and higher<br />
education facilities represents a more efficient and<br />
sustainable use of these facilities. In determining<br />
proposals, local authorities will consider if such<br />
intensification could lead to unacceptable impacts such<br />
as on the local highway or loss of amenity for local<br />
residents.<br />
4.52 Further and higher education institutions are also<br />
major employers in the county, making an important<br />
contribution to the local economy as well as providing<br />
valuable links to local businesses and industry.<br />
4.53 Policy DN15 emphasises the strong preference for<br />
expansion of facilities within the urban area in line with<br />
the Spatial Strategy. Local planning authorities will look<br />
to redevelopment within their urban areas to meet the<br />
expansion needs of education institutions through<br />
proposals in local development frameworks. Where this<br />
is not possible, a proposed expansion outside the urban<br />
area should be promoted on a case by case basis through<br />
the local development framework process, having regard<br />
to the advice in PPG2.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f The local planning authorities will:<br />
g work with education providers to develop criteria<br />
in local development frameworks which can be<br />
used to assess applications for expansion;<br />
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g determine whether a development brief is<br />
required, depending primarily on the scale<br />
of the proposed expansion.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Amount of development for new further<br />
and higher education facilities<br />
POLICY DN16/<br />
Agriculture<br />
The diversification of activities on agricultural holdings<br />
will be permitted where it contributes to sustaining the<br />
viability of farming enterprises and to safeguarding the<br />
character of the countryside.<br />
Development leading to the loss of the best and most<br />
versatile agricultural land should be avoided unless<br />
other material considerations override this.<br />
A<br />
4.54 spects of diversification, such as the<br />
introduction of new crops (energy or industrial<br />
raw materials), can support the continued viability of<br />
agricultural holdings without any regard to land use<br />
planning. In other cases, such as value added processing,<br />
local marketing initiatives and the re-use of buildings for<br />
non agricultural purposes, diversification will be<br />
supported where it contributes to the retention of<br />
agriculture as a part of the rural economy. Schemes<br />
should be developed in the context of farm development<br />
programmes, providing for the ongoing management of<br />
land and buildings consistent with safeguarding<br />
countryside character, as well as meeting the business<br />
needs of the enterprise.<br />
4.55 Diversification should not lead to new buildings<br />
within <strong>Surrey</strong>’s countryside, so schemes which involve<br />
the re-use of existing buildings will be encouraged. The<br />
impact of proposals for diversification on local amenity<br />
(countryside character, historic buildings and features,<br />
noise generation, traffic generation, ecological and<br />
recreational value) will need to be carefully assessed.<br />
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It is accepted that, as agricultural buildings tend to be<br />
located away from a settlement, there can be an increase<br />
in traffic as a result of a diversification scheme. PPG13<br />
recognises that some increase in vehicular trips is a<br />
likely outcome but is not in itself a sufficient reason to<br />
reject a scheme.<br />
4.56 The best and most versatile agricultural land is a<br />
national resource which needs to be safeguarded for the<br />
benefit of future generations. <strong>Surrey</strong> has a relatively small<br />
proportion of its agricultural land which falls into Grades<br />
1 or 2 of the Agricultural Land Classification but<br />
significant amounts of Grade 3 land. Consequently,<br />
higher grade land should be retained for future crop<br />
production and to support agriculture in the county. All<br />
significant proposals affecting agricultural land should be<br />
accompanied by a detailed evaluation of agricultural land<br />
quality to determine whether any land within Grade 1, 2<br />
and 3a of the Agricultural Land Classification is involved.<br />
4.57 The local planning authority has to determine<br />
whether higher grade agricultural land should be<br />
safeguarded from development. There may be<br />
circumstances where alternative land of lower<br />
agricultural value may warrant greater protection.<br />
Reasons include its biodiversity, landscape character and<br />
quality, or heritage interest, all issues which are relevant<br />
in <strong>Surrey</strong>. Other issues, such as the need to promote<br />
sustainable patterns of development, may also be a<br />
material consideration which need to be taken account<br />
of when evaluating the conservation of such land.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f Local development frameworks should:<br />
g promote the use of farm development programmes<br />
to support diversification proposals;<br />
g encourage farm diversification schemes to<br />
use existing buildings.<br />
f The local authorities will:<br />
g promote adoption of the recommendations of<br />
the <strong>Surrey</strong> Farm Study Two;<br />
g conserve the best and most versatile agricultural<br />
land (Agricultural Land Classification Grades 1, 2<br />
and 3a) unless other material considerations are<br />
considered to override its retention.<br />
f The Horse Pasture Management Project will provide<br />
best practice guidance on diversification into horse<br />
related activities.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Number and type of farm diversification<br />
schemes<br />
f Loss of best and most versatile land to<br />
development<br />
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POLICY DN17/<br />
Mineral Workings and Restoration<br />
Mineral workings including extensions and/or mineral<br />
processing will be allowed where the need for the<br />
mineral outweighs the adverse impact of the<br />
development. Identified mineral resources should not<br />
be sterilised by alternative development.<br />
In Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty mineral workings,<br />
including extensions, will only be allowed where it is<br />
clearly shown that the need for the mineral is essential<br />
and of national interest and there is no suitable<br />
alternative site.<br />
Mineral workings will be restored to the highest<br />
possible standards and at the earliest practicable date.<br />
M<br />
4.58 inerals can only be worked where they are<br />
found. Extensive valuable mineral deposits<br />
occur in <strong>Surrey</strong>, sometimes adjoining densely populated<br />
areas. In planning policy, their working is considered to<br />
be a temporary use of land though one of long duration<br />
in some cases. This may have unacceptable impacts upon<br />
amenity, particularly close to residential areas. This has<br />
been particularly the case in the Lower Thames Valley<br />
where the rate of production is carefully monitored.<br />
4.59 Planning applications for new or extended mineral<br />
working will normally be considered against the<br />
outcome of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs),<br />
required by the 1999 Regulations.<br />
4.60 The Government has issued revised guidelines for<br />
aggregates provision in England. A Minerals Development<br />
Plan will be prepared to replace the <strong>Surrey</strong> Minerals<br />
Local Plan, taking into account the identified national,<br />
regional or local need for minerals and the practicable<br />
availability of alternative sources of supply. Proposals<br />
within the <strong>Surrey</strong> Hills AONB will need to be supported<br />
by an assessment of alternative options.<br />
4.61 Mineral workings have in the past been restored<br />
to agricultural land by infilling with waste. This has<br />
provided both a means of disposing of waste and<br />
assisting in the restoration of the best and most versatile<br />
agricultural land. However, policy limitation of landfill<br />
and revised guidance in PPS7 have changed this context.<br />
There are likely now to be more low level or wet<br />
restoration schemes and alternative after uses such as<br />
nature conservation, woodland or amenity, as well as<br />
agriculture, thereby contributing to biodiversity and<br />
flood alleviation.<br />
How the policy will be implemented<br />
f The local planning authorities will be expected to<br />
comply with the mineral safeguarding requirements<br />
of Minerals Policy Guidance Notes 1, 6 & 15.<br />
f The <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> will:<br />
g prepare a Minerals Development Plan and<br />
identify preferred areas for further mineral<br />
extraction;<br />
g secure an appropriate regional apportionment of<br />
aggregate provision;<br />
g explore the potential for aggregate provision from<br />
local sources, recycling and imports;<br />
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g identify former mineral workings that require<br />
improvement and foster partnerships that will<br />
implement high quality restoration and<br />
management schemes encouraging biodiversity;<br />
g prepare good practice guidance on restoration<br />
and enhancement which will apply to former,<br />
existing and new workings;<br />
g assist in the screening and scoping of EIAs<br />
for mineral working proposals.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Rate of extraction relative to the extent of<br />
the landbank of permitted reserves<br />
f Progress towards completion of restoration<br />
and after use schemes<br />
f Monitor the supply of alternative aggregates<br />
including both recycled material and imports<br />
POLICY DN18/<br />
Waste Management<br />
Provision will be made, in accordance with the Best<br />
Practicable Environmental Option (BPEO), for sufficient<br />
waste facilities to deal with the amount equivalent to<br />
the waste arising in <strong>Surrey</strong>, and any agreed additional<br />
requirement deriving from regional policy guidance.<br />
Provision will be made primarily by specific site<br />
identification in the <strong>Surrey</strong> Waste Development Plan.<br />
Land in existing waste management use will be<br />
safeguarded for future waste management needs until<br />
the Waste Development Plan can assess the suitability<br />
of individual sites.<br />
Waste facilities should be located as close as practicable<br />
to the origin of the waste, subject to acceptable impact<br />
on amenity.The handling, treatment, transport and<br />
disposal of waste will be carried out to the highest<br />
environmental standards practicable.<br />
S<br />
4.62 urrey, like many other counties, faces a huge and<br />
urgent challenge to provide new and extended<br />
facilities to manage its waste, in compliance with<br />
European and Government landfill diversion measures<br />
and sustainable waste management practices. The scale<br />
and urgency of new provision required in <strong>Surrey</strong> is<br />
estimated (by Babtie Group Ltd) as an additional 8 large<br />
waste facilities by 2010, rising to 14 by 2020. If smaller<br />
scale facilities were to be developed, the number<br />
required could be 22 by 2010 and 43 by 2020.<br />
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4.63 The <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> is the waste planning<br />
authority (WPA) for <strong>Surrey</strong>. PPG10 states that it is the<br />
responsibility of WPAs to ensure that there is an<br />
adequate development plan framework to enable the<br />
waste management industry to establish appropriate<br />
waste management facilities, in a way which meets the<br />
objectives of sustainable development. The planning<br />
policy framework should take account of amenity and<br />
resource considerations, the Government’s waste<br />
strategy and relevant European Directives.<br />
4.64 The <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> will identify sufficient sites<br />
for waste facilities in the <strong>Surrey</strong> Waste Development<br />
Plan, which will replace the Waste Local Plan,<br />
to deal with an amount of waste equivalent to arisings<br />
within <strong>Surrey</strong>. <strong>Surrey</strong> will continue to contribute towards<br />
meeting regional waste management needs, aiming for<br />
net self-sufficiency in waste capacity, and will make<br />
diminishing provision for London’s waste. The <strong>Surrey</strong><br />
Waste Development Plan will set out detailed<br />
development control policies for the consideration of<br />
waste proposals on unallocated sites, ensuring the<br />
protection of residential amenity and the environment.<br />
4.65 The Waste Development Plan will address provision<br />
for the management of the three main controlled waste<br />
streams, namely municipal (mostly household waste),<br />
commercial and industrial waste, and construction and<br />
demolition waste. In addition, provision will also be<br />
made for agricultural waste when it too becomes<br />
classified as controlled waste. Within each waste stream,<br />
there will be different materials and categories of waste,<br />
which will need to be separated out and managed in<br />
order to achieve recycling, composting and recovery<br />
targets.<br />
4.66 Policy DN18 requires that the Best Practicable<br />
Environmental Option (BPEO) is achieved in providing<br />
sufficient facilities for waste management. The<br />
achievement of the BPEO, or equivalent updated<br />
Government test, involves satisfying the waste hierarchy,<br />
the proximity principle and regional self sufficiency,<br />
which all need to be taken into account in identifying<br />
the combination of facilities and other waste<br />
management options which give the best balance in<br />
meeting environmental, social and economic needs.<br />
The waste hierarchy is set out in the Government’s<br />
Waste Strategy 2000 and indicates that:<br />
f the most effective environmental solution is to<br />
reduce the generation of waste (waste minimisation);<br />
f where further reduction is not practicable, products<br />
and materials can sometimes be used again, either<br />
for the same or a different purpose (waste re-use);<br />
f failing that, value should be recovered from waste,<br />
through recycling, composting or generating energy<br />
from waste (waste recovery) – recycling and<br />
composting opportunities should be explored before<br />
consideration of incineration with energy recovery;<br />
f only if none of the above offers an appropriate<br />
solution should waste be disposed of in landfill<br />
(residual landfill).<br />
4.67 <strong>Surrey</strong> residents and businesses generate about<br />
2 million tonnes of waste each year. The <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong><br />
and the borough and district councils have prepared an<br />
Integrated Waste Management Strategy for <strong>Surrey</strong>.<br />
The Strategy focuses on how municipal waste is to be<br />
managed and also takes account of potential synergies<br />
with the commercial and industrial waste sector.<br />
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4.68 Landfill is the means by which most waste is<br />
currently disposed of in <strong>Surrey</strong>. However, this will need<br />
to change very quickly, particularly for municipal waste,<br />
to comply with landfill diversion requirements.<br />
Furthermore, <strong>Surrey</strong> is rapidly running out of landfill<br />
capacity. Locations will need to be identified for the<br />
development of alternative ways of dealing with waste<br />
such as the provision of composting and recycling<br />
facilities and energy from waste plants. These alternative<br />
waste management techniques also have associated<br />
environmental impacts so they will need to be located<br />
where such impacts are minimised.<br />
4.69 Many new waste facilities are likely to be needed<br />
in <strong>Surrey</strong> over the period of the Structure Plan. Suitable<br />
land is scarce and may be subject to pressure for other<br />
development. Therefore, land in existing waste use will<br />
be safeguarded to ensure the availability of at least some<br />
potential sites for waste development. Borough and<br />
district councils will consult the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> on any<br />
application for alternative development of a waste<br />
management site, which should continue in waste<br />
management use unless it is considered unsuitable for<br />
that purpose. The Waste Development Plan will assess<br />
the suitability of existing sites along with other potential<br />
sites in identifying preferred locations for the necessary<br />
new facilities. It will remove the safeguarding from waste<br />
sites which are found to be unsuitable for future waste<br />
development.<br />
4.70 Transport impacts from waste related development<br />
are significant. The use of rail rather than road for the<br />
movement of waste will be encouraged where<br />
practicable, although generally it is only practicable<br />
for larger scale facilities. Overall road journey lengths,<br />
numbers of movements and localised road impacts<br />
should be kept to a minimum. Everyone, from the<br />
public to local authorities and industry, will have to take<br />
responsibility for reducing the rate of growth in waste<br />
that is produced.<br />
4.71 The application of the waste hierarchy requires<br />
waste management to move towards the provision of<br />
waste treatment and sorting facilities which need<br />
buildings and structures. Such development should<br />
generally be accommodated within urban areas, but in<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> there is limited land availability and conflicts with<br />
residential and commercial amenity are likely. Policy<br />
LO4 recognises that there may be a need in these<br />
circumstances for such facilities to be located in the<br />
countryside, with preference to development on existing<br />
waste management sites or previously developed sites<br />
rather than greenfield sites, subject to the application of<br />
the BPEO. With the application of the proximity<br />
principle, the location of some built waste facilities in<br />
the urban fringe could be justified. This, amongst other<br />
factors, could be considered to represent very special<br />
circumstances in relation to proposed development in<br />
the Metropolitan Green Belt.<br />
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How the policy will be implemented<br />
f The waste planning authority will:<br />
g prepare a Waste Development Plan, following<br />
adoption of the <strong>Surrey</strong> Integrated Waste<br />
Management Strategy;<br />
g facilitate meeting the Government’s targets and<br />
objectives for implementing the waste hierarchy;<br />
g monitor the capacity of existing and new waste<br />
handling facilities against local and regional needs;<br />
g seek to reduce non-inert landfill capacity in the<br />
medium term;<br />
g work with the Environment Agency and highway<br />
authority to reduce the impacts of transporting<br />
waste;<br />
g seek to ensure that the development of additional<br />
waste disposal handling capacity accords with the<br />
principle of Best Practicable Environmental<br />
Option;<br />
g work with potential developers to secure Freight<br />
Facilities Grant.<br />
f Landfill will only be allowed for the restoration of<br />
mineral workings and the reinstatement of damaged<br />
or degraded land.<br />
Indicators of policy performance<br />
f Proportions of capacity for treating waste<br />
towards the top of the waste hierarchy<br />
f Road mileage travelled by municipal waste<br />
f Waste management capacity within <strong>Surrey</strong><br />
relative to waste arisings, for each broad<br />
category of waste (where this information<br />
is available)<br />
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CHAPTER<br />
5<br />
IMPLEMENTING<br />
THE <strong>STRUCTURE</strong> <strong>PLAN</strong><br />
Introduction<br />
5.1 This chapter summarises how the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong><br />
will seek to deliver the Spatial Strategy by implementing<br />
the Structure Plan, both directly and in partnership with<br />
others. Structure Plan policies will be implemented by<br />
the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> and the borough and district councils<br />
and other organisations responsible for making and<br />
influencing decisions affecting land use. Under each<br />
policy is a section that sets out how the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong><br />
will seek to achieve its policy objectives. The <strong>County</strong><br />
<strong>Council</strong> has also developed a series of targets that, if<br />
achieved, will give a firm indication of the success of<br />
the strategy (see Chapter 6: Monitoring and Review).<br />
5.2 One of the conclusions drawn from the<br />
sustainability appraisal of the Structure Plan was the<br />
significance of the way in which the Plan is implemented<br />
in determining the overall degree of sustainability<br />
achieved. As a whole, the Plan and its policies will help<br />
to deliver the concept of sustainability but there is scope<br />
to achieve considerable progress if the principles of<br />
sustainability become the cornerstones of decisions,<br />
even for small scale development proposals. The policies<br />
seek to secure this but all parties need to embrace these<br />
principles when taking forward proposals for<br />
development.<br />
Changes to the planning system<br />
5.3 The Government has undertaken a major reform<br />
of the planning system in England, abolishing structure<br />
plans and local plans and replacing them with regional<br />
spatial strategies and local development frameworks.<br />
Under the provisions of the Planning & Compulsory<br />
Purchase Act <strong>2004</strong>, the Structure Plan will remain part of<br />
the Development Plan until subsumed within the South<br />
East Plan and local development frameworks (LDFs).<br />
Individual policies within the Plan may be taken forward<br />
in either the South East Plan or LDFs and, at the very<br />
least, will remain in force for a period of 3 years from<br />
the date of adoption of the Plan. The Structure Plan will<br />
therefore remain a statutory document for several years.<br />
During the transition period the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> will<br />
work closely with SEERA and the borough and district<br />
councils to ensure that the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong>’s priorities<br />
continue to influence policy within the new<br />
development plan system.<br />
A comprehensive approach<br />
5.4 Land use planning is an essential tool for improving<br />
the quality of our environment. However, it is only one<br />
of the mechanisms for delivering this improvement. As<br />
a result of the Local Government Act 2000, local<br />
authorities now have new powers to promote or improve<br />
the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of<br />
their area. The expectation is that local authorities will<br />
take a comprehensive overview of the needs and<br />
priorities of their area and take a co-ordinated approach<br />
to meeting these needs and priorities. In order to ensure<br />
that this is done, they have a duty to prepare community<br />
strategies. A community strategy will provide the<br />
overarching framework for the activities of the <strong>Council</strong><br />
and its partners to address local needs and objectives.<br />
5.5 Within urban areas, the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> will<br />
encourage a more positive approach to the management<br />
of change. Improvements to the quality of life will<br />
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require partnership working and a co-ordinated<br />
approach between all agencies, taking on board the<br />
overarching objectives and priorities in the community<br />
strategy and the Structure Plan to deliver an urban<br />
renaissance.<br />
Local development frameworks<br />
5.6 The Structure Plan contains policies that apply<br />
across the county and will set a broad strategic<br />
framework for the first round of local development<br />
frameworks (LDFs). LDF policies will be more detailed<br />
and site specific than the Structure Plan and will<br />
generally provide the criteria for assessing individual<br />
planning applications. The <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> is responsible<br />
for producing LDFs covering minerals and waste<br />
development on a countywide basis. LDFs covering all<br />
other land uses will be prepared by the borough and<br />
district councils and will replace the existing framework<br />
of local plans in place across the county. It is a statutory<br />
requirement that planning applications are determined<br />
in accordance with the relevant development plan unless<br />
material considerations indicate otherwise.<br />
5.7 The <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> will work with borough and<br />
district councils to ensure that local development<br />
framework policies are developed in a way that supports<br />
the implementation of the Spatial Strategy. In particular,<br />
the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> will encourage borough and district<br />
councils to address the specific actions set out under<br />
each policy in the Structure Plan.<br />
Masterplan process<br />
5.8 The Spatial Strategy includes the existing<br />
commitment to expand Horley and identifies the<br />
potential need for Guildford Borough <strong>Council</strong> to make<br />
provision for a new community to the north east of<br />
Guildford town in the event that insufficient previously<br />
developed land can be identified to meet the housing<br />
allocation in this Plan. The expansion of Horley has been<br />
taken forward within the framework of a masterplan for<br />
the town as a whole, which is expressed in the First<br />
Alteration to the Reigate & Banstead Borough Local Plan.<br />
Detailed masterplans for both the north east and north<br />
west development areas in Horley will need to be<br />
prepared.<br />
5.9 If monitoring of the rate of housing provision in<br />
Guildford through the Local Development Framework<br />
identifies a need for a new community to the north east<br />
of Guildford town, then it will need to be implemented<br />
within the context of a masterplanning process which<br />
looks in detail at the technical issues involved, from the<br />
standpoint of implementing the principles of<br />
sustainability but also addresses community involvement.<br />
The Spatial Strategy mentions some generic issues which<br />
will apply to the process but it should also take into<br />
account other issues which may identified. The approach<br />
will also be relevant to other major proposals which may<br />
emerge from the process of urban renaissance.<br />
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Supplementary planning guidance and<br />
good practice guidance<br />
5.10 In order to give further guidance in interpreting<br />
and implementing policy, the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> will work<br />
in partnership with the borough and district councils<br />
and through the <strong>Surrey</strong> Local Government Association<br />
(SLGA) and the private sector to produce a series of<br />
supplementary planning guidance (SPG) and good<br />
practice guidance on a range of issues that are of<br />
strategic countywide importance. The SPG guidance<br />
will be subject to consultation and formal adoption and,<br />
whilst not having the status of a formally adopted plan,<br />
will nevertheless become material considerations in<br />
determining planning applications. Other guidance<br />
documents will be of value in ensuring policy is<br />
implemented in an effective way. All guidance will be<br />
periodically reviewed as necessary to take account of<br />
any changes in European, national and regional policy<br />
guidance and legislation.<br />
f <strong>Surrey</strong> Design was published by the <strong>Surrey</strong> Local<br />
Government Association (SLGA) in January 2002 and<br />
has been adopted by the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> as strategic<br />
SPG. Its production was a collaborative effort<br />
between the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong>, borough and district<br />
councils and the development industry. It is a holistic<br />
design guide with an emphasis on creating quality<br />
places in which people can live in safety and as part<br />
of a community, without having to rely on the car.<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> Design develops Government guidance and<br />
Structure Plan and existing local plan policy in a<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> context.<br />
f A Parking Strategy for <strong>Surrey</strong> covers all aspects of parking<br />
across the county. It provides a framework for more<br />
detailed borough and district parking management<br />
plans and contains parking standards for new<br />
development based on parking package areas. The<br />
strategy aims to complement policies in the Structure<br />
Plan that seek to restrain traffic growth and to<br />
promote sustainable patterns of development. The<br />
Strategy was adopted in February 2003.<br />
f Infrastructure and Amenity Requirements to Support New<br />
Development is good practice guidance that gives<br />
advice to local planning authorities and developers<br />
on the assessment and funding of the infrastructure<br />
requirements of new development. It concentrates<br />
on the process of identifying the capacity of existing<br />
infrastructure and how to co-ordinate a cross service<br />
and borough and district/county response to<br />
additional requirements. It will be updated to take<br />
on board measures to deal with the cumulative<br />
impact of development.<br />
f Housing – Plan, Monitor, Manage will be produced as a<br />
guidance note for the planning authorities in <strong>Surrey</strong><br />
and advise on how to implement the plan, monitor,<br />
manage and sequential approach to housing land<br />
allocation and release.<br />
f Making Affordable Housing Happen in <strong>Surrey</strong> is a joint<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> planning and housing officers’ good practice<br />
guide prepared by consultants and published in<br />
February 2002. The guide aims to encourage the<br />
provision of affordable housing by promoting best<br />
practice and assisting those involved in the planning<br />
process to maximise the provision of affordable<br />
housing.<br />
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f Archaeology and Historic Landscapes gives countywide<br />
guidance on the protection of the archaeological<br />
and historic landscape resource through the planning<br />
system. The document is supplemented by a<br />
development control practice note. The SPG has<br />
been revised in the light of new national policy<br />
statements and developing practice as well as the<br />
policies in this Plan.<br />
f Landscape will provide an assessment of the quality,<br />
condition and sensitivity to change of <strong>Surrey</strong>'s<br />
landscape, linked to the distinctive landscape<br />
character areas identified in The Future of <strong>Surrey</strong>’s<br />
Landscape and Woodlands. It will provide policies<br />
for the conservation, enhancement and regeneration<br />
of landscape across the whole county.<br />
f Biodiversity and Nature Conservation explains how<br />
information on nature conservation and biodiversity<br />
within <strong>Surrey</strong> has been gathered and the way it will<br />
be used in the planning system. The SPG has been<br />
revised in the light of the policies in this Plan.<br />
Other strategies<br />
5.11 The Structure Plan is primarily concerned with<br />
providing a strategy for the development and use of land.<br />
However the implementation of the objectives of the<br />
Structure Plan will depend on a range of other social<br />
and economic issues which can only partly be influenced<br />
by land use planning. Other strategies, produced either<br />
by the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> on its own or in partnership with<br />
others, contain policies relevant to the aims of the<br />
Structure Plan:<br />
f Community strategies will be the result of<br />
community planning at both a borough and district<br />
and county level. The aim of community planning<br />
is to work with others to improve the quality of life<br />
of the people of <strong>Surrey</strong>. Community strategies will<br />
set an overarching framework for other strategies<br />
and service delivery plans. The eleven borough and<br />
district community strategies will deal with local<br />
priorities and issues. The countywide strategy will<br />
focus on common issues and priorities where action<br />
is best co-ordinated at strategic level.<br />
f <strong>Surrey</strong> Local Transport Plan (LTP) is the key<br />
document for seeking funding for and implementing<br />
movement policy. The LTP Strategy and Programme<br />
complement the sustainable land use policies in the<br />
Structure Plan by developing an integrated approach<br />
to transport at the local level.<br />
f <strong>Surrey</strong>’s Rural Strategy is the outcome of a long<br />
running partnership initiative that has been in<br />
existence since 1991. The general aim of the strategy<br />
is to promote actions that work towards the<br />
achievement of a more sustainable future, whether<br />
social, economic or environmental, for <strong>Surrey</strong>’s<br />
countryside and rural settlements. Various other<br />
working documents have been developed under the<br />
umbrella of the Rural Strategy such as The Future of<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong>’s Landscape and Woodlands.<br />
f <strong>Surrey</strong>’s Heritage Strategy is a partnership approach<br />
to conserving and enhancing <strong>Surrey</strong>’s cultural heritage<br />
including buildings of historic and architectural<br />
quality. There is particular emphasis on information,<br />
management and interpretation to ensure that<br />
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heritage issues are widely appreciated.<br />
f <strong>Surrey</strong> Economic Strategy is prepared by the <strong>Surrey</strong><br />
Economic Partnership, of which the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> is<br />
a member. It seeks to promote a prosperous economy<br />
but in the context of the sustainable development<br />
goals promoted by the Structure Plan. Each year an<br />
action plan is produced with key initiatives – many<br />
of which will directly complement the Spatial<br />
Strategy, such as promoting and encouraging the<br />
adoption of Company Transport Plans.<br />
f The <strong>Surrey</strong> Tourism Strategy provides a sustainable<br />
framework for the development of the tourist<br />
industry.<br />
f Housing to Underpin Economic Success is a SLGA<br />
strategy that sets out short and long term measures<br />
for providing affordable and key worker housing in<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong>, published in September 2001.<br />
Individual development control decisions<br />
5.13 The <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> will seek to ensure that<br />
development control decisions at the local level do not<br />
compromise the implementation of the Spatial Strategy<br />
and accord with regional and national land use policies.<br />
As the Structure Plan remains part of the development<br />
plan for the county for the next 3 years, borough and<br />
district councils still have a statutory duty to consult the<br />
<strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> on certain major applications, subject to<br />
certain criteria, and take into account the <strong>County</strong><br />
<strong>Council</strong>’s views. In assessing these larger proposals the<br />
<strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> will only be concerned with issues of<br />
strategic importance.<br />
5.14 The <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> will always be able to advise<br />
borough and district councils regarding strategic policy<br />
interpretation with regard to all development proposals.<br />
As Highway Authority, the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> will make<br />
recommendations regarding transportation issues at a<br />
strategic level through strategic consultations or directly<br />
to borough and district councils.<br />
5.12 The <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> is directly responsible for<br />
determining applications for minerals and waste<br />
proposals and the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong>’s own developments.<br />
Borough and district councils, however, will make the<br />
majority of development control decisions.<br />
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CHAPTER<br />
6<br />
MONITORING<br />
AND REVIEW<br />
R<br />
6.1 egular monitoring of this Plan will enable the<br />
<strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> to ensure that it remains the<br />
most appropriate and locally acceptable response to<br />
current issues of environmental, social and economic<br />
importance in <strong>Surrey</strong>. Monitoring is also essential to<br />
enable the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> to meet its statutory<br />
requirements under the Planning & Compulsory<br />
Purchase Act <strong>2004</strong>.<br />
6.2 Further details of the arrangements for monitoring<br />
are provided in the Structure Plan Monitoring Scheme.<br />
This provides details of the rationale which underlies<br />
each of the targets and indicators; the data sources and<br />
monitoring systems which will be used; and links to<br />
other targets and indicators such as those contained in<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong>’s strategy documents including<br />
Making <strong>Surrey</strong> a Better Place and the Local Transport Plan.<br />
6.3 The Scheme reflects a change in emphasis from<br />
current monitoring arrangements. In particular, it reflects<br />
the increasing importance which is attached to issues<br />
such as the location, previous use, and density of<br />
development. The monitoring scheme addresses the<br />
question of whether or not the Spatial Strategy is being<br />
successfully implemented and also whether it is still<br />
appropriate. Monitoring places emphasis on assessing<br />
whether the valued environmental features of the county<br />
are being successfully conserved and enhanced.<br />
Particular attention is being given to assessing the<br />
infrastructure and transport position in the county.<br />
6.4 The scheme incorporates the requirements of the<br />
evolving Monitoring Framework for Regional Planning<br />
Guidance and of the Department of Environment,<br />
Transport and the Regions’ (DETR) Good Practice Guide:<br />
Monitoring Provision of Housing through the Planning System<br />
(October 2000). The scheme will be kept under review<br />
and will be amended to reflect changes in emphasis and<br />
in priorities.<br />
6.5 The <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> has already begun to re-design<br />
information systems to enable the monitoring of targets<br />
and indicators. Further technical developments will be<br />
required to ensure that the monitoring systems are<br />
robust and responsive to changing demands. An<br />
important feature of the scheme is that it will be<br />
operated jointly with the eleven <strong>Surrey</strong> borough and<br />
district planning authorities and will draw upon<br />
information and experience related to other strategies<br />
adopted by the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> and by other partner<br />
organisations. The scheme is also designed to service<br />
the needs of the regional monitoring scheme operated<br />
by SEERA.<br />
6.6 The <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> will prepare an annual<br />
Structure Plan Performance Report, which will examine the<br />
performance of the Plan in relation to the targets and<br />
indicators and will include recommendations for action<br />
where targets are not being achieved.<br />
6.7 The targets, which will provide the focus of the<br />
monitoring scheme, are set out below. Unless otherwise<br />
stated, the targets relate to the Plan period as a whole.<br />
Not all policies have associated targets but all policies<br />
have indicators to enable the effectiveness of each policy<br />
to be monitored. The fact that an individual policy does,<br />
or does not, have a specific target does not imply that<br />
any policy has an importance which outweighs any other<br />
policy. The targets are designed to facilitate the<br />
monitoring scheme and are not a guide to the<br />
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chapter 6 · monitoring and review<br />
interpretation and implementation of Structure Plan<br />
policies.<br />
6.8 A new source of information, <strong>Surrey</strong> Data Online,<br />
is available on the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong>'s website and is<br />
regularly updated. This provides a reliable and up to<br />
date source of data on land use planning and other<br />
related issues. A series of technical reports will report<br />
on specific projects such as housing land availability<br />
and the presentation of survey results.<br />
6.9 All the targets and indicators have been drafted with<br />
reference to indicators and targets contained in other<br />
related documents, including the LTP, RPG9, and the<br />
headline indicators in the Government’s document<br />
Sustainability Counts and The Common Agenda for a<br />
Sustainable <strong>Surrey</strong>.<br />
Targets<br />
TARGET 1:<br />
90% of new housing will be provided on previously<br />
developed land in urban areas.<br />
TARGET 2:<br />
At least 80% of additional major commercial<br />
development each year will be located within town<br />
centres or at other sites within the urban area which<br />
have good access by public transport, cycling and<br />
walking.<br />
TARGET 3:<br />
80% of employment development will be provided<br />
on land previously used for employment purposes.<br />
TARGET 4:<br />
90% of additional retail development will be provided<br />
in and around town centres.<br />
TARGET 5:<br />
No new development will take place on undeveloped<br />
land at high risk from flooding.<br />
TARGET 5:<br />
All local development frameworks will include the<br />
identification of a framework of urban open land,<br />
open spaces and green corridors, and policies for<br />
their promotion and safeguarding.<br />
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TARGET 7:<br />
There will be no direct loss or damage through<br />
development to designated sites and buildings of<br />
international, national or county heritage importance.<br />
TARGET 8:<br />
There will be no loss or damage through development<br />
to sites of international, national or county wildlife<br />
importance, including priority habitats identified in<br />
the <strong>Surrey</strong> Biodiversity Action Plan.<br />
TARGET 9:<br />
70% of completed houses will contain 3 or fewer<br />
bedrooms.<br />
TARGET 10:<br />
By 2016, 40% of new housing development completed<br />
will be for affordable housing.<br />
TARGET 11:<br />
The average density of all completed housing<br />
developments will be at least 35 dwellings per hectare<br />
(dpha).<br />
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Acronyms, Glossary<br />
and Further Information<br />
Acronyms<br />
AGLV<br />
Area of Great Landscape Value<br />
MLP<br />
Minerals Local Plan<br />
AONB<br />
BAA<br />
BAP<br />
BPEO<br />
BREEAM<br />
CHP<br />
cSAC<br />
DEFRA<br />
DfT<br />
EIA<br />
ESDP<br />
EU<br />
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty<br />
The company that owns Heathrow and<br />
Gatwick airports<br />
Biodiversity Action Plan<br />
Best Practicable Environmental Option<br />
Building Research Establishment’s<br />
Environmental Assessment Methods<br />
Combined heat and power<br />
candidate Special Area of Conservation<br />
Department for Environment, Food and<br />
Rural Affairs<br />
Department for Transport<br />
Environmental Impact Assessment<br />
European Spatial Development Perspective<br />
European Union<br />
MPG<br />
mppa<br />
NNR<br />
ODPM<br />
PPG<br />
PPS<br />
pSPA<br />
RES<br />
RIG<br />
Minerals Policy Guidance Note (a list of the<br />
most relevant MPGs is included in the section<br />
on further information)<br />
million passengers per annum<br />
National Nature Reserve<br />
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister<br />
Planning Policy Guidance Note (a full list of<br />
current PPGs is included in the section on<br />
further information)<br />
Planning Policy Statement (a full list of<br />
current PPSs is included in the section on<br />
further information)<br />
proposed Special Protection Area<br />
Regional Economic Strategy<br />
Regionally Important Geological or<br />
Geomorphological Site<br />
FSLW<br />
The Future of <strong>Surrey</strong>’s Landscape and Woodlands<br />
RQO<br />
River Quality Objective<br />
GDP<br />
Gross Domestic Product<br />
RPG<br />
Regional Planning Guidance<br />
GLA<br />
Greater London Authority<br />
RPG9<br />
Regional Planning Guidance for the South East<br />
GOSE<br />
Government Office for the South East<br />
RTS<br />
Regional Transport Strategy<br />
HGV<br />
Heavy goods vehicle<br />
SAC<br />
Special Area of Conservation<br />
LPA<br />
Local planning authority<br />
SCC<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong><br />
LNR<br />
Local Nature Reserve<br />
SEEDA<br />
South East England Development Agency<br />
LTP<br />
MGB<br />
Local Transport Plan<br />
Metropolitan Green Belt<br />
SEERA<br />
South East England Regional Assembly<br />
(also known as the Regional Assembly)<br />
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SLGA<br />
SNCI<br />
SPA<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> Local Government Association<br />
SPG<br />
SSSI<br />
SUDS<br />
Supplementary Planning Guidance<br />
Site of Nature Conservation Importance<br />
Site of Special Scientific Interest<br />
Special Protection Area<br />
Sustainable Urban Drainage System<br />
Glossary<br />
Affordable housing – housing for people who cannot<br />
afford to buy or rent on the open market, usually subsidised<br />
housing for rent or home ownership provided by the local<br />
authorities or a registered social landlord, and where<br />
planning conditions or agreements exist to ensure that it<br />
remains affordable in perpetuity.This may include low cost<br />
market housing where a subsidy has been provided by the<br />
developer to reduce the initial costs (and the costs to all<br />
subsequent occupiers) of the housing to a level significantly<br />
below open market levels.<br />
After use – the ultimate purpose to which former mineral<br />
or waste disposal sites are returned.<br />
Agricultural land classification – the process used by the<br />
DEFRA to determine the quality of agricultural land. Grades<br />
1, 2 and 3a are classed as being the ‘best and most versatile’<br />
land, and are deemed as being a nationally important<br />
resource for the future. Considerable weight should be<br />
attached to the protection of such land.<br />
Agriculture – includes horticulture, fruit growing, seed<br />
growing, dairy farming and livestock breeding and keeping, the<br />
use of the land as grazing land, meadow land, osier land,<br />
market gardens and nursery grounds and the use of land for<br />
woodlands where that use is ancillary to the farming of land<br />
for other agricultural purposes.<br />
Air Quality Action Plans – programme for improvements<br />
to tackle sources of air pollution within air quality<br />
management areas.<br />
Air Quality Management Areas – areas to be established<br />
by borough and district councils following local assessment of<br />
air quality where individual pollutants are forecast to exceed<br />
standards defined in the National Air Quality Strategy.<br />
Airport related development – includes passenger and<br />
cargo terminals, maintenance facilities, oil storage depots,<br />
administrative offices, warehouses, storage and distribution<br />
facilities, car parking and catering facilities.<br />
Air Transport White Paper – published in 2003 as<br />
The Future of Air Transport, this is the most recent<br />
comprehensive statement of Government airports policy.<br />
AirTrack – a proposal to provide direct rail access to<br />
Heathrow from areas to the west and south, through the<br />
construction of a link from the airport to the London<br />
Waterloo line at Staines.<br />
Ancient semi-natural woodland – woodland which is<br />
likely to have existed since before 1600 and contains trees<br />
and shrubs that are predominantly native, not obviously<br />
planted but have arisen through natural regeneration or<br />
coppice regrowth.<br />
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Archaeological assessment – procedure undertaken by<br />
developers prior to the submission of a planning application<br />
to inform the local planning authority of the likelihood or not<br />
that important archaeological remains may exist on the site<br />
in question.<br />
Area Action Plan – under the Planning & Compulsory<br />
Purchase Act <strong>2004</strong>, these will be part of the local<br />
development framework for an area and will provide the<br />
planning framework for areas where significant change or<br />
conservation is needed, with an emphasis on implementation.<br />
Area of Great Landscape Value (AGLV) – an area<br />
designated by the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> as being of high visual<br />
quality worthy of conservation.<br />
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) – an<br />
area designated under the National Parks and Access to the<br />
Countryside Act 1949 as being of national importance for its<br />
natural beauty, which should be conserved and enhanced. In<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> there are two designated areas, the <strong>Surrey</strong> Hills and<br />
part of the High Weald.<br />
Best Practicable Environmental Option (BPEO) –<br />
the outcome of a systematic and consultative decisions<br />
making procedure which emphasises the protection and<br />
conservation of the environment across land, air and<br />
water.The BPEO procedure establishes, for a given set of<br />
objectives, the option that provides the most benefits or the<br />
least damage to the environment as a whole, at acceptable<br />
cost, in the long term as well as in the short term.<br />
Biodiversity Action Plans (BAPs) – strategies for<br />
conserving, restoring, enhancing and creating habitats of<br />
importance for flora and fauna in <strong>Surrey</strong> and the UK.<br />
Biomass – crops that can be burnt to produce energy,<br />
includes wood from short rotation coppice, waste from<br />
forestry operations and woodland management and straw.<br />
Building Research Establishment’s Environmental<br />
Assessment Method (BREEAM) – assesses the<br />
performance of buildings in terms of management, energy<br />
use, health and wellbeing, pollution, transport, ecology and<br />
water efficiency. BREEAM covers a range of building types<br />
including homes (known as EcoHomes), offices, schools,<br />
industrial units and retail.<br />
Buffer zones – land next to a watercourse managed to<br />
protect the water from the physical or polluting effects of<br />
human land use.<br />
Building energy rating – a system which measures the<br />
energy efficiency of building design.<br />
Bus Quality Partnership – co-operative arrangement<br />
between local authorities and operators to improve bus<br />
services.<br />
Business aviation – the operation of aircraft for corporate<br />
purposes or as sole-use charter or air taxi services.<br />
Business tourism – visiting for business purposes.<br />
Centres of strategic importance – towns within the<br />
county with a strong economic base and which as regional<br />
hubs have the potential to achieve a more sustainable growth<br />
in their employment and service functions. Sustainable<br />
growth in the towns should seek to maintain and increase<br />
the degree of self-containment of the local economy by<br />
increasing opportunities for the workforce to live locally, and<br />
respect the character and quality of the local environment.<br />
Circulars – documents issued by the Government setting<br />
out policy which has legal connotations.<br />
Combined heat and power (CHP) – technology for<br />
energy recovery systems, usually from waste but also<br />
applicable to other sources such as biomass, which provides<br />
both electricity and heat and can be linked to community<br />
heating schemes or to individual premises.<br />
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Common Agenda – a checklist of issues prepared by<br />
the Sustainable <strong>Surrey</strong> Forum needing to be addressed<br />
by all people and organisations within the county if a more<br />
sustainable <strong>Surrey</strong> is to become a reality.<br />
Community strategies – strategies prepared in response<br />
to the Local Government Act 2000. Duty placed on local<br />
authorities to address jointly with their communities issues<br />
facing the future economic, social and environmental<br />
wellbeing of the area.<br />
Conservation area – an area designated under the Town<br />
and Country Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation<br />
Areas) Act 1990 on account of its special architectural or<br />
historic interest, the character and appearance of which it<br />
is intended to preserve and enhance.<br />
Countryside – those areas of the county not included<br />
in urban areas defined in local plans/local development<br />
frameworks.<br />
Countryside Design Statement – a district wide<br />
statement that brings together guidance on the design of<br />
new development to ensure that it is compatible with the<br />
objective to conserve and enhance the character of the<br />
countryside.<br />
<strong>County</strong> Landscape Character Areas – 25 landscape<br />
character areas arising from the sub-division of the seven<br />
regional character areas set out in the former Countryside<br />
Commission’s National Map.<br />
Dearing Report – Higher Education in the Learning Society<br />
(1997) – a comprehensive review of high education<br />
commissioned by the Government and chaired by Sir Ron<br />
Dearing.<br />
Development briefs – documents describing in detail the<br />
local planning authority’s views on different aspects of the<br />
future development of a particular site, and which lists the<br />
requirements the council may have for the site.<br />
Development plan – a document which sets out a local<br />
planning authority's policies and proposals for the<br />
development and use of land within its area. In areas with<br />
county and district authorities it is currently comprised<br />
of structure and local plans. Under the provisions of the<br />
Planning & Compulsory Purchase Act <strong>2004</strong>, following<br />
adoption of the South East Plan, the development plan will<br />
comprise the South East Plan and borough and district<br />
council local development frameworks. Development control<br />
decisions must conform to the development plan, unless<br />
material considerations indicate otherwise.<br />
District heating – a pipe network system for distributing<br />
heat from a central source to numerous end users; it can be<br />
linked to CHP plant or other energy generators.<br />
Diversification (agricultural) – broadening of agricultural<br />
enterprises to include new crops, added value processing of<br />
traditional crops, farm shops, tourism or non-agricultural<br />
enterprises, which improve the viability of existing holdings.<br />
Dwelling – self-contained separate residential<br />
accommodation with independent access.<br />
Earth science interests – the rich and diverse heritage of<br />
rocks, fossils, minerals and landforms which provide valuable<br />
insight into the natural heritage of an area.<br />
EcoHomes – dwellings subject to sustainable design and<br />
build principles.<br />
Economic Strategy – the <strong>Surrey</strong> Economic Strategy,<br />
developed and implemented by the <strong>Surrey</strong> Economic<br />
Partnership, aims to progress the sustainable development<br />
of the local economy.<br />
Edge of centre – a location within easy walking distance<br />
of a town centre.<br />
Employment land – land in office, research and<br />
development, industrial, storage and distribution use.<br />
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acronyms, glossary and further information<br />
Energy from waste (EfW) – the burning of waste to<br />
create heat that can be used directly or to generate<br />
electricity.<br />
Environmental Impact Assessment – a process of<br />
assessing the environmental implications of a proposal.A<br />
statutory requirement where proposed development is of a<br />
type listed in Schedule 1 to the Town and Country Planning<br />
(Environmental Impact Assessment) (England & Wales)<br />
Regulations 1999, or is of a type listed in Schedule 2 and<br />
is likely to have significant effects on the environment.<br />
Farm diversification – see Diversification.<br />
Fastway – a high quality passenger transport system linking<br />
the Crawley area with Gatwick and Horley.The scheme<br />
involves the use of state of the art buses with bus priority<br />
measures and sections of guided bus way.<br />
Freight Facilities Grant – funding provided by the<br />
Strategic Rail Authority to facilitate the movement of freight<br />
from road to rail.<br />
Freight Quality Partnership – an agreed arrangement<br />
between local authorities, working with the police, transport<br />
associations and local companies, to introduce a range of<br />
proposals and other measures for the improvement of road<br />
freight transport operations within a defined geographical<br />
area.<br />
Functional floodplain – the unobstructed or active parts<br />
of floodplains where water regularly flows in times of flood.<br />
General aviation – operation of aircraft for purposes other<br />
than military or commercial passenger flights available to the<br />
public, i.e. purposes such as training, recreation, business and<br />
other types of aerial work.<br />
Good accessibility – locations that are accessible within<br />
20 minutes door to door in the am peak hour by either foot,<br />
cycle or public transport, or any combination of these<br />
modes. (As it is not possible to assess accessibility from all<br />
possible origins to all possible destinations, homes are taken<br />
as the origins, and town centres, which provide the widest<br />
range of shopping, employment and leisure facilities, are<br />
taken as the destinations. Further details of the definition<br />
are included in the Local Transport Plan).<br />
Green corridors – linear routes, such as along rivers, and<br />
adjacent to railway lines and major roads, linking open spaces<br />
within the urban area and providing links between town and<br />
country; similar in concept to the ‘greenways’ promoted by<br />
the Countryside Agency.<br />
Green framework – the network of green spaces within<br />
urban areas, including parks and gardens, cemeteries,<br />
allotments, playing fields, informal play spaces and natural<br />
wild areas, and the green corridors (see above) which<br />
provide for interconnection and for links into the<br />
surrounding countryside.<br />
Green tourism – a range of initiatives to help reduce<br />
the negative impacts on landscapes and townscapes which<br />
tourism can bring, whilst seeking to maintain the benefits<br />
in terms of jobs, income, and support for local services.<br />
Greenfield land – land which has not been previously<br />
developed, either inside or outside the urban areas, including<br />
former mineral working which has been the subject of an<br />
agreed restoration programme.<br />
Greenspace Strategy – a strategic framework for coordinating<br />
the long term maintenance, improvement and<br />
protection of open spaces and corridors within settlements.<br />
Grey and green water recycling – the recycling of water<br />
from baths, showers and wash basins, and/or the use of<br />
rainwater, for the flushing of toilets and/or watering gardens.<br />
Groundwater – water present in underground strata which<br />
fills pores and fissures up to the water table.<br />
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Habitat action plans – drawn up as part of the<br />
Biodiversity Action Plan process, which is co-ordinated by<br />
the <strong>Surrey</strong> Biodiversity Partnership. Habitats are identified<br />
according to their importance on an international, national<br />
or <strong>Surrey</strong> scale. Each action plan has a lead partner to<br />
manage each working group.<br />
High, medium and low flood risk – high risk areas are<br />
those where the annual probability of flooding from rivers is<br />
1.0% or greater; low risk areas are those where the annual<br />
probability of flooding from rivers is 0.1% or less; medium<br />
risk areas cover the range between 0.1% and 1.0%<br />
probability.<br />
Highway Authority – for the purposes of the Highways<br />
Act 1980, <strong>Surrey</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> is defined as a local<br />
highway authority.This places a responsibility on the <strong>County</strong><br />
<strong>Council</strong> for all roads within its administrative area, except<br />
for motorways and trunk roads.<br />
Horse Pasture Management Project – an initiative set<br />
up in 2002 by SCC and the Countryside Agency, this pilot<br />
scheme contributes to the conservation and enhancement of<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong>'s landscape character and ecological resources by<br />
encouraging good standards of pasture management.<br />
Household – one person living alone or a family or group<br />
of people living at the same address and sharing domestic<br />
facilities and housekeeping arrangements.<br />
Housing strategy statement – a statutory document<br />
prepared by borough and district councils on an annual basis,<br />
setting out how housing needs will be addressed and how<br />
services will be delivered.<br />
Indicator – a measurement showing how much a situation<br />
has changed over time or how effective a policy has been.<br />
Infill development – development of a vacant site in a<br />
substantially developed frontage or area.<br />
Informal recreation – an activity in which participants<br />
require no specific skills or equipment.<br />
Internationally important site (nature conservation)<br />
– a site which has been identified as forming part of the<br />
network of European sites designated under the EU Habitats<br />
and Birds Directives, which are classified as Special Areas of<br />
Conservation (SAC) and Special Protection Areas (SPA).Also<br />
includes wetlands of international importance notified under<br />
the Ramsar Convention.<br />
Key employment sites – includes modern business and<br />
research parks, older industrial estates and other industrial<br />
and employment areas.They do not all share the same<br />
attributes and characteristics but they do have particular<br />
advantages for continuing employment use, including:<br />
f a critical mass of employment uses and/or land for<br />
employment development which is, and will continue to<br />
be, capable of meeting a wide variety of business needs;<br />
f an emphasis on re-use and redevelopment of brownfield<br />
land and sites, and consequent reduced need to release<br />
greenfield sites;<br />
f a balanced geographical spread throughout the county;<br />
Criteria for identifying such sites include:<br />
f lying within or on the edge of town centres;<br />
f good accessibility for workers and potential workers by<br />
a choice of mode of transport including on foot and,<br />
wherever possible, by public transport;<br />
f sites lying within the urban or built-up area having direct<br />
access to the primary or secondary road network;<br />
f good accessibility for goods either to and from local<br />
markets and suppliers and/or to and from the primary<br />
route network, including locations with potential for<br />
rail connection.<br />
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Key services (in rural settlements) – services which<br />
provide for the essential needs of village communities such as<br />
shops, post offices, health care and education.<br />
Key worker housing – housing for someone employed in a<br />
post that provides essential services necessary for continued<br />
economic growth and to sustain the quality of life.<br />
Knowledge based sectors – industries which utilise<br />
knowledge as a key asset and which develop or use advanced<br />
technologies.<br />
Land in existing waste management use – includes<br />
waste separation and recycling facilities, composting facilities,<br />
incinerators and other energy from waste facilities, landfill<br />
operations and waste transfer stations.<br />
Land management – the process of managing the use of<br />
land, usually areas of countryside, to maintain its character –<br />
landscape, biodiversity, woodland cover and cultural heritage<br />
– whilst promoting access for recreation and supporting a<br />
viable agricultural economy.<br />
Landbank – a stock of land intended for a particular<br />
purpose. In minerals planning a stock of planning permissions<br />
for the winning and working of minerals.<br />
Landfill – the disposal of waste material by tipping into<br />
holes in the ground. May be used to landscape or reclaim<br />
excavated or despoiled land.<br />
Landfill gas exploitation – use of energy derived from<br />
gas produced in landfill sites from the decomposition of<br />
organic waste material to generate electricity or as a<br />
substitute for other fuel used in industrial processes.<br />
Lifetime Homes – concept developed by the Joseph<br />
Rowntree Foundation. Dwellings built to Lifetime Homes<br />
standards contain 16 specific design features to ensure<br />
that the dwellings are adaptable and flexible enough to<br />
meet the changing needs of a household over time.<br />
Light aviation – the operation of small aeroplanes,<br />
microlights, gliders, hang-gliders, paragliders and electronic<br />
and associated equipment.This includes pilot training schools,<br />
clubs and maintenance suppliers, but excludes helicopters<br />
and business aviation<br />
Listed building – a building of special historic or<br />
architectural interest listed by the Secretary of State for<br />
Culture, Recreation and Sport under the Town and Country<br />
Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.<br />
Local Heritage Initiative – a national grant scheme run<br />
by the Countryside Agency to help local groups investigate,<br />
explain, and care for their local landscape, landmarks,<br />
tradition and culture.<br />
Local Nature Reserve (LNR) – an area designated by<br />
local authorities, in consultations with English Nature, under<br />
the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949,<br />
to provide opportunities for educational use and public<br />
enjoyment, in addition to protecting wildlife or geological and<br />
physiographical features of special interest.<br />
Local plan/local development framework – a detailed<br />
land use plan for a local area (normally a borough or district)<br />
or a specific topic (e.g. waste) concerned with the detailed<br />
implementation of the policies of a structure plan. Under the<br />
provisions of the Planning & Compulsory Purchase Act <strong>2004</strong>,<br />
local plans will be replaced by local development frameworks,<br />
which will comprise a folder of documents for delivering the<br />
spatial strategy of an area, consistent with the community<br />
strategy and in general conformity with the regional spatial<br />
strategy.<br />
Local Transport Plan (LTP) – the Local Transport Plan is<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong>’s statement of transport strategy and<br />
its bid, submitted to Government in July 2000, for capital<br />
transport funds for the years 2001/02 to 2005/06.A second<br />
LTP will be submitted to Government in July 2005 for the<br />
next five year period from 2006/07 to 2010/11.<br />
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Low cost market housing – housing provided by private<br />
sector developers at a purchase price significantly below than<br />
for similar properties available elsewhere in the locality. It<br />
does not mean either smaller housing or housing of a lower<br />
standard of construction or finish.<br />
Masterplan – a comprehensive phased land use plan,<br />
incorporating layout, design, landscaping, access and all other<br />
planning arrangements, with an implementation programme.<br />
Maximum parking standards – the maximum number of<br />
off-street car parking spaces permitted for a development<br />
proposal by land use type, dependent on location and<br />
accessibility by non-car modes of travel.<br />
Metropolitan Green Belt – predominantly open land<br />
around urban areas which has the strategic role of checking<br />
the unrestricted sprawl of the town, safeguarding the<br />
surrounding countryside from encroachment, assisting in<br />
urban regeneration and providing areas where outdoor<br />
recreational activities can take place and wildlife habitats be<br />
maintained.<br />
Minerals Policy Guidance (MPG)/Minerals Policy<br />
Statements (MPS) – guidance issued by the Office of the<br />
Deputy Prime Minister setting out the Government’s policies<br />
for mineral extraction and restoration.These will be replaced<br />
over time by a series of Minerals Planning Statements (see<br />
Planning Policy Statements).<br />
Mineral working – the preparation of the ground and<br />
extraction of minerals. In <strong>Surrey</strong>, the main minerals that can<br />
be worked are sand and gravel, soft sand, silica sand, clay,<br />
fullers earth, chalk and hydrocarbons.<br />
Minimum parking standards – the minimum number of<br />
cycle parking spaces or disabled car parking spaces required<br />
for a development proposal by land use type.<br />
Mixed use – areas where a mixture of commercial, retail<br />
and residential uses predominate.<br />
Multi-modal transport – a means of undertaking a<br />
journey by a number of alternative forms of transport i.e.,<br />
by rail, bus, cycle, on foot or by car.<br />
Multi purpose woodland management – the<br />
management of existing woodlands for a variety of purposes<br />
generally to include commercial timber, access for recreation<br />
and nature conservation.<br />
Multi use corridors – corridors of open land within urban<br />
areas which are used for a variety of purposes, including<br />
movement, recreation, wildlife conservation.<br />
National Nature Reserve (NNR) – a SSSI which is<br />
particularly important in national terms and is owned, leased<br />
or managed by agreement with English Nature.<br />
Natural Area – an area identified by English Nature (in<br />
conjunction with the former Countryside Commission’s<br />
work on Character Areas) which characterises locally<br />
distinctive areas of countryside based on the distribution of<br />
wildlife and natural features.<br />
Natural Areas Profile – details of characteristics, threats<br />
and opportunities for nature conservation within Natural<br />
Areas.<br />
Net density/residential density – as defined in PPG3.<br />
Density of a development including only those areas to be<br />
developed. It excludes major distributor roads, primary<br />
schools, open spaces serving a wider area and significant<br />
landscape buffer strips.<br />
Out of centre – a location that is clearly separate from a<br />
town, district or local centre, but not necessarily outside an<br />
urban area.<br />
Parish plans – comprehensive strategies prepared by local<br />
communities setting out a vision for how the community<br />
should develop in the future, identifying actions needed to<br />
tackle areas of concern and demonstrating how distinctive<br />
character and features can be preserved.<br />
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acronyms, glossary and further information<br />
Park and Ride – facilities which seek to reduce urban<br />
congestion by encouraging motorists to leave their vehicles<br />
at car parks on the edge of towns and proceed into the<br />
centre by public transport, usually buses, direct from the<br />
parking area.<br />
Parking Management Plan – district level plan to<br />
implement schedule of measures outlined in countywide<br />
strategy and to meet aims and objectives of Local Transport<br />
Plan.<br />
Parking Package Areas – areas in and around town<br />
centres where a package of various parking measures will<br />
apply together with more restrictive parking standards for<br />
new development proposals.<br />
A Parking Strategy for <strong>Surrey</strong> – a document produced<br />
by the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> setting out a strategy covering all<br />
aspects of car parking across the county including car and<br />
cycle parking standards in new development, public parking<br />
spaces and on-street parking.<br />
Plan, Monitor, Manage – an approach to the provision of<br />
housing, in which local authorities plan for a particular level<br />
of housing provision, regularly monitor the supply and<br />
demand of housing and make adjustments to the planned<br />
provision in the light of the monitoring information.<br />
Planning obligation – the provision of facilities and/or<br />
infrastructure either directly by a developer, or through a<br />
financial contribution, to meet needs arising out of a<br />
development and without which the development could<br />
not take place.<br />
Planning Policy Guidance (PPG)/Planning Policy<br />
Statements (PPS) – guidance issued by the Office of the<br />
Deputy Prime Minister setting out the Government's policy<br />
on planning issues such as housing, employment, shopping and<br />
tourism. PPGs will be replaced by a series of PPS intended to<br />
provide clear statements of national policy principles which<br />
should be followed at the regional and local level,<br />
accompanied by good practice guides (where necessary)<br />
which can be interpreted more flexibly.<br />
Previously developed land – defined for the purposes of<br />
housing policy in PPG3 as land which is or was occupied by<br />
a permanent (non-agricultural) structure and associated fixed<br />
surface infrastructure, including the curtilage of the<br />
development, in urban and rural areas. It includes defence<br />
buildings and land used for mineral extraction and waste<br />
disposal where provision for restoration has not been made<br />
through development control procedures. It excludes land<br />
and buildings that have been used for agricultural purposes,<br />
forest and woodland, and land in built-up areas which has not<br />
been developed previously.Also excluded is land that was<br />
previously developed but where the remains of any structure<br />
or activity have blended in to the landscape in the process of<br />
time (to the extent that it can reasonably be considered as<br />
part of the natural surroundings), or has subsequently been<br />
put to an amenity use and cannot be regarded as requiring<br />
development.<br />
Primary Route Network – network of regionally<br />
significant routes or routes for longer distance travel.<br />
Priority housing groups – those households who are<br />
defined as being in priority housing need by borough and<br />
district councils through local housing need surveys.<br />
Proximity principle – waste should be disposed of as close<br />
as possible to where it arises.<br />
Public open space – an open space to which the public<br />
have rights of access for recreation/leisure.<br />
Railhead facilities – sidings and other infrastructure which<br />
facilitate the movement of freight, minerals or waste by rail,<br />
in order to reduce the overall environmental impact of HGV<br />
freight movements.<br />
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acronyms, glossary and further information<br />
Ramsar Convention – an international agreement signed<br />
in Ramsar, Iran, to protect wetlands of importance for wild<br />
birds.<br />
Ramsar site – a wetland site of international importance<br />
(especially as waterfowl habitat) designated by the Secretary<br />
of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.<br />
Recreation and leisure facilities – built and open land<br />
designated in existing local plans (and in future in local<br />
development frameworks) for the carrying out of sports,<br />
leisure, cultural and entertainment activities, but excluding<br />
hotels and other serviced accommodation.<br />
Regional hubs – existing urban areas that are of regional<br />
significance and where the potential to build upon existing<br />
transport networks to achieve higher accessibility by non-car<br />
modes provides the opportunity for the urban areas to<br />
support the Regional Transport Strategy by being the focus<br />
for economic development.<br />
Regional Planning Guidance (RPG) – non-statutory<br />
document produced by the regional offices of Government<br />
(GOSE in the South East) setting out guidance on the<br />
regional framework for the preparation of local authority<br />
development plans (structure and local plans).<br />
Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) – a statutory document<br />
prepared by the Regional Assembly and approved by the<br />
Government Office, setting out a regionally specific set of<br />
policies to guide development and including specific subregional<br />
strategies where greater detail is required.The RSS<br />
(or South East Plan in this region) is intended to replace<br />
RPG9 by the end of 2006 and will provide the statutory<br />
framework for future local development frameworks.<br />
Regional Transport Strategy (RTS) – the Regional<br />
Transport Strategy is prepared as part of Regional Planning<br />
Guidance. It sets out policies and proposals for sustainable<br />
transport that are of regional significance and that integrate<br />
with the land use planning framework.<br />
Regionally Important Geological or<br />
Geomorphological Site (RIGs) – an area of earth science<br />
interest which is of county significance.<br />
Registered social landlords – not for profit private sector<br />
organisations, providing affordable housing and regulated by<br />
the Housing Corporation.<br />
Renewable energy – energy generated from the sun, the<br />
wind, hydro power and plant material (biomass).<br />
Restoration – in minerals and waste planning, the return<br />
of land to its former condition using subsoil, topsoil and/or<br />
soil making material.<br />
River corridor – land which has visual, physical or<br />
ecological links to a watercourse which will vary in width<br />
and landform depending on the reach of the river and the<br />
nature of the underlying geology.<br />
River Quality Objective (RQO) – the level of water<br />
quality that a river should achieve in order to be suitable<br />
for its agreed uses.<br />
Rural settlement – settlements in the countryside for<br />
which village envelopes are designated in existing local plans<br />
(in future in local development frameworks), but excluding<br />
small hamlets and other scattered or loose-knit areas of<br />
housing.<br />
Scheduled (Ancient) Monument – an archaeological site<br />
of national importance which is included on a schedule<br />
compiled by the Secretary of State for Culture, Sport and<br />
Recreation under the terms of the Ancient Monuments and<br />
Archaeological Areas Act 1979 (as amended by the National<br />
Heritage Act 1983).<br />
Secondary employment sites – includes sites where:<br />
f there are public transport accessibility and/or amenity<br />
problems;<br />
f access to the site is constrained;<br />
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acronyms, glossary and further information<br />
f the site is isolated in a residential area;<br />
f there is a history of evidence indicating a lack of interest<br />
in the site for business use.<br />
Section 105 maps – surveys prepared by the Environment<br />
Agency under Section 105 of the Water Resources Act 1991<br />
to define the nature and extent of flood risks.<br />
Site of Nature Conservation Importance (SNCI) –<br />
an area (non-statutory) designated by the <strong>Surrey</strong> Nature<br />
Conservation Liaison Group as being of county or regional<br />
wildlife value.<br />
Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) – an area of<br />
land or water statutorily notified by English Nature under<br />
the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, on account of its<br />
flora, fauna, geological or physiographical features.All NNRs,<br />
RAMSAR sites, SACs and SPAs have also been notified as SSSIs.<br />
Social & community needs – a wide range of services<br />
and facilities provided for the local community (in town and<br />
country) such as health services including the provision of<br />
hospitals and GP surgeries, social care provision including<br />
day care facilities, nursing and residential care homes (but<br />
excluding private sheltered housing schemes), homes for<br />
people with physical and learning difficulties and those with<br />
mental illness, educational facilities including child care, preschool<br />
nurseries, schools and after school clubs, places of<br />
worship, facilities for local clubs and societies and young<br />
people.<br />
Social cohesion – ensuring equal opportunity of access to<br />
services and facilities to all sections of the community.<br />
Special Area of Conservation (SAC) – an SSSI<br />
additionally designated a Special Area of Conservation under<br />
the EU’s Habitats Directive 1992 (92/43/EEC), in order to<br />
maintain or restore priority natural habitats and wild species.<br />
Together with SPAs, SACs comprise the European Union’s<br />
‘Natura 2000’ network of habitats of pan-European nature<br />
conservation importance.<br />
Special Protection Area (SPA) – an SSSI additionally<br />
designated a Special Protection Area under the EU’s Directive<br />
(79/409/EEC) on the Conservation of Wild Birds 1979,<br />
because of the need to protect threatened birds, their eggs,<br />
nests and habitats.<br />
Strategic gap – an area of largely open land between<br />
existing urban areas which helps to maintain their separate<br />
identity and amenity and prevent their coalescence with each<br />
other or with very close small settlements.<br />
Strategic Rail Authority – a public sector body set up by<br />
the Government to provide strategic guidance in the planning<br />
of the railway system. It sets the framework within which<br />
Network Rail and train companies operate and is responsible<br />
for franchising the train company contracts.<br />
Supplementary planning guidance/supplementary<br />
planning documents – detailed interpretation of policies<br />
to aid implementation. SPG may be taken forward and<br />
incorporated into the local development frameworks as<br />
supplementary planning documents. SPD will form part of the<br />
planning framework for the area, but will not form part of<br />
the statutory development plan.<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> Biodiversity Partnership – the biodiversity<br />
initiative relies on a joint approach, which is essential for the<br />
successful production and implementation of the <strong>Surrey</strong><br />
Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP), including Habitat Action Plans,<br />
which is why the Partnership was formed in 1996. Partners<br />
are: English Nature, Environment Agency, Farming and Wildlife<br />
Advisory Group, Herpetological Conservation Trust, Royal<br />
Society for the Protection of Birds, <strong>Surrey</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong>,<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> Wildlife Trust and Woking Borough <strong>Council</strong>.<br />
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<strong>Surrey</strong> Farm Study (Two) – published in February 2003<br />
by the <strong>Surrey</strong> Learning & Skills <strong>Council</strong> and Business Link<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> for the <strong>Surrey</strong> Working in the Countryside Group,<br />
this reviews the findings from the <strong>Surrey</strong> Farm Study 1999<br />
as these had shown a sector in distress with many farms<br />
fearing for their survival.<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong>'s Rural Strategy – published as <strong>Surrey</strong>'s Countryside<br />
– The Future in April <strong>2004</strong>, this is a comprehensive strategy<br />
for rural areas prepared in partnership with a wide range of<br />
countryside interest groups, which seeks to integrate<br />
conservation with economic and social objectives.<br />
Sustainable development – ensuring a better quality of<br />
life for everyone now and for generations to come.<br />
Sustainable economic growth – adding value to the local<br />
economy without compromising environmental quality or<br />
social objectives.<br />
Sustainable urban drainage systems – providing<br />
drainage in a more environmentally sustainable way by<br />
systems designed to reduce the quantity of run-off, slow its<br />
velocity or provide for filtering, sedimentation and biological<br />
degradation of the water.<br />
Thameslink 2000 – a strategic rail infrastructure project<br />
intended to enhance the existing Thameslink network<br />
throughout London and the South East of England and to<br />
allow the introduction of new cross London services.<br />
Townscape Heritage Initiative – a Heritage Lottery Fund<br />
initiative to support strategic action by partnerships of public<br />
(and other) bodies to address problems of disrepair, erosion<br />
of quality, and under use of buildings in historic areas.<br />
Transport assessment – a report submitted with a<br />
planning application which assesses the transport and<br />
environmental impact of development proposals on the<br />
surrounding area.<br />
Transport Authority – for the purposes of the Transport<br />
Act 2000, <strong>Surrey</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> is defined as a local<br />
transport authority.This places a number of responsibilities<br />
on the <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> including, for example, the<br />
requirement to produce a Local Transport Plan.<br />
Transport Programme Areas – the 17 local<br />
implementation programme areas set out in the Local<br />
Transport Plan.<br />
Transport White Paper – published in July 1998 as<br />
A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England, this sets out the<br />
Government's approach to transport policy and provides the<br />
framework in which these policies will be taken forward.<br />
Travel plan – a document most commonly produced for<br />
large employers such as schools and colleges, which tend to<br />
generate a large number of journeys by car.The plans include<br />
measures designed to reduce car dependency and facilitate<br />
transport choice, by encouraging more sustainable<br />
alternatives to car use.<br />
Unsuitably located employment land – land in<br />
employment use, which is poorly located in terms of public<br />
transport and/or vehicular access and/or where there are<br />
intractable problems of compatibility with adjacent uses, e.g.<br />
maintaining residential amenity.<br />
Urban area – those areas of the county not covered by<br />
Metropolitan Green Belt or other countryside designations.<br />
Urban fringe land – countryside surrounding urban areas,<br />
often subject to development pressures or pressures from<br />
people living in towns which threaten the management of the<br />
countryside.<br />
Urban open land – all forms of open land within urban<br />
areas to include open spaces available for formal recreation,<br />
formal and informal green areas, allotments and natural<br />
corridors such as river valleys.<br />
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acronyms, glossary and further information<br />
Urban renaissance – the process of encouraging the<br />
redevelopment and renewal of the built environment within<br />
urban areas to provide a high quality environment and reduce<br />
the pressures for the decentralisation of people and activity<br />
from conurbations.<br />
Utility operations – gas, electricity, water, sewerage and<br />
telecommunications functions.<br />
Village Design Statements – projects undertaken by the<br />
local community to identify the features and characteristics,<br />
both built and natural, which contribute to the distinctiveness<br />
of the settlement and provide guidance to future<br />
development to ensure that a high quality environment is<br />
maintained.<br />
Windfall development – a site which becomes available<br />
for housing as a result of a planning permission granted on<br />
land which has not been previously identified within the<br />
development plan or adopted development briefs.<br />
Wood pasture – a habitat which is characterised by a<br />
mixture of large trees (often pollarded) at varying densities,<br />
in a mosaic of grazed grassland, heath or woodland.<br />
Woodland cover – the extent of woodland cover in an<br />
area as measured by the periodic reviews undertaken by the<br />
Forestry Commission.<br />
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acronyms, glossary and further information<br />
Further information<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> documents<br />
Available from:<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong><br />
Sustainable Development<br />
<strong>County</strong> Hall<br />
Kingston upon Thames KT1 2DY<br />
Tel: 020 8541 9926<br />
www.surreycc.gov.uk<br />
f Shops and Services in <strong>Surrey</strong>’s Town Centres<br />
(October 2001)<br />
f A Parking Strategy for <strong>Surrey</strong> (March 2003)<br />
f Development Plan Index<br />
f Structure Plan Monitoring Scheme<br />
f <strong>Surrey</strong> Biodiversity Action Plan (1999)<br />
f <strong>Surrey</strong>’s Countryside – The Future:<br />
Rural Strategy (April <strong>2004</strong>)<br />
f <strong>Surrey</strong> Economic Partnership Five Steps Strategy 2003<br />
f <strong>Surrey</strong>’s Heritage Strategy (2001)<br />
f <strong>Surrey</strong> Tourism Strategy 2000 – 2005<br />
f <strong>Surrey</strong> Housing Capacity Study (2003)<br />
f <strong>Surrey</strong> Local Transport Plan 2001/02 to 2005/06<br />
(July 2000)<br />
f <strong>Surrey</strong> Minerals Local Plan (1993)<br />
f <strong>Surrey</strong> Waste Local Plan (1997)<br />
f <strong>Surrey</strong> Design (2002)<br />
f Infrastructure and Amenity Requirements to Support<br />
New Development (2002 – web site only)<br />
f The Future of <strong>Surrey</strong>’s Landscape and Woodlands (1997)<br />
f Historic Landscape Characterisation<br />
f Extensive Urban Archaeology Strategy<br />
Department for Transport (DfT) documents<br />
Available at www.dft.gov.uk and from:<br />
TSO<br />
PO Box 29<br />
Norwich NR3 1GN<br />
Tel: 0870 600 5522<br />
book.orders@tso.co.uk<br />
f The Future of Air Transport,White Paper December 2003<br />
f A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England,<br />
White Paper July 1998<br />
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs<br />
(DEFRA) documents<br />
Available at www.defra.gov.uk and from:<br />
TSO<br />
PO Box 29<br />
Norwich NR3 1GN<br />
Tel: 0870 600 5522<br />
book.orders@tso.co.uk<br />
f UK Biodiversity Action Plan (1994)<br />
f UK Sustainable Development Strategy (1999)<br />
f National Air Quality Strategy (1997)<br />
f England Rural Development Programme<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong> 125
acronyms, glossary and further information<br />
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM)<br />
documents<br />
Available at www.odpm.gov.uk and from:<br />
TSO<br />
PO Box 29<br />
Norwich NR3 1GN<br />
Tel: 0870 600 5522<br />
book.orders@tso.co.uk<br />
f Mineral Planning Guidance Notes (MPGs)<br />
MPGs most relevant are:<br />
MPG1 General Considerations and the Development<br />
Plan System<br />
MPG6 Guidelines for Aggregates Provision in England<br />
f Planning Policy Statements (PPSs)<br />
PPSs currently available are:<br />
PPS1 Delivering Sustainable Development<br />
PPS6 Planning for Town Centres<br />
PPS7 Sustainable Development in Rural Areas<br />
PPS11 Regional Spatial Strategies<br />
PPS12 Local Development Frameworks<br />
PPS22 Renewable Energy<br />
PPS23 Planning and Pollution Control<br />
f Planning Policy Guidance Notes (PPGs)<br />
PPGs currently available are:<br />
PPG2 Green Belts (1995)<br />
PPG3 Housing (2000)<br />
PPG4 Industrial and Commercial Development<br />
and Small Firms (1992)<br />
PPG5 Simplified Planning Zones (1992)<br />
PPG8 Telecommunications (2001)<br />
PPG9 Nature Conservation (1994)<br />
PPG10 Planning and Waste Management (1997)<br />
PPG11 Regional Planning (2000)<br />
PPG12 Development Plans (1999)<br />
PPG13 Transport (2001)<br />
PPG14 Development on Unstable Land (1990)<br />
PPG15 Planning and the Historic Environment (1994)<br />
PPG16 Archaeology and Planning (1990)<br />
PPG17 Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation<br />
(2002)<br />
PPG18 Enforcing Planning Control (1991)<br />
PPG19 Outdoor Advertisement Control (1992)<br />
PPG20 Coastal Planning (1992)<br />
PPG21 Tourism (1992)<br />
PPG23 Planning and Pollution Control 1994)<br />
PPG24 Planning and Noise (1994)<br />
PPG25 Development and Flood Risk (2001)<br />
Forestry Commission<br />
Silvan House<br />
231 Corstophine Road<br />
Edinburgh EH12 7AT<br />
www.forestry.gov.uk<br />
f England Forestry Strategy 1998<br />
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acronyms, glossary and further information<br />
Other documents/information<br />
f Local plans and information on local<br />
development frameworks available<br />
from borough/district councils:<br />
Elmbridge Borough <strong>Council</strong><br />
Civic Centre<br />
High Street<br />
Esher<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> KT10 9SD<br />
Tel: 01372 474474<br />
www.elmbridge.gov.uk<br />
Epsom and Ewell Borough <strong>Council</strong><br />
Town Hall<br />
The Parade<br />
Epsom<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> KT18 5BY<br />
Tel:01372 732000<br />
www.epsom-ewell.gov.uk<br />
Guildford Borough <strong>Council</strong><br />
Millmead House<br />
Guildford<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> GU2 5BB<br />
Tel: 01483 505050<br />
www.guildford.gov.uk<br />
Mole Valley District <strong>Council</strong><br />
Pippbrook<br />
Dorking<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> RH4 1SJ<br />
Tel: 01306 885001<br />
www.mole-valley.gov.uk<br />
Reigate and Banstead<br />
Borough <strong>Council</strong><br />
Town Hall<br />
Reigate<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> RH2 0SH<br />
Tel: 01737 276000<br />
www.reigate-banstead.gov.uk<br />
Runnymede Borough <strong>Council</strong><br />
Civic Offices<br />
Station Road<br />
Addlestone<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> KT15 2AH<br />
Tel: 01932 838383<br />
www.runnymede.gov.uk<br />
Spelthorne Borough <strong>Council</strong><br />
<strong>Council</strong> Offices<br />
Knowle Green<br />
Staines TW18 1XB<br />
Tel: 01784 451499<br />
www.spelthorne.gov.uk<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> Heath Borough <strong>Council</strong><br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> Heath House<br />
Knoll Road<br />
Camberley<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> GU15 3HD<br />
Tel: 01276 707100<br />
www.surreyheath.gov.uk<br />
Tandridge District <strong>Council</strong><br />
<strong>Council</strong> Offices<br />
Station Road East<br />
Oxted<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> RH8 0BT<br />
Tel: 01883 722000<br />
www.tandridgedc.gov.uk<br />
Waverley Borough <strong>Council</strong><br />
The Burys<br />
Godalming<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> GU7 1HR<br />
Tel: 01483 523333<br />
www.waverley.gov.uk<br />
Woking Borough <strong>Council</strong><br />
Civic Offices<br />
Gloucester Square<br />
Woking<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> GU21 1YL<br />
Tel: 01483 755855<br />
www.woking.gov.uk<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong> 127
acronyms, glossary and further information<br />
f Regional Planning Guidance for the<br />
South East (RPG9)(2001) available<br />
from:<br />
Government Office for the<br />
South East<br />
Bridge House<br />
1 Walnut Tree Close<br />
Guildford GU1 4GA<br />
Tel: 01483 882255<br />
www.go-se.gov.uk<br />
f Regional Transport Strategy <strong>2004</strong>)<br />
available from:<br />
The South East England<br />
Regional Assembly<br />
Berkeley House<br />
Cross Lanes<br />
Guildford GU1 1UN<br />
Tel: 01483 555200<br />
www.southeast-ra.gov.uk<br />
f Regional Economic Strategy<br />
2002–2012 available from:<br />
South East England<br />
Development Agency<br />
SEEDA Headquarters<br />
Cross Lanes<br />
Guildford GU1 1YA<br />
Tel: 01483 484200<br />
www.seeda.co.uk<br />
Other organisations<br />
Countryside Agency – the statutory<br />
body working to conserve and enhance<br />
the countryside, to promote social<br />
equity and economic opportunity for<br />
the people who live there and to help<br />
everyone, wherever they live, to enjoy<br />
this national asset.<br />
The Countryside Agency<br />
Dacre House<br />
19 Dacre Street<br />
London SW1H 0DH<br />
Tel: 020 7340 2900<br />
www.countryside.gov.uk<br />
English Nature – Government agency<br />
that champions the conservation of<br />
wildlife and natural features throughout<br />
England.<br />
English Nature<br />
Sussex and <strong>Surrey</strong> Team<br />
(Brighton & Hove, East Sussex,<br />
West Sussex & <strong>Surrey</strong>)<br />
Phoenix House<br />
32-33 North Street<br />
Lewes<br />
East Sussex BN7 2PH<br />
Tel: 01273 476595<br />
www.english-nature.org.uk<br />
English Heritage – the Government's<br />
lead agency for the historic<br />
environment in England, responsible for<br />
protecting the best of this country's<br />
unique legacy of historic buildings,<br />
landscapes and archaeological sites<br />
for the benefit of this and future<br />
generations.<br />
English Heritage<br />
South East Region<br />
Eastgate Court<br />
195-205 High Street<br />
Guildford, GU1 3EH<br />
Tel: 01483 252000<br />
www.english-heritage.org.uk<br />
Highways Agency – manages,<br />
maintains, and improves the network of<br />
trunk roads and motorways in England<br />
on behalf of the Secretary of State for<br />
Transport.<br />
Highways Agency<br />
Federated House<br />
London Road<br />
Dorking RH4 1SZ<br />
Tel: 08459 556575<br />
www.highways.gov.uk<br />
128<br />
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acronyms, glossary and further information<br />
Environment Agency – Government<br />
agency set up to deliver a wide range<br />
of environmental regulatory and<br />
management duties concerned with<br />
water, air and land contamination.<br />
Environment Agency<br />
Swift House<br />
Frimley Business Park<br />
Camberley GU16 5SQ<br />
Tel: 01276 454300<br />
www.environment-agency.gov.uk<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> Economic Partnership –<br />
comprises <strong>Surrey</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> and<br />
other organisations from the public,<br />
private and voluntary sectors involved<br />
in economic development within<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong>.<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> Economic Partnership<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> Technology Centre<br />
Ockham Road<br />
<strong>Surrey</strong> Research Park<br />
Guildford GU2 7YG<br />
Tel: 01483 685230<br />
www.surreyeconomic<br />
partnership.org<br />
Sport England – leads the<br />
development of sport in England by<br />
influencing and serving the public,<br />
private and voluntary sectors.<br />
Sport England<br />
3rd Floor Victoria House<br />
Bloomsbury Square<br />
London WC1B 4SE<br />
Tel: 08458 508508<br />
www.sportengland.org<br />
surrey structure plan · <strong>2004</strong> 129
<strong>Surrey</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> | <strong>County</strong> Hall | Kingston Upon Thames | KT1 2DY<br />
www.surreycc.gov.uk<br />
ISBN 1 899706 77 1<br />
© <strong>Surrey</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong><br />
March 2005<br />
Printed on recycled paper and board | Production managed by The Communications Team<br />
04/05/3K/The Em Space/CS0536