Our thanks go to Leatherhead Living for this article.

As previously reported, the main development site being released in Ashtead is now going through the detailed planning process with the developer Wates undertaking community engagement. A website has been set up but is not yet live, https://ermynwayashtead.co.uk and we understand from social media and a mailshot the events are at

-Wednesday 17th July 4-8pm at Swan Centre Leatherhead.

-Saturday 20th July 10am-2pm outside M&S Food Hall Ashtead.

The access arrangements would need to be signed off by Surrey County Council, and the overall development by Mole Valley. As the site is in the MVDC Local Plan to 2037 and the principle of building here is already accepted, the issues to be decided are more detailed.

There is no planning application yet – this is normal preapplication engagement by the developer. After which the actual planning application is made.

Local MV councillors particularly those on the Development Management Committee, have to keep an open mind during the process until all the evidence is collected. If they object or support now, they are unable to vote on the plans in the meeting.

The Ashtead county councillor can be contacted about highways and transport issues. He can discuss these with SCC chris.townsend@surreycc.gov.uk He is an independent and works with the district councillors who are also independent https://www.ashteadindependents.org/

Note : The traveller pitches are a local authority requirement for a new development of this size. Under the local planning policy, it would be difficult for the developer leave out this aspect.

Also, schools and healthcare are not part of site specific planning applications but planned on a more strategic basis by Surrey County Council and the NHS. So MVDC cannot use the ‘not enough doctors’ argument as a valid objection to a particular site. But it does feed in to the strategic planning at County and NHS integrated level which is more based on projected population and age ranges rather than the number of new homes. The site is of course quite close to Epsom NHS Hospital and the Ashtead (private) and Leatherhead NHS community Hospital.

You could also engage with the Ashtead Residents Association, although depleted following recent difficulties, they still have a planning officer https://www.ashteadresidents.org.uk/ara-officers-and-committee/

(Note: At the time of writing this Blog entry the ARA does not have a quorum of a Committee and therefore is unable to write as an Association. This can only be remedied by residents coming forward to sit on the Committee. To express an interest and get more details contact the President.)

Cllr Chris Hunt has already set out his take on how Ashtead and MVDC got to this situation in an ARA Newsletter Spring 24 before the local and national elections

“Sadly the impact of national politics and group whips was seen when the ruling party at the District Council voted for the inclusion of building on the Green Belt in Ermyn Way when the draft Local Plan was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate as part of the formal plan-making process. At the time we knew the Government was considering views on changing/clarifying Green Belt advice, and so we spoke and voted against including the land. More recently, the [Sunak/Gove] Government has now said that the draft Mole Valley Plan had been progressed too far for these sites to be excluded at this stage, but plans that have not been progressed so far can have Green Belt land removed! Thanks to such decisions and subject to the final parts of the process being completed, it now looks like this land will be allocated for housing and Ashtead will grow bigger. Key issues like the Ermyn Way / Leatherhead Road junction will have to be sorted at any planning application stage.”

As the Labour government is committed to both building more homes and we understand asking all Councils to keep on reviewing Green Belt, the outcome of the general election doesn’t really change anything. The local MP has changed from Chris Grayling who has retired (but will be in the House of Lords) to Helen Maguire. Ashtead’s MP is not part of the new Government being a Lib Dem.