Press release from Mole Valley District Council
On 3 February, the Council voted to submit its Draft Local Plan to Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. The submission will take place in the next few weeks and then a Planning Inspector will examine the plan for its legal compliance and soundness.
This is the first time Mole Valley District Council (MVDC) has submitted a Local Plan in almost a quarter of a century and the first time it has submitted any planning document in a decade.
The plan sets out a strategy for where development will be located in Mole Valley over the next 15 years. It includes policies for combatting the climate emergency, delivering affordable and senior residents’ housing, supporting the economy and defending Mole Valley's Green Belt, heritage, landscape and biodiversity. It also identifies 63 site allocations for the development of housing, health facilities, leisure, cultural facilities, new public open space, early years' education, business and commerce.
The Inspector will examine the plan in detail and will be holding public hearings, probably in June. When satisfied, the Inspector will produce a report and, if the Inspector's findings are satisfactory, the Council will formally adopt the plan.
Cllr Margaret Cooksey Cabinet Member for Planning said: ‘I’m delighted that we finally have a green light to take our Local Plan forward. This is our opportunity to shape the future of Mole Valley. I would like to take this opportunity again and thank everybody who has taken part in the consultations to get us to this stage. The future of Mole Valley is in our hands and I’m confident that proposed development options provide the best feasible way forward.’
