On 25 January 2024 Mole Valley Council voted to un-pause its Local Plan and inform the HM Government Inspector to continue with the draft Local Plan examination which will include all Green Belt sites. This means a majority of Councillors voted to sacrifice the Green Belt sites in the Plan for development. An option to remove the Green Belt sites in the Plan was available, but they chose not to. You can watch a recording of the meeting online at: https://molevalley.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/847350 The vote was recorded so all Councillors can be held accountable for how they voted.
The BRA is pleased that all Bookham Councillors spoke and voted in favour of protecting Bookham's Green Belt. They supported the 'Green Belt Out' option identified by the BRA as the "least worst option" for proceeding with the Local Plan. They have kept their commitment to Bookham residents.
However, the BRA is extremely disappointed that the Cabinet Member responsible for the Local Plan led the Council to sacrifice the Green Belt. The Cabinet Member "urged" all councillors to vote to continue with the currently paused Plan, and that means building on the Green Belt.
Platitudes and handwringing about defending the Green Belt count for nothing. The Council vote is what counts. In all, 18 councillors voted to build on the Green Belt; sadly only 12 councillors, including all Bookham councillors, voted against building on the Green Belt.
The campaign to protect the Green Belt, and to reduce the damage that this reprehensible decision by Mole Valley Council will do to the Bookhams will continue. The BRA will continue to support residents to lobby against, and object to the planning applications that the Council has now given a green light.
