Farnham Cllr David Beaman certainly has one for his Waverley colleagues – and it goes like this.
Q
Given even higher mandatory housing targets now being set by Central Government, what actions are WBC taking to: –
- Increase the resources available to ensure that all conditions attached to planning permissions are complied with; there is adequate monitoring where required and effective enforcement when conditions are not complied with;
- When considering any planning application and in any planning appeals, the full significance of groundwater and flood risk issues are fully and comprehensively covered;
A
The current review of the Local Plan includes policies that require robust infrastructure to support flood resilience before any development is approved, especially given the increasingly changing weather patterns due to climate change.
Response Flooding and surface water drainage are matters for which the Council seeks advice and guidance from the Environment Agency and Surrey County Council in its capacity as the Lead Local Flood Authority. Advice is similarly sought on the discharge of conditions.
The Assistant Director of Planning recognises a need for more focused resources to proactively monitor conditions on larger developments. He has submitted a Growth Bid to secure an additional budget to resource this work.
Please be assured that officers, together with statutory consultees, always ensure that the full significance of groundwater and flood risk issues is fully and comprehensively covered when considering any planning application and planning appeals.
They cannot address existing issues; these matters need to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Significant work will be done as part of the review of the Local Plan, which will include a Strategic Flood Risk Assessment factoring in Climate Change using up-to-date predictions around its impact. This work will involve statutory bodies, including the Environment Agency, Surrey County Council, and Natural England. This evidence will be used to shape specific policies within the Local Plan.
So, the Waverley Web asks, will this mean that in the future, Waverley Planners will stop granting schemes on flood plains where sewage belches into people’s homes and covers recreation grounds?
Councillor Beaman has asked the critical planning question, conditions become requests if no post development audit takes place, this not a bureaucratic tick the box check too often used. One concern to all who consider sustainable water supplies critical is that the daily water consumption per dwelling is 110 litres per person. This has been a planning condition since the 2019 Local Plan was approved.
Planning will not be fit for purpose until developers are obliged to pay the economic cost of their planning applications currently they are unwittingly subsidised by council tax payers. This planning cost is significant and counted in millions.
Post development audit! When did that ever take place WW wonders? As for complying with conditions – if it wasn’t so serious it would be laughable.