22/10/2026
An important amendment is being tabled for the meeting of Epsom and Ewell BC on Monday 26th October.
Please contact your local councillor to support the amendment shown below. Time is short!
Dear Mayor,
Ahead of the Extraordinary Full Council meeting on Monday 26 October 2026, I am submitting, supported by Cllr Goldman, an amendment to the Agenda Item 4 recommendation concerning the proposed Main Modifications to the Epsom and Ewell Local Plan.
Our residents deserve to know that their concerns are being heard and that the future of our Greenbelt is being taken seriously.
Over the course of the Local Plan process, residents have raised concerns about the potential loss of valued green spaces, the impact of additional development on local infrastructure, and the long-term character of our borough.
We recognise that Epsom and Ewell needs more homes, particularly affordable housing for young people and local families. However, those homes must be delivered in the right locations, supported by appropriate infrastructure and services, and with proper consideration given to brownfield opportunities before any Greenbelt land is released.
Our Greenbelt is not simply vacant land awaiting development. It plays an important role in maintaining the character of our community, protecting open spaces and preventing urban sprawl. It also delivers significant environmental benefits, providing habitats for wildlife, supporting biodiversity, absorbing rainwater and helping to reduce flood risk, while trees, vegetation and soils contribute to carbon storage and cleaner air. These green spaces also offer residents opportunities to enjoy nature, exercise and improve their physical and mental wellbeing. Once developed, much of this natural environment will be lost for future generations to enjoy.
Listening to residents must mean more than acknowledging their objections. It means ensuring that those concerns are properly considered when decisions are taken.
That is why we are bringing forward the below amendment. The amendment does not seek to stop the public consultation. Residents must have the opportunity to make their views known. It seeks to establish a clear position for the Council to consider alongside that consultation, while ensuring that the evidence for Greenbelt release and potential alternatives receives further scrutiny.
Proposed Amendment
That recommendation (1), as set out in the officer's report under Agenda Item 4, be retained without amendment, and that the following additional recommendations be added:
(2) That Council formally opposes the proposed residential development and release of Metropolitan Green Belt land at the following sites, and calls for their removal from the Local Plan's proposed residential allocations, with their Green Belt protection retained:
a) Land at Priest Hill (Policy SA50 / MM58);
b) Downs Farm (Policy SA51 / MM59); and
c) Horton Farm (Policy SA35 / MM43).
Council considers that the evidence presented has not adequately demonstrated the exceptional circumstances required under national planning policy to justify the release of these sites from the Green Belt, and formally requests that the appointed Planning Inspector reconsider their inclusion in the Local Plan.
(3) That Council expresses serious concern about whether all reasonable opportunities to accommodate development on urban brownfield and underutilised employment land, including Longmead Industrial Estate and Kiln Lane, have been adequately assessed before proposing further Green Belt release, and requests further scrutiny of the Sustainability Appraisal and the assessment of reasonable alternatives.
(4) That Council requests officers to formally communicate this resolution and the Council's request for the removal of these three allocations to the appointed Planning Inspector during the Main Modifications consultation, including the concerns raised regarding Green Belt exceptional circumstances, reasonable alternatives, infrastructure capacity and the environmental implications of the proposed allocations.
Kind regards
Kieran
Cllr Kieran Persand
Epsom & Ewell Borough Councillor - Horton Ward
Town Hall, The Parade, Epsom, Surrey, KT18 5BY
