PWRA Questions the Council on the Local Plan Review – Have you?

Following our submission on the Local Plan Review to the Council the PWRA has now put questions about it to Alison Butler the Cabinet member responsible. The letter from the PWRA to Cllr. Allison Butler is below.

ACTION: Please make your own views on the Council’s proposals known to them by the 20th January and feel free to use any of our material to do so.

If you wish to make your voice heard, please email your concerns about the Local Plan and its effect on your immediate area to: LDF@croydon.gov.uk

Dear Cllr Butler,

Last week the Purley & Woodcote Residents Association made its submission / response to this stage of the consultation process for the Croydon Local Plan Partial Review. We have significant concerns about the realism and credibility of the Local Plan proposals as currently drafted, and consequently a number of questions that we feel it most appropriate to put to yourself, as the Cabinet member responsible for this work. These questions are below. We look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Gammie

For Purley & Woodcote Residents Association

Questions:

  • It appears that the Council have concerns over the originally proposed London Plan Housing Unit targets for Croydon. Why does the Local Plan Review put forward the much higher figures and not those recommended by the London Plan Inspectors (especially those for so-called ‘Windfall’ site)?
  • Why is the Local Plan Review trying to look 20years ahead, rather than a maximum of 10 years (like the London Plan)?
  • What tangible plans are there to address the need for significantly enlarged infrastructure across the Borough, or at least a ‘plan to get to a plan’ for this?
  • How will the Purley Way Masterplan be produced? How will Croydon work with LB Sutton on this?
  • The following terms are all used in the Local Plan Review documentation. What is the Council’s definition of these terms?
    • ‘eroded character’,
    • ‘moderate intensification’,
    • ‘more significant change’
  • Why is there not much stronger emphasis and active plans to (re)develop ‘Brownfield’ sites across the Borough in the Local Plan Review?
  • How will the council manage years of ‘windfall’ development in practical terms, for example, sufficient building inspectors, planning officers (including compliance officers, tree and environmental protection officers) to first assess and then ensure that planning consents are adhered to and disruption to local residents minimised (eg ensure working hours are adhered to, minimise disruption, noise and, dirt from the construction work itself and from the many trucks and other vehicles that will be involved, maintain air quality)?
  • Why has the Council shown such a lack of ambition with the proposed Purley Way Masterplan and Central Croydon housing unit numbers?
  • How will the Council protect valuable local amenities used by residents such as those run (often by volunteers) in locations where intensive development is currently proposed, such as those at St Barnabus and St Swithin’s Churches?
  • The Local Plan Review documentation says that evidence is needed for Local Green Space protection to be granted to sites across the Borough. This was requested and supplied during 2019. Is more required? If it is the Council needs to provide feedback to those who had to get involved in last year’s exercise as a result of the Council’s failure to get such protection included in the current Local Plan, and in particular advise exactly what additional evidence is needed per site proposed?

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *