Message from Guildford Borough Council Planning Policy Consultations

New Local Plan timetable and evidence on housing, employment and retail needs published

The latest information on the amount and type of housing needed across Guildford, Waverley and Woking for the period 2013 to 2033 is included in the final West Surrey Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) published on Friday, 2 October 2015. This is an important part of the evidence base for our new Local Plan.

The SHMA looks at how much housing we need across the three boroughs. It sets out an objectively assessed need for each borough and the whole housing market area. Understanding the objectively assessed need is the first stage in identifying our housing number. Our final housing number included in the Local Plan will also need to take account of the constraints in the borough, including Green Belt, flooding, landscape and infrastructure such as transport. You can view this at www.guildford.gov.uk/shma.

We have also published two other needs assessments that will inform preparation of Guildford's new Local Plan, the Employment Land Needs Assessment (ELNA) and the Retail and Leisure Study Update.

The ELNA sets out the amount of floorspace and land needed for business, industry and storage over the Local Plan period. The ELNA also identifies key strategic sites to protect and further develop for business and employment. You can view this at www.guildford.gov.uk/elna.

We need to plan for a balance of homes and jobs so that we can minimise commuting and its impacts on congestion and air quality. For this reason the ELNA and SHMA have been prepared in parallel so that we can ensure that future employment and business growth is not restricted by a lack of employees due to a shortage of housing.

The Retail and Leisure Study Update quantifies need for new retail floorspace to meet every day convenience and comparison shopping needs over the plan period. The study makes suggestions regarding the most suitable locations to provide this floorspace. It assesses our existing centres and makes recommendations for their future. The study also considers future leisure needs, including gyms and cinemas. You can view this at www.guildford.gov.uk/retailstudy.

We have also recently updated our timetable for preparing the new Local Plan and Community Infrastructure Levy. You can view this at www.guildford.gov.uk/lds

We have also published our updated Monitoring Report 2014/15. You can view this at www.guildford.gov.uk/planningandbuildingcontroldocumentsandpublications.

Paper copies are available to purchase upon request. These are priced to cover copying costs.