Councillor Karen Randolph as Portfolio Holder for Planning and Environmental Health has approved the Authority Monitoring Report (AMR) reporting on planning policy and activities at Elmbridge. Published annually, the AMR is a key element of the Government’s ‘plan, monitor and manage’ approach to the planning system. The current AMR monitors April 2021 to end of March 2022.

The AMR provides information on the performance and impact of planning policy, while also identifying outputs and trends in the borough. It is also key in understanding whether planning policy is supporting a thriving Elmbridge community as it assesses housing delivery including affordable homes, support for the local economy and quality of life.

Key highlights of the report.

• Housing delivery has increased: In total 768 new homes were delivered this monitoring year, which exceeds the local housing need figure of 647 as set by the Government’s standard methodology.
• Delivery of new affordable homes has increased. 2021/22 saw an increase from the previous year up from 45 to 111 completions, a 146% increase.
• Air quality is improving: The average amount of pollutants (by µg/m3) by each Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) has improved this year and Weybridge High Street AQMA is no longer exceeding air quality monitoring points.
• The average life expectancy of Elmbridge residents continues to exceed the national average.

Councillor Randolph reiterates her commitment to a thriving Elmbridge: “The residents of Elmbridge rely on us to support them and the issues they care about. They care about protecting our green spaces, our high streets and villages and they care about a sustainable future. This years’ authority monitoring report is further evidence that we are working to support a sustainable and thriving Elmbridge.”

You can read the full report on our website. Below we have extracted some of the key data.

Quality of decision-making

• The major, minor, and other applications decided within the statutory period continue to exceed national targets performance.
• Major and minor applications exceed both national and local targets with major applications 13% higher than last year’s total.
• Minor applications are 1% lower than last year’s total.
• The number of appeal decisions dismissed has decreased from 70% to 64%. This represents a 6% decrease on the previous year, which is 1% below the local target of 65%.

Housing delivery

• In total 768 new homes were delivered this monitoring year; this exceeds the standard methodology figure of 647 and is significantly higher than the average annual delivery of around 294 homes per annum over the previous 11 years. This years’ significant increase in housing delivery was due to the build out of large windfall developments in Walton on Thames.
• We continue to protect the interest of our residents and the borough, as we work with developers on understanding local housing need and optimising development in an Elmbridge rather than a national context. We have been successful in defending this approach at appeal.
• The AMR indicates that the average density of new housing developments is increasing across the borough. However, it should be noted that density figures can be misleading depending on the footprint of the building or plot size of the development and should not be a sole measure of ‘optimisation’ or an indicator of the acceptability of a development.

Delivering the right homes

• Our development advice clarifies the need for smaller homes in the borough.
• In terms of the mix of houses delivered, a significant proportion of new homes completed in this monitoring year were smaller homes, with 292-one bedroom and 366 two-bedroom homes completed.

Affordable homes

• In relation to the delivery of new affordable homes, 2021/22 saw an increase from the previous year up from 45 to 111 completions, a 146% increase.
• In addition, there were 91 new affordable homes under construction at year end. Four additional affordable housing units were acquired in Elmbridge under the Next Steps scheme by Transform acquisitions.

Infrastructure delivery

• During 2021/22 the Community Infrastructure Levy has continued to support infrastructure developments in Elmbridge such as public bridleway surface improvements, play area resurfacing and allotment improvements.

Supporting the local economy and employment

• Within this monitoring year the use Class E planning classification which includes offices, retail, and restaurants, was introduced nationally.
• Office floor space continued to be lost through Permitted Development Rights, allowing the change of use to residential (Class C3). Vacancy rates within the borough’s ‘Strategic Employment Land’ designations and the town, district and local centres will be updated next year.
• In 2021/22, there were no permissions granted for additional C1 bed spaces comprising hotels and guest houses.

Protecting and enhancing the natural environment

• Improvements in the condition of Ockham and Wisley Commons Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Esher Commons have been reported for the monitoring year.

Sustainable lifestyles

• The average amount of pollutants (by µg/m3) by each Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) has improved this year and Weybridge High Street AQMA is no longer exceeding air quality monitoring points.
• The AMR for this monitoring year found that no planning permissions were granted contrary to advice provided by the Environment Agency.

Conserving the historic environment

• There was one additional listed historic asset designated within the borough (Esher) which increases the number from 779 to 780 with no permissions granted for works which would reduce this number.

Quality of life

• The average life expectancy of Elmbridge residents continues to exceed the national average.
• There is also an elevated level of sporting participation, with 69.28% of residents stating they engage in at least 2.5 hours of sporting activity every week. This exceeds the participation rates in Surrey, the Southeast and England.

Read the full 2021/22 Authority Monitoring Report.