'Key milestone' for borough's land use policy

A planning inspector has said a council's plan for development over the next decade is likely to be legally compliant.

A Planning Inspectorate officer wrote to Surrey Heath Borough Council to suggest two modifications to its draft local plan, which designates land use up to 2038.

Subject to the changes, the inspector said the policy was "capable of being found sound and legally compliant".

The local authority's deputy leader, Alan Ashbery, said the inspector's response was a "key milestone for the council and for securing development to meet the future needs of our communities".

One suggested modification to the document was to remove a site behind existing homes on Sullivan Road, Camberley from development plans.

The inspector said it was "highly doubtful that this site could be developed in a way that would preserve the living conditions of the adjacent properties and the character and appearance of the area".

The modification was to remove green space designations for two sites that were "only partially in use" as allotments.

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