Over the last few weeks LOSRA has had two meetings with representatives of Spelthorne Council. At both these meetings, it was made very clear that the Council strongly disagrees with the leading article in the LOSRA Autumn newsletter on the subject of the development of Green Belt land at Kempton Park. We are grateful that the Council has responded to the concerns of LOSRA and residents of Lower Sunbury as expressed in that LOSRA newsletter.
The following email has been received from the Chief Executive's Office:
"We welcome this opportunity to make our position on Kempton Park completely clear. As you would expect the Council has regular discussions about future business plans with all the major operations within the borough, including Kempton, but it has not seen or discussed building plans for any development on this site. Should plans be submitted at some future date there would be a statutory requirement for the developer to undertake full and detailed pre-application discussions with the local community. We would expect this to be done at a very early formative stage. The subsequent application would be publicised giving the community a further opportunity to comment. Officers would consider the scheme in the light of all relevant policies, including Green Belt, and considered for a decision at a meeting of the Planning Committee.
"We always encourage development on Brownfield sites but unfortunately cannot stop consideration of other options, including Green Belt. Were the Government to review Green Belt Policies, then we would consider how any changes applied to Spelthorne.
"Spelthorne Council and LOSRA will not agree on everything – and perhaps that is as it should be – but we firmly believe that the closer relationship of recent years has brought real benefit to the local community and is founded on the acknowledgement that both parties play different roles (and will sometimes have different ideas) but both want the best for Lower Sunbury."
