Local plan scoping consultation

Comment

Representation ID: 4086

Received: 31/08/2026

Respondent: Mr Marc Vesty

Monitoring should extend beyond housing delivery and include environmental and community outcomes. This should include tracking impacts on biodiversity, tree loss, surface water flooding, traffic, noise, air quality, public access to open space and settlement separation. Where evidence indicates adverse cumulative impacts, the Council should be prepared to review allocations and planning assumptions. Residents should be able to see clearly whether the objectives of the Local Plan are being achieved in practice. Monitoring should therefore focus not only on the number of homes delivered but also on whether development is creating healthy, sustainable and environmentally responsible communities.

Comment

Representation ID: 4087

Received: 31/08/2026

Respondent: Mr Marc Vesty

Transparency requires more than publishing consultation summaries. The Council should make available the evidence, assumptions and assessment criteria used to support key site allocation decisions, particularly where development is proposed on open countryside or Green Belt land. This would allow communities to understand how conclusions have been reached and help maintain confidence in the integrity of the process. The engagement process should enable meaningful scrutiny of environmental, infrastructure and health impacts before decisions are made rather than limiting discussion to conclusions that have already been reached.