Public Meeting to discuss Upper High Street Development Site

Lib Dem councillors are delighted that the borough council has responded to their suggestion that a public meeting should be held on this topic.

The meeting will take place on Tuesday 4th September at 7.30pm in the Council Chamber and is an opportunity to ask questions and suggest possible improvements relating to the Planning Brief for this important site.

Residents should arrive early in order to be sure of a seat. The meeting will end at 9.00pm. The draft Planning Brief (or Development Brief as it is called) can be viewed on the council's website at the following link - http://epsom-ewell.limehouse.co.uk/portal/upper_high_street_epsom_draft_development_brief_3

Paper copies are available at the Town Hall and Libraries.

The council and your councillors need to have your views. Some of the considerations are

(a) should there be a key retail unit fronting Upper High Street or somewhere inside the site? Do residents still want a small-medium sized food store?

(b) should there be a multi-storey car park to cater for shoppers, or a raised level car park plus surface level and underground parking, or just surface level parking?

(c) should there be any building directly opposite the houses in Upper High Street?

(d) should there be access for delivery vehicles from Upper High Street or from Church Street, or both?

(e) how much housing should there be?

There are many more questions and opportunities to respond on the consultation response form. Registered users to the consultation portal on the council's website can see comments posted by other residents and groups. The Lib Dems have submitted very detailed comments and have major concerns about the proposals as they stand - probably the most important is a view that unless a key retail unit fronts Upper High Street itself, there will be little incentive for people to visit that Street and it will continue to fail.