Issue - meetings

To consider Spelthorne Borough Council’s response to the River Thames Scheme consultation.

The Committee received a presentation on the River Thames Scheme Statutory Consultation Project Group’s Response from the Principal Planning Officer, and the Project Manager from Stantec.

The Project Manager from Stantec presented a summary of the Project Group’s response which set out the wider benefits of the scheme to Spelthorne but explained that the main focus of the report was to cover areas of concern, areas where they felt detail in proposals were lacking, contradictory statements, and highlighted the ambitious timeline proposed. The response also recommended further engagement to address the concerns expressed in the consultation response, and suggested that engagement in the areas affected would need to be tailored to those areas.

Some Committee members expressed concern over the disparity of the information presented in the consultation response against the consultation events for the scheme that had taken place with residents. The Project Manager explained that it was not unusual for concerns to be raised at this point in the process for the applicant to address them before submitting their Development Consent Order to the Planning Inspectorate. An examination on the Order would then take place, and the Planning Inspectorate would not accept it if they did not believe that there were outstanding concerns.

The Committee noted that the response was a collective response from a number of stakeholders affected by the scheme, and expressed hope that control over development of the scheme would be addressed. The Group Head – Place, Protection, and Prosperity suggested that consideration could be given to independent monitoring of the scheme.

The Committee suggested that further concerns regarding Ferris Meadow Lake, and gravel extraction in Sunbury should be included in the consultation response. The Committee also noted some of the benefits the scheme would bring to some areas of Spelthorne.

The Project Manager further encouraged the Committee members and residents to respond to the consultation with individual concerns.

The Committee resolved to agree the Council’s response to the River Thames Scheme Statutory Consultation.