Communities will soon be invited to share their latest thoughts and ideas on how we plan for the future of Kingston, following approval for further engagement on the borough's Local Plan at Culture, Housing, Environment and Planning Committee yesterday (17 March).

The green light was given for an additional round of engagement following an unprecedented amount of change since the previous early engagement in 2019, including the Coronavirus pandemic, significant changes to and new proposals for national planning policies and housing targets.

Cllr Caroline Kerr, Leader of Kingston Council, said:

"The world has changed enormously since 2019 when we last talked to our residents about Kingston's Local Plan.

"The pandemic has fundamentally altered the way we live our lives but that's not all. The government is proposing major changes to National planning policy, the Mayor of London has confirmed our new housing targets, the country has left the EU and Kingston Council has declared a climate change emergency.

"We need to hear the views of people right now - not two years ago when Kingston was a very different place. We want to know how residents see the future and hear their views on how we grow and change as a borough over the next 20 years.

"This is about shaping the future while celebrating the past. We want to hear from everyone to produce a Local Plan which supports green principles, respects our heritage and culture, and creates homes which meet the needs of future generations."

Cllr Rebekah Moll, Portfolio Holder for Planning Policy and Culture at Kingston Council, said:

"The Local Plan touches our lives every day - the homes we live in, the spaces we value, the schools our children go to, how we travel around the borough and much more.

"It is one of the most important documents the council produces and we are still early in the process of creating our new Local Plan, so it is right that we find out how the past year has influenced peoples' views.

"We look forward to hearing from you. Get involved, share your thoughts and help us shape Kingston's future together."

The next stage of engagement on the Local Plan is due to begin after the Mayoral elections in May, following the lifting of promotional restrictions. This will also include reopening the Call for Sites, which asks people to highlight any land they believe might be suitable for development over the next 20 years.

The new Local Plan is set to cover 2023 to 2041 and a regular review will be carried out every five years after adoption.