The Planning and Regulatory Committee of Surrey County Council is scheduled to convene on Wednesday, 24 June 2026. The meeting's agenda includes a significant application to remove land from the Register of Town and Village Greens in Leatherhead, and a discussion on new charging powers for nationally significant infrastructure projects.

Application to Remove Land from Register of Town and Village Greens

A key item for discussion is an application to remove land at the junction of Aperdele Road and Kingston Road, Leatherhead from the Register of Town and Village Greens. The County Council, acting as the Commons Registration Authority (CRA), is tasked with determining this application. The Guildford Diocesan Board of Finance submitted the application on 19 September 2024, asserting that the land has ceased to be a town or village green. This assertion is based on a compulsory purchase order (CPO) made in 1973, which was subject to a special parliamentary procedure.

The report pack details a complex legal argument regarding the effect of the CPO. The applicant contends that the CPO, by virtue of the special parliamentary procedure, extinguished the town or village green rights. However, legal advice obtained by the CRA suggests that the CPO did not expressly provide for the extinguishment of these rights, and therefore, the land may not have ceased to be a town or village green. The report notes that the merits of any proposed development are not relevant to this decision, which must be based on the law applied to the facts of the case. The recommendation is to refuse the application, as it has not been demonstrated that the CPO legally extinguished the town or village green rights.

Implementation of Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) New Charging Powers

The committee is also scheduled to consider the implementation of new charging powers for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs). These are large-scale projects, such as power stations, wind farms, and major transport links, which are approved through the Development Consent Order (DCO) process. While the Secretary of State is the consenting authority, the Planning Inspectorate handles the applications.

The Infrastructure Planning (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2026, which come into force on 8 June 2026, will allow host local authorities to charge fees for services provided to applicants in connection with NSIPs. These applications are time-consuming for local authorities, and previously, costs could only be recovered if an applicant agreed to a Planning Performance Agreement (PPA). The report outlines that the proposed approach is to recover all costs at each stage of the DCO process, based on hourly charge-out rates for council staff. The council's preference is to agree a PPA with applicants to ensure clear expectations and service standards, alongside cost recovery. The committee is asked to approve the introduction of these charging fees and the proposed approach.

The meeting will also include standard procedural items such as receiving apologies for absence, confirming the minutes of the previous meeting, and addressing any petitions or public and members' questions. Declarations of interest will also be received from members.