The Place Committee of Kingston upon Thames Council met on Tuesday 16 June 2026, approving a £1.29 million contract for PlayZones facilities and recommending the final draft of the Local Plan for public consultation. The committee also formally received the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman's report on planning enforcement failures, approved a procurement strategy for mechanical street cleansing residue treatment, and agreed to fund increased costs for decarbonisation projects at several council buildings.

Local Plan - Final Draft (Regulation 19)

The committee recommended to Full Council that the final draft of the Local Plan, including the publication document, policies map, Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA) Technical Note, and Statement of Consultation, be approved for statutory public consultation. Officers were authorised to make final amendments to the publication draft Local Plan and policies map prior to consultation. This decision is subject to no major modifications arising from the public consultation. The Local Plan, which has been in development for several years, aims to guide Kingston's development over the coming years, addressing housing, infrastructure, the local economy, and green spaces. The current plan replaces the core strategy adopted in 2012.

Concerns were raised during public participation regarding the legality and transparency of the process, particularly the lack of a finalised Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA) and Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA) before the Regulation 19 stage. Residents also highlighted the late release of extensive documentation, making it difficult for both the public and councillors to scrutinise the plan adequately. Councillor James Giles expressed reservations about the plan's reliance on tall buildings and the de-designation of Green Belt and Metropolitan Open Land, while Councillor Ian Manders explained the pressures of government housing targets and the introduction of Grey Belt land as a means to meet these targets and avoid the tilted balance in planning appeals. The committee ultimately voted to recommend the Local Plan to Full Council, with 11 in favour and 2 against.

PlayZones Project Contract Award

The committee resolved to award a contract to McArdle Sport Tec Limited for the supply and installation of PlayZone facilities at four greenspace locations: Beverley Park, Churchfields Recreation Ground, Kingston Road Recreation Ground, and Manor Park. The contract value is £1,293,070.57 (excluding VAT), with 75% of the funding (£969,802) provided by the Football Foundation and the remaining 25% (£323,268) from the Council's capital budget. This decision was made as a direct award call-off under the Football Foundation's PlayZones Framework.

During the debate, concerns were raised by residents and councillors regarding the consultation process, the location of facilities, potential for anti-social behaviour, and the cost of the project compared to similar facilities elsewhere. Councillor James Giles proposed an amendment to defer the decision to allow for further community engagement over the summer, but this was defeated. The substantive motion to award the contract was carried with 12 votes in favour and one against.

Review of Planning Enforcement Service (Ombudsman Action)

The committee formally received the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman's (LGSCO) final decision statement regarding avoidable delays and failures in the Council's planning enforcement service. The committee noted the LGSCO's Focus Report on Planning Enforcement and approved suggested changes to the Local Enforcement Plan. Authority was delegated to the Executive Director Place to make necessary amendments to the plan. The committee also noted actions outlined to reduce the active caseload of reported breaches awaiting investigation.

The LGSCO's report highlighted issues of understaffing, case backlogs, and poor communication leading to significant delays in planning enforcement investigations. The proposed changes to the Local Enforcement Plan include introducing clear timescales for site visits and assessments, a post-site visit assessment stage, and a target of closing 60% of enforcement cases within 20 weeks. Councillor James Giles shared personal experiences of planning breaches going unaddressed, highlighting the need for improved responsiveness. The decision was carried unanimously.

Mechanical Street Cleansing Residue Treatment and Recycling Contract - Recommission Procurement Strategy

The committee approved the procurement strategy for the South London Waste Partnership (SLWP) mechanical street cleansing residue treatment and recycling contract. This strategy proposes a competitive tender for the appointment of single or multiple suppliers, to be conducted via a two-stage process under the Competitive Flexible Procedure. The contract will be for five years with an option to extend for a further five years. The evaluation criteria will be 30% for Quality, 60% for Price, and 10% for Social Value, with a bespoke social value fund proposed. The decision was carried unanimously.

'Retrofit Accelerator - Workplaces' Decarbonisation Programme Update

The committee resolved that increased costs for planned decarbonisation projects at the Dukes Centre, Surbiton Library, and Tolworth Recreation Centre would be funded from the existing capital budget allocated for decarbonisation. Authority was delegated to the Executive Director Place, in consultation with relevant Portfolio Holders and the Commissioning Governance Board, to proceed with contract awards for these projects, provided tender returns are within approved budgets. This decision aims to maintain momentum on the Council's Net Zero 2030 target, despite the cessation of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) funding and the administration of a previously appointed contractor. Four smaller projects will also receive solar PV installations funded by Carbon Offset allocations. Councillor Ian Manders commented on the lamentable end of the PSDS scheme, highlighting the challenges in financing decarbonisation of heat. The decision was carried with 11 votes in favour, one against, and one abstention.

Appointments to Outside Bodies 2026-30

The committee resolved that appointments be made to various outside organisations for the period up to the end of the 2025/26 Municipal Year, as detailed in Annex 1 of the report. This decision was made unanimously.