Waverley Borough Council has called on the Secretary of State to urgently review the latest national planning rules, warning that the Government’s revised housing targets for Waverley are undeliverable, environmentally damaging, and out of step with the realities facing constrained rural authorities.
At a meeting of Full Council meeting on 2 December, councillors unanimously agreed to write to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to raise serious concerns about the impact of the updated housing figures and the emerging Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
Council Leader Cllr Paul Follows said the current approach places Waverley in an “impossible position”, with the borough’s annual housing target more than doubling from around 710 to over 1,450 homes per year despite extreme land and environmental constraints.
“More than 80% of Waverley is Green Belt or part of the Surrey Hills National Landscape,” he said. “The remaining land simply cannot absorb the level of development the Government is demanding, not without unacceptable harm to our towns, villages and countryside.”
Waverley emphasised that it fully supports delivering more homes, including affordable housing, and has delivered housing numbers above previous targets. The council has also accelerated work to prepare the next Local Plan.
However, the council warns that nationally imposed housing numbers are now pushing development in Waverley into the small proportion of land that is not protected, and development is taking place in areas that lack adequate infrastructure.
Councillor Liz Townsend, Waverley Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Planning and Economic Development added:
“If these targets continue to be imposed without flexibility, the consequences for Waverley will be severe. We risk overdeveloping our towns and rural villages, placing huge pressure on already-strained roads, public transport, schools, healthcare and water and power utilities.
“We would also see the loss of valued green spaces and wildlife habitats, running directly against the Government’s own environmental goals, and an inevitable rise in public opposition and legal challenges. Far from accelerating delivery, this approach could actually slow it down.”
The council is calling for five urgent changes from Government:
- A review of Waverley’s revised housing target, allowing flexibility for environmentally constrained areas
- Protection from the “tilted balance” during Local Plan preparation
- Stronger safeguards for National Landscapes and other environmental designations
- Recognition of the value of countryside beyond the Green Belt
- Realistic phasing of homes linked to guaranteed infrastructure delivery
In the letter, Waverley Borough Council explains that it is judged on the number of homes built, even though councils do not control build-out rates. The borough already has unimplemented permissions that equate to around 5,500 homes, which are held up by market conditions, higher construction costs and other factors outside local authority control.
“We want to deliver the homes our communities need, but we need a planning system that recognises local constraints, supports good plan-making, and ties growth to the infrastructure required to make it sustainable,” said Cllr Follows.
“We are urging the Government to reconsider its approach before lasting damage is done.”
Waverley Borough Council has requested a meeting with the Secretary of State to discuss a more flexible, evidence-led and environmentally responsible framework for rural authorities with limited developable land.
To read the letter in full visit www.waverley.gov.uk/localplantimetable
ENDS