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Surrey
Heath Borough Council Surrey Police Woking Area
Primary Care Trust Surrey County
Council |
NEWS
RELEASE |
HOUSING PROPOSALS REJECTED
A report which proposes that up to 623 homes should be built annually in Surrey Heath over the next 20 years has been rejected by the Borough Council.
The report which was commissioned from Roger Tym and Partners by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Government Office for the South East to provide independent technical advice for the Examination in Public of the Draft South East Plan, puts forward alternative options for housing in the Borough until 2026.
The Borough Council has already objected to the Draft South East Plan which proposes 3,740 homes should be built in Surrey Heath over the next 20 years (187 annually) and at a recent meeting of the Executive (August 15), Members rejected the findings of the report of alternative options which suggests even more homes should be constructed.
Members were concerned the report may have been stage managed to enable the Government to maximise on the value of any Ministry of Defence land releases in the Borough.
The report considers economic growth in terms of employment forecasts and puts forward projections of building 187, 213, 239 or 623 homes per year. These figures have also considered the current population and its predicted growth, however take no account of planning policy or the ability to achieve higher levels of growth.
Leader of the Council Cllr Moira Gibson, who is also a member of the Regional Planning Committee, said: “The report, like the Draft South East Plan, fails to recognise the environmental constraints that apply within the Borough, especially in the light of the EU Birds Directive. The Council recognises there is a need for some new housing in Surrey Heath but neither the Draft South East Plan nor the report explains what infrastructure there will be to support it.”
Note:
For more information
please contact press officer Michelle Curran on 01276 707312.
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