Consultation Portal

The Big Debate  - Planning for Waverley’s future

Waverley is developing its plan for the next 15 – 20 years within a series of documents called the Local Development Framework.  It is focusing on some big issues, such as delivering the right amount and the right type of new housing.  It also needs to ensure that there are the right facilities needed by people and businesses.

Key facts:

Waverley will be told by the Government what the minimum number of new homes that need to be built in the Borough over the next 20 years will be, when it reports back on the South East Plan.  We expect this to be in July.  Although this has not been finalised, we anticipate that we will be expected to provide for a minimum of 5,000 new homes between 2006 and 2026, which equates to an average of 250 a year.

The big question is, where should these go?

In the past our approach has been to focus new housing in locations within our towns and villages. We have resisted development on greenfield sites.  However, although this approach may protect the countryside, we also need to consider the impact that new development within the towns and villages can have on the character of an area.  For example, we know that concerns  are sometimes raised by local residents about what they perceive as “garden grabbing”, resulting from new housing being proposed in existing .   residential neighbourhoods.

It should also be pointed out that in the past, most of Waverley’s new housing has come forward within the towns and villages on what are known as “windfall sites”, which are sites that the Council has not previously identified and allocated for housing. 

However, the Government’s planning guidance tells us:

• That we must rely less on windfall sites and focus more on identifying in advance sites for new housing.
• The Government emphasis the need to provide sustainable development.  For example, It says that new housing should be located where there is good public transport and good accessibility to services, employment etc.
• The Government also emphasises the importance of identifying sites for new housing that are “deliverable”.

We would also like to hear your views on this important issue.

Broadly speaking our options are:-

• To continue to limit new housing to locations within our  towns and villages;
• To allow some new housing to be built on the edge of Farnham (including Badshot Lea), Godalming, Haslemere (including Hindhead and Beacon Hill)  and Cranleigh;
• To allow some new housing to be built on the edge of Farnham, Godalming, Haslemere and Cranleigh and the larger villages;
• To allow some new housing to be built within and on the edge of the villages generally;
• To explore the possibility of a new village.

 

Please vote here in our on-line poll on the principle of where development should be directed in Waverley.

• You can choose more than one option.

We would like to hear your reasons for suggesting one or more of the options, and so to give us your comments, please take part in the Big Debate Survey, which is also on this on-line consultation portal. 

In the survey we are also asking for your views on the community in which you live. What is good about it, and what could be improved?