Surrey Councils Deem Government Housing Targets “Challenging”

Local authorities in Surrey have stated that meeting the government’s increased targets for new homes would be “challenging.” Under these new housing targets, local authorities across the county would be required to construct nearly 11,000 homes annually. The government has designated increasing housebuilding as a primary objective, committing to 1.5 million new homes in England over the next five years. Councillor Liz Townsend, Waverley Borough Council’s portfolio holder for planning and economic development, informed BBC Radio Surrey: “We have got hard constraints that are, rightly, imposed on us to protect the landscape, by government. So it does seem quite perverse that we get a target…doubled overnight.” These targets represent an increase from the figure established by the previous government, which, according to BBC analysis, totaled 6,346 homes per year for the county’s 11 district and borough councils. Councillor Rich Michalowski, executive member for place, planning, and regulatory services at Reigate & Banstead Borough Council, indicated that while the council had diligently worked to achieve its local plan housing target, the new targets would be “extremely challenging.” He added, “These changes alone would have severe implications for Reigate and Banstead’s green belt and the character of our towns and villages.” Guildford Borough Councillor Fiona White, the lead councillor for planning, noted that modifications to the method for calculating housing have led to a “significant increase” in the number of new homes required within the borough. She commented, “It will be incredibly challenging to accommodate this revised mandatory level of growth.” “We face several constraints in Guildford, and stronger infrastructure will be needed to support this increase in development,” she further explained. Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook stated: “We appreciate it will be stretching and challenging for lots of local areas. “For those who want to work with us and share our ambition, we want to provide support [and there] was £46 million in the budget to help planning departments for councils that need that support.”” He cautioned, “But to those handful of councils that say we’re not going to work with you, we are willing to use the full ministerial intervention powers at our disposal to get those plans in place and ensure those targets are met.”