Anger is mounting among the towns and villages of Waverley against Trinity College Cambridge’s decision to “mothball” the borough’s largest brownfield site.
A site earmarked for 1,800 new homes and more in the Local Plan!
In a borough falling far short of its 5-year housing land supply with only
1.28 years! Some believe even that miserable figure is an overestimate.
Waverley’s housing land supply is going down…and down.
However, Deputy PM and Housing Minister Angela Rayner may have the power to unlock the magic antidote to Trinity College Cambridge’s lethargy. Under new planning powers, she could signal the go-ahead for the compulsory purchase of the controversial airfield.
Angie and her High Viz Warriors want to get the builders into The largest brownfield site in Waverley!
While Waverley residents watch their treasured green fields and some valuable and productive farmland disappear under concrete, new planning powers about to be introduced by the government could save the day. The “hope value” of the former Dunsfold airfield site could be reduced, leaving its owners nursing a nasty cold.
Anger is growing in the borough’s towns and villages as 600-odd acres of the airfield’s previously developed land, mainly tarmac roads and runways, are left to filmmakers using static 747s and military aircraft featured on Netflix, etc. Very little flies there now. Other than the odd pheasant.
Despite TCC sitting on a six-year-old planning consent for 1,800 homes—and many more in the Local Plan bag—not a home has been built, not a family housed, and none of the accompanying long-promised infrastructure benefits—schools, health facilities—just a very smart road to nowhere!
In the meantime, developers are working overtime on plans to build on Waverley’s numerous green fields—particularly those in Farnham, Haslemere, around Cranleigh, and the eastern villages, including Alfold! Waverley’s residents would be, in the words of Pretty Woman, “Pirates of Penzance” if they could see Waverley’s Call for Sites Dossier! Kerching!
Here’s a part of the COMPULSORY PURCHASE rules coming to a council near you.
No 19. The notes say that a more streamlined and efficient process for compulsory purchase orders would be introduced to enable more effective land assembly through public sector-led schemes. This would include simplifying the information required to be included in newspaper notices and delegating more decisions.
20 An existing power to remove ‘hope value’ (value attributed to the prospect of planning permissions) would be extended to town/parish and community councils where they are using CPO powers to deliver affordable or social housing provision.
The devolution of local authorities that are moving ahead also includes these measures.
Homes England Compulsory Purchase Powers – The devolution of the Homes England Compulsory Purchase Powers will enable Surrey County Council and Homes England to work collaboratively to reduce the barriers to affordable housing delivery, regeneration and broader housing growth. Surrey County Council has met the government’s readiness criteria, and the power is expected to be devolved in 2025, subject to Parliament approving the required secondary legislation conferring the appropriate functions.
So watch out, Richard Turncoat, a new unitary authority, could be coming for you. You cannot hold Waverley as a hostage for much longer.
To be continued… watch this space. Because Gatwick, too, may have a cunning plan!!!
It’s about time, too. Aunty Angie needs to put a boot up the backside of Trinity before every single last bit of our precious countryside is clothed in concrete and Tarmac.
Again I say Waverley were stupid to rely on Dunsfold Park for so much of the Local Plan’s new houses. Homes have to be where they are wanted which is where there is good access to major roads and rail infrastructure and near good schools and shops. Dunsfold Park also suffers from contamination and infrastructure problems.
More homes should have been planned to be built near Farnham and Haslemere and Godalming where transport and school infrastructure is much better
Yes, but planning policy didn’t allow for more development around these settlements due to the landscape protections. I think you know that Grumpy, but that is changing fast at least as far as Godalming and Milford are concerned.
Also, to be fair to Farnham, it took the bulk of the new development before 2010 and although most people won’t remember that far back I remember the time when seemingly all new housing applications of any size were coming forward in Farnham because it was outside the Green Belt.