A PUBLIC consultation into building thousands of new homes across Surrey and Hampshire has been launched.

The government’s proposed changes to the South East Plan include constructing 59,160 homes in Surrey by 2026, an average of 3,000 per year.

Hampshire could see 133,700 new homes, with 6,200 earmarked for Rushmoor and 4,400 for Hart.   

Across Surrey, the largest number of homes are proposed in Reigate and Banstead, with 562 each year and 11,240 by 2026.

Another 5,620 are earmarked for Elmbridge, 3,980 for Epsom and Ewell and 5,720 in Runnymede by 2026.

The fewest number of houses are earmarked for Tandridge, with 125 a year or a total of 2,500.

The government wants to build an additional 5,840 in Woking, 3,740 in Surrey Heath and 3,320 in Spelthorne.

In Guildford, there could be an average of 422 each year, totalling approximately 8,000 by 2026.

In Mole Valley, an additional 3,760 are planned, with Waverley seeing 5,000 more.

Secrecy

A draft revision of the South East Plan was submitted to the government in 2006.

In a new report released on Thursday, Hazel Blears, secretary of state for Communities and Local Government, considered recommendations from an independent panel of inspectors.      

The government wants to build about 1,000 more homes than the panel suggested.

But the final figure is lower than one recently mooted by the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit, which suggested building up to 49,700 each year.

The proposed level of 33,125 new homes a year (up from the 28,904 in the original draft plan) covers the whole of the south-east region - also including Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Kent, Sussex and the Isle of Wight.

It also takes into account recent and ongoing house building as the figures apply to the period from 2006 to 2026.

Guildford MP Anne Milton is concerned about the potential impact on the green belt.

And she criticised Westminster for beginning the public consultation during the summer holidays.

“The whole publication has been dogged with secrecy,” she said.

“Ideally I would have ended the consultation now so we could have had it when people weren’t on holiday.”

"Inappropriate development"

Mrs Milton said an increase was not sustainable and would lead to problems of congestion and flooding, and pressure on public transport.

“For Guildford, the new changes show an increase of 31% on house building and 9% in Waverley. These changes will raise huge concerns."

She will hold a public meeting about the consultation, which ends on October 24.

The report refers to the challenges of supporting the role of regional hubs, which include Guildford, Reigate, Redhill and Woking.

East Surrey MP Peter Ainsworth said Imposing figures on local authorities would be a recipe for disaster.  

“Plucking numbers out of thin air is always going to be a crazy way to deliver,” Mr Ainsworth said.

“We need to provide homes but that’s a local problem that should be placed in the hands of local people. I am not against development, I am against inappropriate development.”