OBJECTORS who lodged three High Court challenges against the “excessive housing numbers” in Waverley Borough Council’s Local Plan will hear next month if they have been granted a judicial review.

Waverley has set aside £300,000 to defend its Local Plan Part One against two judicial reviews launched by campaign group Protect Our Waverley (POW) - and one from the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE).

Waverley approved part one of its planning blueprint to 2032 in February. In April, POW and CPRE Surrey lodged separate challenges objecting that the housing target of building 11,200 homes by 2032 is too high, given the borough’s landscape constraints.

Both groups object that Waverley should not have to take up half of Woking’s “unmet” housing need as well as its own, which has added 1,600 more houses. They say the decision was “unsound”.

In May, POW launched a further High Court challenge against the Secretary of State’s recent decision to approve 1,800 houses at “unsustainable” Dunsfold Aerodrome.

POW’s action was effectively a renewed assault on part one of the Local Plan, which relies on at least 2,600 houses being built at the airfield t help meet Waverley’s housing target.

Last week, Waverley received an order from the High Court stating that the challenges against Waverley’s Local Plan and the decision to grant planning permission for Dunsfold Aerodrome will be heard together.

This week all parties were notified that a High Court hearing to decide if the challenges should go to judicial review will be held on Thursday, July 5, and each welcomed the decision to draw the three challenges together.

Responding, Waverley leader and Upper Hale councillor Julia Potts, said: “In the interests of efficiency and in the public interest this is the right decision for Waverley and its residents.”