WAVERLEY Council has received welcome news that the Government may not expect the borough to allocate sites for more than 250 homes a year for the period up to 2026. The council is currently calling on the public and interested parties to suggest sites to locate the new housing that it must deliver. In the meantime, it has reacted with relief to the Government's proposal to keep Waverley's figure to the number recommended by the Examination in Public Panel (EIP) report on the South East Plan, published last August. This is despite the Government's proposed increase in housing numbers across the South East region as a whole. Richard Gates, leader of the council and Waverley's portfolio holder for housing, commented: "As a council we are of course relieved that the number of sites that we will be expected to provide has not increased. "However, it is very important that we look carefully at how we would proceed to ensure that our infrastructure is able to cope." The draft South East Plan that was submitted to the Government in March 2006 proposed an annual average for the region as a whole of 29,000 new homes, upped to 32,000 by the EIP. In the latest proposed changes, the Government has increased the annual figure for the region to 33,125. Recently, the Government-appointed National Housing and Planning Advice unit proposed a figure nearer to 50,000. The proposed changes to the draft South East Plan are now the subject of public consultation, which will run until October 24. The Government will then consider the responses to the consultation and prepare the final version of the plan. Mr Gates explained: "There is a detailed schedule of proposed changes and we will have to consider these details and any implications for Waverley, before deciding how the council should respond to the consultation. "However, it is thanks to very considerable pressure from Waverley and other South East councils that the Government has ignored their quango's figures, and announced a modest increase in the amount of housing that will need to be built. This increase does not affect Waverley at all, whose figures remain at 250." Waverley Council this week appealed for help in identifying potential new housing sites within its boundaries. The council is carrying out a strategic housing land availability assessment in connection with preparing its Local Development Framework (LDF) and Core Strategy. "We are asking interested parties to provide details of sites which have potential for new housing," said portfolio holder for planning Carole Cockburn. "The first part of this study last year looked at potential sites within the main towns and villages and now a second phase is looking at potential sites adjacent to the larger towns and villages in Waverley. "The information collected will be used when the council prepares its plans to identify where the best locations are for new housing in the district." Mrs Cockburn stressed that the study is not deciding where new housing should be built, but is just looking at what sites might be available to develop, and assessing their potential. "Just because a site is put forward does not mean that housing will be built there." The assessment is being prepared on behalf of the council by consultants Baker Associates. The deadline for submission of site details for consideration is Friday, August 8. Information can also be found on the council's website, http://www.waverley.gov.uk">www.waverley.gov.uk under planning and local development framework.
