THE impact of Brexit on housing targets in Waverley’s draft Local Plan was raised by members of the borough council’s ‘watchdog’ overview and scrutiny committee, when they met to discuss the document on Monday night.

Government pressure to increase housing stock nationally has led to the annual number of new homes needed in Waverley rising from 270 in its 2013 draft Local Plan, which was withdrawn, to “at least” 519 a year in the revised version.

Querying whether Waverley’s increased housing target of 9,862 homes by 2032 still stood post-Brexit, Cranleigh councillor Mary Foryszewski said Guildford Borough Council had “already committed to looking at its draft Local Plan as a result” but was told Waverley had not yet decided whether to follow suit.

When Bramley councillor Maurice Byham asked if the planning requirement to provide Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) capacity when applying to build on ‘exceptional’ sites was an EU directive and might be “ditched”, he was also told the jury was still out.

Waverley leader Julia Potts told the committee Waverley had been visited by a planning inspector at the end of May, keen to see the draft document, and the feedback had been “extremely positive”. The Government has warned that in early 2017, it will take over any plans not submitted by then.

“We have before us a very robust evidence-based plan,” she said. “But we have to remember it is a living, breathing document and it will receive further input and there will be further opportunities for members and the public to feed into it.”

Committee members raised particular concerns directly with Waverley’s head of planning Elizabeth Sims, and planning policy manager Graham Parrott. Comments made by the committee will be forwarded to Waverley’s decision-making executive committee on Tuesday, July 12, before the document goes to full council for final approval on Tuesday, July 19. If approved, the plan will be submitted in November for examination by a planning inspector.

Farnham councillor and committee vice-chairman Wyatt Ramsdale objected that apart from a proposed new settlement of 2,600 houses at Dunsfold Park, too many of the rest of the houses needed were being built in and around Farnham, Cranleigh, Godalming and Haslemere, and they should be spread out more.

Opposition member Farnham Independent Andy MacLeod said: “It’s important to have a Local Plan otherwise we lose control of housing altogether but even having a Local Plan is not sufficient. We need to have a five-year housing supply.

“I’m concerned about the trajectory of 5,000 houses over the next five years, which is half the Local Plan. Is it realistic?”