CONCERN was raised at Waverley Borough Council’s executive meeting last week that publication of the draft Local Plan could be delayed by the late arrival of a key piece of evidence.

Protect Our Waverley campaigners used the informal questions slot to ask if the receipt of Surrey County Council’s strategic transport assessment for Waverley on June 3 meant it would not be possible to publish the draft Local Plan, in July.

A group spokesman said: “This is a key part of the evidence. If it demonstrates a new town at Dunsfold Park is unsustainable, that will leave a big hole.

“When can it be made publicly available? How can the Local Plan be modified to fit any big holes?”

Waverley leader Julia Potts, who is also the executive chairman, confirmed the timetable had not been changed. She said: “This is a very very complex report and it will take a period of time to analyse.

“Officers are meeting with Surrey County Council in the next few weeks to go through and the data. At this time no show-stoppers have been flagged up.”

Waverley’s planning portfolio holder Brian Adams added: “Surrey County Council’s assessment was delayed and so we took the decision – as did Guildford Borough Council – to press on with our Local Plans.”

Responding to Hascombe Parish Council chairman Charles Orange’s question asking if Waverley was considering putting forward a housing target of less than 519 new homes per annum in its Local Plan, because of the lack of sustainable sites, Ms Potts said that as the draft Local Plan had not yet been published, it would be premature to publicise its conclusions.

But she said no substantive objections had been raised by the borough council’s consultants about the methodology advising an annual housing target of 519 houses. Committee members also agreed a recommendation that head of planning Elizabeth Sims should publish a brownfield register of sites suitable for housing development by the end of this month.

Waverley successfully bid for a £10,000 grant from the Department for Communities and Local Government to be one of the councils that would prepare a list as part of a Government pilot project.

Committee members agreed the list could be published by planning officers, as long as relevant councillors had been notified of any sites within their wards and had raised no objections.

Although the published register will indicate which brownfield sites Waverley thinks have potential, it does not amount to a granting of planning consent.

Mr Adams told the committee: “ It is not yet a legal requirement to publish a register of brownfield sites suitable for housing development but we hope feedback from Waverley will be taken into account in the final legislation.

Ms Potts said it was “absolutely vital” the planning department works with ward members.

Vice-chairman Tom Martin said: “On the basis this will eventually be mandated and if we are going to have to do it, let’s do it with government funds.