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

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

Waverley approved part one of its planning bueprint up until 2032 in February.

In April, POW and CPRE’s Surrey branch lodged separate challenges objecting to the housing target of building 11,200 homes by 2032 claiming it was too high, given the borough’s landscape constraints.

Both groups object that Waverley is having to take up half of Woking’s unmet housing need as well as its own, which has added 1,600 more houses.

They claim 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 Dunsfold Aerodrome attacking the development as ‘unsustainable.’

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 to help meet Waverley’s housing target.

Earlier in June, Waverley received an order from the High Court stating the challenges against its Local Plan, and the decision to grant planning permission for Dunsfold Aerodrome, will be heard together.

Last 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 – but that date has now been put back a week until July 12.

Responding, Waverley’s Conservative leader Julia Potts said: “This is not an order granting or refusing permission for any of the challenges.

“It is a hearing to decide whether any of the challenges move forward to a full judicial review.

“In the interests of efficiency and in the public interest this is the right decision for Waverley and its residents.”

Planning portfolio holder councillor Chris Storey said: “I am very glad these three judicial review permission challenges have been drawn together at an early date.

“I am confident the judge will refuse permission for all three claims to go to a full hearing and we will be able to get back to productive work.

“In the meantime, of course, our adopted Local Plan continues to have full weight when making planning decision and protecting the borough from speculative development.”

Welcoming the news, POW chairman Bob Lees said: “POW is pleased we have the opportunity to present our case for leave to proceed.

“All three cases raise signifcant legal issues, both in the adoption of the Local Plan and the granting of planning consent.

“It is right and proper that the people of Waverley should be able to hold the council and the Secretary of State to account if they have legitimate grounds to do so.”

CPRE Surrey branch director Andy Smith said: “We are pleased we will have this opportunity to make our case in the High Court.

“The fact that there are three separate challenges to the Waverley plan underlines our argument that the borough council have shown undue haste in adopting the plan with excessive housing numbers and consequent harm to the Green Belt and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.”

Part one of Waverley’s Local Plan is also subject to a further High Court challenge by Milford residents Timothy and Isobel House, who object that 180 houses have been allocated for surplus land at Milford Golf Club which is subject to a restrictive covenant.

The decision on whether to grant permission to proceed to a judicial review is expected in due course.

Waverley’s Local Plan Part Two, which identifies sites in Haslemere that could accommodate at least 680 new homes by 2032, has gone out for public consultation.

The deadline for responses is Monday, July 9. Part two plans went on display at Haslemere’s Haslewey Centre, on June 19, as part of the consultation.

Residents of Scotland Lane, in Haslemere, are objecting to the allocation of at least 50 houses at Red Court Estate, which was sold for £9.5 million to developers Redwood earlier this year.

Redwood sold the grade II listed house and part of the estate, but retained some 65 acres for housing.