THE number of houses the government wants to build in Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex has been slashed by the body charged with developing the South East Plan. The South East of England Regional Assembly (SEERA) has agreed to consider new options which could see the total number of new homes in the region drop from more than 720,000 over the next 20 years to 510,000. However, the move will still see thousands of low- cost homes built in the county as government ministers continue to push for more affordable housing in the region covering the three counties plus Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex and Kent. At the SEERA meeting on Monday, members were originally asked to consult the public on whether to build 29,000, 32,000 or 36,000 houses in the region every year for the next 20 years. If the 36,000 figure was adopted, it would have meant that the construction of 720,000 new homes in the region over the next 20 years. But this figure was thrown out by the unelected body this week following desperate pleas from officials from all the councils in the region. It has instead agreed that it should now consider three new options - 25,500, 28,000 or 32,000 homes a year - meaning that as few a 510,000 could be built over the next two decades. The meeting also agreed to change the plan to allow councils to make sure appropriate funding is in place to cope with infrastructure before committing to house building. The draft South East Plan is a major planning document which sets out the future of the region both in terms of economy and housing and will go to public consultation in January. However, the battle will continue as the final decision on the plan will rest with Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, who has the power to overturn it. If adopted, the draft plan will become the definitive guidance for house building in the SE region and supersede other housing plans such as structure plans. "This is a significant victory for Surrey residents, and one which should not be underestimated," said the Surrey executive member for the environment, David Davis. "While there are clearly those who don't want to see further development in the county, we must take into account the needs of the thousands of people who work full-time yet still cannot afford the high market prices we suffer. "What we hope to achieve is a balance so that the concerns of those who came here for the countryside and those who need more affordable homes here are both accommodated. "This was a close call, but we are happy that we have influenced the assembly enough to get a significant reduction in the numbers Surrey will face." West Sussex County Council leader Henry Smith has warned that despite the good news, the battle over housing figures has not ended. "I was delighted that so many SEERA members have realised that to have a genuine consultation people simply have to be asked if they consider current house building rates are enough to meet the needs of the South East," he said. He praised SEERA in particular for measures to tackle infrastructure. "The amendment, put simply, makes it clear that new housing must have the necessary infrastructure to support it," he said. "I believe this was vital to have included in the South East Plan. "It reflects the county council's view that without the roads, water supply and key services such as schools and hospitals, it is sheer folly to consider house building on a massive scale." The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) was also thrilled at SEERA's decision and is hopeful that it will safeguard the future of a large number of green-field sites. "We need to plan for housing levels that are sustainable and do not devour precious countryside," said regional director Edward Dawson. Despite the SEERA vote, Henry Smith has urged people to look carefully at a leaflet and questionnaire that SEERA will send to millions of homes across the region next year. "We have always said that this level of building would not be sustainable and would have been a disaster for West Sussex and the region," he said. "But the consultation will still include a very high housing figure that could still change the face of our county over the next two decades. "Our county structure plan will deliver 46,500 new homes by 2016 which is the number we say is needed to maintain economic growth without harming the environment. "The effect of the highest SEERA option could be to increase that figure by more than 40,000 homes up to the year 2026. "We say that will cause serious damage to the very special character of our county and the county council will be reminding people of the issues as we get closer to the consultation period."