Waverley Borough Council has urged the Government to rethink new housing targets it says are unrealistic and unsustainable for a heavily constrained rural borough.

Councillors unanimously agreed at a Full Council meeting earlier this month to write to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government raising concerns about revised national planning rules and the emerging Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

Council leader Cllr Paul Follows said the new approach places Waverley in an “impossible position”, with the borough’s annual housing target more than doubling from about 710 to more than 1,450 homes a year.

“More than 80 percent of Waverley is Green Belt or part of the Surrey Hills National Landscape,” he said.

“The remaining land simply cannot absorb the level of development the Government is demanding, not without unacceptable harm to our towns, villages and countryside.”

The council said it supports the delivery of more homes, including affordable housing, and has exceeded previous housing targets. Work on the next Local Plan has also been accelerated.

However, councillors warned that nationally imposed housing numbers are forcing development into the small proportion of land without environmental protection, often in areas lacking adequate infrastructure.

Planning and economic development portfolio holder Cllr Liz Townsend said the consequences would be severe if the targets continue without flexibility.

She said: “If these targets continue to be imposed without flexibility, the consequences for Waverley will be severe. We risk overdeveloping our towns and rural villages, placing huge pressure on already-strained roads, public transport, schools, healthcare and water and power utilities.

“We would also see the loss of valued green spaces and wildlife habitats, running directly against the Government’s own environmental goals, and an inevitable rise in public opposition and legal challenges. Far from accelerating delivery, this approach could actually slow it down.”

In its letter, the council is calling for five changes, including a review of Waverley’s revised housing target, stronger protection for national landscapes and other environmental designations, and more realistic phasing of new homes linked to guaranteed infrastructure delivery.

The council also said it is judged on the number of homes built despite having no control over build-out rates. Waverley currently has unimplemented planning permissions for about 5,500 homes, delayed by market conditions, higher construction costs and other factors beyond council control.

“We want to deliver the homes our communities need, but we need a planning system that recognises local constraints, supports good plan-making, and ties growth to the infrastructure required to make it sustainable,” said Cllr Follows.

“We are urging the Government to reconsider its approach before lasting damage is done.”

Waverley Borough Council has requested a meeting with the Secretary of State to discuss a more flexible and environmentally responsible framework for rural authorities.

The full letter can be read at www.waverley.gov.uk/localplantimetable.