OUTLINE plans were submitted by Dunsfold Park on Monday to build a new ‘Surrey Village’ of 1,800 new homes in around 10 years, with the promise of room for thousands more if required within the next 25 years.
It comes amid mounting calls from residents in Farnham and Cranleigh for Waverley to protect their green fields from development and build a major residential development on its largest brownfield site to meet increased government housing targets of 9,861 new homes in the next 16 years.
Anti-greenfield campaigners have urged more than 3,400 houses, the maximum suggested by Waverley in its recent Local Plan housing consultation, should be built at the airfield. But objectors have protested “dumping it all at Dunsfold” is not sustainable due to its remote location and the increased traffic generated.
Dunsfold Park’s scheme for 1,800 homes was exhibited in Cranleigh in July to get feedback before submitting an application. It is the lowest figure in three housing scenarios for the airfield suggested by the borough council in its Local Plan consultation, which were for 1,800, 2,600 or 3,400.
Dunsfold Park calculates it is also the lowest figure that can deliver a day nursery, a primary school, a medical centre, cafe, retail space and a church to make the development more self-sustaining.
The scheme will include starter homes and key worker housing to help residents on low incomes and would increase employment opportunities on site. Under the plans, the airfield’s business park, currently Waverley’s largest employment site, would be expanded to create new jobs.
Transport concerns played a leading part in Waverley’s decision to refuse an earlier application for an eco-development of 2,600 houses, which was also refused on appeal in 2009.
A new road with a new bridge over the Wey and Arun Canal near the airfield’s Compasses Gate to connect the development with the A281 is proposed in a bid to improve transport connections in the latest application.
To ease A281 traffic congestion, residents have urged the footpath and bridleway on the old railway line from Cranleigh to Guildford could be shared with an electric bus. Dunsfold Park supports the plan and could provide a link from its development to the new bus route.
Waverley has not yet completed the expert transport assessment it commissioned on the impact that 1,800 homes would have on local roads, and approving the outline plan will depend on the report’s findings.
Dunsfold Park chief executive Jim McAllister told The Herald: “These are outline plans. If full planning permission is granted, we can build 1,800 homes in 10 years or so. If Waverley subsequently agrees to 3,400 houses they could be built in 20 to 25 years.
“Building houses here protects against developing the green belt. We have got the jobs here and it means we can provide homes near jobs and it will all be within beautiful parkland.
“All we can do is to make the best case we can. Dunsfold Park is the largest brownfield site in Waverley to meet Waverley’s housing needs and we hope we have put together a persuasive application. We will wait to see how Waverley approaches it.
“Farnham and Cranleigh are taking a pounding on their green fields and most people see this as a way to reduce development on green fields and the green belt.
“This village has a lot of the eco-principles from the 2008 scheme but we have made advances in having a solar farm and are starting to build an anaerobic digestion plant to generate more green energy.”
Dunsfold Park’s application has not been registered and it will be a few weeks before it goes ‘live’ and residents can submit comments to Waverley.