WAVERLEY will have to speed up the delivery of new homes after falling foul of strict new government tests designed to boost housing supply nationally.

Because the borough council has delivered only 79 per cent of the homes it is required to supply over the last three years, Waverley is one of an estimated 31 per cent of local authorities - including Guildford - that has been penalised.

Waverley is now required to produce an action plan and also has to increase the housing ‘buffer’ applied to its five-year housing supply target to 20 per cent - equivalent to bringing forward delivery of 1,500 homes.

A Waverley spokesperson said: “The government has recently published the results of the first housing delivery test, which applies to all local planning authorities nationwide.

“The test considers housing delivery over the last three years, compared with the number of homes needed. In Waverley’s case delivery was 79 per cent of the requirement. This has two implications, according to the new guidance.

“Firstly, those authorities whose delivery is below 95 per cent should prepare an action plan, in line with national guidance, to assess the causes and identify actions to increase delivery in future years.

“Secondly, where housing delivery is below 85 per cent, it means that the additional buffer applied to the five-year housing supply requirement is 20 per cent.

“According to this updated guidance we will be required to apply an additional 20 per cent buffer. Prior to this, Waverley had been applying a five percent buffer.

“This does not change the housing numbers in our Local Plan - we will not have to build additional homes. It does mean the delivery of some new homes will need to be brought forward to meet the new requirement.

“However, while the housing delivery test applies to the planning authority, we do not have a great deal of control over the delivery of homes. This is dependant on developers making good on building out their permissions.”

* A question mark still hangs over Waverley’s Local Plan target figure to build 11,200 new homes by 2032, after campaigners won the right to appeal against the inclusion of 1,600 houses for Woking’s “unmet need”.

The successful challenge by Surrey Campaign to Protect Rural England and Protect Our Waverley (POW) is due to be heard this year.

A failed 2018 POW challenge to outline consent granted for 1,800 houses at Dunsfold Park means no homes have been built at the airfield.