BIG legal guns in the public inquiry to decide if 1,800 houses should be built at Dunsfold fired their opening salvoes at Waverley Borough Council offices last week.

In December communities secretary Sajid Javid called in Waverley’s decision to grant outline planning consent for the settlement, which includes a new primary school and an expanded business park.

His final decision, which will be taken after a 12-day inquiry, could “make or break” the borough’s emerging Local Plan, which has allocated the airfield as a strategic site for 2,600 houses by 2032.

Opening the legal case for Dunsfold Park, Chris Katowski QC said: “The applicants do not need to rely on the emerging allocation of an even larger new village on the site to show that the permission should be granted.

“However, the allocation has been independently examined in the appropriate forum and the Local Plan inspector has indicated he considers this aspect of the plan is sound and there are no reasonable alternative means of meeting the borough’s very real ned for housing land.

“There is a real sense of momentum in favour of our proposals – their time has come.”

Waverley barrister Wayne Beglan told the inquiry: “Dunsfold Park represents the largest strategic site in the Local Plan, which is now at an advanced stage.

“Following his examination of the Local Plan, the inspector does not anticipate making any modifications to the spatial strategy for Dunsfold Park.”

Making the case against, on behalf of Protect our Waverley and 11 joint parish councils, Paul Stinchcombe QC said: “What is being proposed is a new settlement in a location which was held, as recently as 2009, to be wholly unsustainable for such a development, even when proposed as an exemplar of sustainability, because of its isolation and the irresolvable traffic congestion.

“Through intervening just after the Local Plan examination – the Secretary of State has deliberately positioned himself so as to have the opportunity of influencing the Local Plan making process in Waverley.

“The Local Plan inspector’s preliminary remarks do not mean the outcome of the inquiry is a foregone conclusion. On behalf of not just POW and the joint parishes but the thousands of residents they represent, all of them were so pleased when the Secretary of State refused permission for the 2009 proposal, I will in due course be inviting you to recommend the refusal of these

proposals also.”