OBJECTIONS to plans to build around 10,000 houses by 2032 in Waverley’s draft Local Plan have been dismissed “in short order” according to residents.

Waverley officers’ responses to more than 2,500 comments from individuals and organisations received during the public consultation on the blueprint for the future development of the borough, were published for the first time this week.

On Monday evening, members of Waverley’s joint overview and scrutiny (O&S) committee meet to consider the lengthy document, which provides an update on the draft plan following the pre-submission consultation.

Their comments will be forwarded to Waverley’s executive and council committees in a tight timetable originally aimed to approve and submit the plan for examination by the government by the end of this month.

Chiddingfold Parish Council chairman Richard Hogsflesh protested an expert report commissioned jointly by 11 parish councils, which concluded Waverley’s housing target of “at least” 519 new homes a year, was too high, had been summarily dismissed.

The detailed technical review by former ministerial housing policy advisor Neil McDonald was submitted to Waverley by the 11-strong group, which urged the borough council to adopt its findings to ensure the local plan was sound and avoid unnecessary house building.

The review, based on the most recent projections and population statistics, concluded there is a need for 400 new homes to be built a year rather than the 519 per annum proposed in the local plan.

Commenting on this week’s local plan update, Mr Hogsflesh said:“This is a huge and complicated series of responses to a very complicated document but one thing stands out after a brief glimpse.

“Officers say ‘Consultants GL Hearn, who produced the Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA), consider the approach in the West Surrey SHMA is one that reflects the National Planning Policy Framework and Guidance and remains a sound basis for planning’,

“Well, I am sorry, as far as I am concerned this completely misses the point.

“The objectively assessed housing need is based on outdated numbers and needs to brought into line with more recent projections.

“We do not need so many houses so why are we planning on building them?

“I am quite sure the vast majority of Waverley residents would want us to have a lower housing target, so why isn’t our council taking advantage of more up to date statistics?”

Hascombe Parish Council chairman Charles Orange said: “The officers’ responses to quite a lot of the comments and objections to the Local Plan are merely statements of disagreement rather than a reasoned support or rebuttal of the points made.

“I am disappointed many comments seem to have been made in order to attempt to justify the inclusion of the large housing and business development at Dunsfold Airfield rather than responding in a balanced way.”

Former Dunsfold Parish Council chairman Alan Ground said: “The indications are the Waverley steam train for 2,600 houses on the aerodrome is proceeding regardless of all obstacles/objections on the track - rather as the fenders on the front of trains in the USA sweep everything before them off the track from cows to stage coaches.

“The O&S committee has before it the local plan objections received in the consultation period, which are basically dismissed in short order by the officers as not accepted or agreed. They will need some reasoned justification for disagreeing when the draft plan gets to the examination in public.”

Objections that the plan’s allocation of 2,600 new homes at Dunsfold Aerodrome is not sustainable, were disputed by officers, who responded “The sustainability assessment concluded the preferred option, which includes 2,600 dwellings at Dunsfold, on balance, represents sustainable development.

“The council considers Dunsfold Aerodrome is predominantly brownfield. A minor modification will be made to ensure that impacts on the setting of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) are addressed.”

Disputing Hambledon Parish Council’s objection the plan to allocate 2,600 homes at the airfield was based on a “flawed” consultation in 2014, which had a 3.3 per cent response,officers said: “Do not agree the spatial strategy is unsound or unbalanced. The strategy does not distribute development evenly across the borough. This is due to a range of factors, in particular the constraints that apply.

“Several options were tested through the sustainability assessment.”

Chiddingfold Parish Council’s objection that there was no evidence all of the aerodrome was brownfield, was similarly dismissed by the officers.

Haslemere Town Council was among objectors insisting Waverley should not strip the wooded area next to the town’s Holy Cross Hospital of its protective landscape designation, as proposed in the plan, on the grounds it was a vital “green gap” and houses could be built there if the Area of Strategic Visual Importance was removed.

Officers disagreed claimining the approach was made clear in the Local Plan and followed the recommendations in the local landscapes designation review.

Haslemere Society member Tony Bennett said: “Officers’ responses to the draft Local Plan submissions are so dismissive of nearly all the representations. It is made easier to read perhaps once you realise ‘disagree ’ is the default response, as it is with Holy Cross.

“I think the case which was made deserves a more considered response. Perhaps our councillors will take it up?”