Surrey County Conservatives

Conservatives seek compromise on housing numbers 6th December 2005

County Conservatives have today endorsed a revised allocation of housing numbers across Surrey’s 11 districts & boroughs, yet warn that the figures may only be the tip of iceberg following yesterday’s revelation that John Prescott wants to see a 33% national rise in housing growth, with the South East taking it’s fair share.

The revised figures, brought before the Tory decision making Executive, were part of a compromise instigated by David Munro (Conservative Environment Spokesman) which sought to end the deadlock between Waverley and the remaining 10 district/boroughs who comprise the London Fringe Sub Region, about the surplus allocation of 25 dwellings per year across Surrey.

The compromise endorsed by the Executive would allow part of the surplus to be allocated to Waverley (10 dwellings per year) with the rest split across the London Fringe Sub Region. The resultant rise for each of the authorities in the sub region would be no more than 1 to 2 houses per year and would enable the total figure of 2360 houses per year across Surrey to be maintained.

However, David Munro, warned that these figures would become an irrelevance if the government pushed ahead with its 33% national growth target.

Commenting he said:

Naturally I’m delighted that we have managed to reach a compromise on the allocation of housing numbers, within the overall framework of 2360 dwellings per year and well below our current build rate of 3000 dwellings per year. However, the figures we have endorsed today may only be the tip of the iceberg if John Prescott gets his way on imposing a national growth level of 33% per year across the country, the majority of which no doubt will be focused on the South East.