Waverley Borough Council issues Call for Sites

Waverley Borough Council is asking people to suggest areas of land which they think may be suitable for future development like housing or business space over the next 20 years.

The Call for Sites is part of preparing a new Local Plan, and is carried out at the start so planning authorities know what land is available for possible future development before they start to draft a plan.

Sites can be suggested for a wide range of uses. This includes:

• Residential uses (including student and other communal accommodation, such as housing for older people)
• Gypsy, traveller and travelling showpeople accommodation
• Employment and/or retail use
• Renewable energy generation
• Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG)
• Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) offsetting sites
• Other uses (such as recreational, leisure, community)

Councillor Liz Townsend, Waverley Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Planning, Regeneration and Economic Development said:

“We have a statutory requirement to review and to update our Local Plan, and the Government has a standard method for calculating the number of new homes we must provide. We will plan positively, assessing how much of the local need for homes, jobs and other uses can be accommodated, but this must always be balanced against the environmental, infrastructure, and policy constraints across our beautiful borough.

“We want to hear from you if you have any suggestions for sites that could be considered when we are developing the plan.

“The Call for Sites will not determine how much new development we need, or whether a site should be allocated for development. It is simply an opportunity to suggest sites that you would like to be evaluated as part of the preparation of our updated Waverley Local Plan.

“Once complete, this process will help our planning team identify potential sites for consideration. They can then start to work with our local communities, look at all the options, and eventually choose the most suitable sites for new development.”

The Call for Sites runs until 31 March 2024, and there is no size threshold for the submission of sites.  Further details of how to submit a site to the council can be found on our website at www.waverley.gov.uk/CallForSites.