Still a Green Belt 

 

• This land is still full Green Belt which is evident in the descriptions provided by the applicant 

• Currently Safeguarded only for possible long-term use after 2027, not now.

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 Premature → New Local Plan not adopted

 

• Woking’s new Local Plan won’t be ready until 2028.

• National guidance says safeguarded sites should only come forward after that review.

• This application tries to jump ahead and pre-empt decisions not yet made.

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 No housing shortfall → 8.1-year supply

 

• Latest Council evidence shows an 8.1-year housing land supply which is well above national requirements.

• Means there is zero planning need to release Green Belt early.

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 Roads & safety → Not suitable

 

• Saunders Lane = narrow, bend-heavy, limited footways.

• Even the applicant’s own info hints at safety issues and future traffic increases.

• Realistically, it doesn’t cope well now — let alone with hundreds more cars.

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 Character → Rural gap gone forever

 

• This field is part of the Green Belt corridor that gives Mayford its identity.

• The developer’s descriptions show it still reads as open countryside.

• A large suburban estate here removes that rural edge permanently.

 

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 Cumulative impact → Two sites = one major loss

 

• The NE site sits right next to the NW proposal.

• Neither developer considers the combined impact.

• Together, they could wipe out the entire Green Belt strip along Saunders Lane.

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Lack of exceptional justification for Green Belt release.

 

Inadequate infrastructure planning, especially around transport and education.

 

Conflict with the Local Plan and Site Allocations DPD, which did not earmark this land for development.

 

Flood Risk and Drainage Concerns

The area is prone to surface water flooding. The proposal lacks a robust Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) and fails to meet the Local Plan’s climate adaptation goals outlined in “Tackling Climate Change.”

 

Loss of Community Identity and Placemaking Integrity

 

The scale and density of this development are incompatible with Mayford’s rural identity and would erode the visual and cultural fabric of the area.

 

Precedent for further Green Belt Encroachment

 

Approving this application would set a dangerous precedent for speculative development on protected land

 

Inadequate Community Consultation

 

The Local Plan stresses community-led planning. Many residents were unaware of this proposal until media coverage emerged. The consultation process has been insufficient and fails to meet the council’s own standards for transparency and engagement.

 

This proposal directly contradicts the principles outlined in Woking Borough Council’s adopted Site Allocations DPD and the NPPF. It offers no exceptional justification for Green Belt development and poses long-term risks to infrastructure, biodiversity, and community identity.

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