The High Court in London this week backed Guildford Borough Council’s local plan — dismissing three legal challenges over the council’s plan to reduce the green belt.
High Court judge Sir Duncan Ouseley dismissed the challenges, brought by Ockham Parish Council, Compton Parish council and local resident Julian Cranwell.
Their main argument, according to the ruling, was that the planning inspector’s report to the council failed to properly demonstrate the “exceptional circumstances” needed to redraw the green belt.
They also argued that the report had “failed to consider rationally, or with adequate reasons, why green belt boundaries should be redrawn so as to allow for some 4,000 more houses to be built than Guildford BC objectively needed”.
The fact that the council assessed its housing needs at around 10,600 homes, but allocated space for 14,600 has been seized upon by local campaigners who are opposed to green belt development, particularly in the areas of Wisley Airfield and Blackwell Farm.
However, in his ruling Ouseley J said that the inspector’s report had “directly” considered the oversupply, its impact on the green belt, and the council’s responsibility to provide a five-year supply of housing land plus an adequate buffer.
He rejected the challenge on all grounds.
Compton Parish Council (2173) Julian Cranwell (2174) Ockham Parish Council (2175) v Guildford Borough Council; Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and Wisley Property Investments Ltd Blackwell Park Ltd; Martin Grant Homes Ltd; Catesby Estates Plc
Administrative Court (Ouseley J) 4 December 2019
Richard Kimblin QC (instructed by Richard Buxton & Co) for Compton Parish Council Richard Kimblin QC and Richard Harwood QC (instructed by Richard Buxton & Co) for Julian Cranwell
Richard Harwood QC (instructed by Richard Buxton & Co) for Ockham Parish Council
James Findlay QC and Robert Williams (instructed by the solicitor to Guildford Borough Council)
for the First Defendant
Richard Honey (instructed by the Government Legal Department) for the Second Defendant
