HOUSING policies do not "trump" the importance of protecting areas of green belt, David Cameron has said.
The Prime Minister had his say on Surrey's green belt debate ahead of today's closure of Mole Valley District Council's green belt review.
The council is under pressure to meet a target set by the previous government to provide 3,760 new homes before 2026 and could open up areas of green belt land for housing.
In a letter to Surrey MP Crispin Blunt, Mr Cameron said the demand for homes may mean we have to build on green belt sites, but added: "That is for local authorities and communities to decide."
But he stressed the need for an approved plan to be in place.
"If no up-to-date plan is in place, the presumption in favour of sustainable development would apply," he wrote.
"However, the framework makes clear that this presumption would not apply if specific policies – such as those protecting green belt – indicate that development should be restricted."
Underlining his text by hand, the Prime Minister continued: "The presumption therefore does not 'trump' green belt policy." Reacting to the news, Dorking resident Nicholas Tinker said: "David Cameron's comment should give the district council the confidence to scrap its green belt review, take a more active role in protecting our countryside and think more creatively about building affordable homes on appropriate land."
Meanwhile, Stephen Cooksey, county councillor for Dorking and the Holmwoods and district councillor for Dorking South, said: "This just adds to the confusion of messages that are coming from Conservative ministers."
He added: "Mr Cameron and the department for communities and local government are giving directly contradictory impressions which can only lead to confusion and a lack of any confidence in Conservative green belt policy statements."
Also reacting to David Cameron's comments, Jack Straw, planning and housing policy manager at the district council, said: "We expect that only a very small proportion – significantly less than 1 per cent – of the green belt would be needed to meet our housing and other development needs."
The announcement by the district council that it could open up green belt areas for developers sparked outrage amongst scores of our readers.
It also led to the Surrey branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) launching the Save Surrey's Countryside campaign which is being backed by the Advertiser.
Andy Smith, CPRE Surrey branch director, said: "The housing targets being imposed on Surrey's districts are unrealistic and totally unsustainable. They are based on commercial demand, not on local need.
"The green belt is supposed to provide permanent protection from this sort of development. Let's keep it that way."
Simon Cowell, founder of Leatherhead-based The Wildlife Aid Foundation, added: "I wish I could believe what Mr Cameron says but this statement has all the hallmarks of PR spin."
