VILLAGERS in Effingham have backed plans by their parish council to challenge the green belt review being carried out in neighbouring Bookham.
More than 100 people packed the King George V Hall last week, as Effingham Parish Council agreed it would seek a meeting with Bookham Vanguard.
The group is currently carrying out a review of green belt spaces in Bookham, and Effingham residents are asking for their views to be included, as some of the sites border their village.
Speaking to the Advertiser after the meeting on July 23, former Effingham parish councillor James Nicholls said: "The majority of the 100-strong crowd were from Bookham and they felt very strongly about this review and that they had no voice in it.
"The council reluctantly agreed that it has to set up a meeting with the Vanguard, because there are questions that are not being answered and it seems very undemocratic."
Part of the Vanguard's task is to evaluate which of the village's green belt land meets the criteria "least well", as Government pressure mounts to find land to meet housing targets.
As part of the process, the group will create its own Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) which, among other things, will earmark potential green belt sites for development.
Effingham Parish Council plans to ask if the Vanguard is "entitled" to carry out the process, to question the validity of their tests in reviewing land, and for members to disclose pecuniary interests.
Little Bookham resident Vivien White said a group of residents from both villages had formed a group called Hands off the Green Belt and urged people to sign their petition opposing a review in the area.
She added: "Many Effingham residents are concerned about the possibility of houses being built on the green belt between Effingham and Bookham and are pleased that the parish council is taking a stand against it.
"The plan to build a large number of houses in the north of the borough, many of which will be in Bookham, based on the now defunct South East Plan and not on an analysis of local needs, does not seem to meet the criteria of 'exceptional'."
She continued: "This is not a dispute between two villages, as many Bookham residents are equally concerned.
"Councils should take notice of the views of their residents and I believe that most residents are against building on the green belt, as shown by campaigns like that of Brockham and the Bookham and Effingham petitions."
To sign the petition, visit www.handsoffthegreenbelt.com