Government forces further unwanted housing on Surrey and threatens the Green Belt

5.41.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 18th Aug 2008

Liberal Democrats in the forefront of the fight to save the Greenbelt

The amendments to the South-East Plan proposed by the Secretary of State, in response to the Independent Panel Report on the draft prepared by the Regional Assembly, have increased the demand for additional new housing sites in South-East England by a further 4%, some 15% above the carefully prepared realistic targets put forward by the region's own experts.

"The government seems determined to ride roughshod over public opinion", said Lib Dem Cllr Colin Taylor, "though in Surrey it mainly affects Elmbridge (another 10% and 22% overall) and Reigate & Banstead (with another 22% and 45% overall)".

The Green Belt will be "selectively reviewed" (cut) to the north east of Guildford and possibly to the south of Woking, plus in the area of the former DERA site at Chertsey, with smaller scale reviews in other locations including around Redhill and Reigate.