GBC Green Belt Assessment - West Horsley Parish Council

Guildford Borough Council Green Belt Assessment

Letter from WHPC to GBC on the Guildford Green Belt Assessment 2026, sent 21/08/26

WHPC Briefing Note on the Guildford Green Belt Assessment

WHPC Signs a Resolution Calling for the Suspension of Grey Belt Assessment for Sites on Land Around Villages, Pending Completion of a Full Spatial Strategy as Part of a Considered, Evidence-based Local Plan.

West Horsley Parish Council notes that:

The current “grey belt” test does not include land around villages within Purposes A, B or D thereby failing to take account of village merging, setting or character—a fundamental flaw of the grey belt test. Almost all sites on land around villages are therefore now being classified as grey belt regardless of the contribution they make to Greenbelt purposes. This pattern is national in character and not just limited to Surrey.

Purpose C of the NPPF ‘assists in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment’. If it was added to the grey belt assessment this could afford villages a level of protection by preserving green gaps.

Whilst a designation of grey belt is not intended as an approval to develop, the emerging evidence clearly shows that once a site is labelled grey belt, even when rejected by a local council for other robust planning reasons, around three quarters of major residential grey belt appeals are allowed.

Assessments carried out to date have not yet considered whether the cumulative effect of individual and combined grey belt development would fundamentally undermine the purposes of the remaining Greenbelt across the area — work that is dependent on the local authority first establishing its preferred spatial strategy as part of a considered, evidence-based Local Plan.

Planning applications relying on grey belt status may nonetheless be submitted by developers and determined now, ahead of that strategic work being completed by the new unitary authorities, leaving ancient villages exposed to piecemeal decisions taken without the benefit of the full evidence base a Local Plan is intended to provide and undermining the role of the unitary in determining spatial development strategy.

West Horsley Parish Council therefore resolves to:

Call upon His Majesty's Government to agree the immediate suspension of grey belt assessment for land around villages, pending completion of a full spatial strategy as part of a considered, evidence-based Local Plan.
Write to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the area's Members of Parliament to communicate our adoption of this resolution.
Circulate this resolution to parish councils within its area and Guildford Borough Council, inviting them to adopt a resolution in similar terms.

Signed: Cllr Elaine Best, Chairman of West Horsley Parish Council

Date: Tuesday 20 October 2026

Background

As part of the work undertaken for the review of the Guildford Local Plan, Guildford Borough Council (GBC) has commissioned external consultancy AECOM to undertake a Green Belt Assessment. The main purpose of this assessment is to identify ‘Grey Belt’ land (Green Belt land previously developed or which contributes only weakly to the core purposes of Green Belt designation, potentially making it suitable for redevelopment subject to requirements under the National Planning Policy Framework).

The report was published in July 2026 and is available to view on GBC’s website: Green Belt Assessment 2026 - Guildford Borough Council. Whilst there is a pdf document for each Parish, it has been noted that land located in West Horsley has also been included in the assessments for East Horsley and Ockham. In addition to the report, GBC has also published Frequently Asked Questions which provide additional information and clarification.

It is appreciated that this report has generated interest from residents concerned about the impact this information may have on future planning applications in West Horsley and the surrounding villages. The Parish Council is reviewing the report and will consider the implications and any action that may need to be taken.

It must be stressed that whilst land may be assessed as being Grey Belt or provisionally Grey Belt in the assessment, this does not mean that planning approval for any forthcoming application will be automatically approved. Each planning application must be assessed against all relevant planning policies including the National Planning Policy Framework 2024, the Guildford Local Plan and the West Horsley Neighbourhood Plan.

4 August 2026

Land has been assessed against various criteria including Green Belt purpose, National Landscape designation, flood risk, biodiversity, irreplaceable habitat, local green space and historic environment.