Waverley Conservatives Face Failure of Their Local Plan

Will the Conservatives try to rewrite history on Dunsfold Park Garden Village?

Let’s be clear: the Conservatives opened the floodgates to greenfield development during their time in power. Their flagship project, Dunsfold Park Garden Village, was supposed to deliver much-needed housing. Instead, seven years later, it looks like no housing will be delivered anytime soon.

Back in 2018, the Conservatives allocated Dunsfold Park in their Local Plan, ignoring widespread local objections and the clear risks. It was a high-stakes gamble that put the borough at risk of rampant speculative development on countryside sites if the project didn’t deliver.

The concerns were real: the site’s lack of sustainability, overstretched local roads, and inadequate sewage infrastructure were all flagged but dismissed. The Conservatives chased ever-increasing housing targets set by their own government, prioritising numbers over the community concerns.

Seven years on, and multiple legal rulings confirm what many feared: Dunsfold Park isn’t delivering. Yet, instead of taking responsibility, the Conservatives are likely to deflect blame and rewrite history.

We won’t let that happen.

The Waverley Conservatives allocated this site, knowing the risks, despite local objections, and without viable infrastructure plans. They must own their decisions.

It’s time for accountability, not excuses.