Britain’s Coalition Government has announced a series of sweeping changes to the planning system. These include the scrapping of Regional Strategies such as the South East Plan and the housing targets imposed by the previous Government which have cast such a shadow over Surrey’s countryside and communities in recent years.

CPRE Surrey Branch member Kate Parminter, a former Chief Executive of CPRE, has been appointed to the House of Lords. Kate, who lives in south west Surrey, will sit in the Lords as a Liberal Democrat peer.

Another significant policy development since the General Election is the new Government’s decision to reverse Labour’s aggressively expansionist aviation policy.

New threats to the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and Green Belt have led to growing local opposition to the Surrey Minerals Plan.

A planning inquiry into the planned expansion of aircraft movements at Farnborough Airport closed at the end of June after a four-week hearing. The Planning Inspector’s recommendations will be submitted to the Government by September.