Pressure to build new houses is threatening Elmbridge’s greenbelt. Uncontrolled immigration has added to  population pressures in Surrey, as people move out of London and across the South East. From 1997, Labour ran roughshod over legitimate concerns of local communities – with ‘top-down’ housing targets threatening our greenbelt.

In Elmbridge, I have met with residents, community groups, councillors, planning officers and the Campaign for Rural England, to hear their concerns. Under Labour’s South East Plan, designed by regional quango - and rubber-stamped by central government - Elmbridge was required to build a minimum of 5,620 new homes by 2026. Residents were understandably concerned about both the threat to the greenbelt, and the failure of central government to provide the resources for the services and infrastructure to cope with such an increase in numbers.

There are no overnight solutions to the pressures on housing - but preserving the greenbelt must be the overriding priority. This requires long-term action on several fronts. First, the new government have put an annual limit on immigration, to ease the population pressures that inevitably spill over into Elmbridge from London and the South East. Second, we need to strengthen local democracy. That means scrapping the South East Plan that imposes ‘top-down’ housing targets – and strengthening the control of elected councils over planning policy. Finally, when it comes to housing policy, we need a bit more carrot and a bit less stick from central government. I believe local authorities should receive a greater share of the revenue raised from the sale of new homes - an incentive to provide additional housing, where it is necessary and appropriate.