91Èȱ¬

An increased housing target in Waverley under proposed government planning reforms will be "extremely challenging" to meet, according to the area's council.

The government has reintroduced mandatory housebuilding targets for local authorities and is proposing to change the way the figures are calculated.

Waverley Borough Council said the plan would mean its annual target would almost double to 1,374, from 710.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities has been contacted for comment.

Under the proposed target changes, councils will be expected to meet the mandatory figure unless they can demonstrate "hard constraints" locally, and that they have exhausted all other possible options.

Waverley said it had been delivering housing above its current annual target, with an average of 784 over the last three years.

It added: "This is significantly above the area's longer-term average, and the new target of 1,374 appears extremely challenging for the borough to meet."

It said it would be "carefully considering" its responses to a on the proposed changes.

Liz Townsend, portfolio holder for planning, regeneration and economic development, said the council was committed to delivering "good quality housing to meet the needs of all income levels and age groups".

“We also have the incredibly difficult job of striking a balance between, on the one hand delivering the required housing numbers and, on the other, ensuring that we create sustainable communities and protect the incredible natural environments and landscapes of the borough," she added.

Tonbridge and Malling council leader Matt Boughton has said changed housing targets could be an "absolute disaster" for those wishing to "preserve the identity of their local towns and villages".

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