Official figures show more than 10,000 households are languishing on the county’s housing waiting list, and ministers argue that red tape is stifling the homes and infrastructure the county urgently needs
Surrey risks losing “decades of progress in nature protection” if the government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill becomes law, Green Party councillor Jonathan Essex warned today.
Speaking after Surrey County Council (SCC) unanimously backed his motion demanding urgent amendments to the Bill, Essex said the legislation would usher in “tragic, irretrievable and avoidable” damage to the county’s countryside.
“The Bill tears up the safeguards that have kept Surrey’s heathlands, ancient woodlands and river corridors alive,” he told councillors. “If passed unaltered, developers will be free to concrete over our most sensitive sites while the creatures that depend on them—bats, newts, water voles and wild birds—are pushed closer to extinction.”
The warning comes amid mounting concern over Surrey’s housing crisis. Official figures show more than 10,000 households are languishing on the county’s housing waiting list, and ministers argue that red tape is stifling the homes and infrastructure the county urgently needs.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government defended the Bill, insisting it would “deliver a win-win for the economy and nature”.
“We have inherited a failing system that has delayed new homes and infrastructure while doing nothing for nature’s recovery,” the spokesperson said. “Our Planning and Infrastructure Bill will unblock building and economic growth and deliver meaningful environmental improvements.”
But Essex, who represents Redhill East, dismissed the claim as “green-washing”. He pointed to clauses that would dilute protections for Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and other nationally recognised designations, and warned that species-specific safeguards could also be weakened.
“Once these habitats are gone, they are gone forever,” he said. “We can build the homes Surrey needs without sacrificing the very landscapes that make the county special. The government must rethink this Bill before it is too late.”
SCC’s cross-party support for Essex’s motion reflects growing alarm among local politicians, conservation charities and residents’ groups. The East Surrey Green Party said the Bill would “water down” existing habitat protections and create a “developer’s charter” at the expense of biodiversity.
Essex urged ministers to adopt the council’s proposed amendments, which include:
• Retaining the current level of protection for SSSIs and other designated sites;
• Guaranteeing that species-specific safeguards cannot be overridden by economic considerations;
• Requiring net-gain biodiversity assessments for every major development; and
• Establishing a Surrey Green Belt Commission to advise on sustainable housing delivery.
“Surrey has led the way on nature recovery for forty years,” Cllr Essex added. “We have restored heathlands, re-wiggled rivers and brought endangered species back from the brink. This Bill threatens to unravel that legacy in a single parliamentary session.”
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill is expected to receive its Second Reading in the House of Commons later this month. Cllr Essex will join representatives from the Surrey Wildlife Trust, the Campaign to Protect Rural England and local parish councils in Westminster next week to press for changes.
