MP Hunt Says He Will Oppose Taylor Wimpey’s Housing Plans For Tongham

Published on: 10 Feb, 2026
Updated on: 10 Feb, 2026

By David Reading

Sir Jeremy Hunt has announced that he will be joining residents of Tongham in submitting a formal objection to Taylor Wimpey’s application to build up to 420 homes on farmland at Manor Farm, on the edge of the village.

The Conservative MP for Godalming and Ash made his comments after attending a packed public meeting to discuss the proposals, at present the subject of an outline planning application.

The site sits between Poyle Road and The Street, next to the Hogs Back Brewery, and beside the A31. At the moment, it is mostly fields, trees and woodland.

Local opponents to the development have cited potential traffic chaos, flooding risk, loss of the village’s identity and destruction of an area of great landscape value. People have questioned whether local services such as primary healthcare will be able to cope. Around 300 people attended Friday’s public meeting (February 6) at Ash Manor School.

Sir Jeremy Hunt

Sir Jeremy said the application raised “very real concerns” for local people – specifically referring to the traffic chaos that might ensue and the flooding risk to homes.

He added: “Many are devastated at the prospect of yet another large estate and not even the right kind of housing: four-bed market homes rather than the genuinely affordable, community-led homes that locals consistently say the area actually needs.”

Significantly he referred to people’s “deep frustration that infrastructure promised on previous large developments in Tongham and Ash has simply not materialised”.

He was referring to Section 106 legal agreements under which developers guarantee improvements to local infrastructure when obtaining planning permission. One key piece of infrastructure that has not materialised is the medical centre that was envisaged on the new Bewley Homes estate south of Ash Lodge Drive.

The Conservative MP said: “The message from the community (at the meeting) could not have been clearer. People are not saying no to any development. What they are saying – overwhelmingly – is that Tongham is already under immense strain after years of unconstrained expansion.

“The village has absorbed wave after wave of new housebuilding, with precious little of the supporting infrastructure delivered. Residents are understandably jaded.”

Fierce opposition to the development has also come from Tongham Parish Council.

A council statement after the meeting said: “Tongham has, over recent years, seen massive development and increase in size and population without any improvement in infrastructure to ease additional pressures. The news that yet more houses were being proposed is just one step too far for the village.”

The statement added: “We have a liaison group made up of a variety of stakeholders and residents bringing different skills and knowledge in order to counter the development and have been working closely with Sir Jeremy Hunt and with local borough councillors Matt Furniss and Sallie Barker (both Con, Pilgrims) utilising all of their social media and comms platforms as well as any influence they can exert on Guildford Borough Council and central Government. All support our position of opposition.”

The parish council said a survey conducted online and in person received 520 responses, of which 96 per cent were against any development.

Developers Taylor Wimpey have said that if their plans are approved around 40 per cent of the homes will be “affordable”.

The company said the development would include:

Up to 420 homes
Two new vehicle entrances, one from Poyle Road and one from The Street
New walking and cycling routes
Over 24 hectares of green space, including play areas for children
A new nature area
Partial relocation of the hop garden for Hogs Back Brewery
New trees, hedges and wildlife features
Drainage systems to help reduce flooding

The parish council said the next steps in the campaign would be specified once members know what Guildford Borough Council’s response is to the planning application.

The council has urged residents: “Please share your views (with GBC) before the deadline of February 13.”