Normandy Housing Plans: Our Worst Fears Are Confirmed, Says Action Group

Published on: 30 Jan, 2026
Updated on: 30 Jan, 2026

By David Reading

Residents have until February 27 to comment on Taylor Wimpey’s controversial plans to build up to 950 homes on green belt land between Normandy and Flexford.

An outline planning application is now live on Guildford Borough Council’s website.

Normandy residents have demonstrated overwhelming opposition to the plans, according to the results of a parish council survey. And after seeing the application, the chair of the Normandy Action Group, Mike Aaronson, said: “This confirms our worst fears.”

Around 150 people attended a public meeting in the village hall in late November, organised by the parish council to present the results of the survey.

It was reported that there were 686 responses and a total of 95.6 per cent were either against the Taylor Wimpey proposals (13.1 per cent “against”) or strongly against (82.5 per cent).

Land that protesters are attempting to protect from development

A significant number, 20.9 per cent, said they would support a smaller development of up to 100 houses.

Opponents cited numerous issues including the loss of green belt land, fears about road safety and traffic, pressure on health services, changes to Normandy’s local character, management of sewage, flooding and the threat to wildlife habitats.

The application seeks the demolition of existing stables buildings and a phased, residential development. Taylor Wimpey maintains the company would include numerous benefits for Normandy as part of the application.

The developers say these would include elderly people’s accommodation, a two-form form entry primary school and a Special Educational Needs school. In addition, there would be playing fields created and a neighbourhood centre including café, retail floorspace and a medical centre.

There is an associated application for the change of use of farmland and woodland to create an area of Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG), including the establishment of pedestrian and cycle access points and a new vehicle access point off Guildford Road. According to this application, there would also be natural play areas and a car park off land at Follyhatch Farm.

A Taylor Wimpey spokesperson has maintained the company listened carefully to local feedback and “refined” the proposals.

But Mike Aaronson said of the application: “This confirms our worst fears. Taylor Wimpey have not listened to residents’ concerns at all, and have just pushed ahead regardless.

“This would be a completely disproportionate development and would destroy the green heart of Normandy. Government changed the Green Belt rules so that release of land could be strategic, rather than opportunistic. An application on this scale only makes sense in the context of a Local Plan, and we hope Guildford Borough Council, which is in the process of updating its own Plan, will be able to insist that it is inappropriate to bring it forward on a speculative basis.”

Those opposing the housing development fear that with recent changes to the national planning framework, including a doubling of local housing targets and the introduction of the concept of “Grey Belt”, Guildford Borough Council may be under significant pressure to approve the application.

The two applications can be viewed on the Guildford Borough Council website. The reference number for the main application is 25/P/01725, and for the SANG 25/P/01726.