Areas we cover

Selling Land in Surrey

Surrey has some of the highest land values in the country, most of its countryside in the Green Belt, and five councils that built well under three quarters of the homes they needed. That mix makes grey belt policy more important here than almost anywhere. This page explains where land stands in each part of the county.

Surrey at a Glance

Surrey currently has eleven borough and district councils, which decide planning applications, and Surrey County Council, which looks after roads, schools and minerals. That is changing. On 1 April 2027 all twelve will be replaced by two unitary councils, East Surrey and West Surrey, whose first councillors were elected in May 2026.

Five councils below 75%. Epsom and Ewell and Spelthorne each delivered 33% of the homes they needed in the Housing Delivery Test 2025. Tandridge delivered 38%, Elmbridge 59% and Mole Valley 72%. Each is treated as having evidenced unmet housing need under national policy.
Six at or near target. Waverley scored 117%, Guildford and Reigate and Banstead 102%, Surrey Heath 98%, Woking 97% and Runnymede 94%.
Green Belt almost everywhere outside the towns. The Metropolitan Green Belt covers most of the countryside in every Surrey council. The unmet need policy does not apply in the Green Belt, but grey belt policy does.
The Surrey Hills National Landscape covers about a quarter of the county along the North Downs and the Greensand hills. A proposal to enlarge it by around 30% was submitted to the government in September 2026.
Protected heaths in the north west. The Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area affects new homes around Camberley, Woking and the surrounding villages.

Council by Council

The table shows each council's result in the government's Housing Delivery Test 2025 and where its local plan stands, using the Planning Inspectorate's own monitoring data.

Housing delivery and local plan position of each council in Surrey
Council	Housing Delivery Test 2025	Most recent strategic plan adopted	New plan progress
Elmbridge	59%Below 75%: unmet need	July 2011	Previous draft plan withdrawn February 2025; new plan in preparationChecked September 2026 on the council or government website
Epsom and Ewell	33%Below 75%: unmet need	July 2007	New plan submitted for examination, March 2025
Guildford	102%	April 2019	No recent stage listed
Mole Valley	72%Below 75%: unmet need	October 2024	No recent stage listed
Reigate and Banstead	102%	July 2014	No recent stage listed
Runnymede	94%Action plan	July 2020	No recent stage listed
Spelthorne	33%Below 75%: unmet need	March 2026	No recent stage listed
Surrey Heath	98%	February 2012	Consultation on the inspector's changes held May to July 2026Checked September 2026 on the council or government website
Tandridge	38%Below 75%: unmet need	October 2008	No recent stage listed
Waverley	117%	February 2018	No recent stage listed
Woking	97%	October 2012	No recent stage listed

Sources: Housing Delivery Test: 2025 measurement, MHCLG, published 17 August 2026; Local plans: monitoring progress, Planning Inspectorate, August 2026, with later milestones we have checked on council and government websites marked "Checked". A Housing Delivery Test result below 75% means the council is treated as having unmet housing need under policy S5 of the NPPF. Local plans move quickly, so always check the council's own website for the latest position.

Tandridge

Tandridge covers Caterham, Oxted, Lingfield and Godstone, in the east of the county, bordering London, Kent and Sussex. It has a very high share of Green Belt, a core strategy dating from October 2008 and delivery of 38%. The unmet need position helps land outside the Green Belt, but almost all the countryside around its towns and villages is Green Belt, so grey belt and previously developed land are the realistic routes.

Epsom and Ewell and Elmbridge

Both are largely built-up boroughs on the edge of London. Epsom and Ewell's core strategy dates from July 2007, and its new local plan was submitted for examination in March 2025. Elmbridge, which covers Walton, Weybridge, Esher, Cobham and the Moleseys, withdrew its draft plan from examination in February 2025 after the inspector found it unsound, and is starting again. In both, the land that is not built on is almost all Green Belt.

Spelthorne

Spelthorne takes in Staines, Ashford, Sunbury and Shepperton, beside Heathrow and the Thames. It adopted a new local plan in March 2026, but its 2025 result of 33% reflects the three years before that. Much of its open land is reservoirs, floodplain or Green Belt.

Mole Valley

Mole Valley covers Leatherhead, Dorking, Ashtead and a large rural area in the Surrey Hills. Its plan was adopted in October 2024, yet delivery was 72%, just under the line. As in Spelthorne, a new plan does not change the result until the homes it allocates are built.

Guildford, Waverley and Reigate and Banstead

Guildford adopted its plan in April 2019 and released land from the Green Belt for several large sites. Waverley, covering Farnham, Godalming, Haslemere and Cranleigh, has a plan from February 2018 and delivery of 117%. Reigate and Banstead, around Redhill, Reigate and Horley, has a core strategy from July 2014. All three are delivering at or above target, so new sites mainly come through their plans.

Woking, Runnymede and Surrey Heath

These three north west Surrey councils are close to target, from Runnymede's 94% to Surrey Heath's 98%. Woking's core strategy dates from October 2012. Runnymede, covering Egham, Chertsey and Addlestone, adopted its plan in July 2020. Surrey Heath, around Camberley, submitted a new plan in December 2024, and consulted on the inspector's proposed changes between May and July 2026.

What Shapes Planning in Surrey

The Metropolitan Green Belt

The Green Belt is the first thing we check on almost every Surrey site. Since December 2024, land that does not strongly contribute to the Green Belt's purposes can be treated as grey belt, and homes on it can be approved if they meet the Golden Rules on affordable housing, infrastructure and green space. Paddocks enclosed by housing, frontage land in villages and old yards are the kind of land that often qualifies. Open fields that separate two towns usually do not. Our grey belt guide explains the test in full.

The Surrey Hills National Landscape

The Surrey Hills run from Farnham in the west to Oxted in the east, taking in Box Hill, Leith Hill and the Hog's Back. National policy gives great weight to conserving their landscape and scenic beauty, and major development inside them is only allowed in exceptional circumstances. Natural England submitted a proposal in September 2026 to add around 129 square kilometres to the area. Until the government confirms it, the proposed extension areas have no new status, but the landscape evidence behind the proposal is public and we take it into account.

Thames Basin Heaths

The heaths around Camberley, Bagshot, Chobham and Woking are protected for ground-nesting birds. New homes within 400 metres are normally refused. Between 400 metres and 5 kilometres, housing needs Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) and a payment towards managing visitors. That adds cost, but land that could itself become SANG can be valuable to a developer.

Flood Risk

The Thames floods at Staines, Chertsey, Shepperton and the Moleseys, and the Wey and the Mole have wide floodplains through Guildford, Godalming, Weybridge, Dorking and Leatherhead. Land in Flood Zones 2 and 3 faces the sequential test, but many fields can keep their homes on the drier part. See our guide to flood risk and development land.

Reorganisation

From April 2027, East Surrey will cover Elmbridge, Epsom and Ewell, Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead and Tandridge. West Surrey will cover Guildford, Runnymede, Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Waverley and Woking. Existing local plans stay in force until the new councils replace them, and applications made now carry on. Four of the five councils below 75% will form part of East Surrey.

Where Growth Is Focused

Demand in Surrey is driven by London, Heathrow and Gatwick, and by fast trains on the lines into Waterloo and Victoria. The M25 runs through the north of the county, with the M3, M23 and A3 heading south west and south. The places we watch most closely are:

Area	Why it matters
Caterham, Oxted and Lingfield	Tandridge is at 38%, with Green Belt on every edge and grey belt questions on most sites.
Epsom, Ewell and Ashtead	Two councils below 75%, very high values, and small parcels on the edge of the built-up area.
Walton, Weybridge and Cobham	Elmbridge is below 75% and is starting its plan again, so applications are the main route for now.
Staines and Sunbury	Spelthorne is at 33%, with flood risk and Heathrow to consider.
Leatherhead and Dorking	Mole Valley is just below 75%, with the Surrey Hills close to both towns.
Guildford, Woking and Redhill	Larger towns with strong rail links, where the route is mainly through the plan and brownfield land.

We look for land of 2 acres or more on the edge of these towns and the larger villages around them, especially land that is already partly enclosed by homes and can be reached safely from a road.

What This Means for Your Land

In Surrey, the question is usually less about housing numbers and more about whether land is grey belt. Where a council is below 75%, well-located land that is not Green Belt has a strong case, but there is very little of it. The routes we use are:

Grey belt applications. Land that does little to stop sprawl or towns merging, and can meet the Golden Rules, can be put forward now.
Previously developed land. Old yards, nurseries, depots and equestrian sites, which national policy supports inside and outside settlements, including in the Green Belt.
Local plan allocation. Elmbridge is starting again, and the two new councils will in time prepare new plans under the new system. See our guide to call for sites and local plans.
Sites near stations. National policy now supports higher density homes within walking distance of well-connected stations, depending on the station and its service.
Land that can provide SANG. In the north west, open land that can become public green space can support a housing scheme nearby.

Illustrative example: a 4-acre paddock behind a Tandridge village

Council delivery: Tandridge at 38%, treated as having unmet housing need
Constraints: In the Green Belt, enclosed by housing on three sides, outside the Surrey Hills
Likely route: A grey belt application meeting the Golden Rules
Your costs: None. Every planning cost, including any appeal, is paid by us
What we would offer: An option agreement at an agreed price, with the planning costs paid for you

An illustration of how we think about a site, not a real offer. Every site is different, and our free desktop review looks at the specific field.

Small sites matter in Surrey. A few acres in the right place can be worth a great deal, and many of the best opportunities are paddocks and yards rather than large fields. Our paddocks and small sites page explains what we look for.

The Land We Look for in Surrey

Paddocks and fields of 2 acres or more that are partly enclosed by existing homes.
Former yards, nurseries, depots and equestrian sites.
Land within walking distance of a station with a good service to London.
Sites with a road frontage or a clear route to one.
Land mostly in Flood Zone 1.
Larger holdings of 20 acres or more, including land that could provide SANG.

If your land is in open Green Belt between two towns, or inside the Surrey Hills, the bar is high. We will tell you honestly what we think after our review.

Questions About Surrey

Most of my council is Green Belt. Does its low delivery score help me?

Not directly. The unmet need policy does not apply to Green Belt land. What matters there is whether your land is grey belt and whether a scheme can meet the Golden Rules.

What happens to planning when the new councils start in April 2027?

Existing local plans stay in force until the new councils replace them, and applications carry on being decided. The new councils will prepare their own plans in time.

My land is in the proposed Surrey Hills extension. What does that mean?

For now, it has no new legal status. If the government confirms the extension, the land would be treated as part of the National Landscape. We check the proposed boundary as part of our review.

Do you look at small sites in Surrey?

Yes. We look at sites from 2 acres, and in Surrey many of the best opportunities are paddocks and yards on the edge of a village.

How long does it usually take in Surrey?

It depends on the route. A strong planning application is usually quicker than waiting for a new local plan, and we will tell you which route we recommend before you commit to anything. Either way, you pay nothing towards the planning and you keep using your land throughout. Our guide on how long planning takes explains the stages.

Sources

We update this page when new Housing Delivery Test results or local plan milestones are published. Planning positions change quickly, so always check the council's own website before relying on it.

Other Counties We Cover

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