|
The
Demand for New Homes
Surrey County Council has recently been put under tremendous
pressure to prepare for the building of 77,000 new homes by the year
2016 in a recent study for the Government by an independent
panel. The continued pressure on finding space for these homes
is an ever increasing problem and even threatens the strict 'Green Belt'
policy of keeping development contained.
The Government has yet to agree to the figures, but any number above 40,000
seems likely to threaten open countryside according to the council's
strategic planning department. Much of rural Surrey has stringent planning
restrictions especially in the wealth of Areas of Outstanding Natural
Beauty so Surrey County Council is seriously questioning the need for so many new
homes in such an already highly populated County.
Some solutions to finding room for so many new homes comes from building
on existing 'brown field' (as opposed to 'green field') sites, examples of
such areas may be two disused air fields at Wisley and Dunsfold. There has been, and always will be, a solid demand for homes within
this popular County.
House
Prices
 In
line with the current huge demand on homes in Surrey this pressure pushes
property prices ever upwards in the County. The big income earners in London
seem only too willing to commute to town from Surrey's perceived 'better
way of life' adding to the demands of more locally based employees. The delight of Surrey's countryside and the feeling
of space and safety, perhaps not offered so much in London, seems to be the ever big
attraction. Instead of the expense of a 'town pad' and a house
in the country, Surrey homes can offer the best of both worlds in one
package! So Londoners' spending power inevitably pushes up property prices
with the result that they can be out of reach of local income earners. For instance recent statistics show average property
prices in Surrey are five times higher than average incomes.
Such
is Surrey's particular popularity that house prices are set to continue to be one of
the country's highest, even compared with other home counties.
This trend has continued over the long-term and seems
unlikely to reverse. This largely affluent community of Surrey is
reflected by the very large number of
independent schools in and around the County.
Business
Investment
Surrey
is home to many established and flourishing businesses in its own right
and certainly does not rely wholly on London for its prosperity or identity.
Major employers in the County are represented by large and diverse organisations
such as Esso (Ashtead), Kuoni (Dorking) and Brown and
Root (Leatherhead).
 The employment created by high-profile
business relocations
is, however, dwarfed by the
county's retail sector. Retailing is Surrey's biggest employer, accounting
for more than 20% of the working population, other important sectors include
business, property and public services. Surrey's most populous town is Guildford
(60,000) and the town is also home to one of the
county's leading science parks owned by the University
of Surrey. Surrey Research Park
is known for its work in bio-technology, pharmaceuticals and information
technology. Woking is the
county's second biggest centre with a population of 55,500.
The
third group of buttons in the margin show this
subject's linked pages - so click, read on and enjoy!
Top of Page
|
Surrey
~ 
