Maintenance of Normandy "Green Belt" status essential

This push from the urbanising forces in the west of the borough illustrate clearly the increasing importance of maintaining our Normandy ward land's Green Belt status to fulfill the essential purpose defined in the National Planning Policy Framework [NPPF] paragraph 79 "to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open; the essential characteristics of Green Belts are their openness and their permanence" and in particular three of the five specific purposes defined in paragraph 80 of the NPPF

• to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas
• to prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another
• to assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment

In Normandy ward's case preventing the sprawl and encroachment of Ash South & Tongham, Ash and Ash Wharf urban wards towards Guildford and to protect the openness of the Green Belt along the western end of the Surrey Hills AONB on its southern slopes