Boris Johnson has accepted requests from Surrey County Council’s leader for a meeting about his London expansion plans.

Surrey County Council leader Andrew Povey wants assurances that Mr Johnson’s plans to cope with London’s growing population would not put added pressure on the county’s services.

Mr Johnson has told deputy mayor Sir Simon Milton to meet with Dr Povey and explain how significant development decisions will impact on Surrey.

The Mayor’s plan sets out a vision for the capital until 2031 and details the extent and nature of growth of the parts of London that border the county.

London’s population is predicted to grow from 7.63m to 8.89m by 2031 and this could put extra pressure on everything from education to transport in Surrey.

The council also believes it could pose a genuine risk to the greenbelt.

Dr Povey said: “It’s encouraging that Boris Johnson wants to have a meaningful discussion about my reasons for standing up for Surrey. It’s vital to get greater clarification on how significan-t developments with an impact on Surrey will be achieved and how the mayor would contribute to the costs.

“We need to work with the mayor to make sure that the qualities that make the county so attractive are not threatened by the potential growth of London, but rather benefit from it.

“Surrey faces similar challenges to London in terms of population growth, and needs to continue to build on its ability to attract people and businesses with the right skills and resources to Surrey.”

On January 28, the Elmbridge Guardian reported rumours that Mr Johnson had his eyes on turning Elmbridge into a Greater London borough.

The Mayor’s office rebuffed the claims and said he did not have the power to do so. but a Surrey County Council source said plans were already afoot.

Such a move would impact on everything from travel and living costs to house prices and council tax. The date of the meeting is yet to be confirmed.

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