FARNHAM people are being urged not to be beguiled into accepting new East Street proposals by "soft soap" from the developer concealing "hard realities", or fatigue with the issues. East Street Action has made the plea after reading the comments of Crest Nicholson director Greg Vincent regarding the newly submitted planning application. The application is still being validated by Waverley Council and not available yet for public view. But the pressure group claims that, judging by the landlord's consent document drawn up by Waverley outlining what it wants to see as landowner, the "scaling down" of the plans and cut in the number of flats from 294 to 239 will not have brought any reduction in the density. "Our concern is that it hasn't strictly been scaled down. Two bits have been removed - Sainsbury's car park and the underground car park - which is welcome, but the rest of the scheme hasn't been reduced sufficiently and could even be more concentrated," the group complained. "There will be a multi-storey car park in a block that includes housing and the cinema, and it is massive." And the group claimed that with every new proposal, the town square is becoming more of a town patio. Chairman Ann Thurston pointed out that the previously planned eight-screen cinema was to have contained 1,200 seats and, according to Mr Vincent, is being scaled down to 874 seats. "How many screens will that have?' she asked, bearing in mind that the public had been led to expect three. Insufficient parking spaces, increased traffic and worsening air quality also continue to cause concern, especially bearing in mind other schemes under way or contemplated at the hospital site, Bourne Mill and on the Dogflud section of Swain and Jones' site. "Summing up, the development is too large for the town," said Mrs Thurston. "About 100 units would be about right, with a few shops. Otherwise people just won't come to Farnham if there are worse traffic and parking problems and what is currently a vibrant and lively town will really be in need of regeneration."
