The true cost of Waverley’s lack of a complete Local Plan has been exposed, after a Freedom of Information request by the Herald revealed the borough council has spent almost £900,000 contesting planning appeals in the past six years alone.

Councillors voted to adopt ‘Part Two’ of the borough’s planning blueprint on Tuesday night after a government inspector agreed the document “satisfies all legal requirements and meets all the tests set out in national planning policy”.

It comes a full five years after ‘Part One’ of the Local Plan was adopted in 2018 and means Waverley will soon have a complete, up-to-date local planning policy for the first time since the South East Plan was revoked in 2013.

This will put the borough in a stronger position to defend planning decisions at appeal, and will – Waverley hopes – stem the torrent of developers seeking to overturn the council’s democratically-reached planning decisions.

In Farnham alone, developers are currently seeking to overturn Waverley’s refusal of plans for a total of 456 new homes in the town area.

The FOI request by the Herald reveals just how costly fighting these appeals has been for the borough council – and taxpayers – since 2017.

The Herald asked for the total amount of money spent by Waverley Borough Council in contesting planning appeals each year since 2008, but was told Waverley only holds this information from 2018
The Herald asked for the total amount of money spent by Waverley Borough Council in contesting planning appeals each year since 2008, but was told Waverley only holds this information from 2018 (Farnham Herald )

According to the council’s response, Waverley has spent a combined total of £872,528.53 on legal fees, cost awards, consultancy fees and “miscellaneous” expenses relating to combating planning appeals between 2017 and 2023.

The highest legal fees were incurred in 2021-2022, when the council paid a total of £156,168 in legal fees alone, a cost award of £24,000 was made against the council, and a further £101,563.94 was paid out in consultancy fees.

This brings the total spend for that year to £281,730.94, which is significantly higher than the previous year’s total of £89,378.87, and ahead of the next most costly year, 2017-2018, when the council incurred a total bill of £212,937.75.

The figures released by the council do not include staff-related costs – meaning the real cost of combating appeals over the past six years is even higher.

Developers may appeal against Waverley’s planning decisions for a variety of reasons.

However, in recent years, the borough’s lack of an up-to-date Local Plan, and its shortfall against government housing targets, has become a key ground for appeal cited at hearings and inquiries.

Key planning appeals PENDING a decision (all in the Farnham area):

  • Lower Weybourne Lane – 140 homes (original appeal dismissed by the secretary of state in June 2021).
  • Waverley Lane – 146 homes.
  • Summerfield Cottage – 30 homes.
  • Land east of Green Lane – 131 homes.
  • Oast House Lane – nine homes.

Key planning appeals LOST by the council in recent years:

  • Hawthorns, Hale Road, Farnham – 65 homes, allowed at appeal in February 2023.
  • The Old Mission Hall, Hookstile Lane, Farnham – 24 apartments, allowed in January 2023.
  • Land east of Loxwood Road, Alfold – 80 homes allowed in March 2020.
  • Waverley’s Folly, St George’s Road, Badshot Lea – 23 homes allowed in December 2019.
  • Land at Firethorn Farm, Ewhurst – 49 homes allowed in February 2019.

Appeals WON by the council in recent years:

  • Farnham Park Hotel – 97 homes dismissed at appeal in March 2018.
  • Green Lane Farm, Badshot Lea – 50 homes dismissed at appeal in December 2020.