A PUBLIC inquiry date of April 24 has been set for an appeal from Barratt Homes against Waverley Borough Council's decision to refuse the building of 39 homes on the Park School site in St James Avenue.

Residents living in the vicinity are welcome to attend and, at the discretion of the inspector presiding, give their views on this contentious application.

John Hewerdine, who lives in Hale Road, has led a determined campaign to retain the existing school buildings and use them for community or charitable purposes.

With other residents, he feels the development, which would necessitate the demolition of the former school buildings, would be out of keeping with houses in St James Avenue and Adams Park Road.

Mr Hewerdine has further accused Surrey County Council's support of the proposal as been solely motivated by profit.

"Its (SCC) only motivation is to sell the site at the maximum profit, which would in effect mean the demolition of the present buildings and the erection of high-density, multi--storey housing, regardless of the impact on the local community."

He claims Surrey County Council has failed to market the site properly for alternative community use, a point reiterated by the government inspector in his rejection of the last application.

"The appellants have failed to demonstrate by a suitable marketing exercise whether there are any other community uses which could be accommodated in one or both of the existing buildings. The proposal thereby contravenes the objectives of Waverley Borough Local Plan 1993."

Barratt Homes' subsequent proposal of a crèche facility was not considered acceptable by officers.

There was further criticism concerning the design of the replacement development fronting Hale Road, which officers felt needed to be in more in character with the surroundings.

It was also highlighted that there are currently no houses in the area which are more than two storeys high, yet the proposed development will comprise three-storey buildings.

The appeal will be held on April 24, starting at 10 am in the Waverley Borough Council Chamber, and is expected to last two days.