A £90,000 deal towards a community project in the town, which could pave the way for the building of eight new homes on the Haslemere Ambulance site, has been condemned.

The sweetener offered by developers, which has been negotiated with Waverley Borough Council officers, has left a sour taste with residents and town councillors who are against the size of the development on the three-quarters-of-an acre site on Grayswood Road.

The planning application, which had previously been refused in July on the grounds that the developers Phoenix and Developments had not marketed the site for community use, was this week recommended for approval.

The identical new proposal, including details of the planning gain, was scheduled to be debated by WaverleyÕs southern area development control sub-committee on Wednesday night.

In a report by officers to the meeting, the committee was expected to be told that Òin order to address the loss of land available for community useÓ the developer Òhas offered a financial contribution of £90,000 towards a community project in the Haslemere areaÓ.

And the report says that Òlegal agreements may be used to enable proposals to go ahead which might otherwise be refused,Ó satisfying planning policy objectives.

As well as being Òrelevant to planning and directly related to the proposed development, the report states that financial contributions Òshould only be sought where they are necessary to make a proposal acceptable in land-use planning termsÓ.

An update was expected to be given by officers at the meeting on some of the projects that would be thought to be appropriate. One that may be considered is HaslemereÕs new community centre which is being built in front of TescoÕs and which is believed to be around £100,000 short of funds to furnish and equip the centre.

ÒItÕs difficult not to classify this financial contribution as bribery,Ó claimed Mark Aitken, an angry resident from nearby Crosse Garden, Church Lane.

ÒIf the application is the same as the one that was refused, how can it now be approved,Ó he asked. ÒThe one reason they gave was community use, but surely there are othersÓ.

Mr Aitken said he was not against development. ÒIÕm not a nimby Ð one or two houses might be okay but I just donÕt see eight there. it would overburden the areaÓ.

Michael Richmond, a Haslemere resident who has also complained about the development, claimed the financial contribution was Òas obscenityÓ.

ÒIt is selling planning permission Ð itÕs a bribe in the nastiest sense,Ó he claimed.

He added that far from benefiting the community, it would purely add to the price of the houses.

ÒThatÕs nearly £12,000 on each of those eight houses,Ó he claimed.

The deputy mayor of Haslemere Michael Foster is also unhappy about the situation.

ÒI am sticking to the town council view that it is an over development. The parking is totally inadequate and we already have major parking problems in the town,Ó said Mr Foster.

ÒThere is already dangerous parking in Three Gates Lane, which is very close to the site and in Church Lane; the development presently planned in our view would only aggravate the situation.Ó

Mark Lelliott, a member of the town council planning committee who spoke out about the merits of having more planning powers for Haslemere Town Council last month, said: the recommendation for approval was a Òslap in the faceÓ for planning applications in general and this one in particularÓ.

ÒIt indicates more of a need for planning to be dealt with at the lowest possible level. I canÕt see why Waverley has to deal with all planning applications. This is about local planning.Ó

And he declared: ÒThe lack of open communication between the two councils is just appalling.Ó

Mr Lelliott accused Waverley of going back on its word to remind those who receive the formal letters about planning applications not only to communicate with the planning authority but also to Haslemere Town Council.

ÒIt has not been introduced and the town councilÕs view is held in very low esteem,Ó he said.

ÒI think there has to be a more open process,Ó he said.

Ann Mugford, chairman of the planning committee which was scheduled to meet on Wednesday evening, said she was unable to comment until after the plans had gone before the committee and WaverleyÕs development control committee.