THERE will be no easy passage through the planning process for the new East Street planning applications, judging by the initial reaction after the scheme was unveiled to an invited audience on Tuesday. Representatives of five key pressure groups wasted no time in agreeing to oppose the application, following the presentation by scheme architects Scott Brownrigg. "This new application is a monster," was the verdict of East Street Action and the United Voice of Farnham. "Woolmead squared, or Woolmead Mark II, that is what we are being offered." Both groups, as well as Farnham Society chairman Max Lyons, who was architect of the Lion and Lamb development, believe a reasonable scheme would be half the 400,000 square feet proposed and dramatically reduced in height. Two applications have been submitted - one for the overall scheme and the other, a listed building application relating to the conversion of Brightwell House for restaurant use. Public consultations opened on Tuesday and officially 28 days are allowed for representations, but views will be taken into consideration right up until the decision date, currently targeted for May 28. The applications - contained over several hundred pages - can be viewed at the Farnham locality office, where a free DVD can also be picked up for home viewing. There is also a potted version on Waverley Council's website and the developers plan to make their own brochure on the scheme available from the locality office from today (Friday). This will contain a slip for people to fill in their comments, to be left in a box at the locality office, and also details of a competition to give the development a name. The scheme, which the developers expect to cost them £78.5 million, has been almost completely redesigned from its disliked predecessor in terms of architecture, and substantially in terms of content. In their application, the developers describe it as "a senstive, bright and robust architectural and urban design solution". Estimates are that the scheme would take two-and- a-half years to build, against four years for the earlier scheme. The number of flats proposed has been reduced from 294 to 239 - 167 of them for private sale, 36 affordable shared ownership and 36 affordable rental. The cinema complex is smaller, but not substantially so, with a 900-seater seven-screen facility. Also included are 9,814 square metres of shops including two large stores, restaurants, cafes and bars, plus a replacement for the Gostrey Centre, to be sited across Brightwell Road from Falkner Court. Gone is the dreaded underground car park covering almost five acres that added so much to the construction period and disruption in the previous scheme. Instead, 183 public car parking spaces - some way short of the numbers that will be lost from Dogflud car park and the old cinema site - will be provided in a multi-level car park accessed from Dogflud Way. This car park, and the public toilets, will be contained within a massive four-storey block incorporating the seven screen cinema, cafe-bars fronting the town square, residential units on the upper floors and affordable housing fronting Dogfud Way. It was the scale of this building that caused particular dismay to representatives from The United Voice of Farnham, Farnham Society, East Street Action, Farnham Theatre Association and The Farnham Building Trust - the five groups that have already signalled their opposition. "We estimate that the biggest block of buildings is some three times the size of The Woolmead, at more than 500 feet (160 metres) long," claimed East Street Action and the United Voice. "Unfortunately, the architects could not specify the height of the building," the two groups said in a joint statement, although from the planning application it was measured at 19 metres from the south elevation. The campaigners said they were "stunned" by the very vague answers served up by the developers at the presentation, when questioned about parking, density, heights, environmental impact and trees. For instance, it was only after repeated questioning that it was divulged that 93 of the 105 trees on the site would be removed, though some new planting would take place. "We were surprised that only six councillors were observed at the briefing, on the first occasion they could find out what the plan contained," the pressure groups added. "Given their lack of interest and as not a single councillor spoke in the recent debate before landlord consent was given, we have ask if they have been told how to vote. "No one from the audience spoke in favour of this application, the reaction was palpably unfavourable." The architect eventually confirmed the housing density to be 103.6 dwellings per hectare, whereas, according to the pressure groups, Farnham has already been cited as not having the infrastructure to sustain even 30 – 50 per hectare. "The town is clearly losing amenities and one might imagine that such a residential development would have for example a playground, but you would be wrong, according to this application! "The traffic plan that largely pedestrianises East Street and proposed two-way traffic around The Woolmead is clearly flawed and if it proceeds will gridlock the town and generate greater levels of pollution. "It simply demonstrates a lack of understanding and ignores the evidence already in the hands of the council. "Access and servicing of buildings is limited and access for emergency vehicles questionable. We have to ask ourselves, do we really want a multi- storey car park in Farnham equivalent to six residential storeys high bang in the centre of town? "This type of proposal will fundamentally change the character of Farnham for ever and concerns were raised that this application would attempt to shift the town centre to the East Street site, which would substantially impact on existing traders." Waverley and the developers heard appeals following the presentation for a clearer demonstration to be given of the scale of the buildings through a scale model and a perspective view showing surrounding buildings. "It should clearly understood, we want this fiasco to be over and a sensible scaled development proposed that the whole of Farnham can support. This latest offering from CNS remains unacceptable, if passed it will be a travesty," stressed the campaigners. "We urge people to study this application and make their views know to Waverley's planning department. We have little time and this CNS application, if passed, would have a profoundly negative impact on all our lives." Farnham's MP Jeremy Hunt, however, has taken a different view. "These plans are a huge step forward on anything that has been proposed to date," he commented. "Gone are the ugly blocks, the underground car park and the over-sized cinema - much to everyone's relief. In their time honoured way people in Farnham will now go through the remaining plans with a toothcomb - but it feels like we finally have a way forward for the town."