WATES Developments has vowed to appeal to the Secretary of State after its bid for up to 157 new homes in Waverley Lane was refused by Waverley Borough Council last week.

The developer proposes building a mix of one to five-bedroomed homes on two greenfield sites either side of Waverley Lane, known locally as Compton Fields.

But Waverley’s head of planning, Matthew Evans . wrote to Wates on Thursday, July 30, to confirm his refusal of planning permission on the grounds the application would harm the character of the area.

In a damning assessment of the development, Mr Evans said: “The proposal by virtue of its location, number of dwellings, density, scale, urbanising impact and impact on landscape character, would cause material and detrimental harm to the intrinsic character, beauty and openness of the countryside and character and appearance of the area.”

He added the development would contravene the Waverley Borough Local Plan 2002, the Farnham Design Statement and the National Planning Policy Framework.

The application was refused permission under delegated powers after councillors decided against ‘calling in’ the application for determination by a planning committee.

In response, a spokesman for Wates Developments said: “We are naturally disappointed that the application for up to 157 new homes at Compton Park has been refused by the borough council.

“The refusal cites concerns with the density of the scheme and the impact on the local area. However, the council readily accepts that it does not have the required five-year supply of housing land.

“The matter will now pass to the Planning Inspectorate for a public inquiry, where the assessed impact of the proposal can be judged independently against its benefits.

“We remain very positive about the merits of the application and the benefits that it will bring in terms of much needed new homes as well as significant investment in local infrastructure such as roads and schools which have been prioritised through consultation.”

Waverley’s decision will be greeted by the 592 people who wrote letters of objection to Waverley as well as those who staged two protests against Wates’ plans at Farnham railway station in May and June.

The protestors, led by the South Farnham Residents Association, believe the sites are unsustainable and would cause traffic chaos at Farnham station level crossing.

Two separate applications by Wates, for 59 homes and 98 homes either side of Waverley Lane, are still pending a decision by the planning authority.

To view or comment on the applications, visit www.waverley.gov.uk/plan

ning and search for references WA/2015/0894 and WA/2015/0895.