SUBMISSION of the long-awaited planning application for the East Street redevelopment will not be delayed by any problems in negotiating the inclusion of parts of the site with private landowners. Developers Crest Nicholson said this week that it expects to submit the application early next year. In July, it emerged that no agreement had been reached between the developers and St Martin's, owners of the site of the current Sainsbury's store in South Street, over the use of the land. That same month Waverley Council revealed that its officers had been asked to investigate the possibilty of using compulsory purchase powers to progress the development. Then at a recent meeting of the Waverley executive, the pressure group CEASE claimed that the East Street proposals impinge upon property owned by Laurel Pub Group (the Hogshead) and Wimpeyburger, to the extent that neither business could continue to trade. "Does this council accept that the development cannot be built as shown, and that until a feasible development is proposed, any associated land assembly could represent an extremely high risk to the council tax payer?" Lesley Lovell, of CEASE, asked the executive. Waverley's portfolio holder for East Street, Chris Mansell, replied: "Waverley has been well aware for many years of the pattern of freeholders, including the Laurel Pub Co, on the whole development site, and so is Crest Nicholson." Mr Mansell said that obviously the development cannot take place until land assembly is complete. Effective land assembly, he said, is one of the clear conditions that must be met before the conditional contract between Waverley and the developer becomes unconditional. But responsibility for negotiations with Laurel rests with Crest Nicholson, "so there is no risk to Waverley council tax payers", he advised. A spokesman for Crest Nicholson told The Herald: "Following the forum, we will work up the necessary plans and supporting information needed to make a planning application to the borough council. "This will include designing the individual buildings, public areas and open spaces, as well as finalising all the supporting information including the environmental assessment. "This will take a number of weeks to complete, so assuming the forum is held within the next month to six weeks, we would expect to submit the planning application early next year." Dealing with potential problems over site assembly, the developer said: "Where possible we try to avoid the CPO route, preferring to negotiate directly with the other parties involved. "In fact, if there were to be a need for a compulsory purchase order, then this would usually follow planning consent. Therefore the planning application would not be delayed by any discussions with surrounding landowners."
