AN exhibition of the plans for the regeneration of the East Street area was due to go on public display yesterday (Thursday) in the former Tourist Information area at the Farnham Town Council offices in South Street. Terry Prescott of Crest Nicholson Developments said: "We would encourage people to stop by and take a look at the proposals and see for themselves how the plans will improve this part of Farnham. "A full set of plans for the East Street scheme is available in Farnham and Godalming for anyone to view. As well as the drawings of the scheme layout, new cinema building, the plans for Brightwell House, the new shops, homes and town square on display, the application also includes the various studies we have undertaken on transport, retail and environmental issues to support our plans. "However, we appreciate that not everyone will want to spend time reading all of the many documents that make up the application, so the new display in the Farnham locality office provides an overview of the plans, showing the masterplan, floorplans and elevations of key buildings of the scheme, as well as artist's impressions of how the area will look once the scheme has been completed. "This will be an excellent starting point for anyone wanting to find out more about our proposals for improving the area. The same information will also be uploaded to the project website: for anyone wishing to view the plans without coming to the town centre." The £105 million mixed-use scheme includes new shops, cafés, restaurants and bars, as well as a cinema and residential apartments, all focused on a new town square. As The Herald went to press, no firm date had yet been set for the special meeting of Waverley Council's executive which will consider specialist legal advice over whether or not to extend the longstop date for the redevelopment. A decision not to extend the longstop beyond the current December 31, thereby denying Crest Nicholson extra time to achieve planning consent and to complete land aquisition and other matters, could sound the death knell for the Crest Nicholson scheme. Council leader Gillian Ferguson has made clear that councillors need more advice on the matter with regard to "reasonableness". In the meantime, well-organised opposition groups have been marshalling their forces, with leaflet campaigns to encourage the public to submit written objections. The Farnham Theatre Association, in a leaflet accusing Waverley Council of "cultural vandalism", draws attention to the fact that the Redgrave Theatre will be demolished under the "regeneration". The association points out that, once again, the New Farnham Repertory Actors Group has performed its season to full houses in a tent outside the boarded-up theatre. "The Redgrave Theatre, built less than 40 years ago by public subscription, has one of the best auditoriums in the south of England. If demolished, it would cost over £4 million to replace, but much, much less to restore. "Waverley are clearly encouraging this cultural vandalism and insist that 120 seats in a room in the Maltings plus a school theatre out in the countryside will satisfy today's audiences - they are wrong!" East Street Action's leaflet lays emphasis on the parking situation, drawing attention to the fact that Sainsbury's car park will become a shopping mall, the old cinema site car park will disappear under retail development and the Dogflud car park will be "covered with huge blocks of flats". "You will get just one replacement car park underground with 118 fewer public car parking spaces. "The area will be a building site for four years. Existing traffic + construction lorries = chaos!" The developers' proposals also include a number of community facilities. Improvements to the Gostrey Centre are planned and provision has been made for a new club house for the bowling club. Four hundred public parking spaces, as well as the residential car parking provision, will be created in an underground car park below the town square allowing the area above ground to be entirely pedestrianised.
