PLANS to knock down a house in a cul-de-sac on the outskirts of Haslemere, and build three in its place, were last week dismissed by borough councillors. Members of Waverley Borough Council's development management committee unanimously voted against the plans for Edgewood, Grays Close, which were described as "overdevelopment" and "garden grabbing of the worst kind". The application also created a storm of protest from residents and Haslemere town councillors. If the scheme had been approved the existing house at Grays Close would have been been demolished and replaced with three detached houses. Edgewood is located at the southern end of Grays Close, off Highcombe Road, and is part of a cul-de- sac of eight houses built in the late 1950s. A similar application was refused earlier this year by members of the development management committee, despite being recommended for approval by planning officers. At the time, committee members threw out the scheme on the grounds it "would result in an overdevelopment of the site that would be out of character". Ted Englefield, of Grays Close, told the committee, when a similar application for the same site had been rejected in April, work to start excavating the land had begun just two weeks later. Mr Englefield said the proposed houses would be "severely overbearing" and dominate the close. He also expressed grave concerns over possible traffic problems if the scheme was granted permission, particularly the danger to children, if more cars used the close. Mr Englefield said the scheme would be "completely out of keeping" with a small, narrow cul-de-sac in a semi-rural area and said the plans were "garden grabbing in its worst form". Haslemere borough councillor Jim Edwards said: "There are going to be three buildings in that same plot. It's completely out of proportion in the close and its overdevelopment. They (the developers) have shoe-horned them into the plot. There should be two on the plot at the most." He added: "I can't see anything different from the last application. I don't think it fits in with the local environment and other properties." Hindhead borough councillor Peter Isherwood said the latest application was so similar to the one previously rejected by the committee, they were "practically the same". Mr Isherwood said the application was "inappropriate" and said three houses on the site would "totally change the character of the close". The applicants claim to have taken note of previous objections and made a number changes for the latest scheme, including moving the siting of one of the proposed houses. They stated the proposed homes would be traditionally designed and appropriate for the established character of the area. The scheme was also objected to by Haslemere Town Council for a number of reasons including the proposed development being out of keeping with neighbouring properties and setting a precedent. Town councillors were also concerned about the impact the development would have on the privacy of neighbours and the scheme being out of character. The plans led to 27 letters of objection being sent to Waverley Borough Council, with concerns including overdevelopment of the site, garden grabbing and an increase in traffic.