PLANS to demolish one house in a Haslemere cul- de-sac and build three in its place have been recommended for permission by Waverley planning officers. But the application has created a storm of protest from residents and town councillors. If the scheme is approved the existing house would be knocked down and replaced by 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 Waverley Borough Council's 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 over- development of the site that would be out of character". The applicants have taken note of these objections and made a number changes for the latest scheme, including moving the siting of one of the proposed houses. The applicants claim the proposed homes would be traditionally designed and appropriate for the established character of the area. The latest scheme has been 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 have also led to 17 letters of objection being sent to Waverley Borough Council, with concerns including overdevelopment of the site, garden grabbing and an increase in traffic. But Waverley officers concluded that although the scheme was in an "established residential area" the proposed development would "respect the character of the area". The final decision on the application will be taken at a meeting of Waverley Borough Council's development management committee on Wednesday of this week.
