WAVERLEY planners have given the green light for four extra homes on an important site in the Tilford conservation area in order to safeguard the future of the village shop and garage. For along with the housing proposals, the planning application includes an extension to the small community-run shop, enabling more stock to be kept and opening hours to be extended, and a link extension between the garage and its workshop. The former post office in the complex of buildings will be converted from one dwelling to three and an extension built to provide a further two homes to the rear. The go-ahead is subject to there being no objection from the Government Office for the South East. GOSE's approval is needed because the scheme is contrary to normal policy for the green belt. The plan, submitted by site owner and Tilford Parish Council chairman Lance Trevellyan and his company Spincrest, attracted overwhelming support from villagers. A total of 194 letters were sent to Waverley, mostly from local people. Supporters wrote of the limitation of the existing shop, which struggles to break even with sales restricted. They pointed out that the applicant would carry out improvements at no cost to the shop and only charge rent when there was sufficient financial surplus. Writers also mentioned increasing the vitality of the centre of the village, providing the small housing units that were needed there, and improving the appearance of the former Post Office building and old workshops. Planning officers told the Waverley development management committee: "Very special circumstances and an exception to green belt policy has been argued in terms of the benefit of enabling an extension to the village shop and improving the viability of retaining the garage, which is a local employer and provides a local facility." The garage and shop were especially to be valued in a small village, given that elsewhere in the borough similar local facilities were under pressure from closure and redevelopment. Addressing the committee, Mr Trevellyan said the application was the culmination of two-and-a-half years of consultation with local people and planning officers, with three sets of drawing submitted to the planning office for feedback. The scheme, he said, would secure the futures of 10 to 12 people employed on the site. He described the enlargement of the shop as crucial to putting it on a viable and sustainable footing and pointed out that disabled access to the shop would be provided at the same time. Tilford parish councillor Patricia Nice told borough councillors that the parish council supported the proposals in general, particular as regards the security given to the shop and the "affordable" housing. But she stressed: "Tilford is a dark village with no street lighting and that is the way we want to keep it," And she sounded a cautionary note that it was "an extremely sensitive development, in the heart of our conservation area and very visible from the green". Urging the greatest of care over the style and materials of the buildings, and the use of an expert in the vernacular style locally to have an oversight of the plans, Mrs added: "We feel the burden of making any change in the view of Tilford." Nerissa Warner-O'Neill, borough councillor for Tilford, echoed this opinion, commenting that the nationally famous view of Tilford Green is "trotted out every time someone wants to extoll the virtues of village life... practically everyone in the country has seen Tilford, even if they don't know where it is". Waverley's development control and policy officer John Anderson said the importance of getting the materials right was recognised. The council's conservation officer would be involved andmatters such as the mortar and joints involved would be discussed, not just the materials. Speaking at Tilford Parish Council's meeting the following day, Mr Trevellyan said: "The intention is to construct the shop extension first, so we can get the benefit of that flowing through as soon as possible." He added that he was particularly excited that 60 per cent of the site's energy would be provided from a local waste product. A combined heat and power unit is to be installed, fuelled by wood pellets supplied by Longlyf Timber in Tilford, in which Mr Trevellyan also has a business interest.
