A NEW delay is in prospect for the East Street planning application, after Liberal Democrats on Waverley Council suffered an embarrassing defeat over their "mini-plan" for Farnham Park. The plan has been designed to tackle the current freeze on new residential development within five kilometres of the Thames Basin Heath Special Protection Area (SPA) near Sandy Hill - a zone that includes East Street. But Conservatives and Independents joined forces on Tuesday to stop an interim scheme going through, referring it back until the next council meeting on February 20 for further consideration and information. The Lib Dem executive faced criticism of being "underhand", after many councillors only learned in emails from the public that a planning inspector had raised serious concerns about the scheme. The mini-plan, which propmpted objections from 247 members of the public, is aimed at fulfilling the demands of Natural England for "mitigation" when new homes that will increase the area's population are built. The concept is that by taking action to encourage more public use of Farnham Park, especially by dog users, pressure is taken off the Special Protection Area. But the inspector who was due to hold the inquiry into Waverley's new core strategy - the replacement for the local plan - has complained that his questions to Waverley about the matter have not been adequately answered. But at last week's executive, no mention was made of the inspector's remarks, and it was recommended that an "interim" scheme relating to the park and only providing mitigation for three years of building should proceed. "We seem to have a 'trust me, I am the executive' sort of statement," Tory group leader Richard Gates told the full council. "It was brought to the executive, it was not on the agenda, papers were not circulated in advance." Mr Gates said he arrived four minutes late for the executive meeting and found the issue was almost entirely dealt with. "I have felt increasingly that we members are only told what the officers and the executive want us to know," complained Conservative Carole Cockburn. She said "the lack of information, and perhaps disinformation" had been brought to a new level on the subject of the mini-plan. "The inspector, as I understand it, criticised the council for not evaluating properly the development options, which might have reduced the effects which gave rise for the need for mitigation in the first place. "So there's a big question there on the need for mitigation. We don't even know 100 per cent whether we're going about it the right way." Mrs Cockburn added: "We are being asked to commit taxpayers' money to a plan that may well be rejected or tested in the courts at a later date at goodness knows what expense. "This is a rushed plan, an ill thought out plan that is designed to get certain unpopular schemes in Farnham off the ground. "I really sometimes wonder what Farnham has done to get the treatment it gets in this council, I really do." David Harmer said that many of the critical points raised by the public looked to be sound and accurate. Pat Frost added: "I am grateful to the people who sent emails telling me what it was all about because we had very little information from this council." Stephen Thwaites, director of planning, said that the inspector did not feel Waverley "had been through enough hoops" on the issue, but that it was the relationship with Natural England that was the important one. "What we have got here is a pragmatic response that will allow us to take development control measures on a case by case basis. "As planning applications come in, Natural England will be consulted and they will be monitoring these decisions against the mini- mitigation plan." "We are trying to deal here with a complete moratorium on any residential development in Farnham. That is not a healthy situation for Farnham to be in," said council leader Gillian Ferguson. "There are individuals who desperately need some form of housing," said Victor Scrivens, giving the example of a photography studio in Upper Church Lane which under the current stranglehold cannot have a bathroom installed to convert it to residential use. Planning portfolio holder Patrick Haveron stated that in essence it was Natural England's plan, not Waverley's, and that other places affect by a SPA, like Guildford and Woking, had all gone through the same process. Waverley Council has confirmed that consideration of the East Street application will not take place until the mini-plan issue has been settled.
