WAVERLEY councillors were forced to take a pragmatic stance last Wednesday, approving four stipulations relating to Bellway Homes' redevelopment of the Farnham Hospital site on Hale Road. Development of the site will thus imminently begin in earnest, after being held up by four variations to the original imposed conditions. Two of these conditions relate to the requirement to submit planning applications and obtain approval before development is commenced. Meanwhile, the applicant, Bellway Homes, is keen to commence works before all highways junctions have been provided. Opposition came from Waverley Borough and Farnham town councillor Andrew Thorp, who said: "It is quite incredulous that the developer seems to have started work on site. This is a blatant disregard and changing the goalposts for the convenience of the developers and a disregard to the local community. "This is our last chance to exert influence on developer and the PCT to ensure a safe sustainable development is undertaken to meet needs of those who live in and around it." As Surrey County Council's highway division launched no objection to the scheme, the council was unable to reject the proposal on those grounds, and the carrot of affordable housing was dangling, "While phasing the development wasn't in our minds when the original decision was made, our concern was more to do with the 40 per cent affordable housing," said Adam Taylor Smith.
