COUNCILLORS have refused planning permission for 140 new homes on the last remaining green field between Badshot Lea and Weybourne.

Bewley Homes’ proposed development opposite Farnham Sea Cadets’ headquarters, TS Swiftsure in Lower Weybourne Lane, would have increased the population of Badshot Lea by 25 per cent.

But the application was shot down by Waverley Borough Council’s joint planning committee after councillors ruled it would "irreparably harm the character of the area".

More than 250 people objected to the application prior to the meeting, including the Badshot Lea Community Association and Farnham Town Council.

A community association spokesman said the development would increase the flood risk in an area already prone to flooding, as well as “dramatically” increasing the number of car journeys 500 metres from Badshot Lea Infant School.

Cliff Watts, representing Badshot Lea Community Association, said: “Bewley Homes has taken a ‘cram it in’ approach and there has been no meaningful consultation with residents.

Mr Watts added the 2013 village survey and emerging Farnham Neighbourhood Plan have both demonstrated strong local opposition to housing on the Lower Weybourne Lane site.

“The village has indicated where it would reluctantly accept some housing, but this site is clearly not acceptable,” he continued.

“Badshot Lea cannot sustain the 310 new homes proposed by current planning applications and we can afford to be more discerning about what we build and where we build it.”

In addition to Bewley Homes’ proposed 140 homes, there are plans for 99 homes at Little Acres Nursery and 71 homes west of St George’s Road in Badshot Lea.

Waverley has also refused planning permission for 30 homes in Low Lane, Badshot Lea, and 61 homes in Monkton Lane, Weybourne, earlier this year.

Farnham Town Council said Badshot Lea must be protected from the cumulative effect of this development, as well as the near-4,000 homes currently being built in nearby Aldershot.

Jeremy Ricketts, town councillor for Weybourne and Badshot Lea, said: “It is vital that the narrow belt of open country which separates Badshot Lea from Weybourne is maintained if Badshot Lea is to retain its distinctive community.

“We must protect the individuality of such settlements and seek to enhance their character, not merge them to create larger sprawling settlements, ruining the rural nature of Waverley as a whole.”

David Neam, speaking on behalf of Bewley Homes, said the promise of 56 ‘affordable’ homes would appeal to those in “desperate need for housing, whose voices are seldom heard in the planning process”.

And a drainage expert representing the developer added the site would be elevated to a level above the flood risk zone, insisting there “will be no impact from this development on the area’s flood risk”.

However, not the first time since the May election, councillors criticised officers’ recommendation to grant approval and accused council planners of riding rough-shod over local people’s views.

Badshot Lea councillor Nabeel Nasir said: “This area is like a sponge and if they raise the floor level of the site, the theory of gravity tells us it will be like a waterfall and will result in flooding elsewhere.

“All the schools in this area are already chock-a-block and the GPs have the same problem - not to mention the issues with traffic and pollution.

“If this application is allowed, it will change the character of this area forever and the strategic gap between Badshot Lea and Weybourne will be lost.”