THE Mayor of Farnham, Dr Penny Marriott, has called a public meeting on the East Street redevelopment.

The news came as the councillor leading the project denied it is in danger of collapsing after it was decided to delay the process by up to two months.

Captain Peter Burden, Waverley council's portfolio holder for the project, told The Herald: "I am very satisfied with the progress that's been made and I can't see anything that will stop this."

Dr Marriott's public meeting will be held at Church House on Tuesday, February 18 at 7-30 pm, and it is hoped the developers and Waverley officers will give presentations.

Dr Marriott said: "We understood there was a delay in signing the conditional contract and that gives us time to formulate and consolidate a town view rather than views from individual interest groups."

Asked if she had any concerns about developer Crest Nicholson/Sainsbury's outline plans, Dr Marriott said she thought new flats near the Brightwell Tennis Club appeared "too blocky and far too large".

She also feels community groups based at the Gostrey Centre need much bigger facilities.

Dr Marriott is encouraging people to write to Farnham Town Council's offices in South Street with their views before the meeting.

Bryan Sell, the former Mayor of Farnham and instigator of the current redevelopment drive, is also arranging an invitation-only meeting a week Saturday (January 25) with presentations by local architects and an exchange of views.

Capt Burden was talking after a meeting of Waverley's policy-making executive committee decided to postpone the signing of a conditional contract with developers Crest Nicholson/Sainsbury's from the end of this month until the end of March.

He was unable to predict when a final, unconditional contract might be signed.

The delay means it is unlikely that an unconditional contract will be signed before the May 1 Waverley elections, which could see the borough's Liberal Democrats regain power from the ruling Conservatives, who have agreed the recent stages of the East Street redevelopment process without Lib Dem approval.

Lib Dem leader Chris Slyfield said his party would be unlikely to tear up any agreement between the council and the developers because there would be a penalty clause, and it is likely Waverley would be sued.

But he did say his party would "negotiate different terms to follow the public demand and not what the Tories seem to have done and follow a profit and asset-driven scheme".

Dr Rosemary Thomas, Farnham ward councillor and deputy leader of Waverley's Lib Dems, said if her party is elected to power in May it would "look again" at the development brief, with particular reference to the blocks of flats near the tennis club.

The delay has been agreed so that Waverley has more time to make sure all the buildings and car parks on the site of the proposed redevelopment will be left vacant. In agendas for Tuesday night's executive meeting, officers reported progress on 20 sites, 16 owned by Waverley.

They reported that Crest Nicholson/Sainsbury's will try to agree a price for the former cinema site with owners ISIS (formerly Friends Provident).

They also said that the Guildford and Waverley Primary Care Trust has agreed in principle to let Waverley have the Brightwell Health Centre by December 31 and that Crest Nicholson/Sainsbury's have been in discussions with Marlborough Head owners Greene King over an outright purchase or option to buy.

Waverley also hopes to free up space in the Dogflud car park currently protected by a county council restrictive covenant.

The officers report detailed progress on the 16 Waverley-owned sites. The council either has, or could easily obtain, vacant possession of 11 of these sites, but five still have question marks hanging over them.

For example, an architect has been instructed to draw up a design for replacement courts for the Brightwell Tennis Club together with homes on land at Riverside.

The scheme is being costed and it is proposed that bids should be sought from a shortlist of developers, including Crest Nicholson and Sainsbury's, to acquire the site from Waverley.

Questions also remain over the Gostrey Centre and Farnham Youth Project.

The Gostrey Centre could be retained or redeveloped. The developers are evaluating their options.

The Farnham Youth Project in Dogflud Way could also make way for a new development, in which case it would need to be relocated.

Asked whether Waverley might have to resort to compulsory purchase orders for sites in the redevelopment area, Capt Burden said: "We don't have to look at compulsory purchase yet and I hope we don't have to but we will if forced."

Capt Burden and executive committee colleagues have also agreed a six-month exclusivity agreement which gives Crest Nicholson/Sainsbury's the sole right to redevelop East Street. They also agreed there will be public consultations about the redevelopment next month, details of which are yet to be announced.

l A SAINSBURY'S executive says his store's possible takeover of Safeway has "no implications whatsoever" for the redevelopment of East Street and the supermarket chain's commitment to keeping a town centre store.

Anthony Shapland, development executive for Sainsbury's made the comment following the supermarket's announcement this week that it is considering bidding £3.2 billion for the store.

He said: "We have a legal agreement with Waverley Borough Council that we will keep our town centre store, so there's nothing we can do about that, and the East Street redevelopment doesn't hinge on the new Sainsbury's store - the Sainsbury's unit is quite small.