WAVERLEY Council says that new housing developments in Farnham can finally be given the go-ahead, as its much-criticised Farnham "mini plan" to encourage more use of Farnham Park is now being implemented by the council. The mini-plan (also known as the avoidance strategy for the Thames Basin Heaths) aims to make sure that new building developments, which inevitably increase Farnham's population, do not automatically result in additional numbers of people using the Thames Basin Heaths. The heaths special protection area for birds such as the Dartford Warbler extends to just north of Sandy Hill and for almost a year, planning consent for new housing development within five kilometres has been vetoed. Steve Thwaites, Waverley's director of planning and development, explained: "Even though the heaths are outside of Farnham, people living in Farnham use them for recreation, walking their dogs etc. "We need to deter increased numbers of people using the heaths because, no matter how considerate individuals are, their overall presence affects the birds that rely on the heaths and could ultimately result in their demise. "Instead, locals are being encouraged to visit Farnham Park and we're carrying out lots of improvements in and around the park to try to make that happen." Mr Thwaites added: "The mini-plan includes guidance for developers, including key improvements to Farnham Park, such as increased car parking and plenty of signs so that local people know how to find the park. "We've worked closely with Natural England to make sure the plan is successful in protecting the birds' habitat." A rush of planning applications is expected from developers, some of whom have laid off workers while their land banks have remained unuseable. Waverley has produced an information pack for developers with an explanatory note about the mini plan, guidance about how to incorporate the plan into planning applications, a template legal agreement for contributions to the enhancement of Farnham Park, and the mini-plan itself.
