FARNHAM'S MP Jeremy Hunt has appealed for Waverley Council to turn back before it's too late from the current East Street proposals. Entering the debate for the first time since he spoke out strongly against the proposals at a public meeting during the general election campaign, he said there are many positives about the plans. "I personally love the idea of a cinema – even a seven-screen one - and strongly support anything that helps improve leisure facilities for young people. "But by the same merit, I am disappointed that no provision has been made in the plans for a replacement for the Redgrave, perhaps working in partnership with the Maltings which does Farnham so proud." The MP's concerns fall into two categories - aesthetic and practical. "On the aesthetic side, we have a responsibility to get this right not just for ourselves, but for many future generations of Farnham residents. I was deeply disappointed the Woolmead is not included in the plans, and even more when Sainsbury's decided to stick with their current building." The development, he said, will leave intact some of the ugliest buildings at that end of town. "Why can we not be inspired by the more modest example of the development in Lion and Lamb Yard? Farnham has grown by incremental improvements over very many years. It has stood the test of time, and is a credit to Farnham's history. "There are also concerns about the underground car park, the flood plain and the height of the new buildings. Many worry about where the bowls club, established in 1924, will go." His biggest concern, however, is with traffic. "Two hundred and ninety four flats, a cinema with 1,200 seats, possibly a new M & S, numerous cafes and restaurants will all drive more traffic to the centre of Farnham – yet anyone who has tried to drive in or around Farnham in peak periods knows that it is already totally gridlocked. "If the new development is to be a commercial success, how will we cope with the extra traffic?" Mr Hunt believed a Crest Nicholson prediction that the development will increase traffic overall by 10 per cent to be "a gross underestimate", adding: "We need to recognise that Farnham's biggest challenge is its traffic. "To solve this we need a 20-year traffic plan for Farnham. It should involve significant investment in public transport and cycling routes. We should also look at pedestrianising The Borough, one of the most attractive streets in Surrey, which is also one its worst stretches for carbon monoxide pollution. "I would like to see Farnham blaze a trail as a town that moves from being dominated by traffic to becoming one of the greenest and most pleasant in the country. That way our built environment will finally match up to the challenge of our remarkable history."
