Sir, – The residents of south Farnham, the Bourne and Wrecclesham must feel great relief that the Waverley policy of over-development of Farnham has received a temporary setback (The Herald, March 13). Using a very doubtful miniplan, Waverley has managed to cram 567 new houses into Farnham since April 2007. However, unless Farnham takes action, that will not be the end of the story.

The miniplan is exclusively a Farnham issue. It affects only development in Farnham. Waverley planners are clearly setting out their stall to persuade Farnham councillors to accept an extension of the existing miniplan or, in all probability, a new miniplan. I say in all probability because the draft South-East Plan (policy NRM6) requires both SANGS and access management. This proposed change to the South-East Plan policy originates from Natural England and the RSPB. The current miniplan contains no provision for access management; it is merely the provision of SANGS.

There is no obligation on any local authority to provide any form of SANGS to provide mitigation, it is the responsibility of the developer to ensure that he has complied with the Habitats Directive. One adjacent local authority has never adopted the policy of provision of SANGS. Farnham councillors need to be convinced that a new miniplan is necessary.

I am sure that councillor Steel and probably some of the other Farnham councillors are aware that any extension of the miniplan or any new miniplan will have to comply with the South-East Plan policies. I am also sure the councillors are aware that any future miniplan would be an open invitation to developers to continue their policies of garden-grabbing, demolition of desirable family homes and the erection of monstrous unwanted apartment blocks.

The recently terminated miniplan existed to enable very large developments to take place. It would be disingenuous for Waverley to claim that the purpose of that miniplan was to assist small developers and small builders. The main beneficiaries of the miniplan were the partnership between Waverley Council and Crest Nicholson promoting East Street, Belway Homes with their development the old hospital site and the development at Spooners Yard in Wrecclesham.

Does Farnham need a new miniplan? The area affected by the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area is only a minute proportion of the total area of the borough. The small area involved, is an arc of five kilometres centred on the top of Folly Hill stretching south as far as Frensham Vale. Only the area within that arc is affected. Small builders and developers have merely to operate on projects outside that area.

When the committee reviewing the South-East Plan allocated an increased number of houses to Waverley, it added that it was anticipated that all of this housing allocation would take place outside the area affected by the Thames Basin Heaths SPA.

On October 7, 2008 Waverley officers conceded that within the South-East Plan "Farnham has been removed from the list of secondary regional centres, because further growth could have an impact on the setting and character of the historic town. Officers raise no objection to this change because proposed Policy TC2 – New Development & Redevelopment in Town Centres allows other town centres not listed in Policy TC1, such as Farnham, to be developed or redeveloped". Put simply, although the South-East Plan intends Farnham to be protected, officers have spotted a weasel-way around the underlying purpose and intent of the policy.

Those residents of Farnham who oppose wholesale over-development of their historic town should now make their councillors aware that enough is enough and assist them. Farnham is full up. Farnham has taken as much as it can – now is the time to call a halt.

B G Davey, Frith End, Bordon