COUNCILLORS have approved plans for three new homes next to Farnham railway station, despite calls for the land to be used for a new road bridge over the railway.

Waverley Borough Council’s western planning committee last week consented to the plans by the B2M2 Partnership to transform the former Kelly’s Van Hire yard in Southern Way.

However, members of the council’s opposition Farnham Residents group objected on the grounds the site would be put to better use solving Farnham’s problematic level crossing.

Speaking at the meeting, Farnham Residents councillor John Fraser said: “North of this site is the level crossing which is a thundering nuisance in Farnham. 

“It is closed for 20 minutes in every hour and I am continually looking at the traffic jams caused by the gates. We should be considering the potential for building a bridge to replace the level crossing and this is the only practical site for it.”

Group chairman John Williamson added: “The National Planning Policy Framework states local planning authorities should identify and protect, where there is robust evidence, sites that could be critical in providing infrastructure to widen transport choice. 

“If there is one thing Farnham needs, it is a resolution in terms of the level crossing. The crossing is not only impacting on traffic but also health, and if we allow this application we are effectively blocking the only possible site for a bridge.”

Fellow councillors were dismissive of the suggestion however, led by committee chairman Peter Isherwood who replied: “When I moved to Farnham 40 years ago they were talking about a bridge there and nothing has happened since.”

Waverley’s development control manager Elizabeth Simms added it would be “totally unreasonable” to hold up the site’s potential for a bridge as a reason against the development.

“There is no robust evidence that this site is critical for extending infrastructure, even if there is some wider aspiration for using the site to widen transport choice,” she said.

“Clearly going forward infrastructure is important but that is the role of the Local Plan.”

Away from the bridge debate, councillors praised the application and particularly its reduction in scale compared to a previously refused scheme but some expressed concern at its provision of car parking.

The Mayor of Farnham, Pat Frost said: “I know this site very well and neighbours have not raised any objection to this. I like that it is smaller and it will fit in with the area very well. 

“However, there is one area that concerns me - parking. My concern is there would be overflow parking into the station car park resulting in overflow into the surrounding area.

“We’ve just put in parking restrictions in Southern Way to help residents, and we need to address the problem area of on-street parking in this very difficult area.”

Councillor for The Bourne, Carole Cockburn added: “This will be such an improvement on a site where we’ve had business after business that has never succeeded. 

“But on parking, we’ve got it wrong before in Southern Way and we will get it wrong again. If you persist on building narrow little roads in estates, you end up with cars parked all over the pavement and filling up nearby car parks as there is no where else for them to go.

“We must learn from our mistakes and think of the wider amenity of residents. It is an issue we should continually look at and question for the benefit of our residents.”

Mrs Simms said the proposed development complies with the council’s own parking guidelines and councillors voted in favour of the scheme, nine votes to two.