PLANNING permission has been granted for a new block of 14 flats to the rear of the historic Swain and Jones’ car showroom in East Street.

Waverley Borough Council’s western planning committee has given its unanimous backing for the construction of 12 two-bedroom and two three-bedroom units spread across three to four storeys, following demolition of Swain and Jones’ existing workshops and garage buildings.

It comes after Swain and Jones, one of Farnham’s oldest retailers, closed last November bringing to an end more than 100 years’ trading in Farnham at the cost of 34 jobs.

The historic dealership’s chairman Peter Lewis-Jones, the third generation of his family to run the business, blamed the closure on Jaguar Land Rover’s “extraordinary and disappointing” decision to end its 33-year relationship with Swain and Jones.

Farnham Estates Ltd subsequently bought the freehold interest in the site, and in partnership with Stedman Blower Architects has fulfilled its promise to re-develop the site with a mixture of residential and commercial uses “so that future employment opportunities will be provided”.

As such the dealership’s showroom and attached coach house will be retained, but only after a change of use to Class A1 shop use and Class B1 office use respectively.

One of Swain and Jones’ vehicular accesses from East Street will be closed with a creation of a new vehicular access route directly into East Street, and a modification of an existing access in East Street.

There will be 50 parking spaces in total, with 28 provided within an under croft car park and 22 provided externally.

Eight letters of objection were received by Waverley ahead of the August 3 planning meeting, with “serious concerns” raised regarding the new building’s height and mass, and the additional traffic generated.

However, two further letters hailed the application for contributing to the “desperately needed” regeneration of East Street and council officers advised councillors that the “benefits of the scheme would significantly outweigh the identified adverse impacts”.

To view Farnham Estates’ application in full visit the website www.wa

verley.gov.uk/planning and search for reference WA/2016/0668.