COUNCIL chiefs have admitted defeat in their attempt to challenge an inspector’s decision to allow plans for almost 100 new homes on the historic Farnham Old Park in Folly Hill.

But an opposition councillor believes there may still be a glimmer of hope for other threatened green spaces across Waverley.

Waverley Borough Council refused permission for 96 homes on fields south of Upper Old Park Lane in 2016, taking sides with the more than 560 people objecting to Catesby Estates Ltd and Bewley Homes’ plans and the 10,000-plus people to have voted through the Farnham Neighbourhood Plan, which rejected the site’s potential for housing.

However, the applicants appealed this decision and a government planning inspector decided to allow the appeal last month. Following this news, the council explored options to overturn the decision, including obtaining external legal advice.

Julia Potts, Upper Hale councillor and Waverley leader, said: “I am extremely disappointed that the appeal decision was in favour of the development. I didn’t want this, the council didn’t want this, our residents certainly didn’t want this.

“It really is a shame that our view and the views of the people in our community were not shared by the inspector. We feel this development is absolutely wrong for the town.

“We put up a strong legal defence team to fight the inappropriate development at the public inquiry. Soon after the inspector’s decision, I wrote to the Rt Hon James Brokenshire, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, to express my concerns and dismay at the appeal outcome, as well as speaking with the local MP, Jeremy Hunt.

“I hope to receive a reply from the Secretary of State in due course. In the meantime I will continue to lobby to make sure the views of the town are heard. We believe this development will have a detrimental impact on the character of the area, contrary to the Farnham Neighbourhood Plan and Waverley’s adopted Local Plan.

“The council has also sought external legal advice on the prospects of challenging the inspector’s decision. Unfortunately this advice stated there was no error in law that we could base a challenge upon.

“Now we can only wait for Mr Brokenshire’s reply before deciding if there is any more we can do.

“Our Local Plan remains sound and up to date. We will continue to rely on it to defend the borough against inappropriate development.”

Explaining his decision to allow the appeal in December, Government planning inspector Philip J Asquith pointed to a “significant shortfall” in Waverley’s delivery of housing against government targets, and specifically its ability to deliver enough housing to meet demand over the next five years.

Waverley’s Local Plan, found to be “sound” last February, sets out a blueprint of where to build 590 homes per annum, 11,210 in total over the life of the plan, up to 2032 – being a share of the 1,700 new homes that must be built per annum across the West Surrey Strategic Housing Market area, incorporating Guildford and Woking.

In allowing the Folly Hill appeal, the inspector criticised Waverley’s “significant under-delivery” on its 590 homes per annum target over the past three years.

But, according to Farnham Residents councillor David Beaman, that target could soon shift again after the planning inspector responsible for overseeing Waverley’s Local Plan, Jonathan Bore, agreed to re-open the public hearings into neighbouring Guildford’s Local Plan next month, to hear new evidence that Guildford’s housing requirement should be “significantly reduced” based on revised population forecasts.

In a question initially tabled to be asked at the cancelled January 8 meeting of Waverley’s executive, Mr Beaman said: “If these new hearings result in Guildford’s housing allocation, which like Waverley’s housing allocation includes meeting some unmet need from Woking, is reduced significantly then should not Waverley also insist on an early review of its housing allocation numbers especially given the implications it could have on the proposed cross boundary development at Ockford Ridge (in Godalming) and the basis on which the appeal against development of land west of Folly Hill has been allowed.”

? Farnham town councillors are expected to vote at today’s (Thursday) full council meeting on whether the revised Farnham Neighbourhood Plan – including plans for an additional 450 homes in the town area – should be submitted to Waverley Borough Council for its latest round of ‘Regulation 15’ consultation. The public meeting starts at 7pm.