Waverley Borough Council must accept some development on protected land around the likes of Haslemere.

That’s the message one of its own councillors has made with the alternative being more housing around the outskirts of Farnham and the eastern part of the borough.

Cllr Terry Weldon made the stark warning to the WBC Planning Committee minutes before they rejected outline plans to build 14 homes on the south side of Haslemere.

The proposals by Monkhill Ltd and Transform Housing for a site that falls within the Surrey Hill National Landscape included eight homes for social rent with the remaining six being for custom self-build properties.

Supporters argued the need for affordable and social housing in Haslemere, highlighting the “great location” of the 1.53 hectare site on the Longdene Estate. Committee members heard the triangular plot was well screened and “pretty much invisible” with good links to the town centre.

While the application was recommended for refusal by WBC because of its sensitivity and location, the debate seemed to be swaying towards approval at one stage amid claims every home on the site could be classified as affordable because of the self-build element.

But the plot with the eight social homes, shoehorned into a corner, would occupy less than a quarter of the site, while the remaining six plots would be “substantial”.

Committee members were warned what precedent they would accept if they approved an estate which had six “large detached properties on large plots.”

Cllr Weldon gave an impassioned plea on why WBC should approve a scheme backed by Haslemere Town Council, claiming the area desperately needs social housing.

He said: “A consideration which I think is important is this simple fact – in Haslemere there is no land available which is either not national landscape or protected green belt.

“If we are not to build on national landscape land then where are we to provide housing?

“Almost the only land available across all of Waverley which is not protected is either on the outskirts of Farnham or in the east of the borough.

“If we’re not to build on Haslemere national landscape do you want it on the outskirts of Farnham, or in the east?

“The alternative is, in my view, that sometimes we need to accept to build on national landscape.

“I believe in this instance, we have no choice, and we must build on this particular site.”