THE Farnham Neighbourhood Plan, setting out how the community wishes Farnham to develop over the next 15 years, is approaching completion after more than three years of exhaustive work on the part of residents, councillors, businesses and societies across the town.

Farnham Town Council has given its unanimous, cross-party backing for the draft plan to be submitted to Waverley Borough Council for a another stage of consultation and independent examination, building up to a make-or-break referendum and the plan’s potential adoption this winter.

It represents a huge milestone in the development of the vital planning document - dubbed the “most important thing to happen in Farnham for generations” by town mayor John Ward this week - and means the wishes of residents as expressed in its pages must now be a ‘material consideration’ in determining any planning applications in Farnham.

The Neighbourhood Plan began life in 2013 as little more than a few Post-It notes on a blank whiteboard. But over the years it has grown through countless public workshops, exhibitions, stalls at fetes and fairs, surveys and questionnaires, as well as meetings with key societies, infrastructure providers, developers, businesses and national bodies.

Carole Cockburn, leader of the town council and one of the driving forces behind the development of the Neighbourhood Plan, said: “From the outset there was no master-plan and no top-down expectation. This Neighbourhood Plan was written by the residents of Farnham from the start. Throughout the process, every draft has been widely available for comment and these comments have influenced the next draft.

“Why were so many people prepared to give up so much of their time to prepare a Neighbourhood Plan? What is its importance to Farnham? Quite simply, it is the town’s best chance to direct development to chosen areas and to influence the design of such development. It is not a total solution to Farnham’s problems but it will give the town some control over its future.”

The document did meet some resistance at last Thursday’s meeting - not least from chairman of the North West Farnham Residents Association Stewart Edge who again criticised its perceived lack of protection for the countryside between Three Stiles Road and the University for the Creative Arts, and Abigail McKern of the Farnham Theatre Association who described its assertion that the Farnham Memorial Hall is ‘a well-used venue for concerts and drama’ as “complete tosh”.

However, on balance all councillors - including the council’s four opposition Farnham Residents members - put aside their reservations and agreed it was in the greater interest of the town to proceed with the document.

John Williamson, leader of the Farnham Residents, reiterated concerns that the plan is over-reliant on Waverley’s “un-proven” SANG mitigation strategy and endorsed the amendment tabled by Mr Edge to provide additional protection for green fields in north west Farnham in line with a review commissioned by Waverley in 2014 that defined the area as a landscape of ‘high sensitivity’.

However, he agreed the town cannot afford to delay the plan any longer and added: “I recognise that this plan will now go forward to Waverley for consultation and I don’t in anyway want to hold it up. It is a significant document for the long-term benefit of Farnham and I would encourage the residents of Farnham to read it in detail and respond appropriately to the consultation.”

Responding to Mr Edge’s proposed amendment, Mrs Cockburn added: “We assessed every single site in the Neighbourhood Plan with the same criteria. If we change the criteria for one site we put into jeopardy our whole evidence base and taking the plan back to the regulation 14 stage. Frankly, I don’t have the strength to do that.

“The plan has taken a pragmatic approach, incorporating independent legal advice, and I am confident the plan is sound. It already includes a special policy protecting the Old Park area between Farnham and Folly Hill and to tinker with it at this late stage could call into question the integrity of the whole document.”

Mrs Cockburn added amendments can be proposed directly to the inspector during the next stage of the plan, known as ‘regulation 15’, and suggested the North West Farnham Residents Association take up that opportunity.

Independent member for Farnham Moor Park Andy MacLeod typified the comments of many in praising the plan team - and especially Mrs Cockburn, officer Rachel Hammond and past members Paddy Blagden and Roger Steel - for “a tremendous job”, and warned that the Neighbourhood Plan and the Local Plan offer the only real protection against inappropriate development in the town.

David Attfield, Lib Dem councillor for Weybourne and Badshot Lea, also gave his ringing endorsement for the plan proceeding and blamed delays in the production of key documentation for Waverley Borough Council’s Local Plan for the 653 new homes currently proposed in his ward, on sites not identified in the Neighbourhood Plan.

Julia Potts, town councillor for Upper Hale and leader of Waverley Borough Council, added the council “cannot risk derailing this plan, it is just too critical” and Jill Hargreaves, councillor for Farnham Firgrove and a former Mayor of Farnham, praised the people of Farnham for their vital contribution.

She said: “It has taken four years of hard work by 40,000 residents of Farnham to achieve this wonderful document. You can’t please everybody 100 per cent of the time, but it is important to stress that they still have a chance to have their say. I congratulate everybody involved in producing this plan, especially the people of Farnham - it is your document.”