WAVERLEY Borough Council’s new leader, Upper Hale councillor Julia Potts, has made a passionate plea to long-time objectors of the Brightwells regeneration scheme to “see the bigger picture” and drop the threat of costly legal action.

Speaking ahead of two crucial debates on the future of the controversial development, Miss Potts has extended an olive branch to those opposing the long-delayed plans for a mixed-use development on land south of East Street in Farnham town centre to work constructively with the council to improve the scheme.

Miss Potts, who replaced Haslemere councillor Robert Knowles as Waverley’s leader just last week, told the Herald: “We all need to think about what do we want for the good of Farnham. I am aware that the Farnham Interest Group have threatened a judicial review, but think that everybody needs to take a step back and think what do we really want to achieve here.

“Do we really want to go down the route of a judicial review, costing hundreds of thousands of pounds and delaying the project even further? Whose interests does that really serve, other than the lawyers?

“We need to look at the longer term, and what do we want for Farnham. Here we have a scheme with an implemented planning consent and clear benefits for the community, and I think it would be a great shame to delay it any longer.

“We’ve got an area of land sitting there not really doing anything, at a time when council budgets are under increasing pressure. To my mind, there’s a much bigger picture and I would urge groups like the Farnham Interest Group to really think about all aspects and not just the fact they don’t like the current design and mix.

“There have been battles over this for years, and I think surely the time has come where we need to move on and look to the future and the benefits that this will bring - both financially and for the community.”

Miss Potts added there are areas where the current scheme could be improved, and expressed a desire for all stakeholders - including the Farnham Interest Group - to sit down and work together rather than remain at loggerheads.

This end, she said both Waverley and its Brightwells development partner Crest Nicholson are keen to establish a dedicated stakeholders group to help engage more constructively with objectors.

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Members of the public are welcome to attend two crucial meetings debating the future of the Brightwells scheme at Waverley Borough Council’s offices in The Burys, Godalming on Tuesday, May 24. The first, a special meeting of the executive will begin at 5pm followed by a meeting of the full council at 8pm.