HAMBLEDON Parish Council has given its conditional support to a planning application to build nine houses, seven of them affordable, at Orchard Farm in Wormley Lane.

English Rural Housing Association (ERHA) is seeking approval for a scheme to build seven one, two and three-bedroom properties for affordable rent or shared ownership and two open-market bungalows. Priority will be given to local people with a connection to Hambledon.

This application follows the rejection of a previous proposal to build 17 homes – 12 affordable and five market – on the site.

In its response to Waverley Borough Council, Hambledon Parish Council stated that it continued to support the provision of affordable housing in the village and noted the reduction in the size of the proposed development, which is on land within the green belt and the Surrey Hills area of outstanding natural beauty.

The original scheme proposed demolishing Orchard farmhouse and gifting land not required for the development to the parish council as community open space. But the new application excludes the farmhouse, which is to be refurbished and sold on the open market. The adjoining land will no longer be gifted to the council.

ERHA told the parish council the adjoining land will be sold, either with the farmhouse or separately, and the sale would be accompanied by “appropriate legal safeguards to ensure the land cannot be developed in the future”.

The parish council response also noted the need for drainage and surface water issues to be satisfactorily addressed. It supported the application with various provisos, including Surrey County Council commiting to the required drainage work.