PLANS have been exhibited for a second 120-home development in the countryside between Farnham and Folly Hill.

Developer Bewley Homes in partnership with Catesby Estates held a public exhibition of its draft plans last Thursday at Hale Village Hall, ahead of submitting a formal planning application to Waverley Borough Council later this year.

It seeks to build a mix of one to five-bedroom two-storey homes on a 15-acre greenfield site currently used for horse grazing, directly opposite Grade II listed Farnham Park.

A new roundabout is proposed to connect the development to Folly Hill and Drovers Way and the scheme also includes an on-site Suitable Alternative Natural Green Space (SANGS) to offset its impact on the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area.

If allowed, it would represent the second 120-home development to be built in the fields between Farnham and Folly Hill in coming years, adding to Taylor Wimpey’s development on the Beavers Road hop fields less than a mile south, granted planning permission in April 2015.

With Farnham’s green spaces currently vulnerable to development because of Waverley’s lack of an up-to-date Local Plan, a further application for nine new homes at Old Park Stables adjoining the Folly Hill site is also pending a decision by Waverley.

Andrea Kelleher, senior consultant for Turley Associates acting on behalf of Bewley Homes and Catesby Estates, wrote to Folly Hill residents ahead of last week’s exhibition.

She said: “Waverley Borough Council has identified an urgent need for new market and affordable housing in the borough, which is currently not being met.

“The proposals will bring forward new homes needed in Farnham, including 40 per cent affordable housing, a new access junction to Folly Hill, dedicated public open space and a SANGS.”

Ms Kelleher added the site provides “a logical extension” to the town, “sustainably located within reasonable walking distance of a range of local services including shops, schools, employment and a mainline railway station”.

However, many of those who attended last week’s exhibition responded negatively to the plans, especially those living opposite the site.

Sarah Desborough, a Folly Hill resident, told The Herald: “A lot of people are up in arms about it. Folly Hill is such a busy road and I just don’t know how it would work.

“It’s already a nightmare getting down that road into town. My children are at Weydon School and I often drive all the way around through Dora’s Green because there’s no point going down the hill into Castle Street at peak times.

“I’m also concerned for safety because they’re planning to have a new bus stop right on the brow of the hill and more people will use the rat run through Drover’s Way where they’ve only recently put in traffic calming.

“I know we need affordable housing, but how many of these homes are actually going to be affordable?”

The draft plans can be viewed online at www.fol

lyhillfarnham.co.uk. Alternatively comments can be posted to ‘FREEPOST – RTEY-ABBU- UGCX, Turley Consultation Team, Turley, 10 Queen Square, Bristol BS1 4NT’ or emailed to [email protected].