WAVERLEY council chiefs have given the go-ahead for officers to submit a retrospective planning application for the new changing rooms at the Memorial Ground in West Street.

It comes after the council admitted breaching its own planning controls last month, by constructing the new changing rooms for Farnham Town FC without the required planning consent.

Speaking at last Tuesday’s meeting of Waverley’s executive, portfolio holder Kevin Deanus reiterated that the changing rooms were initially intended to be temporary during the Memorial Hall refurbishment works, and therefore qualified as permitted development.

“However,” he added, “as the designs became more crystallised it became apparent that with the extension, the space created could house services with greater synergy.

“It is now therefore prudent that the council seeks to obtain planning permission for the temporary changing rooms to become permanent.”

Non-executive councillor Farnham Residents’ Jerry Hyman challenged this assertion, commenting that 2015 plans show it was never Waverley’s intention to welcome back the football club.

But this was disregarded by the executive members, who voted unanimously in favour of the original recommendation.