WAVERLEY Borough Council has been accused of again breaking a promise to the public and elected councillors after granting another major concession to its Brightwells development partner Crest Nicholson this week.

On Tuesday the council’s newly appointed head of planning Elizabeth Simms ruled a new Environmental Impact Assessment would not be required for Crest to relocate existing sewers away from the Brightwells construction site south of East Street.

It means more than a thousand heavy goods vehicles will be allowed to pass through the town centre this summer to undertake the works - instead of using a temporary bridge over the River Wey connecting the construction site to the A31, as demanded by councillors in 2012 to limit the impact of HGVs on Farnham town centre and the Air Quality Management Area.

The decision comes just a week after the Farnham Interest Group threatened legal action should Waverley grant its development partner any further concessions, and flies in the face of Farnham Town Council and Waverley’s official opposition the Farnham Residents, which both called for a new EIA for the sewer works.

Last June Waverley awarded Crest a non-material amendment to its 2012 planning permission for Brightwells, allowing the developer to make a material start to the re-development project without first building the temporary construction access.

However, this decision was only reached after councillors were assured by Crest’s project manager Bruce McArthur that the temporary access would be built “once the development commences proper”.

Mr McArthur’s promise was blown apart on Tuesday however, when Mrs Simms gave the developer permission to relocate the existing Thames Water foul and surface water sewers away from the construction site without the need for another amendment to its 2012 planning consent.

As a result, Crest estimates 1,200 HGV movements - up to 20 a day - will have to be made between the construction site and the Shepherd and Flock roundabout over a 12-week period with ramifications for Guildford Road, East Street, Dogflud Way, Brightwells Road, South Street and the A31.

Adding insult to injury, the sewer works and resultant increase in HGV traffic could also coincide with the closure of the Farnham station car park for improvements starting next month.

Explaining her decision, Mrs Simms said the sewer works can be completed under permitted development rights as they are covered under Brightwells’ existing Environmental Statement.

A Waverley spokesman added: “As the developers can carry out the sewer works under permitted development rights they will be able to carry out these works in advance of the temporary construction access over the River Wey.

“However, the remainder of the development must be carried out in accordance with the permitted scheme and as such, the construction access granted planning permission is required to be completed and used for the construction of the remainder of the development.”

In response, Farnham Residents’ leader Jerry Hyman repeated his long-held belief that Crest has never intended to build the temporary construction access, adding that Brightwells’ existing Environmental Statement is “demonstrably flawed, out-of-date, incomplete and fails to cover the area and scope of the ever-expanding East Street scheme”.

He told The Herald: “Utilities companies are able to use permitted development under certain rules, but they have to have a screening opinion from the local planning authority stating that an EIA is not required for them to be able to do the works without the need for planning consent.

“Normally a developer such as Crest would put in for a screening opinion to find out whether they need to accompany a planning application with an Environmental Statement. There can be no doubt that the proposed sewer works constitute EIA development.

“The whole purpose of Crest’s application was to get a negative screening opinion because then they could use permitted development to complete the sewer works without the construction access and without putting in a planning application.

“Because they can now relocate the sewers under permitted development they evade all of the controls agreed by councillors in 2012 in order to limit the environmental effects.

“This application is obviously a dodge to get around the EIA and proves that Crest Nicholson never had any intention whatsoever of building the construction access and all the related planning consents have been a con.

“They clearly want to carry out these 1,200 HGV movements as safely and carefully as they can, so that they can then apply for an amendment to undertake the rest of the works without the temporary construction access.”

• A further application by Crest seeks to increase the size of an extension to Brightwell House and to change the use of the building originally proposed for the Gostrey Centre to retail and restaurant use.

To view and comment on Crest’s proposed amendments, visit the website www.waverley.gov.uk/planning and search for application reference WA/2016/0268. A deadline for public comments is given as today (Friday).