VISITORS to the Bourne Show last weekend may have spotted The Farnham Society previewing its film ‘A Brighter Future for Farnham?’, exploring modern attitudes towards the regeneration of East Street on the eve of its construction.

The film, the first of a planned series about Waverley Borough Council’s Brightwells scheme, is just over 10 minutes long and opens with a vox pop gauging the thoughts of members of the public. This captures a range of views - linked by one sentiment that something has to be done about, as one lady puts it, “the shoddy end of town”.

“Farnham is about to get a serious makeover,” adds a voice-over. “Starting in the next few months we have two massive developments,” also referring to the adjacent Woolmead redevelopment.

Alan Gavaghan, president of the Farnham Society, adds his concern that the early closure of businesses to make way for Brightwells has “sucked the life out of the area”, citing The Marlborough Head pub, and later dismisses Brightwells as “an overpowering presence at the wrong end of Farnham”.

The film also raises concerns about the number of new homes being built in the centre of town and the apparent lack of additional parking spaces once the scheme is complete, as well as its potential to dwarf Grade II-listed Brightwell House once completed.

“We have to build more houses,” adds town architect Damien Blower, “but let’s do it in such a way that it’s sensitive to what is special and unique about Farnham.”

Waverley leader Julia Potts also features, talking up the scheme’s potential to “energise the early evening economy for Farnham and breathe life back into the whole town and the wider community.”

But architect Jim Duffy follows with his concern that Surrey County Council’s investment of circa £50 million in the scheme’s retail element, comes only after “the whole of the commercial investment market has turned it down”.

“After 30 months I strongly predict, based on 30 years of experience in retail, that the retailers will not come here and those shops will be empty,” said Mr Duffy, adding “this has the potential to be a major financial disaster.”

More information about the film can be found online at http://farnhamsociety.org.uk/a-brighter-future-for-farnham