FARNHAM'S Neighbourhood Plan came under intense scrutiny on Tuesday, as developers tried their best to undermine the community-led planning blueprint during a public examination.

Independent examiner Derek Stebbing challenged those house-builders whose sites were excluded from the revised town plan to pick holes in the document during a five-hour hearing at the Farnham council offices.

What followed was an onslaught of complaints put forward by a crack team of two barristers and five planning consultants representing various developers, arguing that the Neighbourhood Plan fails to meet its required legal and procedural requirements.

These were defended stoutly by Councillor Carole Cockburn, supported by the town council’s barrister Paul Brown QC, and two Waverley Borough Council planning officers.

Members of the public were also given a chance to have their say, with one Rowledge resident giving a particularly forceful rebuttal of Vail Williams’ claims that a site in Lavender Lane should be added to the plan.

The Neighbourhood Plan was five years in the making before it was resoundingly voted through in a 2017 referendum – with 88 per cent of the 11,391 people who voted favouring its adoption.

It was sent back to the drawing board just months later, however, after Waverley demanded Farnham find space for an additional 450 homes by 2032 – on top of the 2,330 already proposed.

As a result, new housing sites were identified at the former Cobgates care home (60 dwellings), the UCA (72), Centrum Business Park (125), Upper Old Park Lane (10), Kimbers Lane (20), land adjacent to Green Lane Cemetery (10) and Comley Reclaim (20).

Speaking after the hearing, a town council spokesman said it felt Cllr Cockburn and Mr Brown put across the case for the plan “extremely well”.

The inspector is expected to announce if the town plan can proceed in November.