FARNHAM’S revised neighbourhood plan has been submitted to Waverley Borough Council following an early review of the town planning blueprint.

Councillors agreed at last Thursday’s Farnham Town Council meeting that the revised Regulation 15 Neighbourhood Plan and confirmed amendments in the review “do not change the nature of the 2017 neighbourhood plan”, according to the agenda. Only “minor changes” were agreed to avoid a second referendum.

Following the Regulation 14 consultation, two of the proposed housing site allocations (pictured) have been removed from the plan, at both Upper Old Park Lane, near Folly Hill, and land adjacent to Green Lane Cemetery, near Weydon School, where the council proposed building ten new homes in both cases.

During the meeting, Farnham Residents councillor for Upper Hale, John Fraser, raised concerns about changes to the built-up area boundary to incorporate the site for 96 homes at Folly Hill, recently allowed on appeal. He told the council there “doesn’t seem to be any means of reassuring constituents, certainly in Upper Hale”.

He added: “They are mightily displeased to say the least. They are disillusioned and they are not particularly cooperative to the thought of a revised neighbourhood plan.

“The point has been made to me that what is stopping it happening again?”

Mr Fraser continued that “despite my assurances, they don’t seem to be able to accept that”.

Responding to Mr Fraser’s concerns, Carole Cockburn, leader of FTC, said: “If we don’t re-draw this boundary, we will go into the next appeal saying ‘we don’t want any development outside the built-up area boundary’ and the next appellant will say ‘well hang on, you’ve got 96 outside your boundary here, so does that make it a small development if we do up to 96?’. We have to re-draw that boundary.

“It hurts and there’s no way that inspector should have allowed that appeal, absolutely no way.”

She added: “This will be a much tighter plan than the one before because the instant 450 homes were added the plan was weakened.”

Farnham Residents councillor David Beaman also questioned the need to revise the town plan given the current uncertainty over Guildford’s housing allocation.