FARNHAM Rugby Club has cleared a massive hurdle in its bid to relocate from Wrecclesham to a superior new ground at Monkton Lane. Waverley Council's joint planning management committee on Monday voted by 28 - 9 to back the application as an exception to planning policies barring development in the strategic gap between Farnham and Aldershot. The large privately run Stax leisure complex that comes as part of the deal received a mixed response - hated by some, welcomed by others, described by one as "the evil we have to look at in terms of allowing the rugby club to be here". The club's hopes and dreams now rest in the hands of the Government Office for the South East (GOSE). GOSE could still decide to call the application in, opening up the potential for a public inquiry and the need for the applicants to fight their case before a planning inspector. It was at just this stage, three-and-a-half years ago, that the rugby club's previously proposed partners for the very same site pulled the rug from under the club's feet. David Lloyd Leisure proved unwilling to face the expense of fighting an inquiry that it might not win. "It has been three-and-a-half years lost in aiming for the prize of creating a sporting environment which is going to help the community of Farnham," said rugby club chairman Geoff Robins after Monday's meeting. Although delighted by the councillors' decision, he anticipated a tense six weeks or so waiting for GOSE's ruling. "Fingers crossed that this time round they are satisfied and there is no reason for further scrutiny." He added: "It has been a difficult and tortuous journey back and the spirit the club has approached it in never ceases to amaze me." Councillors had been inundated by e-mails, the Godalming council chamber was filled with supporters and councillors entering the building were greeted by a crowd of mini players dressed in their kit. The scheme submitted by Stax (Farnham) Ltd allows for the relocation of the rugby with four pitches, pavilion and car parking, plus a sports and leisure club with a sports hall, 25-metres swimming pool, four courts for squash, four for badminton, multi- gym, sports studio, health spa, restaurant and conference room. Outdoors the leisure club facilities would include a multi-use games area, nine tennis courts (two of them public), an outdoor pool and space, if required, for a bowls green. John Anderson, Waverley development control and policy manager, said that Stax would be providing land for the playing fields, roads and parking and a £500,000 contribution towards the laying out of the rugby facilities. The rugby club, he said, has a very ambitious building programme planned and needs to find another £200,000 to £300,000, though achieving planning consent would help the fundraising. Also on offer in what one councillor described as "a beguiling package" from Stax, was a degree of free use of sports facilities for schools and youth groups, coaching, outreach and talent programmes and liason with sporting groups in the area. Against this background the committee heard a plea from former town councillor for the ward Mark Norris to heed the opposition from Weybourne and Badshot Lea residents put in 35 letters of objection and a petition bearing 259 signatures. Mr Norris said the scheme would give aid and encouragement to all those developers hoping to cash in on pieces of land they had bought speculatively in the strategic gap. Only 44 per cent of those supporting the proposal came from Farnham, he claimed, and STAX members would come from a similarly wide area. Weybourne and Badshot Lea councillor Gillian Beel led the charge against the loss of "the only little bit of green area which we have left between Farnham and Aldershot" - an area that some other councillors dismissed as "scruffy". She explained: "I would be absolutely delighted to welcome the rugby club to Weybourne and the difficulty I have is not with the rugby club at all. It is with the rest of the application." She referred to "buildings which ressemble airgraft hangars which are totally unrelated to the rugby club", nuisance from floodlighting and potential flooding. She also pointed to the enforcement action taken against others to preserve "the gap", including the resident of a house opposite who was prevented from selling a few plants and Christmas trees. Mrs Beel said a Stax membership, at £720 to £1,800 a year, would be beyond the means of most residents and many, anyway, would have little inclination to use the facilities. "I understand people feeling very upset about the fees, but that's not a planning consideration. If people can't afford them, they won't get as many members as they wanted to," said Pat Frost. Mrs Frost said that ideally everyone would like just the rugby club on the site, but that couldn't happen without some other facility to finance it. "We are in a chicken and egg situation." "The present facilities of the club are so inadequate, despite many attempts to try and improve them," said Alan Lovell, stressing that it was a remarkable club to have produced three England players in recent years. "There are no other practical options for the rugby club and they deserve our support in these circumstances." "It is a once and for all opportunity. There is no other future for the rugby club than this development," agreed council leader Richard Gates. John Sandy said the Stax application was a major improvement on the David Lloyd Leisure proposal, with a less hefty building and much more on offer in terms of use for schools, clubs and the disabled. He believed residents' opinions would soon change once the centre was in operation. "We will be regretting it enormously if we turn it down." Waverley's green light for the application came in the face of opposition from Surrey County Council, which has earmarked the site for gravel extraction in its draft minerals plan. The county has also objected to the building of the centre in a location where most users will arrive by car. Victor Duckett, who had been among the councillors opposed to the scheme, warned after the meeting that these objections could be its undoing. "These are high profile objections and I think GOSE will turn it down on these very important reasons." He accused Waverley of falsely building up club members' hopes. "They all went away happily smiling and they are all going to be dashed again."
