PUBLIC expenditure for the Brightwells scheme has exceeded £5 million it has been revealed.

Responding to a question at last week’s meeting of Waverley Borough Council, deputy leader Julia Potts unveiled spending on the Brightwells scheme to date totals £5.3m.

This figure breaks down as follows; £1.9m was spent on the Riverside Tennis Club and new car park; £2.5m on land acquisitions; £0.4m went towards demolition and other site works and £0.5m on legal and consultancy costs.

In addition Miss Potts said the council, for a number of years chose to “capitalise the salaries of project staff” totalling £0.5m.

Although a material start has begun there are still several major hurdles to overcome before work can commence on the main part of the scheme, including the building of a temporary construction access over the River Wey, securing of external finance and the compulsory purchase of The Marlborough Head pub.

Waverley’s development partner Crest Nicholson has until early 2022 to finish the scheme or face jeopardising its development agreement with the borough council.

Also at the meeting, Celia Sandars from Farnham presented council members with a question regarding the devastating flooding in Cumbria and whether the Brightwells scheme should be revisited due to potential dangers of future flooding.

She said: “Everyone must have seen on the television and in the newspapers the tragedy of the destructive flooding in the communities in north west England.

“And now experts are warning ever more seriously of building on floodplains. So will Waverley Borough Council rethink its plans for building the Brightwells East Street development on Farnham’s zone three floodplain immediately beside the River Wey?”

In response, council leader Robert Knowles noted the “dreadful” situation in Cumbria and reminded members of the 2013 Godalming floods.

He said: “I will take advice from officers if that situation has changed because of flooding but I’m not aware that [the extant planning permission for Brightwells] can be overturned after its been granted.”

Crest Nicholson is currently working on the funding agreement and a report to council is expected in early 2016.