Sir, – We read on the Herald's front page on November 6 a report of proposals for a doubling of shopping space at Sainsbury's Water Lane store. Since then it's been a strange silence; no public reactions, no letters, no pronouncement from Waverley Council, until our Farnham Mayor, Lucinda Fleming, raised the subject at last Thursday's Town Council meeting.

Councillor Fleming took the opportunity to question Greg Vincent of Crest Nicholson when he appeared before the council to present an update on progress with the East Street development. She asked about the implications for the scheme of such a large edge of town retail expansion.

Astonishingly, Mr Vincent seemed quite unperturbed by the risk of trade deserting the town centre for a Sainsbury's megastore just a mile down the road. He explained that in discussions with Sainsbury's he had been reassured that the forthcoming planning application was to be pushed through quickly, before rules were tightened up, but that this would have no bearing on the Crest Nicholson partnership in developing the East Street site, where Sainsbury's remained fully committed to the scheme.

So, does anyone else believe that the provision of a wider range of both food and non-food products, including homeware, kitchenware, clothing and electrical goods in a massive expansion of 40,000 sq ft at Water Lane will fail to have an effect in the town centre and for the proposed array of new retail outlets at East Street?

Does Mr Vincent, in the face of all evidence to the contrary, really believe that we can return to a "shop till we drop" culture when the current recession eventually draws to a close? It all sounds like a story of whistling in the dark, optimism untouched by reality, a vision of the future not shared by pundits in the City. Why did Farnham councillors have a presentation on Thursday evening that was remarkably free of substantive promises of action? Mr Vincent admitted that forecasts for both the housing and retail sector recovery are uncertain. We will all be watching that space – the East Street/Brightwells site – for some years to come, was the best he could promise.

Surely this is the time to face up to reality and go back to the drawing board to plan a smaller scheme, the one that Farnham people always wanted? If Crest Nicholson miss that opportunity, there's a fair chance that their options will disappear as shoppers desert for the seductions of a Water Lane superstore, generously provided with free car parking.

And just where do Farnham people stand on this? Isn't this the time for our voices to be heard in a proper public consultation and for Waverley Council to listen? It didn't happen over the current plans but Waverley now has a chance of redemption in the public's opinion, if they put past practice behind and do the right thing by Farnham.

Celia Sandars, Old Church Lane, Vicarage Hill, Farnham