EAST Street developers Crest Nicholson have warned that Farnham cannot reverse a decline in its standing as a shopping destination without the provision of new shops, restaurants and cafés. Faced with a growing public revolt against the scale of its current mixed-use planning application, the company has highlighted the findings of the retail impact assessment submitted in support of the application. National property consultant DTZ was engaged to consider the town's current retail standing as well as the impact and benefits of Crest Nicholson and Sainsbury's future plans for the area. Commenting on the report that resulted, Terry Prescott, of Crest Nicholson, said: "It is a fact that competing towns are seeing a rise in popularity while Farnham is declining from its current position. "Doing nothing, and allowing the scheme to be delayed further, is not a viable option if the town's vitality is to be preserved." DTZ found that Farnham is slipping down the national retail rankings while nearby towns such as Guildford and Basingstoke are rising to become among the most popular shopping destinations in the South East. The consultants said that retailers wishing to come to the town lack suitable locations from which to trade. The proportion of vacant units has decreased from 5.5 per cent in 2004 to 2.7 per cent in 2006 and there are no prime units available. Between 2000/1 and 2003/4, Farnham dropped 10 places in the national retail rankings and now stands at 292nd. In the same period, Basingstoke rose 69 places to 47th while Guildford rose one place and is now within the top 20 national retail centres. Said Mr Prescott: "There are currently more shops, restaurants and café operators wanting to come to Farnham than there is space to accommodate them. "Marks & Spencer, Debenhams, Desire, Carluccio's, Coffee Republic, the Body Shop, Adams, Austin Reed, Whittards, Jessops, Superdrug, Costa Coffee, Strada and Nando's, among others, all have requirements for the town. "Not all of them would be appropriate for our scheme, and we are looking to extend the range in Farnham rather than compete with existing businesses, but demand is clear and currently unsatisfied." The consultants identified Farnham's retail as split into two clear areas. The western end of the town maintains the historic street pattern, the urban fabric is of the highest quality and the shops are punctuated by churches, heritage buildings and elegant Georgian houses. However, the East Street area does not have the historic streetscape and trades in the shadow of the western end. While there are some excellent individual shops, overall there is a lack of quality retailers trading there. The report also commented on the proposals for an eight-cinema as part of the scheme. It stated that its use would tend to be focused on the evenings and weekends and therefore financially support the town centre facilities beyond shopping hours. It was described as a socially inclusive facility, providing something for young people and families, with cinemagoers likely to combine a visit with a meal or a drink. It was pointed out that modern cinemas offer a choice of entertainment, which older cinemas are not able to achieve. The entire retail impact assessment is available for public information as part of the planning application for the scheme.