THE campaign to preserve Farnham's identity as an historic market town has paid off against all expectations. The South East England Regional Assembly's planning committee, against the advice of SEERA officers, has voted to remove Farnham from the Western Corridor Blackwater Valley sub-region. Fears were that its inclusion in the sub-region would lead to the town being engulfed in a growing sprawl. And prospects for a U-turn looked grim, as SEERA officers made their recommendation in a report that made scant reference to local concerns. The vote to remove Farnham from the sub- region was a victory for the leader of Waverley Borough Council, Gillian Ferguson. At the crucial meeting of the regional planning committee last Thursday, she put forward an amendment to the draft South East Plan to remove Farnham from the sub-region, pointing out that all the responses from the South East Plan consultation had asked for Farnham to be excluded. Backed by fellow Liberal Democrat members on the committee, Miss Ferguson spoke of the links between Farnham and the rest of Waverley beyond the Blackwater Valley sub- region and the need to take into account Farnham's special characteristics as an historic market town with only limited opportunities for growth. Speaking afterwards, she said: "I am delighted that I was able to represent the views of the people of Farnham at the regional planning committee and that for once the voting power of democratically elected members took control. "SEERA is a very powerful machine but on this occasion local interests won the day." Earlier in the week a letter had been sent to all the members of the committee by the leader of Farnham Town Council, Mark Norris, which pointed out that the regional assembly's planners accepted that Farnham was only suitable for limited development. The letter then went on to challenge the one remaining ground for keeping Farnham in the Blackwater Valley sub-region, the so-called "functional relationship" with Aldershot, Farnborough and Camberley. Mr Norris pointed out that the town had just as close economic ties with Bordon, Whitehill, Guildford and Godalming. "It's very welcome news, and we have to thank the leader of Waverley for arguing our case so persuasively on the day," Mr Norris told The Herald. "Farnham's future as an historic market town was under threat. The South East Plan talks about making Aldershot, Farnborough and Camberley into a 'strategic hub'. To my mind that means creating a conurbation. "Had Farnham remained in the Blackwater Valley we would have been sucked into this growing sprawl. It will be difficult enough as it is in the next two decades to keep Farnham separate from Aldershot, but this result makes the job a whole lot easier." Mr Norris said that the hard work put in by the town council's members and officers since July 2004 to put Farnham's case had all been worthwhile. "It also shows that the residents of Farnham can make their views heard and that even organisations like the regional assembly can be forced to take note of what they're saying. That's why I'd like to thank those organisations in the town like the Farnham Society and the 700 residents who signed the letter from the town meeting for adding their voices to the demand for Farnham to be taken out of the sub-region." Mr Norris added. Gillian Ferguson regarded the amendment as "a real victory for the people of Farnham". She added: "Once it has been agreed, the South East Plan will set the area's development agenda for the next 20 years so it is vital that we get it right. "We knew from our consultations with the people of Farnham, that residents do not want to see their town swallowed in a sub-region that is based on such major towns as Reading, Bracknell, the whole of the M4/A4 corridor, High Wycombe, Camberley, Basingstoke, Farnborough and Aldershot." The successful outcome to the campaign has been applauded by South West Surrey MP Jeremy Hunt, who commented: "I have long campaigned to exclude Farnham from the Blackwater Valley/Western Corridor sub- region, and am delighted that this major victory has finally been won. "It shows what can be achieved for our town when Conservatives and Liberal Democrats work together and speak with one voice." The amendment to redraw the boundary of the sub-region, to exclude Farnham, is due to be formally endorsed at a meeting of the full regional assembly on Wednesday, July 13.
