Businesses in Brightwells remain cautiously optimistic about the future of the Farnham mixed-use development despite a slow take-up of commercial units since its completion last year, writes Alice Tomlinson.

First conceived in the 1990s, the Brightwells Yard officially opened last year after a series of delays.

Early businesses to move in included Monte Forte pizzeria, Jetts Gym Farnham, Pirates Landing children’s play zone, Pilates Group, Brightwells Nails, Nando’s and Reel Cinema. Most recently, Den 97 sports bar opened its doors last month.

So far, eight of the site’s 25 commercial units are occupied, with mobile coffee stand True Grounds also operating from the development.

The businesses which have moved in said they were generally happy with their decision to launch at Brightwells.

Simon Green, director of Pirates Landing, a children’s soft play centre, described Farnham as “perfect”.

“You couldn’t ask for a better town,” he said.

Brad Sandys, director of SBBS Leisure, which owns the Jetts Gym Farnham franchise, agreed.

“Brightwells Yard has, kind of, got off to a slow start, but each time a new business opens, I feel optimistic for the future,” said Mr Sandys.

Stefan Trevors, owner of True Grounds, added: “I feel there’s such a potential here for it to be incredible.”

Luca Malavasi, 26, operations director at Monte Forte, said: “We’re really glad we’re here. Farnham is a lovely town and the people are lovely.”

Despite their positivity, the site can appear to have lower footfall than other parts of Farnham town centre.

The development’s long delays also had a knock-on effect on early businesses.

Jetts Gym Farnham was originally due to open in December 2021, but building delays pushed the opening back by three years.

Mr Sandys said: “The journey has probably been a bit all over the place. During those three years, it was panic, to be honest.

“We’re a locally owned business with one location and invested a lot of money to get into Brightwells Yard, and to have the timeline pushed back numerous times was very difficult, especially on our bank balance.”

Since opening more than a year ago, he said the gym has been doing “really well” and exceeding targets.

The site has also been beset by some high-profile businesses pulling out. M&S Food withdrew from the anchor store in 2022, citing ongoing construction delays, while high-end café Coppa Club dropped out of plans to open at the site last year.

Mr Green, however, said the setbacks were not unusual for any new development.

“They all have their own difficulties – that’s part of running your own business,” he said.

Monte Forte also faced delays, with an initial opening planned for spring 2024 before finally opening in December.

Its owner, Luca Malavasi, said: “I probably wouldn’t build a restaurant similar to Brightwells in a hurry, because it took a very long time.

“That was a big blow for us because that hit six months of revenue, targets and budgets.”

The pizzeria was founded by Mr Malavasi and his brother Paolo, starting as a food truck at Redhill Market in 2017. They opened their first permanent site in Reigate in 2019 and have since expanded into Horsham, Farnham and, most recently, Dorking.

Business owners also said more could be done to attract customers to Brightwells Yard.

Mr Sandys and Mr Green both raised concerns about parking charges, arguing that free parking would encourage greater footfall. Jetts Gym saw a surge in membership when the Brightwells car park was temporarily free.

Shortly after these interviews, Waverley Borough Council announced a £1 parking scheme after 1pm Monday to Thursday, due to run from Monday, December 9, until Thursday, January 1, 2026.

Mr Sandys also highlighted the reduction in business rates relief, which fell from 75% to 40% from Tuesday, April 1, 2025.

He said: “If you want businesses to open, it needs to be affordable because they’re taking a risk and there needs to be support and incentive to do so. Otherwise, they won’t open and we’ll continue to have empty units at Brightwells Yard.”

Mr Green said the issue was not unique to Farnham.

“This isn’t a Brightwells problem to start with,” he said.

“It opened in a particularly difficult period after many delays, when some of the key anchor tenants pulled out.

“If you look at any town centre right now, you’ll find there are many empty premises.”

Mr Malavasi added: “I know it’s been plagued with delays, but this is like everything sometimes.”

Looking ahead, business owners said they were keen to see more tenants move in.

Mr Trevors said: “I would love to see it full of businesses. I would love to see it become a really community-friendly space, where people from not just Farnham but neighbouring areas can come down and think, ‘This is the place to go now.’

“I can see that the council and the marketing agency are doing the best they can to push it in the right direction.

“I would like it to be busier. I think that will come in time.”

Mr Sandys said he hoped the arrival of Den 97, an interactive gaming bar, would bring increased footfall and new opportunities for collaboration.

Mr Malavasi said: “My hope is that Brightwells Yard just fills up by half. If there were 12 businesses here, I’d be happy.”

Mr Green added: “We have to give it a chance.”

Public opinion on Brightwells Yard also remains mixed. The Herald spoke to several residents and students who gave a range of opinions about the site.

Will Molony, who has lived in Farnham for 30 years, said: “It’s got so much potential, it could be absolutely amazing, but for some reason, it hasn’t quite taken off.”

Arthur, another Farnham resident, said: “I’m not really impressed. It’s a derelict site.”

Rita, a student in Farnham, said: “I think it’s quite a breath of fresh air in Farnham.”

Diane, a local resident, said: “It looks quite nice. I thought it was fully booked out when it was built. That was the impression we were led to believe.

“It’s disappointing, I must admit, with all the money that’s been spent on it and the time it’s taken.”

Lorna, another resident, said: “It has potential, but it looks a bit sad at the moment, just a bit empty and not a lot of soul. Hopefully it’ll be nice if the shops actually fill up. Maybe in a few years it will be better.”

Jay, a student in Farnham, said: “I think it’s really nice to walk through it, with the sculptures dotted around and the different pop-up shops.”

The site is managed by Surrey County Council. A spokesperson for the authority said they were hopeful more businesses would move in soon.

The spokesperson said: “We are encouraged by the significant progress in securing tenants for Brightwells.

“We are actively marketing the units at Brightwells to prospective tenants, demonstrating our commitment to fully occupying the development with a high-quality mix of retail, food and leisure operators to complement the already thriving offer in Farnham.”

Brightwells Yard continues to provoke mixed opinion, but business owners say they remain hopeful for its future.