THE public conveniences in South Street, Farnham are to be demolished after many years of disuse, despite calls for the building to be transformed into a tourist information centre.

Waverley Borough Council agreed at last week’s meeting of the full council to sign off £6,500 to knock down the building and return the site at the entrance to Borelli Walk back to nature.

Julia Potts, Waverley’s deputy leader and a councillor for Upper Hale, said the borough council had discussed alternative uses for the building with Farnham Town Council but had been unable to come up with a viable proposal.

She said: “The South Street public convenience in Farnham has been closed for many years and has been left locked up. Despite looking for suitable alternative use for the small building, none has been found so it has been agreed that it should be demolished and the site returned back to grass.”

Miss Potts added the demolition will be completed over a period of a week before the end of November.

The Mayor of Farnham, Pat Frost welcomed the move and said: “I’m delighted we’re knocking it down. It’s an eyesore and my postbag is full of letters saying when is it going to be knocked down.

“It is in the wrong place for a tourist information centre and it would be far better to have this where tourists go. They don’t go to this rundown site.”

However, John Fraser of Waverley’s opposition Farnham Residents group suggested the decision to demolish the building was connected to the borough council’s Brightwells development and specifically its temporary ‘haul route’ along Borelli Walk from South Street.

He said: “Farnham Town Council considered putting the [public conveniences] building to good use as a tourist information centre. It was a jolly good idea and they got someone interested.

“To spend £6,500 knocking it down without logic has engendered rumour that the demolition of toilet and felling of trees necessary to get access for [Brightwells developer] Crest Nicholson.”

The haul route along Borelli Walk is required to construct a temporary bridge over Borelli Walk and the River Way, to allow construction traffic to access the main Brightwells site south of East Street directly from the A31 Farnham bypass.

A material start was made to Brightwells - promising high street shops, restaurants, an Odeon cinema and 239 flats - this summer with demolition of the old Brightwell Tennis Club pavilion.

However, Waverley still has to overcome a number of hurdles before work on the main part of the scheme can commence - notably the compulsory purchase of The Marlborough Head pub and securing of external finance.

The borough council’s development partner Crest Nicholson has until early 2022 to complete Brightwells without endangering its Development Agreement with Waverley.