Flesh put on bones of new East Street, Farnham, consultation (South West Surrey Liberal Democrats)

South West Surrey Liberal Democrats <info@swsurreylibdems.org.uk>

Flesh put on bones of new East Street, Farnham, consultation

March 23, 2004 6:14 PM

Waverley Liberal Democrats used a meeting of the Council's Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 22nd March to spell out key requirements of the new consultation taking place over the East Street development.

The committee's vice-Chairman, Liberal Democrat Councillor Michael Allan, moved a motion that received the unanimous support of the Committee. Councillor Allan said at the meeting: "Our aim is to demonstrate to people in Farnham that this is a serious consultation with all of the key issues being opened up and debated".

The motion called for the consultation questionnaire to concentrate on issues where the Developer's (Crest Nicholson / Sainsbury -[CNS]) current masterplan differs from the original Development Brief agreed by the Council. In particular the public should be asked their views on the height and density of buildings, the number and location of flats, the balance between the size of the development and the benefits that can be achieved and the location of key elements including the role of current buildings.

The motion explicitly raised whether Sainsbury's supermarket should remain in South Street rather than moving to Dogflud as proposed by CNS.

The Liberal Democrat motion also asked for "broad costing options" to be made public, though some Conservatives, including the committee's Chairman, Councillor David Harmer, questioned whether this was right.

Waverley should lead the consultation, not CNS, said the LibDems, though CNS would be expected to play an "active role".

The LibDems were also keen that maximum opportunities for the general public to express their views, not just interest groups, should be created.