Empty shops – 14 at the last count – 15 units occupied by Charity Shops with either reduced or non existent rates and now “Your Waverley” has received a planning application to vary a Planning Condition. (We hear quite a lot of successful developers around the borough, ask for one thing change their minds, and then seek “variations” for something else – don’t we?) …
WWe digress! Sainsbury’s wants to change its current permission to sell 15 % clothing; household appliances and electrical goods to.. 40% in its new Farnham store. This could threaten the viability of a host of other town centre shops including Boots, Dyas, Elphicks and many more!
WHY? Because their consultants have told the High Street Giant that the impact will – “not be significant.” Well, they would – wouldn’t they? We wonder how much Sainsbury’s paid them to come up with that little conclusion?
Well the proof will be in the puddings, which may just melt in the middle. Because regardless of objections from the Town Council and the Farnham Society – Sainsbury’s will probably have “Your Waverley” planning officers eating out of their… hands most of whom are ready willing and able to shut one half of our market town down in the interest of the Brightwells/East Street scheme.
Why?
Because over £50m of “Your Surrey County Council’s” money – in other words “our money” is being spent on a speculative development, on which “Your Waverley” is up to its neck in trouble over and is about to spend even more of “your Money” – £250,000 we understand defending a Judicial Review brought by Farnham people. Wow! this farce should be played out in the Farnham’s Redgrave Theatre…oops that’s closed and will soon be demolished to make way for a few more restaurants in the East St development of which there are already about 50! Still who needs theatre when we have the farce that is Waverley Borough Council?
