The Farnham Herald credits the 25-year saga of Blightwells as …
“A controversy that has virtually destroyed the Farnham Conservatives who led the scheme.”
Oh, and now, here comes yet another coffee/ snack chain…
Michael Gove Secretary of State for Levelling Up has called for fewer eyesores in the new-build market. WW wonders if his latest “street smart scheme” which gives residents a say in whether proposed buildings are sufficiently beautiful, would have seen Blightwells passing his “beautiful” test?
A brilliant Article in the FarnhamHerald.Screenshot 2022-05-30 at 22.57.19 
Screenshot 2022-05-30 at 22.57.19
Waverley’s Former Planning Portfolio Holder Andy Macleod saidrecently,
“It is clearly too late to stop the scheme however much it is disliked. But it does cast doubt on the wisdom of our councillors in failing to take account of strong local opinion and investing taxpayers’ money in an unpopular and possibly unprofitable scheme.”
It was clear from the outset, that the Conservative administration at Waverley was treating the town of Farnham as a “cash cow” that could be milked for £millions, despite overwhelming objections from the residents. The appointment of Crest Nicholson was another mistake, as the developer would subsequently seek and be granted enormous financial concessions from the Council. But it wasn’t just this that has left a bitter taste, it was the fact that the Conservative led council rode roughshod over the very residents that elected them! That is something that will be remembered for a long long time in Farnham.
When I read the hubris published in the Farnham Herald by Cllrs Mulliner and Cockburn, I detect no remorse, in fact their party has been silent on the matter.. Should we not expect an apology?
I have some sympathy for the current joint administration (Farnham Residents & LibDems) who have inherited this Albatross of a development and a seemingly incompetent developer who cant keep the work on schedule or find tenants for the commercial units in a timely manner. So good luck Cllr Andy Macleod…..who seems to recognise that there is only one thing worse than this Brightwells development, and that’s a development that fails.
We will expand on your comments in a post and your words of wisdom deserve wider publication. WW