Plans for high-rise homes rejected by council

Plans for more than 150 new homes in Surrey have been thrown out by a council after residents expressed fears the high-rise blocks would dominate the sky and blot out the sun.

The application for a development at the disused Centrum Business Park in East Street, Farnham, was rejected by Waverley Borough Council's planning committee after being deferred in September.

The proposal was for 57 one-bed flats, 91 two-bed flats and 11 three-bed flats, spread across six blocks – with parking for 37 cars.

Developers CR properties claimed it would boost housing supply, and reduce pressure on building in rural areas.

Councillors had wanted to give the developer the opportunity to rethink the site's height and impact on sunlight to existing residents.

CR Properties returned with a plan that was 4cm (1.5in) shorter and with three fewer flats.

None of the homes in the blocks would be sold as affordable, according to Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Speaking against the plan, local resident Barrie Saunders told the committee that, if approved, it would wipe out a significant amount of winter light – by as much as 80%.

He said: "We are opposing the current scheme because of the severe and unjustified harm it would cause to daylight, sunlight and residential amenity.

"This proposal will result in clear and significant lasting harm to the living conditions of existing residents."

Another resident, who lived next to one of the proposed blocks said they were "clearly out of scale, even if it were in the town centre, which it is not".

David Lewis, on behalf of the applicant, said: "It would deliver much needed housing in a highly sustainable town-centre location, at a time when the council has very limited housing land supply and would reduce pressure on housing in the wider countryside and villages."

Councillors rejected the plans by six votes to two with three abstentions.

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