Committed, dedicated and purpose driven:
Meeting the urgent need for new housing
Our purpose drives our desire to create highquality, sustainable and inclusive places where people want to live. We’re fully committed to meeting the urgent need for new housing, and with one of the most experienced and successful teams in the sector, we work tirelessly to push a project forward to a successful conclusion, even against all the odds. Farnham, (in the Borough of Waverley, Surrey), is one of the most expensive areas in the country to live, with the lack of housing supply contributing to the lack of affordability. In March 2023, there were 1,168 households on Waverley’s housing register, including 248 for Farnham.
The journey to planning success here was a long and complex one. Securing planning consent took more than eight years and included six planning appeals, multiple legal challenges and applications, and required signifi cant investment.
It’s an extraordinary example of vision and perseverance – delivering 146 new homes, (37% affordable), in one of the UK’s toughest planning environments. Committed, dedicated and purpose driven: Meeting the urgent need for new housing The Waverley Lane site was not within the Green Belt or in an Area of Great Landscape Value. Instead, it sits on the edge of Farnham, o ering good access to jobs, retail, educational, leisure and community facilities, with a mainline railway station and good bus services.
Despite this, the lack of housing supply in the area and the sustainable proposals put forward, (including biodiversity gains, acres of parkland and sustainable transport links), the development faced fierce, on-going opposition over many years.
Planning committees refused applications their own o cers recommended, (a familiar story in planning), and opposing local residents even bought subsoil to try and prevent us creating a connecting footpath. In October 2024 the High Court ruled in our favour, dismissing Farnham Town Council’s legal challenge against the Waverley Lane development.
This legal challenge, (to the planning consent we secured in 2023), delayed this essential project by months, however, the ruling also rea rmed the importance of building homes for those who need them most. In June 2025, the site was sold into a joint venture with Miller Homes (Southern).
This scheme will add real value for the local community and refl ects our continued investment in opportunities where we can create lasting, positive impact – by reimagining places for people to thrive. This was our sixth residential planning appeal win in-a-row, in less than four years. The ability to bring such a complex project to fruition was the result of our expertise, tenacity, dedication, sustained commitment and exemplary teamwork and collaboration over many years.
Benefits for people and planet:
- 146 high-quality, sustainable new homes, (54 affordable).
- 5.2 acres of open space, with two new play areas.
- 14.6 acres of public parkland, (SANG).
- 10% overall Biodiversity Net Gain.
- Improvements to local infrastructure, incl. highways, plus new cycle routes.
- Sustainable drainage systems.
- £5 million contribution to the local community via the Community Infrastructure Levy and Section 106 agreements.
“The High Court ruling allows us to deliver homes in one of the most unaffordable areas of the country, helping more families find a place to live in a community where housing supply is sorely needed. Wates is proud to be leading this crucial development and to continue our commitment to sustainable housing that benefits both people and the environment.”
David Brocklebank, Executive Managing Director,Wates Developments
Project history
2000-2014: We entered into an Option Agreement with the landowners in 2000, when the site was not allocated in the Local Plan. It wasn’t until changes were made to the National Planning Policy Framework in 2012 that speculative applications could come forward.
2015: We submitted three planning applications – one for the full site; while the two other applications split the site in two to see if the council would be more amenable to development in one fi eld than the other. All three were refused. We subsequently appealed the 157-unit scheme and an Inspector granted consent. However, the Secretary of State (SoS) called in the appeal and it was dismissed, against the inspector’s recommendation. The SoS decision was over 2 years after the Public Inquiry, during which time there was a material change in planning circumstance with the Waverley Local Plan Part 1 (LPP1) and the Farnham Neighbourhood Plan becoming part of the Development Plan.
2019: We addressed two key points raised by the Appeal Inspector in 2015, (mainly in relation to landscape), and submitted a planning application in 2019 for 146 homes. However, this was also refused. We chose not to appeal the decision at this point, as the Farnham Neighbourhood Plan had been updated.
2022-2023: We submitted a new application for 146 homes, which Council Officers recommended for approval. Once again, the committee refused the application. However, this time we appealed to the Inspector and won, with us successfully demonstrating the many benefits a new sustainable development would bring.
2023: Planning consent was won by appeal, successfully demonstrating the many benefits a new sustainable development would bring. However, the resident-run Farnham Town Council sought a Judicial Review on this decision.
2024: In October we won the High Court ruling – a decision which reiterated and validated everything we’d argued – this was exactly the right place for sustainable, quality, affordable homes with extensive green space and quality facilities that would serve the community for generations.
2025: In June the site was sold into a joint venture with Miller Homes (Southern).
Find out more about our track record of success.
Please contact us at: land@wates.co.uk
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