The appeal by the developer against the refusal by Guildford Borough Council (GBC) of planning application 25/P//01521 for up to 200 dwellings on the site known as Shortlands Farm, has been allowed.
This follows a public inquiry which, in the end, was something of a damp squib, as by the time it started most, if not all, of the outstanding issues had been agreed between GBC and the developer. It therefore remained for the inspector to seek clarification of the various points that had originally led GBC to refuse the application, and to produce a report setting the decision in the context of national and local planning regulations. You can read his comprehensive report behind the link below.
This was an outline application with detailed matters "reserved". There will now, therefore, be a series of further applications seeking approval for the specifics of the proposal. But, on the face of it, 200 homes will now be built on the Shortlands Farm site, adding to the eastwards extension of the Ash/Tongham Urban Area. Decisions are still awaited on the two applications for large-scale development by Taylor Wimpey, one in Tongham (up to 420 dwellings) and one in Normandy (up to 950 dwellings).


