Cala Homes has secured reserved matters approval from Waverley Borough Council for a 320-home scheme in Farnham, Surrey, with 96 of the homes being provided as affordable housing.
The site, located on land north of Coxbridge Farm, was allocated for residential development as part of both the Farnham Neighbourhood Plan and Waverley Local Plan and follows outline planning permission that was granted in June 2023.
The plans include a range of one to five-bedroom open market houses, and one to four-bedroom affordable homes, including affordable rent, social rent, and shared ownership options. The mix of options means there will be suitable homes for first-time buyers, families, and downsizers.
All homes on site will be equipped with electric vehicle charging points and air source heat pumps to help residents reduce their carbon emissions. Furthermore, the homes will be constructed with a timber frame which has been shown to have up to 20% less embodied carbon than a typical masonry build. For customers, timber frame could help reduce energy use compared to a traditional masonry structure by offering improved thermal efficiency.
The development will deliver a range of benefits for the local community in addition to much-needed new homes, including new public footpaths, a pedestrian crossing and bus stops on West Street, an extension of the Public Right of Way to the south of the site that leads through Bishops Meadow to the town centre. Also included are new children’s play areas, including a large play area at the centre of the site. Additionally, there will be new public open space and planting to encourage urban wildlife on individual plots.
Cala has committed to establishing a Community Pledge on the new development. Each Pledge will bring together a bespoke programme of activity designed to address specific community needs. Activity could include financial support, volunteering, schools’ programmes and more.
Jessica Sparkes, head of planning at Cala (South Home Counties), commented: “We’re delighted to achieve consent to deliver high-quality, much-needed homes in Farnham. This site will support the Council with its housing requirement and provide much-needed homes for people to ensure housing availability throughout the borough.”
“This consent follows the successful completion of several schemes in the Surrey area, such as Ockford Park in Godalming and Chestnut Fields in Woking as well as Rivermead Gardens, Alton and Worting Park, Basingstoke over in Hampshire.”
“The proposed new community would also provide significant contributions towards local services and infrastructure. Receiving this approval is testament to our commitment to delivering sustainable developments, and the positive placemaking that our plans incorporate.”
