Construction of Farnham’s new 320-home Coxbridge Farm development is set to begin after a legal agreement was finally reached – more than two years after planning permission was granted.

The proposed development received just over 100 objections when it was agreed by Waverley Borough Council in May 2021, a relatively small number for a development of its size.

Located just a stone’s throw from the A31 Coxbridge roundabout, the site has been supported by Farnham Town Council as a sustainable location for much-needed new homes in the area.

It has been held up by legal wrangles over the Section 106 agreement between landowner Surrey County Council and the local planning authority Waverley, and the deaths of Coxbridge farmers Keith and Valerie Kenward.

Mr and Mrs Kenward, who owned Coxbridge Farm, were listed as applicants alongside Surrey County Council when the plans first surfaced in 2019, although the majority of the land being built on is owned by the county council.

But Mrs Kenward died in February, seven months after her husband, leading to "complexities" around the land ownership.

This legal agreement has now been signed, however, allowing construction to proceed.

The housing proposed includes 41 one-bed, 64 two-bed, 77 three-bed and 42 four-bed properties. Buildings will mostly be two storey but could be up to three storeys where on a downhill slope.

The 320 home development must include 96 classed as affordable, which will be delivered by Vivid Homes. It also includes 634 parking spaces.

Conditions imposed by Waverley Borough Council including £25,000 for an improved pedestrian crossing at the Crondall Lane junction with West Street.

The cost for this will be shared with Taylor Wimpey, the developer of Abbey View in Crondall Lane.

A Waverley Borough Council spokesperson, said: “The western planning committee resolved to grant Coxbridge Farm outline planning permission at their committee meeting on May 18, 2021, subject to the legal agreement being completed.

"The Section 106 was completed recently and the decision issued on June 26, 2023.

"The legal agreement took two years to complete due to the complexities around land ownership.

"Only one decision notice has been issued on this application which had to wait to be issued until the legal agreement was completed.”

What is a Section 106 agreement?

A Section 106 agreement, often referred to as a 'S106' agreement, is a legal planning mechanism in the United Kingdom that allows local planning authorities to require certain conditions or obligations to be met by developers as a part of granting planning permission for a development project.

These agreements are authorised under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

The purpose of a Section 106 agreement is to address potential negative impacts of a development on the local community and infrastructure.

These impacts can include issues such as affordable housing provision, transportation improvements, environmental enhancements, and contributions to public services like schools and healthcare facilities.