Council approves budget for new community hub and mixed-use development in Haslemere

At this week’s council meeting, Waverley Borough Councillors approved a budget of £21.4M to deliver a new mixed-use development proposal on council owned car park land off Wey Hill in Haslemere.

Approval of this provisional budget, on which to base the next phase of the design works, gives Officers at the Council the opportunity to work up detailed plans for the Fairground car park site to share with the community when a development partner has been secured. It also means Waverley Borough Council can work with the Trustees of Haslemere Youth Hub to design a new community hub to replace the much loved and well used existing building, which needs updating and repair.

The plan is to re-locate the Youth Hub to land in Weydown Road car park approximately 300m away from the existing Hub, leaving space for new affordable housing, parking, and commercial/retail opportunities at Fairground car park.

Importantly the Council hopes to achieve at least 32 new affordable homes for Haslemere as part of the redevelopment. Consultation on this part of the proposal has started, in that the Fairground Car Park Scheme is part of the Local Plan. The Local Plan, Part 1 and 2, has been through a process of consultation with input from local stakeholders and redevelopment of the site is already endorsed in both the Haslemere Neighbourhood Plan, and the Waverley Local Plan.

Waverley Borough Council’s Executive Head of Regeneration and Planning Policy, Abi Lewis said:

“We are determined to ensure that the money invested in this site will bring significant improvements to the area. Additionally, the development will be self-funding, so we are not relying on tax-payer’s money to finance the build, and in fact it will eventually generate an income stream to help fund local services.

“This is a large investment for the council, but doing nothing will cost us more in the long run. We also have a fantastic opportunity to regenerate the area, deliver new, affordable homes, as well as providing a purpose-built, modern home for the Haslemere Youth Hub. I look forward to overseeing this project as it progresses.”

Officers at the council will now manage delivery of the project. Once plans have been developed, they will be shared with the community prior to any planning applications being submitted.

Ends