The Farnham Society has publicly backed our campaign to get something built at The Woolmead.

At the society’s inaugural meeting, its president, the Right Reverend Dr Christopher Herbert, outlined his vision for “What is Farnham’s Future”.

During the meeting, the topic of The Woolmead and Brightwells Yard was raised, with chairman Richard Hunt confirming that the Farnham Society is fully behind the campaign to see progress made at the long-derelict site.

The Farnham Society is a civic group that campaigns to preserve and enhance the town’s character, and has long taken an active interest in local planning issues.

In his address, Dr Herbert called on the chief executive of Homes England to visit Farnham in person.

He said: “If our MP Greg Stafford is to be believed that he has received little to no response from Homes England, then I think that is unacceptable.

“The CEO of Homes England ought to come down to Farnham to see the eyesore that has affected the town for so many years.”

The idea of travelling to Homes England’s Westminster headquarters was also discussed, as residents expressed frustration at the government agency’s lack of transparency over the site’s future.

Richard Hunt added: “We don’t care about the finer details of what is happening with The Woolmead. We just want a solution.”

Possible options were put forward by Dr Herbert, members of the public and councillors.

A packed hall at St Joan of Arc Catholic Church listened intently as Dr Herbert spoke about Farnham’s history, from the Roman fields to the rapid expansion of the 19th Century, when many of the town’s churches and schools were built.

As discussion turned to the 21st Century, and specifically to Brightwells Yard and The Woolmead, Dr Herbert shared his own proposal: to create an innovation hub at The Woolmead to encourage young entrepreneurs to build and improve Farnham.