Farnham residents could be forgiven for feeling a sense of déjà vu - The Woolmead is on the market again.

The long-running saga of the eyesore on East Street has taken yet another turn this week.

Homes England, clearly following the maxim of if at first you don’t succeed, hopes this latest effort will finally secure a buyer for The Woolmead.

The government affordable homes agency has put the East Street site back up for sale, setting Wednesday, November 26 as the deadline for submissions.

Homes England has reappointed Savills to find a buyer, stressing that “bids will only be considered if they meet Homes England’s guidelines.”

A spokesperson said: “We purchased Woolmead in Farnham through our Brownfield Infrastructure Land (BIL) Programme, with planning permission for 138 new homes and over 4,000 square metres of commercial space.

“We’re currently considering options for the delivery of the site, including seeking a new planning consent. Within the past week, we have put the site out to market and are looking forward to seeing responses from prospective partners.”

Residents and stakeholders may be wondering if this is progress at last, or simply another chapter in the never-ending Woolmead story.

The Farnham Herald has repeatedly highlighted the issue through our Woolmead campaign, calling for urgent action to bring the derelict area back into use.

The failure to sell and redevelop Woolmead has become one of Farnham’s most contentious planning issues, with many describing the eastern end of the town centre as “an eyesore” that continues to blight local businesses and the town’s appearance.

The site is being marketed with existing planning consent under application WA/2018/0458, granted by Waverley Borough Council on Wednesday, October 31, 2018. The permission allows for 138 dwellings and around 4,097 square metres of mixed-use commercial floor space, with associated access, parking and landscaping.

The approved housing mix includes 13 studio flats, 63 one-bedroom apartments, 57 two-bedroom apartments and five three-bedroom apartments. There is no Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) or Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirement under the existing permission.

Once a retail and office area, The Woolmead was demolished in 2018 to make way for a major redevelopment that never materialised, leaving Farnham with a civic hole that’s still waiting to be filled.