Ten homes in a village near Farnham could be demolished to make way for affordable housing as part of a £9million council investment.

Waverley Borough Council is behind the “exciting” bid to create 26 new affordable properties on the Springfield estate in Elstead.

Two-bedroom houses will make up half the new development if the plans are rubber stamped with a trio of three-bedroom houses and ten flats also part of the planning application.

The scheme – which will likely be decided by WBC’s own planning committee – to meet the needs of local single tenants and growing families can’t happen without the demolition of ten older houses.

“The Springfield scheme presents an opportunity to build new affordable homes in a sustainable location and on previously developed land in an area of high local housing need,” said a spokesperson for Nye Architects on behalf of WBC.

“It has been identified as a highly sustainable location in the centre of Elstead.

“The homes proposed in this scheme are typically smaller homes, ranging from one-bedroom flats or maisonettes to three-bedroom houses, with predominantly two-bedroom dwellings.”

The planning application, which has involved flooding guidance from Surrey County Council, has been a long time coming with a drop-in session taking place at the village hall last July.

It has been allocated as a development site in the Elstead and Weyburn Neighbourhood Plan as it “includes outdated housing” and is “organised inefficiently”.

It is understood that some of the housing earmarked for demolition is now empty with previous residents being relocated. Elstead Parish Council, who will discuss the application when they meet next Monday evening (September 15) in the youth centre, have also shared details of the application online as they appreciate the development means it’s a “difficult situation” for residents immediately affected.

The council claims the “thoughtfully designed” redevelopment will be in-keeping with the village character and will go some way to meeting the borough’s need for affordable housing.

The development will also feature plenty of energy-saving and green technologies like electric vehicle charing points, LED lighting, high-quality double glazing and air source heat pumps.

Private gardens, off-street parking and “beautiful” communal outdoor spaces are proposed in a design which “priorities the safety and wellbeing of residents” while protecting the surrounding environment, with a play area being relocated from The Quillets to the new development.

“We're excited to bring 26 new affordable homes to Elstead, as we know how crucial high-quality housing is for the wellbeing of our community,” said Cllr Janet Crowe, WBC portfolio holder for housing.

“We've listened closely to the community throughout the design process, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

“Residents are particularly excited about the environmental benefits of the new homes, and I'm proud that we've included so many energy-saving features that not only protect the planet but will also help our tenants save on their energy bills.”

Residents have been invited to view the plans online at https://shorturl.at/3zmHP with September 26 being the deadline for comments.