PLANS to demolish garages on a Bookham housing estate and replace them with 11 affordable homes have been passed by councillors.
At a meeting of Mole Valley District Council's planning committee at Pippbrook last week, councillors voted heavily in favour of the scheme proposed for the Edenside estate.
Mole Valley Housing Association (MVHA) applied to the council to remove 105 garages in Beattie Close, Greathurst End and Edenside Road and redevelop the area by building seven houses and four bungalows, plus 72 parking bays.
Villagers had raised several concerns about the plan, including over-intensive development.
Speaking at last Wednesday's meeting, MVHA director David Searle said the association was keen to have the proposal accepted sooner rather than later as it was applying for a grant that required the development to be completed by April 2015.
"We are very concerned as timing is getting critical," he added. "It must be completed before that time and only at that point can we access the grant so it really is critical in terms of timing."
Councillor Tessa Hurworth (Conservative, Bookham North) supported the application having been a former resident of the estate.
She said: "The garages are too small; if you drive your car into them you cannot open the doors on both sides.
"This social housing is very much needed in the village setting and will be very much welcomed by all of the people living in the village."