FARNHAM town centre’s bent and battered railings have become an “embarrassment” and must either be repaired or removed, town councillors have demanded.

Elected representatives of all political persuasions were united in condemning Surrey County Council’s neglect of the town centre’s street furniture at last Thursday’s full town council meeting.

And Castle ward councillor George Hesse succeeded in rallying support for his long, but as yet unsuccessful, campaign to press the county to take action – with town clerk Iain Lynch to voice the council’s displeasure in a letter to Surrey.

Cllr Hesse told the meeting – held at the University for the Creative Arts’ lecture theatre to meet social distancing rules – that since his 2018 by-election win, he has been calling on Surrey to fix a near-complete collection of damaged railings across Farnham’s historic conservation area.

However, having admitted to making “no progress whatsoever”, he called on fellow members to “make their group voice known” – and that they did, with councillors’ frustrations not limited to just railings, but encompassing overgrown foliage, unnecessary signage and the general state of Farnham’s roads.

Town council officers worked through the night to remove the social distancing barriers in The Borough and West Street last week – but it was the town centre’s long-mangled railings that drew the ire of councillors at last week’s town council.

Cllr George Hesse praised the town council for doing its best to disguise the misshapen metal barriers with banners in recent years – but he and fellow members agreed it’s high time the county council gave the town a bit of TLC.

The Farnham Residents councillor said: “Visitors from outside the town often ask ‘how do we live with the railings like that’, and they’re absolutely right – they are a blot on the landscape.

“Personally I would remove them all – but if they are needed, at least make them look smart.”

Supporting Cllr Hesse, Mark Merryweather, Lib Dem member for Weybourne and Badshot Lea, said the problem isn’t just limited to the town centre – with Surrey neglecting street furniture in his ward too.

And he added: “It seems Surrey can find £100-plus million for the Farnham Infrastructure Programme, but can’t find a tuppence to repair what it’s already got!”

Tory councillor for Wrecclesham, Paula Dunsmore, said she has also alerted Surrey to the unsightly railings in town – but has had some success reporting highways problems via the council website.

And Andy MacLeod, Farnham Residents county councillor for Farnham Central, said he has previously asked for certain railings to be removed in town – but was told they must remain for safety reasons.

Cllr MacLeod did though add much work will be done to improve the look of the town centre, as part of the Farnham Infrastructure Programme (FIP), and a county spokesman confirmed the planned overhaul of the town’s road layout as the cause of the delays.

The spokesman said: “The FIP is currently reviewing the town centre, which includes roads and congestion, the pedestrian experience and overall appearance.

“Therefore we don’t want to spend time and money replacing barriers if their position might change due to the potential widening of pavements, or if they won’t fit with the future aesthetics of the area.”

He added the barriers “will be replaced if they become dangerous”.