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Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice to grow.

Waverley Planners give the go-ahead for Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice to expand.

It is proposed to erect a new hospice building including inpatient, outpatient and offices with plant and machinery on the roof together with new landscaping and amenity areas following the demolition of buildings, as well as the refurbishment of 2 storey building, The Dove Wing, which is to be retained.

Phyllis Tuckwell is the only adult hospice care charity caring for patients and families across the whole of West Surrey and part of North East Hampshire, from the Hospice in Farnham, the Beacon Centre in Guildford, in the community and in people’s own homes.

For over 40 years, Phyllis Tuckwell has provided specialist support and end-of-life care to adult patients and their families living with an advanced or terminal illness (such as cancer, heart, lung or neurological disease) in West Surrey and North East Hampshire, serving 550,000 residents.

The existing building accommodates an Inpatient Unit (IPU) comprising 14 beds, staff offices, therapy and training rooms and restrooms. The buildings towards the eastern and southern sides of the site, housing the IPU, are primarily single-storey. The proposal will enable the Hospice to return to its pre-pandemic occupancy of 18 inpatient beds and provide the charity with modern office space and meeting spaces.

The development retains the two-storey Dove Wing, demolishing the remaining buildings on site. The demolished element will be replaced with a new hospice facility (Use Class C2), adjoining the retained Dove Wing and accommodating improved and enlarged inpatient and outpatient facilities, office space and meeting rooms, courtyard and external amenity areas and retained car parking and access.

The new building, incorporating the Dove Wing, will sit on the approximate footprint of the existing facility and will comprise an 18-bed IPU, outpatient facilities, visiting areas, offices, and ancillary and charity staff areas. The facility will enclose a main central courtyard and, external to the building, to the south.

Design & Access Statement PT t 8704765

PHYLLIS TUCK document 8789740 decision notice

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‘Your Waverley’ 2023/2027

FOUR MORE YEARS.

 

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Hearty congratulations to the Rt Hon Anne Milton and her nursing colleagues.

What a wonderful day for the nursing profession, of whom we are so proud, which has finally become the 111th Worshipful Company in the City of London.

Our Former MP – the Rt Hon Anne Milton, was present for a moment in history as the nursing profession of which she is so proud was recently awarded the Worshipful Company by the Court of Alderman in London.

The Founders at the Guildhall heard the Court of Alderman award the status of Worshipful Company to the Nursing Profession with the backing of the City and their fellow Freemen.

It was such an honour and a  moment in history for our profession. We so appreciate the support we have had from the City & from our Freemen.”

Anne is pictured second from the right in the bottom row.

Said Liz Fenton OBE, QN. “Congratulations and what a fabulous acknowledgement of all the great work of the famous 8. What an achievement- onwards now & upwards.”

Former Guildford, Cranleigh MP Anne Milton and their nursing colleagues dubbed the “famous 8.”

Congratulations have poured in from all over the country – and from fellow Aldermen.

Said one. I was delighted to have been present in the Court of Aldermen today to support the resoundingly unanimous decision of the Court to grant @CompanyNursesfull livery status. Congratulations to all of the Company’s members and all who have worked so hard to get to this point!”

Many congratulations! We were all delighted to unanimously support granting full Livery status. A historic moment. Looking forward to supporting the company in the years ahead.

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How ‘unfit’ PPE helped former playboy buy two mansions

You have heard that expression. Laughing all the way to the bank.

Glove tycoon Robert Gros splashed millions on luxury homes and planned to build a cinema, disco and golf simulator.

Adam Bychawski

An estimated £27m of gowns supplied by Gros’s company was later deemed “unfit for use”.

A form’ playboy’-turned-businessman made a fortune supplying PPE during the pandemic, even though the NHS may be unable to use millions of the gowns his company delivered, openDemocracy can reveal.

Chemical Intelligence Limited was awarded a £126m contract to supply 21 million medical gowns desperately needed to protect NHS workers treating Covid patients in May 2020. But data released to openDemocracy through freedom of information law show the Department of Health and Social Care later deemed 4.5 million of them – worth an estimated total of £27m –

“not fit for use” in the NHS. 

Lawyers acting on behalf of Robert Gros, the sole owner and CEO of Chemical Intelligence, said Gros could not comment because he

“did not recognise these figures or amounts”.

The bumper PPE contract allowed Gros, 51, to turn around his business, which had made losses two years running prior. According to accounts filed on Companies House, Chemical Intelligence declared profits of £33m for the year up to September 2020. It had just two employees, including Gros, when it landed the multi-million-pound government contract.

The Covid-19 public inquiry is a historic chance to find out what really happened.

Gros personally splashed out on a £4m country pile just four months after he clinched the PPE deal. In 2021, after his company reported a further £31m in profits, he bought a second £2m country home and asked for planning permission to fit a basement bowling alley in the first.

The businessman then paid himself £7m in dividends in January 2022 – after having already loaned himself £6m the year before. Two months later, he transferred £40m in dividends to a holding company that he entirely owns. 

Gros would only answer Open De mocracy’s questions through his lawyers, who told us that he had paid all the necessary corporation tax and that the £4om would “continue to be reinvested” in his business. 

The £126m contract was one of many for which the government paid over the odds as demand for PPE skyrocketed during the pandemic, and it did not have enough stockpiled. Gowns cost the government 1,260% more than they did before the pandemic, according to the National Audit Office.

A fifth of gowns supplied by Chemical Intelligence was labelled “not fit for use” because they “failed the technical, clinical or regulatory compliance assessment”, openDemocracy understands. The department would not elaborate on why the gowns failed checks, but according to the data released under FOI, their value has been written down to £0.

“The department has processes in place to review the quality of PPE and determine whether products are suitable to be released to the frontline,” said a spokesperson. “Upon receipt, a sample of each product is reviewed by DHSC’s Technical and Regulatory Assurance team.

“A proportion of this stock was classified as ‘do not supply’. Stock in this category has not necessarily fallen short of standards, and in many cases, these products can be used in other settings.”

Gros’s lawyers insisted that all the PPE the company had supplied was “fit for purpose and use”, suggesting the DHSC may have been mistaken in its record-keeping. The department confirmed that Chemical Intelligence also provided £35m worth of face masks and disposable surgical aprons under separate contracts awarded in 2020, none deemed unusable.

Of the £12bn the government spent in total on PPE, £4bn worth cannot be used by the NHS because it doesn’t meet the proper standards, according to a 2022 report by the Public Accounts Committee of MPs.

Gros’s lawyers said that the sharp rise in profits for Chemical Intelligence was not all down to PPE deals; he struck during the pandemic and threatened openDemocracy with an injunction if we revealed details about his mansions.

So let us all keep quiet about this scandal eh?

 

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Lloyds Bank in Farnham sold to pub chain.

Yet another bank bites the dust in the borough of Waverley. 

Just a time when more and more of us are being scammed – away go our bank branches.

Godalming still has two banks. Lloyds and Nat West. But for how much longer? All the eastern villages are leaving for Horsham, where there are real shops and  Godalming, where there are lots of coffee and charity shops.

Godalming has lost Barclays. Santander. HSBC. Halifax. Nationwide. Trustee Savings Bank.   Now it appears the little Yorkshire Building Society branch office is also to go in a couple of months.

All very sad. Better than Cranleigh, though – they ONLY have Nationwide left, and residents wonder how long before it leaves them devoid of a bank or building society. The residents there are forced to travel to Godalming.  Or Horsham. 

 

Lloyds has now become the third banking giant to close its Farnham branch – after plans were submitted to convert its historic Grade II-listed Castle Street premises into a restaurant and “boutique” hotel. The application has been granted: Here’s the decision notice. document 8755339 (1)

Lloyds has had a branch in Farnham for more than a century and has been located at 75 Castle Street since 1919. But it now looks set to follow NatWest and HSBC in departing the town. Staff have told the Waverley Web closure is imminent.

 Young & Co’s Brewing plc wants to change its use from a bank to a mixed-use restaurant, bar and seven-room hotel.

Young’s has consent to make alterations to the building’s elevations and the creation of a roof terrace accessed from the first floor of the building, designed for the use of 48 patrons.

The 1930s banking hall will be ripped out and replaced with a bar and fixed seating for bar/restaurant use, but the “openness” of the banking hall would be retained. A new lift and extending an existing lift are also proposed. Its basement will be converted to house staff toilets and an office.

Young’s says its plans for the basement and ground floor are “light touch” and will “celebrate the internal character of the building”. And while it proposes more changes to the first floor to incorporate seven “boutique” hotel rooms, it says the existing first-floor layout is “plain in terms of detail or features of interest”.

 The owner told Waverley: “The nature of banking has changed significantly in recent years, and the need for such a large space is no longer prevalent. While the building may not be vacant at present, the low demand for a space of this size, or even a physical bank at all, is increasingly diminishing, and any resistance on the basis of a bank’s loss would simply be delaying an inevitable loss.”

“It’s our intention to keep a branch in Farnham, and we’re waiting for further information following the landlord’s planning application.”

 

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‘Liz the Biz’ sorts out another Cranleigh debacle.

Cranleigh councillor Liz Townsend has been given a pat on the back for finally sorting out a nightmare problem at the Amber Parkside development in Alfold Road.

Cranleigh borough and parish Cllr Liz Townsend BEM – with her halo of gold 

 

You can read all about it here:

Light Blight at Cranleigh’s Amber Parkside.

Amber Parkside – Volume 2. Or buying a property from A2 DOMINION? – better read this first

 

Many thanks and kind regards from Annette xx

Amber Parkside before.

Massive lighting columns at the Amber Parkside development in Alfold Rd, Cranleigh, produced an electricity bill of £17,000.

And after Annette had waged her battle against inconsiderate developers, pulled her hair out from the roots, wrote and telephoned the company hundreds of times and lost months of sleep! 

We say BOLLARDS to you A2Dominion, for the misery you caused, and why did you wait so long?

Here’s one of the development company diggers taking down the lighting columns.

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Has Waverley’s Maverick Councillor halted an unpopular planning change in its tracks?

 

Farnham Cllr Jerry Hyman dared to question a major “and unlawful change” in planning decisions, claiming it flew in the face of ‘Your Waverley’s Constitution.

In full view of dignitaries and mayors from around the county at the Annual Mayor Making ceremony, Cllr Hyman challenged the right of the council to make major changes to the committee structure affecting how planning applications would be dealt with over the next four years.    The controversial proposal to abolish both the Eastern & Western planning committees – was, he said,

“not a minor change but a major change and should be considered by the Standards Board.”

Who came up with this dumb idea?

Earlier, Cllr Paul Follows, the newly re-appointed leader for 2023/2027, explained why the changes were necessary but reluctantly agreed that the Standards Board members and residents should have their say before introduction.

He said: “I think it is ridiculous that we cannot adopt this now – but that is entirely due to Councillor Hyman.”  

In a WW nutshell, the Government has repeatedly threatened Waverley with having its planning powers removed indefinitely. That threat comes closer every day. This is despite planning performance having recovered to pre-Covid levels.

He said: “We are eight planning appeals away from having our planning functions curtailed, and the Government’s Planning Advisory Service has suggested that we must make our planning decisions more effective.”

It was not about the quantity of its planning decisions but the quality.

Has ‘ Get- a Gove- On’ got it in for Waverley, Jeremy and Angela?

The changes above would speed up decision-making and fend off Waverley’s planning functions being taken over by the Government. He recognised deep concern among the council’s ranks (many of whom are new boys and girls on the block, elected just weeks ago.)

He said he sympathised with those concerned by the proposed changes, which included all Waverley’s Executive members being banned from planning committees under the new regime. This would consist of himself and his other Godalming Ward member colleague being unable to participate. “So I am not proposing something for others that I don’t intend for myself,”

This would also exclude Cllr Liz Townsend, The Portfolio Holder for Planning and an Executive Member, from serving on any planning committees. 

Independent Cllr David Munro regarded the proposed changes as a retrograde step that would diminish ward councillors’ role.

Cllr Carole Cockburn said she had lived through the many lives of  planning committees and believed tinkering with the structure was a “futile gesture” and would not solve Waverley’s “huge problems.” Councillors would be forced to travel far and wide for site visits and acquaint themselves with the Neighbourhood Plans of every town and village.

“I know planning here is in a mess, but these proposed changes will not help just diminish the role of councillors.”

Cllr Michael Goodridge, a well-seasoned and experienced councillor for Wonersh & Bramley, said the administration should consider going back to the days of the Main Planning Committee abolished due to Covid. He warned to make the changes proposed would be ” a disaster.”

A former councillor told the WW. Removing Ward members from Planning Committee decisions removes critical local knowledge and local democracy. Councillors are elected to represent their ward. This is an irrational proposal contrary to the guidance on probity in planning and common sense. Subject to the law, statutory guidance and Nolan Principles, it is for the councillors to decide their participation within just and efficacious planning processes.

The WW wonders – wouldn’t it be easier for this Government to have no councillors at all? – Just let the planning officers make the decisions or, better still, why not Government Inspectors? After all, dozens of planning meetings have been cancelled in recent years.

Here’s a comment from former Cllr Edmonds.

Councillor Hyman deserves praise for representing the community too many forget that Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires that the local planning authority must prepare a statement of community involvement. This raises a reasonable argument that it cannot be ignored with impunity. If local government does not lawfully serve the local community, who does it serve?

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Who came up with this dumb idea?

We seldom agree with the Haslemere Fact Check. However,  on the subject of the planning committee changes proposed tonight, we have to agree with its sentiments. These are THE most stupid change of procedure we have ever heard.

Have the Nutters from Planet Zonk taken over ‘Your Waverley?’

Who the hell’s idea was this? President Xi of China?

Report of Director: Transformation & Governance Author: Susan Sale, Executive Head of Legal and Democratic Services and Monitoring Officer Tel: 01483 444022 Email: susan.sale@waverley.gov.uk

Below is the former makeup of the two planning committees. The above is proposed under the arrangements proposed this evening at the first Full Council of the new administration. The two committees below will be abolished. So councillors from Farnham will determine applications in Godalming and Cranleigh, and councillors in Cranleigh will determine applications in Farnham. As you will gather,  your Ward member/s – the ones you voted for –  can no longer participate in the debate or be permitted to vote. Dumb or what?

The full report for tonight’s meeting is here. This subject starts on page 19.

Public reports pack 23052023 1800 Council.

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Appeal Inspector minds the gap betwen Badshot Lea & Weybourne.

 

It was not the third time lucky for a persistent developer?

Developers have been trying to obtain consent for development on a greenfield site in Farnham since first appealing in 2014, again in 2018. They now believe that without a five-year housing land supply in Waverley, they stood a good chance of success in 2023.

Government Planning Inspector D.R McCreery. MA BA (Hons) MRTPI has dismissed an appeal by Bewley Homes to build 140 homes in Farnham.

Phew! Is that the sound of relief we can hear from g the planning gurus at Waverley Towers?

If the appeal were allowed, it would have resulted in a significant coalescence of Farnham, Aldershot, Weybourne, and Badshot Lea.

Although he accepted that Waverley Council had a significant shortfall in its 5-year housing land supply –  and although the parties disagreed on the Council’s supply position, for the appeal, they agree that the 5-year housing land supply figure falls somewhere within the range of

3.53 and 4.28 years

Mr McCreery.said: 

“There is little concrete evidence to demonstrate that the Council has a credible strategy, including progressing through an agreed timetable for updating the Local Plan Part 1, that will address the housing land supply issues of the Borough on a wider basis anytime soon. In these circumstances, the Appellant is correct to characterise the shortfall in housing land supply as significant. The removal of the shortfall from earlier in the plan period, which accords with National Planning Practice Guidance4 , makes little difference to my judgement on this matter.”

In the overall conclusion on the central issue of character and appearance of the appeal site, the Inspector concluded. that the proposal would fail to protect the countryside from inappropriate development and would not enhance the landscape value of the countryside. It would also clearly lead to increased coalescence between Badshot Lea and Weybourne. Consequently, it conflicted with the development plan for the area,  the Local Plan Part 1 and the Farnham Neighbourhood Plan.

The effects on SPAs were subject to discussion at the inquiry, specifically by Cllr Hyman. Given the detailed nature of the comments raised, the response produced an agreed note 5 between the Council and the Appellant. The note is the same as that produced during the 2021 Appeal inquiry and has been subject to confirmation with Natural England that it remains factually correct.

In conclusion, the Inspector said:

 I have paid regard to the recent appeal decision at Hale Road. This is relevant as it considered development outside of the Built up Area Boundary in the Neighbourhood Plan, with the presumption providing a material consideration in favour of granting planning permission. Whilst differently situated, landscape effects were considered in that case.

However, settlement effects arising from coalescence were not. Nor is there anything within that decision to suggest that the conflict with the specific policies of the Neighbourhood Plan was as clear and obvious. In the absence of other material considerations to indicate otherwise, the appeal should be determined in accordance with the development plan. In this case, that would be a refusal of planning permission.  For the above reasons and paying regard to all the other points made, the appeal is dismissed.

Waverley Borough Council has to provide for at least 11,210 (590 dwellings per annum) additional homes in the plan period, including a minimum of 2,780 homes within Farnham.

You can read the complete appeal decision document below.

3310793 Appeal Decision

Another Appeal by Bewley Homes for 140 homes in Badshot Lea has begun.

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What about Farnham’s air quality?

Former Farnham Waverley borough Councillor Brian Edmonds may not be in, but he’s certainly not out.

Here he has his say on yesterday’s post:   Does Surrey County Council leader speak with forked tongue?

Surrey CC local transport plan (LTP4)

“Air quality is key to the health of humans and ecosystems. The Environment Act (1995) requires borough and district councils to identify Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) where current or future air quality is unlikely to meet national air quality objectives and to develop Air Quality Action Plans to tackle poor air quality in these areas.”

Surrey Policy Statement

“Achieving a smooth flow of traffic brings benefits to road users through better journey time reliability and a more pleasant driving experience. Reducing congestion also helps businesses, improves road safety and reduces emissions of carbon and local pollutants.”

Both district and county councils have statutory responsibilities for Farnham’s air quality and are required to cooperate in reviewing and deciding management measures.

So why does Farnham still have an Air Quality Management Area?

Choosing to approve major developments without an Environmental Impact Assessment doesn’t help. This removes the developer’s legal obligation to describe the significant effects of their development on the Farnham environment during construction and completion and to confirm that their use of natural resources and infrastructure is sustainable.

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Parts of Godalming struck by lightning in Coronation Storm.

A violent storm raced across Surrey yesterday. Homes in Godalming & Busbridge had a blowout of all their electrical equipment.

 

A resident of Brusbridge told the WW.

 We had the most massive storm here last night – the lightning has knocked out all our modems, phones, and many TV’s on our road. There were 2 HUGE strikes right overhead. BT is struggling…they think the lightning might have ricocheted off some scaffolding in the road. Seems pretty much everyone on our road is the same. The BBC says there is no problem with the Guildford or Midhurst masts.

 BT guys are on the road, and guess they will do their best but think they have their work cut out. I’ve just heard they are sending out a “team” of engineers this afternoon to replace the busted kit – lots of modems have blown. 

Latest…

It seems we are an isolated problem because the lightning ricocheted off some scaffolding. Open Reach is sending a “team” of engineers this afternoon and will fix sockets and phones but won’t replace the routers (ours says BT) because Open Reach is now separate and we have to contact BT separately. They won’t talk to me because I’m not the account holder – my husband has gone to play golf!!! 

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Spectacular gains for Lib Dems at 2023 Waverley and Guildford borough elections

Jubilant Waverley Lib Dems, including all the new boys and girls on the block.

And with the Liberal Democrats now running Guildford Borough Council for the first time – do we see a merger coming on?

https://www.waverleylibdems.org.uk/news/article/spectacular-gains-for-lib-dems-at-2023-borough-elections

As well as the 25 seats, the new council is now made up of 10 Conservatives, the second largest party, seven Residents for Guildford and Villages, the biggest losers in the election, three Guildford Greenbelt Group and three Labour. Paul Spooner The Leader of the Conservative Group, lost his seat, which was a massive blow to the local Conservative Association.

The Liberal Democrats’ win follows their coalition with R4GV since 2020.

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Long to reign over us.

 

The final countdown for the Waverley Borough Council elections on 4 May 20203

Following a boundary review, the seats available have been reduced from 57 to 50. Waverley Tories contested all 50 seats – the Liberal Democrats only 25.

Jubilant Liberal Democrat Councillors were out celebrating yesterday.

This was the make-up of WBC last week.

To this is May 2023.

RESULTS 2023 WAVERLEY

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Results of Waverley Borough Council wards – as they happen.

 

At 19.30, There were only three Conservatives elected to Waverley Borough Council, two of whom were in the Alfold Dunsfold Ward. No Tory councillors left in Cranleigh or Ewhurst.

 

The first result – True Blue Chiddingfold – 221  Liberal Democrat 662

 Lib Dems win Elstead! Bet Uncle and Aunty Elsey are glad they jumped ship before it was sunk!
 460 blue- 649 LD Elstead
 Lib Dems win Ewhurst!
 Lib Dems win Cranleigh West
 Mark Merryweather keeps Farnham Moor Park

The Conservative Association put up 50 Candidates for the 50 seats available. Lib Dems (25 candidates).

Latest.

 

 

 

Peter Martin, Conservative, retains his seat in Godalming by one vote.

20. oo  

A message to Bramley Conservatives from former councillor Richard – ‘All at Seaborne.’

Dear Bramley Conservatives,

The result for the new Bramley and Busbridge ward has just been announced and is probably the highlight of what has been a very disappointing day for the Conservatives overall. All three of our excellent candidates were comfortably elected:
Jane Austin (Con)  1673 votes
Lauren Atkins (Con) 1450 votes
Michael Goodridge (Con) 1390 votes
Mark Vivian (Lib-Dem) 1077 votes
Paul Wright (Lib-Dem) 1073 votes
Martin D’Arcy (Green) 903 votes
Simon Hall (Lab) 271 votes
Christopher Hard (203 votes)
The turnout in Bramley and Wonersh hasn’t yet been published, but the overall turnout in Waverley was 39% which is quite high for a standalone Borough election.
Congratulation to our three new councillors. The amount of effort that they put into the campaign was enormous so the result is nothing less than they deserve.
Many thanks to all of those that helped get out the literature and bang on doors. Your contribution made a real difference.
With two seats left to be declared, The Lib Dems have 22 seats and the Farnham Residents 12. The Conservatives have nine seats. This means that the Lib Dems cannot take an overall majority, so it looks like there will be another coalition administration.
Best wishes,
Richard Seaborne

Election Summary for Wards
Wards
Elected candidates
Elected party or parties
Time declared
WardsAlfold, Dunsfold & HascombeElected candidates Kevin Neil DEANUSElected party or parties The Conservative Party CandidateTime declared
WardsAlfold, Dunsfold & HascombeElected candidates Connor Kurt RELLEENElected party or parties The Conservative Party CandidateTime declared
WardsChiddingfoldElected candidatesDave BUSBYElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsCranleigh EastElected candidatesKen REEDElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsCranleigh EastElected candidatesRuth Carolyn REEDElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsCranleigh EastElected candidates Philip TOWNSENDElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsCranleigh WestElected candidatesAlan Rodney MORRISONElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsCranleigh WestElected candidates Elizabeth Ann [Liz] TOWNSENDElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsElstead & Peper HarowElected candidatesGemma Felicity LONGElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsEwhurst & Ellens GreenElected candidates Michael James HIGGINSElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsFarnham CastleElected candidates George Adam Legrew HESSEElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham CastleElected candidatesHeather McCleanElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham FirgroveElected candidates Jeremy Nicholas [Jerry] HYMANElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham FirgroveElected candidatesChristina Le Fleming [KIka] MIRYLEESElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham Heath EndElected candidatesTony FAIRCLOUGHElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham Heath EndElected candidatesMichaela WICKSElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham Moor ParkElected candidates Andrew Gillespie [Andy] MACLOEDElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham Moor ParkElected candidatesMark Ian MERRYWEATHERElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsFarnham North WestElected candidates David BEAMANElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham North WestElected candidatesGraham John WHITEElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham RowledgeElected candidatesPeter Alexander CLARKElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham RowledgeElected candidatesJohn Anthony WARDElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham WeybourneElected candidates Andrew James Seymour LAUGHTONElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham WeybourneElected candidatesRichard Peter STEIJGERElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsGodalming Binscombe & CharterhouseElected candidatesNick PALMERElected party or parties Labour PartyTime declared
WardsGodalming Binscombe & CharterhouseElected candidatesPaul Sidney RIVERSElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsGodalming Binscombe & CharterhouseElected candidates Stephen Edward Dalton WILLIAMSElected party or parties Green Party CandidateTime declared
WardsGodalming Central & OckfordElected candidatesPaul David FOLLOWSElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsGodalming Central & OckfordElected candidatesVictoria Claire KIEHLElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsGodalming HollowayElected candidates Adam William DuceElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsGodalming HollowayElected candidatesPeter James MARTINElected party or parties The Conservative Party CandidateTime declared
WardsHindhead & Beacon HillElected candidates Jerome Michael Francis DAVIDSONElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsHindhead & Beacon HillElected candidates Julian Hewitt SPENCEElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
Earlier this afternoon.

 

 

Election Summary for Wards
Wards
Elected candidates
Elected party or parties
Time declared
WardsAlfold, Dunsfold & HascombeElected candidates Kevin Neil DEANUSElected party or parties The Conservative Party CandidateTime declared
WardsAlfold, Dunsfold & HascombeElected candidates Connor Kurt RELLEENElected party or parties The Conservative Party CandidateTime declared
WardsChiddingfoldElected candidatesDave BUSBYElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsCranleigh EastElected candidatesKen REEDElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsCranleigh EastElected candidatesRuth Carolyn REEDElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsCranleigh EastElected candidates Philip TOWNSENDElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsCranleigh WestElected candidatesAlan Rodney MORRISONElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsCranleigh WestElected candidates Elizabeth Ann [Liz] TOWNSENDElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsElstead & Peper HarowElected candidatesGemma Felicity LONGElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsEwhurst & Ellens GreenElected candidates Michael James HIGGINSElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsFarnham CastleElected candidates George Adam Legrew HESSEElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham CastleElected candidatesHeather McCLEANElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham FirgroveElected candidatesJeremy Nicholas [Jerry] HYMANElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham FirgroveElected candidatesChristina Le Fleming [KIka] MIRYLEESElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham Heath EndElected candidatesTony FAIRCLOUGHElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham Heath EndElected candidatesMichaela WICKSElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham Moor ParkElected candidates Andrew Gillespie [Andy] MACLOEDElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham Moor ParkElected candidatesMark Ian MERRYWEATHERElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsFarnham North WestElected candidates David BEAMANElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham North WestElected candidatesGraham John WHITEElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham RowledgeElected candidatesPeter Alexander CLARKElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham RowledgeElected candidatesJohn Anthony WARDElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham WeybourneElected candidates Andrew James Seymour LAUGHTONElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham WeybourneElected candidatesRichard Peter STEIJGERElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsGodalming HollowayElected candidates Adam William DuceElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsGodalming HollowayElected candidatesPeter James MARTINElected party or parties The Conservative Party CandidateTime declared

Earlier

 

Election Summary for Wards
Wards
Elected candidates
Elected party or parties
Time declared
WardsChiddingfoldElected candidates Dave BUSBYElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsCranleigh WestElected candidatesAlan Rodney MORRISONElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsCranleigh WestElected candidates Elizabeth Ann [Liz] TOWNSENDElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsElstead & Peper HarowElected candidatesGemma Felicity LONGElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsEwhurst & Ellens GreenElected candidates Michael James HIGGINSElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsFarnham CastleElected candidates George Adam Legrew HESSEElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham CastleElected candidates Heather McCleanElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham FirgroveElected candidates Jeremy Nicholas [Jerry] HYMANElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham FirgroveElected candidates Christina Le Fleming [KIka] MIRYLEESElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham Heath EndElected candidates Tony FAIRCLOUGHElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham Heath EndElected candidates Michaela WICKSElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham Moor ParkElected candidates Andrew Gillespie [Andy] MACLOEDElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham Moor ParkElected candidates Mark Ian MERRYWEATHERElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsFarnham North WestElected candidates David BEAMANElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham North WestElected candidates Graham John WHITEElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham RowledgeElected candidates Peter Alexander CLARKElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham RowledgeElected candidates John Anthony WARDElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham WeybourneElected candidates Andrew James Seymour LAUGHTONElected party or parties Farnham ResidentsTime declared
WardsFarnham WeybourneElected candidatesRichard Peter STEIJGERElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsGodalming HollowayElected candidates Adam William DuceElected party or parties Liberal DemocratsTime declared
WardsGodalming HollowayElected candidates Peter James MARTINElected party or parties The Conservative Party CandidateTime declared

 

 

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The Polls have closed for Waverley’s 2023 elections.

So this is Gary Hudson.  The candidate who says he is the

Positive Choice for Witley and Milford.”

Dear God, please give us the strength to carry on with the Waverley Web if wannabe councillors like this are elected to determine our future.

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Don’t forget to vote.

THAMES WATER UPDATE – BOTTLED WATER STATION LEISURE CENTRE CAR PARK VILLAGE WAY –

Thames Water’s head honcho’s get to sniff the Bramley whiff.

No doubt Jeremy HUNT will be getting SARAH BENTLEY DOWN TO  CRANLEIGH NEXT?

Message from Thames Water TO CLLR LIZ TOWNSEND.

We are really sorry if residents have low pressure or no water in the GU6, GU8, GU27 and RH14 areas. We have opened a bottled water station at Cranleigh Leisure Centre in Village Way, Cranleigh, GU6 8AF. We apologise that this is some way from the affected area, but we have not been able to find a site that is closer and has enough space to allow lorries to safely deliver water. Bottled water is for essential use, like drinking, cooking and hand washing. We will do our best to make sure our supplies are fairly handed out. The supply problems are mainly being caused by technical issues as Ashlands Reservoir near Godalming, which supplies the area around Chiddingfold and Dunsfold. We are sorry that this has caused ongoing difficulties in the area, especially after issues yesterday at Netley Mill Water Treatment Works. We continue to reduce the impact by pumping water from tankers into the local supply network. “

SAID CLLR TOWNSEND: As I have requested, some pallets of water are also being delivered to Elmbridge Village and Cedar Court.”
These are homes for older people.

The future of the borough of Waverley and the wider country could depend on your vote.

 

Borough and parish elections on today, Thursday.

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Borough and parish elections on Thursday.

In case you have forgotten – Waverley’s Parish and Borough elections take place tomorrow, Thursday – and you need an ID to vote.

These elections may demonstrate voter feelings before a General Election next year.

Some cynical souls believe the Coronation frivolity may eclipse the important elections as everyone focuses on hanging their bunting and baking the Coronation Quiche – if they can find enough broad beans! Yuk!!

However, pinning your vote onto the men and women who seek to represent you is important. Very important.

Because long after the bunting is packed away and the leftover quiche sent to compost – the wannabe councillors could be making significant decisions that affect you and yours. Decisions that could affect whether that unsightly three-storey extension on your neighbours’ property gets the go-ahead. Or, yet another shedload of homes is approved on yet another green field in the neighbourhood. Or, perhaps significant service changes, e.g. refuse collection etc.

Beware the paper candidates, usually spotted by being reticent about saying where they live. “Address in Waverley,’ almost certainly means they don’t live or work on the patch they intend to represent. Whether at a parish or borough level, watch out for the candidates you once voted for and who, after a short period, threw their toys out of their prams and resigned.

Do they really deserve to be re-elected?

Hannah Nicholson is one such wannabe Cranleigh Parish Councillor. Sought election, served for a bit, had a meltdown and resigned. Now she wants to go back and have another go. Really!! Her desire to serve the public has resulted in an £11,000 bill for an Election in the Cranleigh Parish Council West Ward. Why is she shy about saying where she lives?

Candidates without knowledge of the places and people they want to represent. In Farnham’s Firgrove Ward, one of the Conservative candidates lives in Bramley – the opposite side of the borough. Wonder if he has ever visited Farnham – well, he may have too soon. The same applies elsewhere in the borough. Beware of candidates who don’t know the people and places they want to represent.

Don’t be out looking for the results of the parish elections on Friday – because you will be disappointed. The count will not be held until Sunday – is that double time or treble time for the bean counters? Will it be interesting to see the bill?

One local said:

I had a leaflet through my door which said, “Jeremy Hunt wants to hear what you have to say.”

I’m pretty sure he doesn’t.

Several parish councils will not be fielding enough candidates to fill the spaces up for grabs. Shame they will be co-opting members to get a full complement to serve their parishes. Is working at the grassroots becoming a bit of a chore?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Thames Water’s head honcho’s gets to sniff the Bramley whiff.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer recently used his direct line to the Daily Telegraph’s Political Editor and a senior News Reporter to publicise a smell of oil in Bramley.

He then brought in the Environment Agency, and now it’s the turn of Thames Water’s head. When are the Prime Minister and the Chief Constable arriving for a sniff?

Is Chancellor Jeremy Hunt panicking about already fighting the General Election on his new patch? Godalming/Ash/and WAVERLEY’s eastern villages?

Does raw sewage float Jeremy and Sarah’s boat in Bramley?

The country’s head bean counter has called in non-other than Thames Water’s plumply salaried Sarah Bentley to sort out the Bramley whiff. Here’s the link to the stink: Is Hunt on the General election trail already?

Thames Water boss Sarah Bentley on £2m a year, and receives obscene bonuses gets called down to Bramley to check-out the village stream- really!

GREEN SPACES  Sewage is an issue I am knee-deep in (sorry), so I am working closely with Thames Water, Southern Water and the Environment Agency to secure a major investment plan with a total of over £423 million to be invested locally by 2026 to clean up our local rivers.

Does he mean Waverley’s Rivers? WW wonders?

As Chancellor, I also made sure that fines paid by water companies are used to fix pollution.

Emma Howard Boyd, chair, said that the agency’s current fines are often less than the chief executive’s salary. 

He said: “I recently met Tilford Parish Council Chair Deborah Lee to discuss the environmental challenges facing the Wey in Tilford.

I am also meeting Thames Water CEO Sarah Bentley in Bramley on Saturday.”

WW wonders if she sought overtime to visit Bramley at the weekend.

Sarah Bentley, Thames Water’s boss, received a total amount of £727,000 in two single payments just days after being criticised by the Environment Agency over the company’s record of pollution. UK water companies are under fire for dumping raw sewage into Britain’s drinking water supplies. The number of serious incidents climbed, and Thames and Southern Water committed more than half the incidents.

UK water companies are under fire for dumping raw sewage into Britain’s drinking water supplies.

Sewage entered rivers and seas on average 825 times a day last year

Sarah Bentley received a £ 3.1 million “golden hello” for signing on as chief executive of the UK’s largest water provider. That payment was in addition to her eye-watering annual salary and bonuses, which rose to £2 million last year.

 Thames, Southern, and Yorkshire paid no corporation taxes last year.

Caroline Lucas, leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, said it was utterly shameful for water bosses to take home such substantial pay packets and give themselves obscene bonuses while their companies ravage our natural environment by polluting water supplies and dumping raw wastewater in our waterways.

Lucas, who also serves on Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee, said that.

“our environment shouldn’t have to pay the price for water bosses’ derelictions of duty.”

The Environment Agency believes the chief executives and board members of companies guilty of the most serious offences should be sentenced.

 “Over the years, the public has witnessed water company executives and investors being rewarded handsomely while their environment pays the price.” Water companies behave like this because they can. We want to make it too difficult for them to keep doing the same thing.

Did our Surrey MP’s let us down again?

 

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Why are Surrey residents paying the highest council tax for policing in the country?

The Surrey Police Budget for 2022/23 was underspent by a whopping £ 7.9 million – Enough to fund the entire 5.1% council tax increase for 2023/24.

This has been imposed on us by our Tory Police & Chief Commissioner.

Why are Surrey residents paying the highest council tax for policing in the country?

Here’s why.

It is great news and a significant relief that Surrey Police have met the Government target for new police officers by 31 March. This reflects a huge effort by outgoing Chief Constable Gavin Stephens and his team to avoid the financial penalties the Home Office would have imposed if the target had been missed.
However, Surrey Police continue to struggle to recruit and retain staff. The number of PCSOs has fallen to just 69 at the end of March, 27 below the new (reduced) establishment figure of 96 and down from 136 PCSOs just over a year ago in February 2022.
So PCSO numbers have fallen even more than was initially reported a year ago. 

Other areas with large staff vacancies reported on 31 March include:

Operations: 21 vacancies
Specialist Crime: 38 vacancies
Contact (including 999/101 call operators): 59 vacancies
Criminal Justice and Custody: 32 vacancies
Lisa Townsend Surrey’s Tory Police and Chief Commissioner. 
We wonder why we are paying the highest council tax in the country for our police force when so much of our council taxes are either being used to expand the Police and Crime Commissioner’s own office and media team or are not being spent at all.
Surrey ~Police.
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MP’s pledge to sort out Guildford & Villages transport problems.

She made a pledge when Angela Richardson became the MP for Guildford and Waverley’s eastern villages.

  • To ‘Back Boris and Get Brexit done.” She achieved that.

  • To“re-purpose the Cranleigh to Guildford railway line.”

and last but not least:

  • “I want to reduce the traffic in Guildford by persuading the Government to construct a tunnel under Guildford.”

Angela Richardson Backing Boris

She most definitely backed Boris – that is until she didn’t!

Roads minister on A3 Guildford tunnel: 'Everything's always under consideration'
Road Minister Richard Holden’s response to Angie on the A3 Guildford tunnel recently was:
‘Everything’s always under consideration’
And…
‘very early days to be looking at works on the scale of tunnelling the A3 under the town.
Guildford resident Howard Fisher told Our Angie…

The problem is that “improving” the A3 to let more traffic zoom past Guildford will not help the congestion in Guildford – if anything it’ll make it worse by bringing more traffic to Guildford. What a shame our MP doesn’t focus on improving support for public transport and help us get frequent, cheap and reliable buses and trains in Guildford. If she wants to tilt at windmills far better to push for the reinstatement of the rail line to Bramley and Cranleigh than tunnelling the A3.

Her silence on that suggestion is golden.

 

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Farnham Theatre Archives – can you help fill any gaps?

Can you help boost the Farnham Theatre Association Archives? 

The Association always looks for photographs to fill the theatre archive collection gaps.

In particular, it needs more photos showing the Castle or Redgrave Theatre buildings (interior or exterior) and photographs of productions that took place there before 1970.

The Association would be grateful if the material could be scanned and sent by email or a link to allow it to be downloaded. It would also be delighted if you could send them to the Association, where they can be scanned and returned safely to you.

Any loans or donations will be suitably credited to the records of the Association.

For a contact email, Anne is happy for you to use anne.cooper@farnhamtheatre.com if you wish.

Here’s the Association’s latest newsletter. It is an interesting read.

FTA Newsletter 70

 

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The RSPCA is appealing for information from the public after a horse was found collapsed in Surrey. .

The RSPCA is appealing for information from the public after a horse was found collapsed in Woking.

The charity was contacted last Sunday, and the horse was found in a field off King’s Road in Woking.

The RSPCA has tried to trace the owner, but they have not found who was responsible for the horse’s welfare.

The RSPCA fears that a ‘horse catastrophe’ could be on its way in England and Wales due to the cost of living crisis and deepening financial downturn. This was thought to have also happened in 2008 after the recession.

“It’s so sad and heartbreaking that this horse was left to get so ill.”

Horse owners may struggle to cope with the financial cost and care commitment of looking after their horses, especially with the onset of winter, when feed and other care costs rise. These pressures result in many horses falling into situations of neglect and abandonment.

Ben Fitzcosta, the animal rescue officer, said,

“This poor horse was at death’s door when I arrived. It was clear she was seriously ill and she wasn’t able to get up at all. We are keen to find the horse’s owner so we can find out how this horse came to be in this way.

“The field where the horse was found is quite public and overlooked by houses, so I am hoping that local people will be able to help. Frustratingly she wasn’t microchipped so we’re relying on the public to help us.

“It’s so sad and heartbreaking that this horse was left to get so ill. If anyone has any information at all, please do call our appeals line in confidence on 0300 123 8018.”

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How long does it take Waverley Planners to hear a planning application?

 

Two years to the day – and then some!

Is it any wonder that developers are driven into the arms of Government Inspectors? It is not surprising to some that the council’s planning function is threatened by being taken into Special Measures.

Last night the eastern area planning committee sat to determine a scheme for 12 Cranleigh homes, some shared ownership and some for rent, as an extension to the existing Cala Homes development in Amlets Lane, using the same access  – and they deferred it for more information! 

As you can see it clearly shows the access through the existing Cala Homes estate out onto Amelts Lane.
As you can see, it clearly shows the access through the existing Cala Homes estate out onto Amlets Lane.

So, in other words – after two years, a scheme that has languished in the darkest bowels of Waverley’s Planning department has now been deferred for – yep, you guessed …

“more information and for a new council to determine.”

However, when the committee gets the developer information it requires, if it hasn’t pulled its hair out from the roots, a completely new committee will consider it following the May elections.

It could be July, perhaps even August, or maybe longer – why rush? The Waverley Web can’t understand why developers don’t just go straight to appeal on the grounds of non-determination and seek the return of their planning fees.

Although the site plan shown to councillors included access from the new development through the existing Amlets Park entrance, there were 20 minutes of debate on where the new access would be. You couldn’t make it up! 

Cllr Liz Townsend slammed the scheme, saying officers had not adequately considered the council’s policies in the recently published Local Plan Part 2. This included water quality and proper disposal of sewage on an already overburdened system. Cranleigh had taken 1,700 new homes, and the water and sewage issues concerned residents, including many objectors. She didn’t mention if the scheme had been considered in 2021 or even 2022; the scheme was included in The Cranleigh Neighbourhood Plan but pulled out because Waverley Planners had pushed other schemes ahead of it, despite being lodged much later, such as 38 homes on the David Manns Site in Cranleigh High Sreet. What is going on at Waverley Towers? Favouring developers – surely not?

Despite all the Cranleigh councillor’s protestations about water quality, or the lack of water or sewage capacity, there was no objection from Thames Water or Surrey Highways concerning the access. 

Cllr Townsend is the Portfolio Holder for Planning – why didn’t she seek the information required from officers recommending the scheme? Perhaps she thought pushing it into the long grass or the Cranleigh waters for a few more months; a new council would turn it down flat?

Cllr Steve Cosser and Cllr Michael Goodridge claimed the scheme should be approved in outline, and other issues should be addressed when the detailed planning application was considered later. Cllr Townsend’s concerns were not planning issues,

“It is impertinence to say that we should defer this application so we can look at our policies again and come up with more reasons to refuse; there are no planning reasons to refuse this application and refusal will not stand up at any appeal”  said Mr Goodridge. 

Cllr Chris Howard called in the scheme but was absent from the meeting and is not seeking re-election.

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MP Angela Richardson on Alfold’s case?

The MP for Guildford has dipped into the ongoing row in Alfold about overdevelopment. You know, the one Waverley councillors refer to as   “Poor old Alfold.”

 Waverley Planners have consistently attempted to defend the Surrey/Sussex border village from a series of developers who have appealed their decisions to REFUSE huge housing schemes. The same administration is presently taking the flack from its opponents for spending too much money defending appeals!

Along comes the MP for Guildford expressing her concern. Just before the May elections, no less. The former bag carrier for Levelling Down Secretary Michael Gove is registering her fears about the effects developments permitted by a series of HER Government Inspectors have dealt on Alfold’s vital infrastructure.

She says…

Power issues in Alfold are a major concern for residents who live in the village. Regular power cuts, regular low-voltage incidents where kettles take half an hour to boil – and things are due to get worse with more development planned for the area.

I had some positive discussions with UK Power Networks about this last year, who are looking to upgrade the infrastructure nearby but are waiting for landowner permission.

As a result, I have written to the Forestry Commission urging them to consider the plans and give their approval so that people in Alfold can get the service that most of us take for granted.

Just as a matter of interest. Alfold has been suffering power cuts for more years than residents who have lived there for decades care to remember. The Former Conservative Cllr for Alfold & Dunsfold, Betty Ames, turned down an offer of gas for Alfold when offered by British Aerospace when it occupied the airfield at Dunsfold.

334410998_914299972940978_983974615933631212_n.jpg
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Chancellor Jeremy pulling in PR firm to help Conservatives to win Waverley?

 

Residents of Waverley will be pleased to hear that Chancellor Jeremy Hunt isn’t just concentrating on the nation’s finances.

Although he has ditched Farnham in favour of the Godalming/Ash/Bramley and Cranleigh general election constituency,  he has brought in a PR Agency to help in the forthcoming borough elections. Is he panicking?

 

PR Agent. Adam Hanrahan says on his website. https://adamhanrahan.co.uk

Jeremy Hunt, Adam Hanrahan, and “sleepy” Goodridge, seeking to win the Bramley & Wonersh seat and who is prone to taking the odd nap during Waverley Council Meetings.

So how we wonder, is Mr Hanrahan paid for through the Tory candidate’s election expenses? Now there’s a job for the new Monitoring Officer. 

So, worried is Chancellor Jeremy over the forthcoming May elections that he has set aside holding the country’s purse strings – to pull a few strings on his home patch. With help from his top-notch Public Relations mates, he is attempting to prop up the image of Conservative candidates who hope to sweep the board in all 50 of Waverley’s council seats. Whoever said that man doesn’t have ambitions to rule!

Might it have been an idea for PR Guru Adam Hanrahan to have suggested to all those wannabe candidates that they say where they live? That is, just in case the unsuspecting public in Farnham, Cranleigh, Godalming and Haslemere actually think the Tory candidates live in the wards they want to represent.

By contrast – rather than pulling in PR firms to capture seats, couldn’t they follow all those other individuals and parties, Farnham Residents’ Independents, Greens, Labour, and Liberal Democrats, who deliver their own leaflets, do their own canvassing or use volunteers?

 So when you get things through your post box from Adam Hanrahan – you know he’s working for The Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Sometimes over here at the Waverley Web HQ we despair.

 

 

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Waverley Election – Part 4

 

Here’s some of the Farnham Line-up.

MP Jeremy Hunt’s agent Sean Donovan-Smith could be looking for a day job now that his boss has told the world he won’t be standing again in Farnham – due to boundary commission changes. He goes head-to-head with two long-serving councillors – Andy MacLeod and Mark Merryweather. 

Why are the Conservatives so shy about letting everyone know where they live?

Will Farnham North West could get a touch of Frost … again.

Former WB Cllr

Could Architect Mark Westcott the man who has battled to save Brightwell House – get a seat at Waverley’s table? Take a bow for services to Farnham – Mark Westcott.

There are old Tories and bold Tories – but few old bold Tories standing in the Waverley elections.

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The single objector to the Coxbridge Farm development fiasco has his say.

The scheme at Coxbridge Farm, Farnham, for 320 homes has languished for more than two years when after six months,  under the terms of the 2021 consent, it should have been refused.

FOR TRANSPARENCY, THE ONE OBJECTOR  STANDING UP FOR THE RESIDENTS OF FARNHAM WRITES THE FOLLOWING.

OH! And by the way – he isn’t seeking re-election to Waverley Borough Council.

Waverley’s Western Planning Committee went out with a roar.

For its authority, this Planning Committee were required to reconfirm that the Coxbridge development had no significant environmental impact on Farnham during construction, build out and completion. The Committee, with one objection, reconfirmed that the Local Planning Authority’s screening opinion dated 27 November 2018 was valid together with its conclusion of no significant environmental impact on Farnham. There could be no objection to the 320 dwelling development; it is within the development plan. The development is phased because of infrastructure limitations.

https://planning360.waverley.gov.uk:4443/civica/Resource/Civica/Handler.ashx/Doc/pagestream?cd=inline&pdf=true&docno=7169202

This decision, for the second time, prevented the residents of Farnham be… “given early and effective opportunities to participate in the decision-making procedures and ensure that the local planning authority has full knowledge of the likely significant effects and takes this into account in their decision-making process.”

THE LAW

Local planning authorities are prohibited from granting planning permission for development that is likely to have significant effects on the environment (“EIA development”) unless an EIA has been carried out in respect of that development. Developers can request that an authority issue a screening opinion as to whether their proposed development is EIA development, and the authority must consider any relevant cumulation with existing or approved development at the screening stage. The planning authority’s screening opinion removed the requirement for an Environmental Impact Assessment.

These were the reasoned conclusions to object; environmental law seeks fairness and sustainable development it is a material consideration of public interest.

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Waverley borough elections – Part 3

There are old Tories and bold Tories – but few old bold Tories standing in the Waverley elections.

Part 1 There are old Tories and bold Tories &#8211, but few old bold Tories standing in the Waverley election.

Part 2. Waverley Election – Part 2.

The largest contingent of wannabe borough councillors will be standing in Farnham.

Cllr Carole Cockburn has been a Waverley Borough Councillor forever – and intends to continue until she drops off the perch she has crowed from ever since the Rainbow Administration dared to take control. With the backing of the Farnham Herald, of which she is such a regular contributor, (it needs to give her a column of her own to rant from. Oops! It already has!) Will Farnham Residents grab her seat this time around? That is the question.

Two familiar faces, George Wilson (Greens) and Michaela Martin (Farnham Residents), seek the other available seat. The new boy on the block for Farnham Residents is Christopher Murray, and the new Conservative girl is Aly Fitch. Who presumably doesn’t want residents to know where she lives in the borough. 

The Conservatives were ousted in the 2019 election, but Clare Ovens and Anthony Watson want to give the Farnham Residents a run for their money this time. Labour’s John Gaskell is also competing there for the two seats.

Councillors Jerry Hyman and Kika Myrylees go head to head with Conservative Arthur Forest and William Page. They, too, are coy about anyone knowing where they live or work in Waverley – as does Labour’s Rebecca Birchwood.

All newbies for the two seats in Heath End except Farnham Residents Michaela Wicks.

Lib Dem Cllr Mark Merryweather, who guided the council’s finances through one of the most challenging periods in Waverley’s history – COVID – and the cost of living crisis, seeks reelection as does Farnham Residents Cllr Andy MacLeod, who picked up Farnham’s poisoned chalice of Blightwells thrown down by the Tories in his direction. His attempts to talk up the £57m East St redevelopment scheme have been nothing short of miraculous. He says he has tried to make the best of a bad job.

Perhaps Jeremy Hunt’s Constituency Agent Sean Donovan-Smith will oust one of them and Sarah Austin – the other?

No doubt Sean DV is looking for new employment now his former boss Chancellor Jeremy has buzzed off to pastures new in the Godalming/Bramley/Cranleigh/Ash constituency. Chancellor Jeremy saw the writing on the Farnham Castle walls about his fading hope to retain his seat there.

More to follow – tomorrow.

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Waverley Election – Part 2.

There are old Tories and bold Tories – but few old bold Tories standing in the Waverley election.

Yesterday we posted on some of the borough council candidates standing in the May 4 elections. There are old Tories and bold Tories &#8211, but few old bold Tories standing in the Waverley election.

Today we continue – with a few more areas of the borough.

A considerable number of long-standing Tories have jumped ship, having tired of being in opposition, something that some of them have never before experienced! Despite being offered seats on influential committees, even the executive, they have flatly refused to cooperate with the Rainbow Coalition that has led Waverley Council for the past four years.

The Rainbow Warriors include – Farnham Residents, Liberal Democrats, Greens, Independents and Labour. In other words, a cross-section of all political and non-political persuasions. 

There are no more holes on Surrey Roads than on all the county’s Golf Club. So now its members are driving off from there. The condition of our roads is a Surrey County Council responsibility. Not Waverley’s. All Waverley can do is complain.

However, while most old Tories have returned to the golf course or the Pilatus class, the new contingent wants to take back control because being part of something is not in their DNA, so they are putting up 50 Conservatives for all 50 seats. That includes MP and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Agent!

Out goes long-serving Tory Cllr Val Henry in Ewhurst. A woman who has battled to keep the village greener and cleaner during her long career in Waverley but, despite her efforts, has failed – mainly due to Government planning policies.

Out go Elstead’s Tory two-some ‘Aunty Elsey’ – and Uncle Elsey. Cllr Jenny Else could stand not being in a position of importance following the Conservative’s loss of control. So instead of working steadily for her constituents, she decided she would be as obstructive as possible, sniping from the sidelines. We will miss your rants, Aunty! 

 Her ever-pragmatic husband, Cllr David Else, did a sterling job. He chaired planning committees and opposed poorly designed developments in the wrong place, including on flood plains, often voting against officers’ recommendations.

 Doesn’t the Tory candidate want anyone to know where she comes from in Waverley?

Three Conservatives go up against the Independent Cllr Maxine Gale, who has made a name for herself supporting the residents of Milford & Witley, which has recently been re-named Witley & Milford. Tory Cllr James Sadler hopes to retain his seat, but in Milford, soon to have a proposed significant housing development, could find the Green Party Candidate snapping at his heels.

‘All at Sea Tory’ goes out – Richard Seaborne is leaving the district altogether. Green Cllr Martin D’Arcy is anything but green regarding matters of the environment, which he has fiercely defended for the past four years. Faithful Blue Tory and group Whip Cll Michael Goodridge, prone to the odd 50 winks during council meetings, will have fierce opposition for the first time in his long career in the new ward of Bramley & Wonersh.

More to follow…

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There are old Tories and bold Tories – but few old bold Tories standing in Waverley election.

Wow! How strange ‘Your Waverley’s’ 2023 borough elections are turning out to be.

For the first time, only 50 seats are up for grabs. And to make matters even more confusing most ward boundaries and names have changed due to a Boundary Commission review. To add a bit of confusion, the Government has ruled you must have a photo ID!

Here’s what you need to know in the link below.

Photo ID required for May Elections in Waverley.

GONE – are so many familiar faces in the Tory line-out that here at the Waverley Web, we realised there had been a mass Exodus. 
Flying out.

The pack-up-and-go brigade includes Julia Potts – former Tory Group Leader. Not that anyone will notice, as she has hardly shown her face in the Council Chamber since throwing in the Farnham towel – and parachuting into a safer seat in Tilford, Frensham and Dockenfield in the 2019 election!

Out go Cranleigh’s decades-long serving Conservatives Patricia Ellis and the feisty Mary Foryszewski. They leave known unknown to battle it out with Lib Dem couple Ruth (East) and Ken Reed (West), a Labour candidate and a first appearance for several Trade Unionist Socialist Coalition candidates for Cranleigh New Town. Rumour has it that the Conservative Associations sent letters to all its members seeking “paper candidates.”

Gone is long-serving Conservative Chiddingfold’s Cllr Anna James. The first Councillor to dubb the eastern village of Alfold as – “Poor Old Alfold” and then proceeded to agree to more housing development there!

Conservative Kevin Deanus quietly slipped into the Alfold seat UNOPPOSED in 2019 and faces opposition for the two seats in the newly-named  Alfold, Dunsfold and Hascombe wards. The two Tories could be in for a bit of a battle in the village that believes it is seeing more than its fair share of Waverley’s Housing development and four times its quota due to the Tory Government’s over-zealous planning inspectors.

Here’s the line-up.

More to come…

Featured

Bramley hits the headlines again…

 

This time it’s the massive tree-felling operation that has upset the locals.

Yesterday it was the stench from the village stream. Is Hunt on the General election trail already?

Don’t forget Bramley residents, I am here to help. 

Perhaps Wannabe Bramley MP Mr Hunt will intervene? Maybe The Chancellor will be on the phone with the head honcho of Surrey County Council? Or is he hiding away from this one?

Healthy Trees in Cranleigh along the Downslink that were given the chop!

Villagers have pilloried tory-controlled Surrey County Council for cutting down hundreds of trees, despite some suffering from ash dieback. Residents around the Downslink footpath say the council’s action during the nesting season was “utter madness.”

They claim the wildlife around them will be decimated following the felling of more than 600 trees – not all ash trees.

Similar work was undertaken last year on the Downslink in Cranleigh.

Here’s the picture. According to nearby residents, the trees were not Ash.

Ash dieback is a fungus which, over time, kills Ash trees.

 

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Is Hunt on the General election trail already.

A BIT OF A STINK IN BRAMLEY

In more ways than one …

The Waverley Web prides itself on being at the forefront of breaking news in all things Waverley. Still, now Jeremy Hunt has been elevated to the dizzying heights of Chancellor of the Exchequer, he has a direct line to the Daily Telegraph’s Political Editor and a senior News Reporter, and he’s not shy about using them!

Never mind that Water companies pumped waste for more than 1.75 million hours last year into our rivers and beaches. There’s a bit of a stink from petrol fumes in Bramley, and the village’s wannabe MP wants action by the head honchos in the Environment Agency.

Having just ditched Farnham (SW Surrey) in a desperate bid to retain his seat following boundary changes outside his control, our Jeremy is keen to be seen to be leaving no stone – or do we mean pebble – unturned on behalf of his wannabe constituents on his new patch, especially with local elections looming on 4 May!

So, instead of reading it first on the Waverley Web, Bramley residents have found their village catapulted into the Tory stratosphere, making headlines – OK, maybe only a few column inches – in the Torygraph!

According to the Torygraph, iridescent scum has been spotted on the river in Bramley. – Here at the Waverley Web, we aren’t sure what river, as it’s news to us Bramley has a river … unless we’re talking about Bramley’s trickling polluted Waters that run past Cranleigh’s stinking sewage works. 

And, according to the landlord of the Jolly Farmer, he’s had to close the pub’s B&B because the smell of petrol fumes is driving away his customers. The local primary school has put up stink barriers to prevent pupils from inhaling the fumes whilst in the playground, which abuts the A281.

So maybe it’s not the river that’s the problem, but the road … in which case, instead of calling in the Environment Agency ( no less than The Chairman of the Environment Agency, to investigate? Perhaps the Chancellor of the Exchequer should be contacting the Highways Agency 

 Surrey County Council gave the go-ahead for thousands of  HGVs – one every four minutes for five years to travel to the former Steetley Chemical Plant outside Cranleigh to clean up the contaminated site.

Perhaps Now Mr Hunt is MR BIG, he can BY-PASS BRAMLEY. Now there’s a vote winner Mr Hunt, and you read it here on the Waverley Web first.

One local artist pictured the traffic horrors in Bramley’s narrow high street. 

 

If it is the road, no doubt former Parish & Waverley Borough Councillor Maurice Byham – AKA Bypass Byham – will be dragged out of retirement to start banging the Bypass for Bramley drum again. The only problem with that bit of wheeze is it would cut a swathe through the Bramley Golf Club, and no MP worth his salt will risk coming between a golfer and his Golf Club – at least not if he wants to be re-elected in Bramley!

According to the Torygraph’s Political Editor, Tony Diver, the Conservatives are worried about all things polluting our streams and rivers, particularly Mr Hunt, as his constituency of South West Surrey is a marginal one. Mr Diver obviously hasn’t caught up with the Chancellor’s latest manoeuvre –  jumping from Farnham into the greener pastures of the Surrey Hills! This begs the question, will the Chancellor be moving his constituency office, currently adjacent to a Chippy in Churt, to a room with a view of the road in Bramley? We understand the former Boots Pharmacy on the High Street has been empty for quite a while …  And nothing’s more likely to get the odour issue resolved faster than the Chancellor having it wafting through his windows …

Having just ditched his former constituency in Farnham (SW Surrey seat) in his move to take over Godalming and Ash, the villages of Bramley and Cranleigh come into his bailiwick at the next General Election.

 

Featured

Waverley’s Western Planning Committee went out with a roar.

 

The final meeting of Waverley’s Western Planning Committee before the forthcoming May election was a shocker.

Farnham councillors accused planning officers of

“Murky practicesignoring council rules and then turned their venom on the Conservative Government’s  “Alice in Wonderland Broken Planning System, and taking developer’s donations.” 

At one point, the Chairman stopped Farnham Resident’s Cllr George Hesse from continuing to speak.  You can watch it in the clip below.

Coxbridge Farm, Farnham, the greenfield site for 320 new homes.

Cllr Jerry Hyman(Farnham Firgrove) wanted to know WHY planning officers had allowed the 106 legal Agreement linked to a scheme at Coxbridge Farm, Farnham, for 320 homes to languish for more than 2 years when after six months,  under the terms of the 2021 consent it should have been refused.

The scheme is included in the Farnham Neighbourhood Plan and Waverley’s Local Plan.

Chief Planning officer Claire Watson Brown admitted that a series of extensions given to the developer should not have been allowed; the chairman and vice-chairman did not have delegated powers. However, by returning to the planning committee seeking a further three-month extension until the end of June would legalise the situation. It was hoped the agreement would be signed within a month.

Good reasons were given, including the death and probate difficulties after the death of two of the landowners and complicated issues with Surrey County Council over highway improvement at the Coxbride Roundabout. where Surrey County Council was the owner of some land.

Cllr Hyman argued after the council’s “murky background to the scheme” and the fact the developer now wished for a significant change of Phasing the scheme, it should go back out for public consultation after such a long delay. 

We agreed two years ago for a six-month time limit, and allowing the chairman and vice-chairman delegated powers to extend that time limit was ultra vires. They had no deleted powers. As the council was now in Election Purdah, it was too controversial to allow a further extension of such a controversial scheme and should be refused and Farnham residents should be given a say.

He was reminded that across the country, where developers were building large housing developments, they were being phased due to market conditions.

The extension and changes were Agreed upon by ten votes to one.

You can listen to a couple of the rants – one cut short by Chairman David Beaman here:

However, wouldn’t it be great if the next administration could find someone within the council to properly operate the Webcast so the public who vote councillors into office could actually see and hear their representatives properly and in full view?

WA/2019/0770 – LAND NORTH OF COXBRIDGE FARM, WEST STREET, FARNHAM  This application is being referred back to the Western Planning Committee as the completion of the S106 agreement has gone past the six months that the Council originally agreed as the period in which it should be completed by, from the resolution to grant at Western Planning Committee in May 2021. Officers are seeking to extend the resolution to grant until 29th June 2023. Revised recommendation As a result of the changes outlined in the report, the amended resolution would be

Recommendation A

That, subject to the applicant entering into an appropriate legal agreement by 29/06/2023 (unless an alternative date is subsequently agreed by the Chair and Vice Chair of the Planning Committee) to secure the provision of 30% affordable housing (70% rented and 30% shared ownership) contributions towards SANG and SAMM, travel plan contribution, £25,000 for highways improvement works, provision of car club scheme, sustainable travel vouchers for each dwelling SuDS management/ maintenance, open space management/ maintenance; provision of LEAP/LAP; contribution towards waste and recycling containers; subject to conditions and informatives, permission be GRANTED.

Featured

Photo ID required for May Elections in Waverley.

 It is now mandatory that ID is provided to vote in the forthcoming May council elections. But it doesn’t have to be a passport.

Remember to bring yours when you vote in the parish and borough elections in Waverley on Thursday, 4 May 2023, to avoid an unnecessary trip back home. 
Missing out on your duty to vote because the Coronation celebrations begin is not an excuse. Neither is it someone else’s business. If you don’t vote, don’t complain when decisions you disagree with are made by others who care.

 

The UK government has changed the UK electoral system, even though councils up and down the country objected to the change, including the administration that currently runs Waverley.

However, The Elections Act 2022 contains measures that affect elections and how the residents of Waverley will vote.

The most significant of these is the introduction of photo identification at polling stations. This new requirement will apply for the first time in England at the local elections on Thursday, 4 May

 Identification and Voter Authority Certificate

The Elections Act 2022 has introduced a new requirement for voters to show photographic identification before voting in person at a polling station at elections from May 2023.

You may already have a form of photo ID that is acceptable. You can use any of the following:

  • Passport
  • Driving licence (including provisional licence)
  • Blue Badge
  • An older person’s bus pass
  • A disabled person’s bus pass
  • Identity card with PASS mark (Proof of Age Standards Scheme)
  • Biometric Immigration Document
  • Defence identity card
  • Certain national identity cards

The Electoral Commission has more information about which forms of photo ID will be accepted. 

You can still use your photo ID if it’s outdated as long as it looks like you.

What if I don’t have an accepted form of ID?

If you do not have any of the accepted photo IDs and want to vote at the polling station, you must apply for a Voter Authority Certificate. This is a free photographic identification document specifically for the purposes of voting.

Alternatively, you can complete a paper application form. If you need any help with applying for a Voter Authority Certificate or want to request an application form, contact electoralservices@waverley.gov.uk or call 01483 523116.

Voters who do not produce a Voter Authority Certificate or valid identification will not be allowed to vote on the day.

Postal and Proxy Voters

Postal voters will not be affected and will be issued their postal ballot papers as usual.

If you choose to vote by proxy, the person you have trusted to vote on your behalf will have to take their identification to be issued with a ballot paper.

Featured

Another Appeal by Bewley Homes for 140 homes in Badshot Lea has begun.

Will it be the third time lucky for a persistent developer?

The controversial appeal in Lower Weybourne Lane, Badshot Lea, Farnham, has begun. The Inquiry  (via Zoom) runs for five days. The final days are on 26 and 27 April. However, this timetable may change.

Developers have been trying to obtain consent for development on a greenfield site in Farnham since first appealing in 2014, again in 2018,  and now believe that without a five-year housing land supply in Waverley, they stand a good chance of success in 2023.

If the appeal were allowed, it would result in a significant coalescence of Farnham, Aldershot, Weybourne Lane, and Badshot Lea.

The   4.8ha site is on the southern side of Lower Weybourne Lane, between two different parts of the Farnham Built-Up Area Boundary. The agricultural land includes paddocks, some currently used for grazing horses and other animals. An access track along its eastern edge leads to an existing, gated, vehicular and pedestrian access onto Lower Weybourne Lane. To the west, the site is enclosed by a railway embankment and to the east by relatively modern housing developments at Badshot Park and Glorney Mead. To the south, the area adjoins further open land.

Waverley Planners have consistently refused consent saying development there would have an urbanising impact on the area. The result contradicts its planning policies, including the Farnham Design Statement and the Farnham Neighbourhood Plan. Neither would it enhance the landscape nor protect the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside. It would lead to the coalescence of settlements and the erosion of the landscape’s character.

Upper Weybourne Lane is a priority junction with Farnborough Road;  St Georges Road is a priority junction with Guildford Road;  Without adequate mitigation, the development would have an unacceptable impact on highway safety and a severe cumulative effect on capacity at these junctions. It had not been demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Highway Authority that improvements were necessary to maximise sustainable transport modes for pedestrians and cyclists.

The proposal (in combination with other projects) would have a likely adverse effect on the integrity of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area (SPA) in that it is now widely recognised that increasing urbanisation of the area around the SPA has a continuing adverse effect on its interest features, namely Nightjar, Woodlark and Dartford Warbler, the three internationally rare bird species for which it is classified.

Waverley Cllr (Firgrove, Farnham) Jerry Hymn has already told Inspector Darren Muckcreey that it is not possible to conduct an Appropriate Assessment of the potential accumulative impact on the endangered species. Ground nesting heathland songbirds. He claimed there was a limitation on development in Waverley that was being denied. 

The presumption favours sustainable development and the ’tilted balance’ (a term used to tilt the balance in the developer’s favour.)  Parts 12 and 14 of the NPPF – do not apply to Habitat Development.

Paragraph  182 of the National Planning Policy Framework – says it doesn’t apply where the plan or project is likely to have a significant effect on the habitats site (either alone or in combination with other plans or projects.) unless an Appropriate Assessment has concluded that the plan or project will not adversely affect the integrity of the habitats site.

Cllr Carole Cockburn spoke on behalf of Farnham Town Council for the permitted ten minutes on the site planning history and its policy constraints.

DN.Planning PoE – Appendix 5a – Indicative Spatial Context Plan – Farnham

 

Featured

Obtaining planning permission to extend residential properties in the green belt is likely to be significantly harder following an important High Court ruling.

Court rejects green belt homeowner’s extension as disproportionate to the original building, even if not to his existing house.

So, Government inspectors are not always right and can be challenged.

A senior judge found that a planning inspector erred when he granted consent for a substantial extension of a house in the village of Normandy, representing a major victory for Guildford Borough Council.

The decision means that, in deciding whether such extensions are proportionate, planners will, in many cases, have to delve back to 1 July 1948.

That was when the Town and Country Planning Act of 1947 came into effect, establishing the modern planning control system.

The date is significant because the size of extensions in the green belt must be measured against that of “original” buildings in place at the time.

The judge’s ruling represented a significant victory for Guildford Borough Council, which opposed the works proposed on Foxwell Cottage, Hunts Hill Road.

Christopher Weeks proposed converting the garage to habitable accommodation, with two-storey side and rear extensions.

Three dormer windows, to be accommodated by a raised ridge height, and a single-story side extension to the main house was also proposed.

The court heard that Foxwell Cottage and the garage were built under a planning permission granted in 2003.

They were constructed on a site which overlapped with that of a somewhat smaller bungalow which had been demolished.

The council refused planning permission for the development, the size of which it considered…  “disproportionate.”

However, that decision was reversed by a planning inspector who granted planning consent in May last year.

The council’s challenge to the decision hinged on Policy P2 in the Guildford Local Plan, which substantially reflects the terms of the NPPF.

The policy states the conventional test that inappropriate developments in the green belt, including the construction of new buildings, will only be permitted in very special circumstances.

It makes an exception, however, for the extension or alteration of a building

“provided that it does not result in disproportionate additions over and above the size of the original building.”

The “original building” means either “the building as it existed on 1 July 1948” or, if no building existed at that time, the first building that was constructed on the relevant site after that.

In his decision, the inspector measured the scale of the extension against the size of Foxwell Cottage as it was at the time of the application. He found that the wings would represent a “modest” increase in floor space of about 23-28.6 per cent.

The council, however, asserted that the long-demolished bungalow was the “original building” on the site and that the inspector should have taken its smaller footprint as his baseline when assessing the proportionality of the extensions.

Upholding the council’s challenge, Judge Milwyn Jarman KC said: “What must be considered is not the building as it existed at the time an application for extensions or additions is made, but the building as originally built.

“This is likely to be directed at avoiding the cumulative effect of extensions and additions, which may be modest in themselves but which may cumulatively amount to disproportionate development.

“Had the intention been to make the replacement building (i.e. the current Foxwell Cottage and garage) the baseline for evaluating the proportionality of any extension or addition, it would have been easy to say so.

“It is clear from the Policy P2 definition of ‘original building’ that what must be considered in the evaluation exercise is the original building as it existed on the coming into force of the 1947 Act or the first building as originally built after that date.”

The inspector, the judge ruled, departed from the “natural meaning” of Policy P2 and “impermissibly elided” two of its provisions, one related to extensions or alterations and the other to replacement buildings.

He concluded:

“Had the square meterage of the demolished building been taken into account in the evaluation exercise of proportionality, then a materially larger percentage in the total uplift (in floorspace) would have been arrived at. 

“In my judgment, therefore, the inspector’s decision must be quashed and the appeal must be re-submitted for redetermination.” 

Guildford Borough Council v Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities & Anr. Case Number: CO/2321/2022

 

Featured

Take a bow for services to Farnham – Mark Westcott.

 

Farnham Architect Mark Westcott was mentioned in despatches when the Portfolio Holder for the Blightwells development gave his final update on the scheme before the May elections.

Has one of Farnham’s iconic buildings been trashed?

The truly shocking state of one of Farnham’s heritage buildings. This situation was brought to Waverley’s attention by Architect Mark Westcott.

Andy MacLeod is featured here:

Featured

Waverley Tenants have their say.

If you’re a #Waverley Council Tenant, have your say at the Landlord Services Advisory Board Meeting next Thursday, 30 March 2023, at 10 am at The Burys, #Godalming. 📍
This is the perfect opportunity to speak to councillors/staff, ask questions and make recommendations which impact you!
What to expect at this meeting:
➡️ An introduction to the new Customer Experience Group
➡️ An update on the Tenant Satisfaction Measures Project
➡️ Details on our Housing Operations Plan
For more details, visit 👉 https://orlo.uk/PfaVp
Featured

Spring 2003 – 2023 How things have changed in Farnham!

As Waverley acts against the developers, The Farnham Theatre Association has turned its spotlight on Brightwells Yard and House – and after 20 years, finds it wanting.

On 22nd April 2003, Crest Nicholson/ Sainsbury’s signed the original Development Agreement with the Tory Administration of Waverley Borough Council for the regeneration at East Street, Farnham.

Twenty years later, these parties have managed to create the half-finished site called Brightwells Yard. The finishing date moves ever forward as yet another problem emerges with this poorly thought-through development. The latest disaster is the unforgivable trashing of the historic architectural features of Grade II listed Brightwell House – and this miserable situation was achieved at the expense of losing the Redgrave Theatre.

Tomorrow we will post the comments of Waverley’s Portfolio holder made on Tuesday at the last Full Council meeting before the May polls.

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