A great big leaky sieve, that is the hallowed halls of Waverley.
The secret’s out! So sure is the Knowle Park Initiative, that its planning is “in the bag” that it cannot help itself from shouting the good news from the glasshouse rooftops.
So now WBC – there’s no such thing as a well-kept secret and your meetings behind what you thought were closed doors, are anything but! Today’s the day – Friday!
Back around the table, tucked behind the security doors, there you are creating Cranleigh New Town. You read it in the Surrey Advertiser first and we’re hot on their heels! Read all about it – the developers and councillors are putting their own spin on it but the public’s not stupid – they know what’s going on.
Around the table, Surrey County Councillor Alan Young and Messers Ellis and Stennett (Conservative Cranleigh East and West ) are all eager to tell us all, they are right behind the West Cranleigh Nurseries (KPI) scheme. One can’t help wondering what the point is of going to a public planning committee at all? Might just as well let the Gang of Four, aided and abetted by Planning Officers, push the applications through. Those involved in the creation of the Neighbourhood Plan and members of the Cranleigh Civic Society might as well save their breath to cool their porridge. The Kooples – Councillors Brian & Patricia Ellis and Councillors Stewart and Jeanette Stennett, know what’s best for you and they’re not interested anyone’s opinion but their own and, of course, that of the Flying Dutchman, (aka KPI owner Nick Vrijland), who is singing the praises of his own scheme from the rooftops!
Watch out Cranleigh – the new town is on its way and the KPI is on the verge of making millions – and don’t be misled it won’t be ploughed back into the community regardless of what the Flying Dutchman says about how much he cares for Cranleigh or the community or how many awards he gets for “volunteering.” Volunteering what we ask – Information? Money? Political donations?
Having wrapped up the Chamber of Trade and with his PR machine working overtime – the balloons went up all over Cranleigh at the week-end urging everyone to support the KPI – and peddeling the message that the Berkeley scheme is “too close to the village.” Do they think we’re all stupid? That we can’t see what they’re up to?
Watch out Cranleigh Chamber of Commerce – if you lie down with dogs you get fleas! Urging everyone to support development on the green fields may come back and bite you, shoppers are also villagers who can be an unforgiving lot.
So back to the not so secret meeting – where all those developers, including Thakeham Homes – (450) watch out Alfold! – Crest Nicholson – about to go back in with at least another 150 homes – to add to the 149 they already have planning permission for – we at WW are sure they will get another nod and a wink from Councillor Jeannette Stennett.
The KPI (265 houses) and Cozens Smith (75 houses) in Alfold Road and Threadneedle (Hewitts Industrial Estate 120) already refused. They are all going there to open their cheque books and see who can throw the most into the infrastructure pot.
Who we wonder, is going to pull the biggest golden rabbit out of the hat, as the would-be developers vie with each other to get approval for their scheme? Watch this space because the fun – or do we mean auction to the highest bidder? – has only just begun.i
Please note: Two of the developers sitting behind WBC’s closed doors have had their applications turned down. Berkeley goes to appeal in February and Threadneedle, owners of Hewitt’s, had its application turned down last week – see story below.
Threadneedle has been urged by Cranleigh councillors not to go to appeal but to work with the council. The stench just gets stronger every day. The future developers of Amlets Park have been left out – we wonder why?