Is Waverley’s cart going before the horse?

Could it possibly be that Waverley’s third attempt at a Local Plan is heading for the buffers?

For the uninitiated – “Your Waverley Borough Council” has a committee called the Overview & Scrutiny Committee – yes, to overview and scrutinise important issues! Got it so far…

All councillors were invited along to recent meetings,  and made all sorts of comments about the Local Plan – Waverley’s blueprint for future development. Pretty damned important stuff – our Waverley our future. The sort of borough we want for our children and our children’s children.

Some turned up – lots didn’t. Those who did, made comments, expressed their fears – some of which contained warnings to get on with the job and FAST. Others said take your time and ignore the threat of Government intervention. Now, the council could, at its EXECUTIVE meeting to-day  Tuesday (lst Dec,) move into the realms of  FARCE.

The O & S Committee’s view,  put forward,  by its chairman  Councillor Nick “The Brick” Holder (Con Chiddingfold,) will propose the very opposite of the position taken by the vast majority of its members: He couldn’t even get the housing figure right – he said 591 homes, the council has proposed  519, and even that may not satisfy a Government Inspector!

Saying: ” I propose that we say – let’s go forward with the existing plans we have for 591 houses for 10 years, and then during that period we will look again at Dunsfold Park.”

So how come the chairman was able to summarise the committees views as being the opposite of what they said? Disgraceful. Step in Councillor  for Farnham, Carole Cockburn and set the record straight.

In other words – build on  Farnham, Godalming, Hslemere and Cranleigh’s green fields.  Stupid “Brick” and in ten years time when all the damage has been done, build on the largest brown field site in Waverley and cover it with even more “bl**** bricks,” pity he wasn’t one of them.

So tonight,-  watch the webcast of the council meeting.  Will the LEADERSHIP (EXECUTIVE)  decide without the benefit of  reports  awaited from such as,Mott Macdonald on Transport;  Natural England Habitats’? Will it  ignore  the 4,000 individuals and organisations who responded to its Consultation, 80% of whom voted to use Brown Field sites in the borough first. Ignore the views of many of its own rank and file democratically elected councillors?  Possibly so chaps…

Here we go again – another failing Local Plan in the making – and while Waverley whistles up its ever gaping a**, developers are putting the final touches to  their proofs of evidence for the mounting number of appeals in the pipeline, with applications for costs whic  have to be paid with OUR MONEY.

Our WW followers are asking?  When is someone going to take…

A VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE IN THE LEADERSHIP OF WAVERLEY COUNCIL- BEFORE ITS TOO DAMNED LATE.