Our in-box is filling up with shouts of anger about the make-up of Waverley Borough Council’s Joint Planning Committee – with residents asking why is it so heavily biased in favour of the West of the borough?
Not wanting to enflame the row…and, being of a really rather gentle, uncontroversial, but informative nature, WW – with the help of a follower, provides a diagram of the make up of the JPC. It also reveals how its members voted voted on the Sweeters’ Copse Application in Alfold for the first phase of houses (55) there is an appeal pending for another 120 on the same site. We think it is called softly, softly catchee monkey!
Those in favour of granting this controversial application.
Cllr Isherwood – 2 votes. Cllr Brian Ellis (Abstained) Cllr Maurice Byham; Cllr Patrick Blagden; Cllr Brian Adams; Councillor David Else; Cllr Pat Frost; Cllr Michael Goodridge; Cllr Stephen Hill; Cllr Nicholas Holder; Cllr David Hunter; Cllr Christopher Storey; Cllr Bob Upton;
We think the remainder voted against, but it is almost impossible to tell on the webcast… so in other words all the locals – except for Cllr Ellis voted against.
Now applications are flooding in for even more houses in Alfold – Chapel Fields, Rosemary Lane with an access onto Loxwood Road; the Wyvale Garden Centre, A281; Wildwood golf Club, A281; On the site adjacent to the village policeman’s bungalow on the A281 Horsham Road near the Crossways; Thakeham Homes (Springbok) – even Surrey County Council has thrown its hat into the developers’ paradise! Must add up to around 800 houses in a village with just over 400 households.
Councillor Ellis did not abstain. I believe he voted with the Officer’s decision to grant. It was Councillor John Gray (Chiddingfold & Dunsfold) who abstained, despite saying that ” …this development was too big for Alfold….” The vote was a 10 10 split with one abstention, thus giving the Chairman the casting vote – which, as he had already voted with the Officer’s decision, was then a foregone conclusion.
Thank you for this – even worse that we thought then! Obviously you were at the meeting and could see what was happening, impossible on the webcast. Disgraceful that the councillor for Dunsfold abstained after speaking against it. He who is anti Dunsfold Park – such hypocrisy don’t you think?
Would the folks of Farnham be happy with a similar percentage increase in homes as currently proposed for Alfold?
Apparently – Farnham has 3,000 coming its way soon! However, you are right about the percentage increase – diabolical or what?