Sing-a-long with “Your Waverley’s” very own Pioneers?
Click here
You couldn’t make it up – you really, really, couldn’t
WAVERLEY TO PIONEER BROWNFIELD SITES SCHEME trumpets the front page of The Surrey Advertiser.
The article goes on to report that the borough council is one of 73 across England which will pilot one of the new brownfield registers, in a bid to encourage building on previously developed sites. Read the full story from The Surrey Advertiser here: – Waverley to pioneer brownfield sites scheme16.18.16 – Waverley to pioneer brownfield sites scheme
A Waverley Borough spokesperson said: “The council feels being one of the front runners in preparing the register shows its commitment to keeping the borough’s special rural character and encouraging developers to consider brownfield sites for redevelopment.“
PIONEER!? Don’t make us laugh – it hurts, it really, really hurts! Here at Waverley Web our sides are splitting!
The bare-faced cheek of Waverley Borough Council has to be read to be believed. If only the Borough Council had been a pioneer of brownfield development – back in 2009 when Dunsfold Aerodrome first put forward proposals to build on its brownfields – Waverley and its residents would not be in the bloody great mess they’re in now. No, they’d be in the enviable position of being able to laugh all the wannabee greenfield developers out of the Council Offices! It even turned down a Brownfield site at Hewitts in Cranleigh!
Had the Council been brave enough to be the pioneer it now claims to be it would be in the perfect position, not only able to demonstrate it had a five-year housing supply but, more importantly, be in a strong position to turn down all those applications by the stream of gung-ho developers. The very same same developers they have been holding secret meetings with Waverley Council, whilst others are casting their nets all over the borough The likes of Taylor Wimpey in Farnham; Gleeson Homes Odiham; Crest Nicholson – Farnham; Berkeley Homes, the Knowle Park Initiative and Amlets Lane in Cranleigh; Sweeters Copse and Springbok in Alfold and dozens of other chancers all over the borough who recognised, in Waverley’s refusal to sanction building at Dunsfold Aerodrome, the firing of the starting-gun for their own get-rich-quick schemes to start digging up Waverley’s green and pleasant fields!
We can only hope that Waverley hasn’t left it too late to jump on the band wagon and that this change of heart will, indeed, lead to building on the borough’s brownfields and the saving of our greenfields.
However, actions speak louder than words and Waverley’s first big test will be the way in which it responds to Dunsfold Park’s application to build 1800 houses at the aerodrome. That application is in and a decision is, we presume, imminent. Watch this space … but, if past experience is anything to go by, don’t hold your breath! Our green fields aren’t safe yet … but they could be if Waverley has finally found its pioneering spirit … What’s that old saying?
Better late than never!!