WW has sometimes wondered if the residents of Waverley are sleepwalking? but in recent weeks it would appear the whole borough has woken up – big time!
Farnham residents are taking “Your Waverley” to Judicial Review, Cranleigh parish councillors resigned before they receive a vote of No confidence, wise move! A County Councillor is clinging on like a limpet in the hope he will be re-selected, there are by-elections all over and the Protect Our Waverley Group is giving the Flying Duchman’s Top Gear programme a run for its money by going into the film business!
Now…
We keep hearing “Your Waverley`’ councillors and officers banging on about how more affordable homes for “local” people are needed in the borough, when we at WW web have known for years, and so have they, that homes go to those in the most need.
On the 6th of June we posted the following article on the new Right to buy legislation. This post reveals the true nature of the social housing sector, because Thames Valley Housing one of “Your Waverley’s” preferred social housing partners was chosen with five others to pilot a right to buy scheme across the country. This means that tenants can buy their homes with a discount of up to £76,000. Thus deleting the social housing stock even further. Clever?
As highlighted on a Recent Radio Four File on Four programme, one third of all prospective buyers in Croydon were on… housing benefit.Other examples of fraud were revealed right around the country and now a whole new industry of fraud officers is growing up around this stupid Government’s scheme…
Why? because property speculators are buying properties from the most vulnerable tenants eager to get their hands on £76,000 in the provinces and over £100,000 in London, leaving the new owners to make a financial killing! Soon, the Government intends to roll out the Right to Buy across the country. Bet the fraudsters can hardly wait?
So with ‘Your Waverley” proposing 40% of almost 10,000 new homes earmarked for the borough, after just a few years, those fortunate residents’ “in the most need” and not necessarily living within Waverley, will be able to deplete the new social housing stock, by buying them with a huge discount so that another round of housing can be built to replace those sold. Then we can all dance around the mulberry bush and start all over again – that is if there are any bushes left?
Daft or what?
Said one follower…
The Cranleigh Society are asking the question why Waverley Borough Council is selling off property’s along the Elmbridge Road in Cranleigh when apparently we are so short of affordable housing, well not only are they selling off property but they are selling it off with planning permission for extensions and the conversion into two flats, this is 8 Elmbridge Cottages, same house up for sale. Not only are they selling it off they are providing the developers with the means to make more money without having to go through the rigours of planning permission. The mind boggles!
Doesn’t it just!
Thinking further on outside the box, I would like to know who makes these decisions to sell off council owned property’s. I was under some sort of illusion that the local councils were an organisation for the benefit and to provide services including housing for the local people and councillors were actually servants of the public elected there by the people locally and therefore a stepping stone onto the borough council (which would seem for some local councillors not to be the case). The trouble now is that everything is put out to tender, the cheapest wins and not done by their own workers i.e repairs to property etc. So back to my point who owns the propertys answer: Waverley Borough Council and who owns Waverley Borough Council and the answer to that in my mind is the good people of Waverley Borough as it is us who pays by local tax all the bills, so maybe we should be asked if they can sell off our property’s?
What’s that saying a little power goes a long way or so they think!
Our apologies for inadvertently referring to the Flying Dutchman owning Dunsfold Park where Top Gear is filmed, when of course, it is the Flying Scotsman. WW