“HOW MUCH EASIER IT IS TO BE CRITICAL THAN TO BE CORRECT.”

Read Mr Nicholson’s complete letter here:michael-nicholson

Back at you Mr Michael Nicholson!

The problem is that you and your compatriots at PoW (Protect our little corner of Waverley) seem to think that Disraeli’s other maxim, “Change is inevitable. Change is certain.” shouldn’t apply to your little corner of the Borough.

 Disraeli also said, “To be conscious that you are ignorant of the facts is a great step to knowledge.”

so we at Waverley Web feel it is our civic duty to enlighten you. So Listen up!!

You are clearly an expert in “lies, damned lies, and [distorting] statistics.”

To continuously refer to the proposed new village at Dunsfold Aerodrome as a “New Town” is, quite simply, ridiculous.

Cranleigh has a population of circa 14,000 and yet it still proudly proclaims itself a village – albeit England’s largest!

Far be it for Waverley Web to defend Waverley Borough Council – regular readers will know that we are usually in the other camp (with bells on!) – but to call the Council’s borough-wide survey “skewed” is the tactics of desperation (and, yes, we are beginning to realise how very desperate PoW is getting as evidenced by the latest illegal fly-posting activities which are the real “blot on the landscape.”

The survey in question was the largest and longest survey ever conducted by Waverley and every resident had the opportunity to respond to it and make their views known – if they wished! Unfortunately, it’s a well known fact that the majority of people, who either support or are indifferent to development, simply don’t  bother to respond. 

The fact that some 4,300 people took the time and trouble to respond on this occasion was actually quite an achievement, and “Your Waverley” held, well advertised  workshops and public meetings around the borough, most of which attracted huge audiences.

The fact that over 80% of those who responded wanted housing development on the largest brownfield site in the borough is not surprising. When push came to shove, residents voted with their pens and preferred, given a choice, to protect the borough’s green fields and build on its brown fields.

WW understand why you and your compatriots may not like that fact, Mr Nicholson, presumably because you live within spitting distance of Dunsfold Aerodrome, but that’s the way the cookie crumbled on this occasion!  Brownfield site -v- Greenfields.

But thanks to the good offices of Your Councillors over there in the east who held “secret meetings” to encourage developers… giving Waverley a long list of sites…

…you appear to be getting, in our jaundiced view  -the worst of both worlds?

Can’t help wondering though, why those  who  choose to live near airfields are the first to complain about plane noise or, next to a cricket field,  moan about stray balls…pubs…noise…garages…cars!

With regard to your rhetorical question as to why those in favour of development at Dunsfold Aerodrome find it necessary to tear down PoW’s posters, you are kidding, right?   We have heard from our followers over there that their proliferation in recent weeks is merely the runt of the litter? How many did PoW erect? Wasn’t there one on every lamp post, telegraph pole and garden verge rather than just every other one?

You may ask – why don’t the supporters erect their own posters if they’re so in favour of development at the aerodrome?

May be it’s because they have more respect for their neighbours and the countryside? Maybe it’s because they’re more clued up than PoW and know that it’s an offence to Fly Post and maybe, just maybe, they don’t want to be fined or on the receiving end of an ASBO!

WW rests its case.