The latest cunning plan of developers is to earmark the settlement of Rowly, in Cranleigh. Like Topsy … they want it to grow and grow…
‘Your Waverley’ was ahead of the game (aided and abetted by a developer) to use our money on a betting certainty. It wants to build an industrial estate, in the Green Belt adjacent to the Manfield Park Industrial estate – but has pushed the million pound funding from this year into next!
Now other developers are lining up to join the settlement of Rowly with Cranleigh New Town by building on the green fields behind homes in the Guildford Road.
Why not indeed – the Knowle Park Initiative has bagged 265 houses on a working nursery site in Alfold Road, so why shouldn’t the derelict Silverwood Nurseries site in Guildford Road, and other sites in Rowly, go the same way?
Just as a matter of interest – five of Cranleigh’s borough councillors live in Rowly two of whom have already bagged planning permission for themselves on the Green Belt!
.Not that they will have too much of a say in how Cranleigh develops in the future. Cranleigh councillors are being silenced by Waverley’s leadership. Just two voices on the influential Joint Planning Committee as from Tuesday. One of whom declares an a pecuniary interest much of the time, the other … who is totally ignored – so here comes the extra footfall the late Councillor Brian Ellis so fervently wished for. Right opposite his own home!
Developers are also aiming to start digging at the Notcutts Garden Centre nearby – and anywhere else for that matter, that is green and doesn’t move!
Waverley planning officers met recently with Cranleigh Parish councillors to urge them to come up with more sites – just in case the Dunsfold’s flying Scotsman’s plans to build 1,800 homes on his brownfield site, hits the buffers. Apparently the 1,500 in the Daft Local Plan… just isn’t enough!
Rumour has it that when Anne Milton turns up at the public meeting called by Cranleigh Civic Society, she may be in for a rough ride. It was Matron Milton that cracked her whip and persuaded the Secretary of State to call in Dunsfold application for 1,800 on a brownfield site. Now villagers fear Matron Milton may have helped to imposed on them – the worst of all worlds! Their green fields are disappearing under concrete faster than you can say Brexit!