First shock of the day at the Alfold Public Inquiry!

Within ten minutes of a public inquiry opening, the appellant,  Thakeham Homes, warns it  intends to land all its costs into Waverley’s lap!

One thing you can say for Your Waverley it is on the ball!

Let’s hope it’s in the money too!

Picture posted on Facebook by Alfold Fights Back.

It is well-rounded, (51 of its 57 councillors are from one party) it bounces around all over the place, (two Daft Local Plans and one, not quite so Daft, over ten years). It had a rubber Band (Mike) at its heart  for many years – don’t see much of him now though, and it bounces back into power regardless of how many times residents take ‘Votes of No Confidence’ in its administrative prowess  … which are ignored!

So… WHY HAS IT WAITED UNTIL FIVE DAYS BEFORE A PUBLIC INQUIRY OPENS INTO A HUGE SCHEME TO MORE THAN DOUBLE THE SIZE OF THE  TINY VILLAGE OF ALFOLD… TO EARMARK FUNDS TO FIGHT THE SCHEME AT APPEAL?

Last Tuesday’s meeting of the EXECUTIVE  voted to provide its planning team with £100,000 for Barristers and Expert witnesses to challenge Thakeham Homes appeal against its refusal to allow a new village to be bolted onto the Surrey/Sussex Village.

When does the Appeal take place?  TODAY!

Click on the link below for a previous post outlining the scheme to build 465 dwellings on the Springbok Estate in the middle of Waverley’s countryside on land owned by Seaman’s Charity Care Ashore on the Surrey/Sussex border.

Is the boat about to sail for – Care Ashore?

So… ‘Your Waverley’ wait until seven days before  a controversial Public Inquiry takes place before  deciding  whether to spend £100,000 of the taxpayers’ money! No doubt Thakeham Homes are laughing all the way to the Inspector’s door, as they will, no doubt, have gathered all the planning brains and experts available to ensure its cunning plan comes to fruition,

But maybe…just maybe, someone at ‘YW’ just forgot to set the money aside, and officers and legal eagles have been preparing  for the event  for many months? Let’s hope so.

Do the good people of Alfold go into battle confident and safe  in the knowledge that its borough council is vigorously defending its very future, let’s hope so for their sake?

Your Waverley’s Councillor Jim Edwards was completely carried away with his own enthusiasm whilst supporting the £100,000 spend, even though he said there was no money in the council’s planning coffers! Waverley Planners refused the application in 2016. He said: We should apply to the Inspector for costs, because I don’t think they have a leg to stand on personally, knowing Alfold and I just hope we get costs!’

We hope you are right Sunny Jim, but don’t hold your breath!

There are some very angry people over there in the East – who want to know, WHY  two major public inquiries are being held on the same day in different parts of the borough. Of course, we couldn’t possibly comment!