Waverley Borough Council sticking its head in the sand – may prove to be another setback for its Local Plan.
From the moment Jerry Hyman took up his Farnham Castle seat at Waverley Towers, he has been banging on about the council’s consistent failure to recognise the importance of International legislation concerning development near sites protected by the Habitats Directive.
Sites like the Special Protection Areas (SPA’s) around Farnham, Haslemere and parts of Godalming.
The latest ruling could have serious implications for sites like; The Farnham Hopfields; East Street; and many more, where decisions have been made by councillors who stubbornly refused to heed Councillor Hyman’s repeated warnings about “obeying environment law.”.
He has been derided, ridiculed, ignored, called to order by planning experts, lawyers, and the huge Conservative Group that rules our failing borough. An authority now up to its neck in three Judicial Reviews and another launched on Thursday! Councillors, including Waverley’s Mayor, have repeatedly prevented him from highlighting the very real concerns of Farnham residents. One Cranleigh councillor even suggested that the onset of climate change – could move one protected species, the Dartford Warbler – north, thereby leaving more Farnham land available for developers! ‘
Another Judicial Review was launched on Friday by The Protect Our Waverley Group against – yes you guessed – it had to be… – Dunsfold Airfield!
The irony of the ruling handed down by the European Court of Justice follows a challenge by the Irish Government after another group called POW – People Over Wind! campaign, (Perhaps our POW could be re-named as it has much in common?) It sought to revoke permission for proposals by Coillte Teoranta – a company owned by the Irish state, to lay a cable connecting a wind farm to the electricity grid.
Read the full article and European Court decision here:
I have not met Jerry Hyman and he lives on the opposite side of Waverley. However, I have heard him speaking at several Joint Planning Committee(JPC) meetings and to me he seems to be head-and-shoulders above the most of the other Borough Councillors. Whenever I have heard Mr Hyman speak, he has spoken with conviction and a lot of technical knowledge.
So I think Waverley Web that your article today is very apt.
Thank you, Adrian. We here at the WW have watched the treatment dolled out to Councillor Hyman on a regular basis. Some councillors insulting behaviour beggars belief, and we have numerous comments from Waverley’s more reasonable councillors, who deplore the treatment he receives.
Now Councillor Paul Follows, the recently elected Liberal Democrat councillor for Godalming is receiving similar treatment in the chamber and on social media. We find it abhorrent and so do many of our followers.