AND THEN THERE WERE TWO!

Last year there was much ado about the fact that, despite her Herculean efforts,  Councillor Elizabeth Townsend couldn’t obtain a seat on Waverley’s most influential planning committee. However, although Councillor Townsend was refused entry into the Joint Planning Committee’s hallowed hall, she has repeatedly taken advantage of a four-minute slot allowed to ward councillors to speak up for their patch! BUT NOT VOTE!

Of course, had she been there – things could now look very different for Cranleigh New Town! Good reason for her Tory Tosser colleagues not to allow her in to scupper the onward march of development in the east!

This woman stood, and was elected as a Conservative, but is as independent as it is possible to be in to-day’s WBC! In the clip below she stands up for the residents of Cranleigh who to a man/woman opposed development on a floodplain. Now the bulldozers are forging through the tree-lined road into the site to prepare the way for Snakeham Homes who boast regularly of its – “direct line into NO 10.” 

It certainly proved to have a direct line into Waverley Towers because its Flood Risk Assessment Consultants sat with the sacred knights of the round table – aka the planning officers – as shoulder to shoulder they battled for a planning consent!

Even MP Anne Milton was stunned and told Cranleigh people – “How ever was this allowed to happen.” 

Well it has happened and is continuing to happen.

Snakeham’s detritus is now joining hundreds of other builders detritus in Elm Bridge – 265 or maybe many more at the West Cranleigh Nurseries site, 120 at Hewitts Industrial Estate, 425 between Alfold Road and Knowle Lane by Berkeley Homes and 75  – Miller Homes, who, just like Cala Homes, – did their Charles Dickens bit saying  – “Please Sir Planners, can we have more,”  to add to the 75 approved at Little Meadow.  One succeeded – one didn’t!

It is widely known in the east of the borough, according to our Cranleigh sources,  that now the Stennett duo have trousered their own lucrative planning victories- in the Green Belt, they have no need to seek re-election next year! 

One Cranleigh parish councillor said, “Since Stewart Stennett resigned from the parish council three years ago, he has never turned up at a parish  meeting, in fact, we wouldn’t even know what he looks like.”

Councillor Patricia Ellis who also took part in the secret meetings with developers, some of which took place in her own home, meetings chaired by her late husband Brian Ellis, has also disappeared since resigning from the parish council last year! She din’t even take any interest in the recent consultation of Cranleigh’s Neighbourhood Plan!

So now with a vacant seat the Executive which body rules the Waverley roost  had little option but to give a seat to Councillor Townsend who alongside Councillor Mary Foryszewski are now the only Cranleigh voices! 

However, there is little need for them now! Developers who queued up to outline their plans – in secret- to Waverley planning officers and the chosen few Cranleigh councillors, who wanted to see more footfall on Cranleigh’s streets, are now building faster than Knotweed can grow-

Berkeley Homes; Cala Homes; Crest Nicholson – (which was allowed with Councillor Jeannette Stennett’s casting vote) Miller Homes; A2 Dominion; Thakeham Homes; Bellway Homes; West Cranleigh nurseries… Oh! and w musn’t forgt Hasmmish Robber and on it goes…

R.I.P. Local democracy has finally choked on its own dogma and died at ‘Your Waverley.’