And electioneering has started!
Tory councillors didn’t even attempt to hide their loathing for any challenge or questions from the council’s minority parties at the recent Full Council Meeting. No wonder it took over a week to post the webcast, it burned the master’s fingers, so he went fishing!
That pesky Godalming new boy Councillor Paul Follows has been getting up the ever-widening nostrils of the Tories ever since he set foot onto The Bury’s Hallowed Ground! And.. they don’t even try to hide their contempt … because there’s an election coming on!
You can watch the Potty One’s eyes narrowing and she ummed and ahhd and tells him he will receive a more detailed answer from somewhere, sometime, somehow in the future. WW wonder – does he ever get one?
At the last two Full council meetings, the Godalming upstart has dared to ask a few simple questions after being asked to agree more money for the Judicial Reviews – you know the ones Protect Our Little Corner and the Campaign to Protect Some parts of Rural Englands’ fights to be played out soon in the High Court?
Q He asked: What are the consequences to the local plan as a whole if the JR’s were successful because obviously, it impacts the Green Belt status of a big chunk of my ward, and elsewhere in Godalming?
Positive or negative – it has consequences and I just wants to know what those were. Is the whole plan undermined, or just parts?
What does he get? – Blank looks and is ignored.
Gone are the days when minority parties, or for that matter Waverley’s residents, were given the benefit of a civil straight answer – in public – and were treated with a modicum of respect. Challenge the tories at your peril, you will be ridiculed for daring to question where and how public cash is being spent. Ask Gerry Hyman he’s got the T-shirt.
Paul Follows was one of the very few councillors not to vote for the Local Plan, he abstained. His concern, being that it was vulnerable to a JR challenge and that shed loads of public cash would likely be chucked at its defence…which turns out to be the case!
This week the Godalming upstart was at it again… this time asking questions on the proposed funding for Waverley’s leisure centres. Not too many mind, because Cranleigh’s Boudicca, who has been rewarded with the deputy mayoral role after being kicked out by her ‘colleagues’ as chairman of Cranleigh Parish Council, ruled he had asked enough!! Nothing like a bit of power is there, especially when it has been taken away from you on the home patch!
He had dared to ask why a Press Release was sent out to the Media before the Full Council had an opportunity to comment on the Executive’s decision to spend squillions on new and existing centres? And… he’s a little concerned, despite being generally supportive of leisure facilities, about where the money is coming from and the increasing tax burden on Waverley residents?
Here’s Bramley’s By-Pass Byham, who now wants Bramley to have a leisure centre starting the election ball rolling: Didn’t someone tell the poor old duffer that it has taken many, many, many years to get any money for East Street and it has only just gone into the bank? And nobody is quite sure that his administration hasn’t presided over a white elephant?How did Waverley Conservatives manage to shrink the Brightwells dividend so much?
Oh! and why, because the Executive had only been held a few days earlier, under them there rules, why a debate on the decision could not be held and.. he couldn’t get any answers?
Why ask another question then Councillor Follows? You know you won’t get an answer… because
YOU ARE NOT A TORY – GET IT!
Here’s your answer – Silly Billy! ‘There is an election coming on Councillor Follows, YW will be throwing money at the public over the coming months and standing up in the council chamber saying stuff like this? Just in case they decide to vote for your lot – or any other lot come to that!
Paul Follows has been rightly stirring up the complacency at WBC. A breath of very fresh air.
I would rather hear his own words rather Waverley Web’s loaded statements and spin (the PR agenda is clear). So WW, rather than put your words in Paul Follows’ mouth as to his reasons for abstaining from voting on the Local Plan, it would be better for him to comment.
If you watch the webstream of the Local Plan vote you will see there were reservations throughout the chamber… it was the unprecedented 3-line whip that enforced the vote went Julia Potts’ way.
As for the impact on the Local Plan – the Local Plan is still in force (just ask the residents of Godalming, Elstead and Cranleigh what they think of the protection they are afforded by Julia’s Local Plan – they are revolting). After the JR the plan will not fall – but Woking’s unmet need will be reduced.
Actually PP wrong again! – They are not our words, but his words, sent to both us and his Facebook account. Yes, we do agree with your point about the reservations throughout the chamber, but like so many times before and since, they say one thing and vote another. Of course, it went Julia Potts Way and we are so pleased that you already know the outcome of the Judicial Review because no doubt you will be there – as usual. Do you ever wonder what POW has brought down on the borough’s eastern regions? The HGV’s thundering through the Surrey Hills and Shere this morning had to be seen to be believed! Presumably, they all came from Dunsfold?
Hi, certainly lots of reasons why I abstained on the local plan – it’s potential for expensive JR challenges being one. Another being that it was going to take a whacking great bit of Green Belt from my own ward without anyone raising even the slightest concern. The fact there is a JR, and one of the main points of that has been that Waverley didn’t remotely challenge this Woking unmet need, strikes right to both of the issues I raised.
Conservatives (the ones that talk) actually did raise some reasonable points of opposition on this, before they all voted for it. You might have seen in the Surrey ad this week the letter from the broader opposition in Waverley (from all parties) regarding the local plan and also the subsequent editorial top.
I’m always happy to comment on anything people highlight too – if WW have said something that I didn’t say (assuming I’ve seen it) I’ll correct them – and a lot of the source comments are things I’ve put in various types of media anyway.
Oddly I’ve been criticised recently by a few Conservative councillors (who obviously read this) about the fact I’m willing to comment on here – personally I’m happy to. Anything that is talking to actual residents is surely not bad?
Paul
Thank you Paul. Better to hear it directly.
Well said! I am glad that both you and Cllr Hyman – take the time to reply. WW is not always my favourite Buddy (as she/he knows) but at least “they” make the effort to keep people up to date with the goings on at Waverley Towers.
There are far too may Councillors that won’t say boo to a goose or the Planning Officers – who seem to hold the Holy Grail on many applications and shall not be gainsayed.
Many of these sorts of NMAs and other Amendments to applications are decided by Officers with no recourse to Councillors and therefore the Residents. It infuriates me that on so many occasions Councillors have to say “…there is nothing we can do on THIS application – but may we request Officers inform us of XYZ in FUTURE…..”
That is what we vote for and that is what we expect.
Here at the WW, we are willing to hear everyone’s point of view, and thankfully here we have several Waverley councillors who are unafraid to challenge, question and comment publicly on the very serious issues that affect us all. Long before many of our followers monitored this blog, and in our early days, we outlined the disastrous consequences that would befall us if we did not have a sound Local Plan. Now the Tusami we predicted is happening, because this Tory administration sat on their hands and did nothing – because they hoped the serious housing issue affecting this and other boroughs would just go away. Or, as one Waverley councillor and former Mayor said … Waverley residents can always move over the Sussex and Hampshire borders and find homes there.
At least we now have a handful of councillors with the courage to speak out.
However, we know many Waverley councillors follow this blog, regularly, but they treat their residents with contempt.
Although WW has stuck to its belief that all the brownfield sites in the borough should be developed before the countryside, we recognise this is not universally popular. However, we fully respect opponents views to the contrary. All we have ever hoped to achieve is to inform what we believe is an apathetic public of what is going on!
I love the fact that Conservative Councillors cannot help but reveal the fact they read this blog. Whenever one of them says something to me that reveals this I have a silent snigger. That they might criticise Paul Follows for engaging directly reveals the extent of their cowardice.
Don’t worry Concerned Resident we know how many of them read this blog, one told us recently, they are “addicted,” however they have to wait until they get home because the Waverley Web is blocked on the council system.
You would all be absolutely amazed who reads this site and where they come from. We will print the flags of ever country soon!
Thankfully we do have councillors like Jerry Hyman, Paul Follows and Liz Townsend to continually question decisions made by the Officers. I watched the JPC last night regarding the NMA amendment at East street. NON MATERIAL AMENDMENT – Hmmmm now that does make me chortle!
So you want to change the Phasing of the build-out and Knock down Brightwells Cottage in the first stages, despite the fact that the previous NMA/2018/0039 only covers Bat Roosts and Not MATERNITY ROOSTS which may be in the Cottage (although I cannot count the number of times the Officers said Categorically there weren’t any… How do they know – have they carried out a survey? – Bit late really for any action once it is a pile of rubble – after all it will only take a week to knock down and I bet there won’t be any on-lookers to see the demolition or witness if there are any Maternity Roosts – It will probably fall down all by itself at 2am one morning when no-one is around and there will then be lots of crocodile tears and wringing of hands!
Also I cannot find for the life of me anything that allowed for the change in Affordable Housing. The last one I could find was NMA/2017/0177 which still allowed for 72 Affordable homes, even if they did change the Mix with no consultation (maybe I am missing it)…. maybe removing ALL the Affordable Housing is so TRIVIAL that it is not even worthy of an NMA ??? I simply do not get this!
The second item on the agenda last night was Hewlitts Industrial Estate development. 120 Shoe Boxes designed by Tiny-Tim – ah well you reap what you sow!! What do you want to bet WW that they discover Asbestos really is an issue (along with the Gas pipes) and the cost to sort it will mean there will be No Affordable Homes – Watch this space!
Right again – if only there were a few more people like you Denise. What a disgraceful shower that JPC showed itself to be – they don’t give a damn for wildlife, historic buildings and in particular the people of Cranleigh who are watching their much-loved village be destroyed.