The cross-party Rainbow Alliance of Labour, Greens, Lib Dems and Farnham Residents’ met to raise a glass and then get down to hard work writing the new policies for running Your Waverley. And yes, anybody could be involved. You don’t need to be a paid-up party member to be involved and shape your new council.
Crazy bonkers stuff? Different – yes – crazy no! Will this herald the changes we have all been waiting for?
Just look at this fun-packed agenda from last Saturday below:
A Working Agreement for Waverley:
With Waverley Borough Councillors
Andy Macleod, Farnham Residents
Paul Follows, Liberal Democrats
Steve Williams, Green Party
Nick Palmer, Labour Party
Plus contributions from other Waverley Councillors: Farnham Residents, Liberal Democrats, Green Party, Labour Party, Independents on their personal election story and key priorities.
11.15am Replenish your coffee and…
Group Discussions: Key Issues
• The Way Forward for Waverley
What are the key borough-wide issues that should be priorities for SWS Compass?
How do we support and inform our borough councillors?
• An Agenda for Godalming
What are the key issues for Godalming?
How do we support and inform our Town Councillors?
• An Agenda for Haslemere
What are the key issues for Haslemere?
How do we support and inform our Town Councillors?
• An Agenda for Farnham
What are the key issues for Farnham? How should progressives work with and through the Farnham Residents?
• The Godalming Compass
Looking ahead to the next edition of our magazine – said by some to have laid the groundwork for the progressive victories in Godalming.
12.00pm Feedback from Groups (5 mins each)
12.30pm Notices: Future Events – Planning
We look forward to seeing these discussions in the Council chamber next week! Indeed it must be the first time WW has had to tag The Labour Party as relevant in South West Surrey!
Just one criticism. Well, they did say everyone could help run Waverley!
We are well-aware Cranleigh – dubbed by the Tories as – “Poor Old Cranleigh,” is not considered to be a town. However, surely the wannabe new town, which is predicted to have another five thousand new homes within and nearby its conurbation should have its place on the new administration’s Agenda? The eastern villages have been the dumping ground for new homes for long enough.
Now a major developer is unloading further phases of its development sites to housing associations because they cannot sell homes already built. Why? Because the eastern villagers are being swamped with new homes. Homes built on flood plains.
I for one would very much like to see Cranleigh represented. we have some good councillors here and I hope that they will step up to the plate and get on with some much needed reform and stand up for the East. It isn’t all about Farnham and Godalming!
Enough of this “Poor Old Cranleigh” Of course the Developers are struggling to sell properties – It was fairly obvious that by allowing such a huge amount of development in one place with such limited infrastructure that it was all going to go tits up! it just shows the lack of long term vision that the Planning Officers and WBC had, and now it is coming back to bite the few that are left!
Please do not think for one moment it is us at the WW who refer to the village as ‘Poor Old Cranlegh.’ It was the Tory Cllr for Chiddingfold – Anna James who referred to it as such.
We have been hugely supportive of the efforts of the eastern village councillors to bat off unsuitable development, without much success.
Let us all hope the new councillors will have more success. We wish them well.
I’m not very surprised to see that the agenda was focused on everywhere but Cranleigh.
Fresh Air? A rather stale and predictable outcome in fact.
I am however surprised that our newly elected Lib Dem representatives in Cranleigh East weren’t able to get Cranleigh on the Agenda.
Not a great start is it WW?
Looking forward to you holding the new administration (Where is it?) to account.
Fairs, fair Mrs Richardson. Surely it would be wise to keep your counsel until all these new councillors have had time to get their act together.
It is far too early, and rather churlish to start criticising the newly elected Lib Dem councillors, before the ballot boxes have been filed away.
As we have already said on this site. The WW will be there to hold the new administration to account. However, we will give everyone, including the Tories, time to draw breath before we begin making critical comments.
Perhaps you are too unfamiliar with borough and county council business to realise it takes many weeks, if not months for new councillors to become familiar with, and assist with the formation of a new Executive, and the formatin of a new commitee structure.
Had you been successful in obtaining a seat, you too may have had to undergo a lengthy induction process, and a long learning curve.
We are confident that a new administration will be up and running in no time. You can be assured, when it is, we shall be holding it to account.
Might as well wade into this myself.
First of all – Angela you know better than most that the Waverley administration (whatever it looks like) won’t happen at all until the full council next week.
And as to Compass it started out being almost totally Godalming focussed and has slowly grown. I’m a member of its steering group but just speaking as me here – everyone is welcome and we have been trying to get Cranleigh residents involved. Next time we do this I will personally make sure it goes on the Cranleigh community board and Cranleigh councillors are invited.
The only thing really Compass aims to do is bring people with some clear (but fairly broad, shared values).
I would also just say in terms of Waverley that our Cranleigh councillors will be very much representing the area at our group meeting this evening too.
and finally..
I have said this to WW myself. I welcome them keeping an eye on whatever administration comes forward. Constructive opposition and scrutiny is not just welcome – its essential and it helps us be better councillors.
I wouldn’t expect anything less than you wading in Paul given Waverley Web is also known as the Paul Follows Appreciation Society.
Though if WW do properly hold whatever administration is formed to account, I shall be interested to see what pejoratives they come up with for you all, if any.
I do however credit them with being an exceptionally inventive and creative bunch!
🙂
Is it a crime Ms Richardson to admire a new councillor who effectively communicates with the residents of all the towns and villages in Waverley?
If applauding Cllr Follows professionalism, grasp of everything that has been wrong with the Tory administation for so long, so quickly, and his determination to seek change equates to belonging to his fan club. Then the WW is guilty on all counts and wears the badge with pride.
If only there had been more PF’s, some of the terrible errors that have been dealt out to the residents of Farnham, Godalming and the eastern villages may not have occurred.
You may rest assured, and sleep soundly in your bed, in the knowledge that we shall hold whoever runs Waverley to account.
Do you want to know why? To hell with politics, we are interested in decisons that improve, not damage, the lives of the good people of Waverley.
Well I for one applaud those that speak up for their wards and Councillor Follows and others have done just that – I hope the rest of the Newbies will do the same – It is time for a change and I really hope it is for the Better
Hear, hear Denise – well said. The WW cannot wait for the New Guard to take over the control of ‘Your Waverley.’ Even a slight improvement, will be betterthan four years of the same. However, we wonder if the TT’s can be relied upon to give the newbies a figting chance. We can only live in hope?
This will shock you WW – But I think SOME of the remaining TT’s are good and will continue to work for the Good – Still a few F****Wits that I wish had gone (flippin’ typical) But heyho we are where we are!!!
I will look forward to the next few months- Everyone deserves a break
And nothing to do with this post BUT…………….. Maybe the New Stand-in Head of planning has Something????? Without going to the JPC the Planning Officers refused the Ludicrous application for 56 homes on Alfold Garden Centre – Which concluded it was NOT all PDL land which we all knew – The design was poor with all the Affordable Homes next to the Petrol station, over looking for New residents and the existing property at Medland and the proposal to have the LEAP as only a Financial contribution towards the Rec’ Playground which is a considerable distance from the development and means that children would have to cross the Dreaded Crossways!! Huzzah! there is a God(dess)
Happy days!
Denise smiling for once!
Well done Waverley planning officers. For once they did Alfold proud. What a ridiculous scheme. but no doubt they will be bouncing back with something – slightly less ridiculous – in the coming months?
I am sure they will as I am sure they have already spent a considerable amount of money in anticipation of this planning application being approved. Ground has been cleared and I believe some trees already removed all behind the hideous hoarding.
Thanks for your interesting post, WW. Unfortunately Farnham Residents were unaware of this meeting, and any of our Members who attended did so as individuals. Personally I’m concerned that it appears otherwise.
As a group we take pride in our independence and are ‘anti-politics’, but we’re open to ideas and would not want to rush to judgement. Farnham Residents belongs to the residents so we always have to be careful what we do in their name, whilst giving our Elected Members as much freedom as possible in representing them within the disciplines of our Constitution.
We face 4 years of working with a (let’s say) “rich assortment” of politicians at Waverley under NOC, and we’ll have to reach agreement on many difficult matters, but we will not be making any formal political alliances. With the power to save or destroy our towns and villages now ‘up for grabs’, it’s not surprising that I’m beginning to learn of quite widespread machinations ! I’ll tell you about it one day.
I hope that the fears of Cranleigh residents under the coming administration prove unfounded, they have suffered more than enough already. Sorry I can’t make any promises, but you have my word that I’ll keep doing whatever i can to help protect our ‘eastern villages’ from further harm. I think that people who have watched or attended Waverley’s Joint Planning meetings know that I do mean that. We’re all in the same boat.
Sadly we’ve been unable to prevent some very poor decisions and great unfairness of late, for which I apologise, but it has not been for lack of trying. Electors have now gifted us a real opportunity to make things better and we must not allow that to be squandered, but change is not easy and there’ll be huge resistance from all quarters. It could turn out to be quite a fight ! Get your gloves on …
What a pleaure to hear from you on the WW Cllr Hyman. Congratulations for all your achievements in the recent elections on behalf of Farnham Residents’ – well done to you all. You have almost succeeded in turning Farnham into the borough’s first non-political town.
We were a little surprised by some of your comments above. However, we can understand where you are coming from as your group is not political with a big P. However, we do hope that over the next four years, all those recently elected – and that includes the Tory Group – will ALL work together for the common good.
The residents of Waverley are heartily sick of being ignored by politicians – and as you may have noticed – if you read the WW – that many of us are sick and tired of watching the way you have been treated too. You have been meticulous in your scrutiny of decision-making – but have often been a lone voice. The WW has often wondered if some councillors actually read their papers before they make decisions? Or whether they follow the officers’ and then turn into a bunch of nodding donkeys.
Keep up your good work on protecting our environment – for which the lat administration had so little regard.
Electors have gifted you a real opportunity to make changes for the better. Don’t squander it, work together.
You may be assured – if you don’t, we will turn the spotlight on the new administration as we did with the last.