Space for cyclists? Where are they?“Surrey has made a right pig’s ear of the town” asking when the “experiment would finish?”
Town council leader John Neale explained it was a 12-week exercise, which would take the present scheme to mid-September. However, he believed it would go on for longer. He said the county council was exploring alternatives to barriers, including the potential for temporary kerbstones.
The Waverley Web cannot help wondering whether the town’s councillors knew what they were signing up to when they agreed to Surrey’s plan in the first place? If they didn’t, it begs the question, why on earth did they approve the plans? Surely they too have to accept some of the responsibility for the mess the town centre is in? The WW heard from one couple who travelled from Guildford for a day’s shopping in Farnham, only to find the place in such a mess they turned around and went back home. So why waste another £10,000 of our money?
Town clerk Iain Lynch said funding was in place until March 31, 2021, and hoped the additional £10,000 would be covered by Surrey’s on-street parking revenue.
So it doesn’t really matter – because it is Surrey’s money – OUR MONEY – but from a different pot! But they cannot find the money for this…Has someone been leaning on a signpost in Farnham?
He reassured members: “If additional planters go in, the barriers would definitely be removed.” Although he recognised there had been “a number of issues” with the scheme, there was no certainty when Covid-19 would disappear.
SCC says it has packed the barriers tightly together to ensure that children can not run between them into the road. It urges patience from the public to allow the scheme to bed down!
The recommendation was agreed, with just one vote against. So more money down the proverbial pan?
Poor old John Neale is living in cloud cuckoo land. I heard him say at a recent Farnham LLF meeting how PROUD he was that SCC Highways had actually listened to Farnham Town Council when they planned this awful mess. They were proud they’d managed to insert a few of their “lovely planters” in amongst the sandbags, cones and barriers.
Let’s be honest, they should’ve simply told SCC Highways to get lost. But they just don’t have the bottle.
Which is possibly why John Neale supported the latest round of money wasting? Perhaps Farnham councillors should start listening to the people who elected them to act on their behalf? Start spending money wisely if they want to attract people to visit our once-lovely town? Because the economic crisis we face could not have come at a worst time for building-site Farnham.
Now the Government want to take what little power the borough council has – hand it to Surrey County Council, control its purse-strings centralise the decision-making and then God help us – build everywhere!