What the Waverley Web simply cannot understand about our Waverley Planning Department is its contradictory approach to Draft Neighbourhood Plans and its efforts to reach a five-year housing land supply.
Take Alfold as an example of the nonsensical way Waverley’s planning department deals with planning applications.
Alfold has no Neighbourhood Plan, like many other towns and villages it was dissuaded from getting them underway because planning officers argued that it was not sensible until it had its Local Plan Part 1 and then Part 2 in place.
Farnham however, forged ahead, fearing for the worst, and it relies on its NP, which has the backing of its residents at referendum and has been examined at a public inquiry and passed by an Inspector.
Councillors recently refused a scheme for 65 homes, on a site not included in its Farnham NP. Oh Me Oh My- how councillors made a Waverley officer cry!
The most vulnerable villages in the eastern part of the borough – have no Neighbourhood Plans. Blueprints that define what the locals want, and identify sites where housing would be sustainable and appropriate.
Cranleigh’s NP is still in the making and has identified suitable sites where housing can be accommodated. In one instance, an extension to an existing development – which has been voted by locals as ‘one of the best of the bunch.’ That application and many others have been sitting in the bowels of the planning swamp at ‘Your Waverley’ for over a year. Why? Because officers argue Cranleigh has no approved Neighbourhood Plan, and until approved development such not go ahead.
Yet in the meantime, in Alfold, you can bet your bottom dollar this application for an extension to a development that has not yet had one single brick laid upon it – will be approved. In a village that has been swamped with applications, appeals and even Judicial Reviews. A village where every Doug and Doris have to travel miles for schools, pubs, and basic necessities. It doesn’t even have a village shop or pub!
If the planners seriously want to meet their targets, why are they being so dilatory in approving appropriate schemes, rather than allowing or appealing schemes in villages where the lack of infrastructure is legendary?
You couldn’t make it up – really you couldn’t!
This site is immediately adjacent to the proposed Dunsfold Garden Village with consent for 1,600 homes – and up to 3,400 homes included in the Local Plan.
Important session at the LPP2 inquiry continuing the debate on the housing numbers and whether there are enough sites due to start any minute now (2pm Thursday).
Oh Cr*p – What a shambles…. It was a painful watch – and one that means I will have to work until late to catch up with Real work after watching it in the “Background”
Why do WBC make so many basic errors? and why are they in denial? and that they DO have a 5 year Housing supply? Poor Ms Dove (I feel for her) was rather in the Lions Den due to Factual & Statistical inaccuracies. I am sure she is Very good at Stats but it seems like Waverley Planners really need to pull their fingers out and get accurate and consistent Information out to the Review ready for next week… I Never thought I would say this but where was Liz-The Biz? We really needed her. We needed a Lion at this Review not some poor woman – whose voice could often not be heard unless you turned the volume up to max.
Mr Behrendt from the HBF couldn’t have put it better when he said that there was and still IS far too much reliance on a Single-site Application – Dunsfold Park – Crikes we have known that since LPP1 was first mooted
Judith Ashton also from the HBF (Home Builders Federation) also pointed out the WBC ought to be looking at additional Housing in the Larger Sustainable Settlements (doh!) of course we do… and have been saying that for years…But of course the 3 Larger Settlements chose to Dump in Cranleigh and with DP were able to keep their Voters happy with limited development in their LARGE TOWNS
But NOPE Waverley will continue banging on about ALH1 and the Spatial Strategy…. Where has that got us in Alfold? – The spatial Strategy has been blown apart here in the East… No-one can say what is going on in our Villages bears any resemblance to it
I cannot help but feel that LPP2 will be chucked and and WBC told to go and have a long Talk to themselves before resubmitting…. They do have until September to get their act together before anything else happens- But no doubt they will all be on their Holibobs and it will be another shambolic event
What a Bally Embarrassing Mess
Denise
This websites failure to cover the LPP2 examination is curious. Unless I have missed something?
In a word – COVID – which has struck us down and out!
That would explain it!
I wonder whether Waverley Web will report that the two Independent Town Councillors on Haslemere Town Council were last week found guilty of breaching the members code of conduct over their actions against Red Court. The Monitoring Office must have set a record in taking nearly 2 and a half years to investigate what should have been a fairly straightforward case.
If Waverley’s Monitoring Officer didn’t spend so much time putting poor old Cllr Jerry Hyman in the dock, then he might just have dealt with the two Independent Haslemere Councillors a lot sooner. The fact that the man is completely useless, is demonstrated with the treatment of the complaint made by a member of the public against Alfold Parish Council and its disgraceful use of public office to support a ProtestGroup, that challenged the very same borough council that he works for! There should be an inquiry into how that man carries out council business. Come back Robin Pellow – Waverley Borough Council needs you.