Here’s a comment we recently received from an Alfold resident.WW You are quite right that most planning goes to Waverley’s Delegated Authority – why are we wasting our time with the one measly Planning Committee? At least before we had a mix. While I feel for Farnham, I did a bit of checking on the Planning Committee, and I was, to be quite honest, shocked to see the way the borough is represented. I will email a copy of the map to show this, as I cannot upload a picture. Please can you change this website so we mere mortals can upload images to our replies… It is frankly appalling that there is little to no representation in the East of the Borough. The West: Farnham/Haslemere have 10 Members (now there is a surprise!) Rumors in Alfold are rife about the additional 300 Plus that Thakeham Homes are in discussion with WBC Planners at the moment at the Springbok Estate and this is just from people locally that have had Planning Officers visit for their own planning and have been “warned” It is obvious that Councillors know what is going on and that yet again, ALFOLD is about to be shafted to protect the “GreenBelt” and those with large pockets at the other end of the Borough. It is about time this damn Borough Council fessed up and told us what they are up to – Because rumours are divisive, and at the moment, I wouldn’t trust ANY OF THEM, whatever their colour. As for the Planning Inspectorate –It is a Governement Funded Department so they will follow whatever they are told. I do not doubt that developers will have departed from Conservatives months ago and are now Smoozing up to Labour to ensure they can fulfil THEIR Agenda. What a Pile of CR*P |
Here’s the Map.
So how do we get more people onto the relevant committees to protect Alfold?
I am guessing that the make-up of the planning committee is based on the proportions of the parties in the overall Council. Having been allocated a number of seats the party then choose which of their councillors will sit on the planning committee. On this basis Farnham Residents will always be disproportionally represented.
John – Wikipedia still shows the 2011 Census So:
Farnam is 25% of the Population of Waverley but has 35.7% on the Planning Committee
Godalming is 14% of the population of Waverely but has 7% on the Planning Committee
Hindhead is 9% of the Population of Waverely but has 28.6% on the Planning Committee
Cranleigh is 15% of the Population of Waverely but has 7% on the Planning Committee
Bramley/Wonersh & Milford/Witley make up 14.3% and have 14% on The Planning
Give or take. the rest of us in Alfold, Dunsfold, Chiddingfold, Hascombe, Ewhurst etc… Have NO REPRESENTATION – How can that be right?
You are right, that’s not right. We should look to speak to the committee via parish council, to get a more equitable distribution…
Things have moved on since 2011 so I’m afraid your numbers simply don’t stack-up
Using the 2021 census the following are the up-to-date figures:
Farnham pop 42K = 33% of the Borough
Godalming pop 23k = 18%
Haslemere (you missed) pop 17k = 13%
Cranleigh pop 13k = 10%
Seats on Committees at Waverley are allocated following the political proportions of the various parties elected. Planning committees do not “protect” any geographical area. They are meant to judge each application on its planning merits regardless of its location. Site visits can be requested if the locations are not familiar.
I wish the Alfold Parish council could do something – alas I think it is the Waverley Borough Councillors or our MP’s you need to contact. the APC is only for Local matters that relate specifically to our PARISH – Not the more strategic issues that affect the Borough – You can attend the Alfold Parish Council meetings and the link to the website is https://alfoldparishcouncil.gov.uk/
Here is the link to our Borough Councillors in Waverley
https://modgov.waverley.gov.uk/mgCommitteeMailingList.aspx?ID=0
or in alpha Order
https://modgov.waverley.gov.uk/mgCommitteeMailingList.aspx?ID=0
Our MPs
https://modgov.waverley.gov.uk/mgMemberIndexMP.aspx?bcr=1
Good luck – I have been banging on about these sort of issues for over 10 years now and not giving up YET!!
John FW – Many thanks for the Updated Figures – That will teach me to use Wikipedia which still had the 2011 stats! To be fair it is not easy to find the 2021 revised Population stats for Waverley and I still fear I may have them wrong!
Just on the 4 Settlements I have:
Farnham being 33% Of Waverley Population and taking 25% of New Housing in LPP1
Godalming being 18% of Waverely Population and taking 14% of New Housing
Haslemere being 14% of Waverley Population and taking 9% of New Housing
Cranleigh being 10% of Waverley Population and taking 15% of New Housing **
Alfold was 125 new Homes (min) in LPP1 which was 1% of Waverley Population and 1% Housing – What has now been granted is 4% with 450 New homes and that is before you add in the other Hyenas baying in the background …..
The Main thing that I beg to differ on is the opinion that “Planning committees do not “protect” any geographical area. They are meant to judge each application on its planning merits regardless of its location.”
MEANT to judge each application on its Planning Merits regardless of its location – Really?
Many of the Current Waverley Councillors don’t seem to know where our Village of Alfold is and can’t even get the spelling correct. We seem to be viewed as nothing more than a corridor between Guildford & Horsham – We are NOT – There is the Historic centre of the Village by the Church – But there is plenty of Historical & Listed Buildings around Alfold Crossways – We Live in one – Our Village deserves as Much protection as Greenbelt land much of which deserves the Title of GREYBELT – We have Green fields which are being Concreted over and no-one seems to care.
When a small village like ours in the Third tier of the Borough hierarchy gets over 450 New homes approved when its min allocation was 125 that is one helluva Variance and then you have the developers in conversation with Planning officers with regard to another 350 Thakeham homes on the Springbok Site on top of the 99 Homes they flogged off to Abri?
** I hope that you can understand why people here feel just a little bit hacked off. We all know we do not have the protection of Greenbelt and AONB that other settlements have, maybe it is time that is looked at. If the Springbok Estate goes ahead it will be on the doorstep of the Dunsfold Park Village, if that isn’t encroachment on our Countryside I don’t know what is. We don’t qualify for Designations under the strict Definition of the name – But we still need PROTECTION.
Many of us feel that we are the depository for Waverley’s lack of a 5 year Housing supply because whilst we are still a small Village we will never have a voice LOUD ENOUGH to shout about it and that is my issue and I will continue to Bang on about it.
End of rant….