Category: Waverley Borough Council

ARE THEY ALL HEADING FOR CRANLEIGH AND THE VILLAGES?

15.10.09 - Build 500 new homes a year until 2033Waverley’s Deputy Leader could hardly contain her glee when she announced how many homes the borough would have to take each year and guess what, she says seven sites have been identified for them in Cranleigh and 25 in the villages and she even names some of the possible sites above.

Well that’s all right then – over here in Farnham it has the protection of the Wealden Heathland – hasn’t Cranleigh got some of that too – though not quite so lucky as Farnham which has the Thames Basin Heath almost surrounding it.

Woking has to build 517 homes per year and Guildford 693, Waverley 519,  but this is only the councils’ chosen figure the Inspector has not got his hands on any of their Draft Plans yet, so watch this space it could be very many more. Waverley has already ignored its, highly paid consultants’ advice which advised considerably more, as well as earmarking more space for business expansion.

Councillor Potts says, “It is also essential that the emerging local plan takes into account our main landscape designations and has the appropriate infrastructure in place to support any future housing.” No problem there then. Your secret meetings with some of the Cranleigh developers is certainly getting to grips with that little conundrum Oh Potty one. Not quite so sure that your comment – “the most important thing is to build homes in the right place and that the council works with local residents to ensure it has the right strategy in place.” We think you should re-phrase that, working with wannabe developers and borough councillors more like.

Funny really – we thought you held a very expensive Public Consultation exercise last year – you know all those workshops around the borough, questionnaires posted to every home etc, etc, and the public told you quite clearly – they don’t want Waverley’s green fields covered in concrete and asked you not to allow buildings on areas that flood ! Have we actually seen the report on that exercise yet? Oops perhaps we missed it. Now you see it – now you don’t.

So what is the first thing you do – turn down the Hewitts Industrial Estate, over there in Cranleigh – a brown field site in the middle of a residential area. Blimey – stupid or what!  By the way, anyone out there knows how much that consultation exercise cost? Whatever figure Waverley admits to, it will not take into account, officers’ time, because presumably its staff don’t get paid anything – they work for free, gratis and for nothing and only go there for the fun…

The Civic Society is certainly battling Cranleigh’s corner, as does the Farnham Society – but neither are  holding their public spirited breath that they will be consulted. We all know in the end all the development – like East Street – will go to the highest bidder.

WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK

15.10.09 - Police inquiry after payouts to fraudlent accountWe at WW wonder why West Midlands Police are investigating this incident and why it took a whistleblower to reveal that Waverley’s  staff were duped into changing the payment details for a supplier and which resulted in a £200,000 fraud. Could the reason be that Surrey Police now share the council’s Bury Offices in Godalming and they are too close to home. Council Leader the infamous PC Bobby Knowles didn’t want to reveal that the council’s own internal procedures did not identify the problem which occurred on his watch! Isn’t it strange that press  releases abound when there is good news, but it is left to whistleblowers to tell the press when it is not so good.

WW welcomes whistleblowers – you can whistle to us with complete anonymity  just as  often as you like.

Here they go again …

A great big leaky sieve, that is the  hallowed halls of Waverley.

The secret’s out!  So sure is the Knowle Park Initiative, that its planning is “in the bag” that it cannot help itself from shouting the good news from the glasshouse rooftops.

So now WBC – there’s no such thing as a well-kept secret and your meetings behind what you thought were closed doors, are anything but! Today’s the day – Friday!

Back around the table, tucked behind the security doors, there you are creating Cranleigh New Town. You read it in the Surrey Advertiser first and we’re hot on their heels!  Read all about it – the developers and councillors are putting their own spin on it but the public’s not stupid – they know what’s going on.

Around the table, Surrey County Councillor Alan Young and Messers Ellis and Stennett (Conservative Cranleigh East and West ) are all eager to tell us all, they are right behind the West Cranleigh Nurseries (KPI) scheme.   One can’t help wondering what the point is of going to a public planning committee at all?  Might just as well let the Gang of Four, aided and abetted by Planning Officers, push the applications through. Those involved in the creation of the Neighbourhood Plan and members of the Cranleigh Civic Society might as well save their breath to cool their porridge.  The Kooples – Councillors Brian & Patricia Ellis and Councillors Stewart and Jeanette Stennett, know what’s best for you and they’re not interested anyone’s opinion but their own and, of course, that of the Flying Dutchman, (aka KPI owner Nick Vrijland), who is singing the praises of his own scheme from the rooftops!

Watch out Cranleigh – the new town is on its way and the KPI is on the verge of making millions – and don’t be misled it won’t be ploughed back into the community regardless of what the Flying Dutchman says about how much he cares for Cranleigh or the community or how many awards he gets for “volunteering.” Volunteering what we ask – Information? Money?  Political donations?

Having wrapped up the Chamber of Trade and with his PR machine working overtime – the balloons went up all over Cranleigh at the week-end urging everyone to support the KPI – and peddeling the message that the Berkeley scheme is “too close to the village.” Do they think we’re all stupid?  That we can’t see what they’re up to?

Watch out Cranleigh Chamber of Commerce – if you lie down with dogs you get fleas! Urging everyone to support development on the green fields may come back and bite you, shoppers are also villagers who can be an unforgiving lot.

So back to  the not so secret meeting – where all those developers, including Thakeham Homes – (450) watch out Alfold! – Crest Nicholson – about to go back in with at least another 150 homes – to add to the 149 they already have planning permission for – we at WW are sure they will get another nod and a wink from Councillor Jeannette Stennett.

The  KPI (265 houses) and Cozens Smith (75 houses) in Alfold Road and Threadneedle (Hewitts Industrial Estate 120) already refused. They are all going there to open their cheque books and see who can throw the most into the infrastructure pot.

Who we wonder, is going to pull the biggest golden rabbit out of the hat, as the would-be developers vie with each other to get approval for their scheme?  Watch this space because the fun – or do we mean auction to the highest bidder? – has only just begun.i

Please note: Two of the developers sitting behind WBC’s closed doors have had their applications turned down. Berkeley goes to appeal in February and Threadneedle, owners of  Hewitt’s, had its application turned down last week – see story below.

Threadneedle has been urged by Cranleigh councillors not to go to appeal but to work with the council. The stench just gets stronger every day. The future developers of Amlets Park have been left out – we wonder why?

WHY DOES THE PONG SMELL SO STRONG IN CRANLEIGH?

And it’s not the Elmbridge Sewerage Works!

With breathtaking arrogance and flying in the face of government policy and local public opinion, Waverley Borough Council has turned down an application by the owners of Hewitt’s Industrial Estate, to build 120 homes on a BROWN FIELD site within walking distance of the village centre.

Screen Shot 2015-10-07 at 20.06.57
An Industrial Estate which has for more than 30 years produced dust, fumes, concrete and in recent years very few jobs.

No calling in an application there then, Councillor Patricia Ellis, as you have done just next door at West Cranleigh Nurseries – just let the boys in the planning department throw out Threadneedle’s application under delegated powers, just like they intend to throw out the clever drummer’s scheme in Ewhurst, That too, is a major application that should have been considered by the planning committee, in a true democracy – there you are then – so no friends in high places there then either!

“Ditch the ballot box” we hear voters cry. No doubt this will delight the Knowle Park Initiative, that boasts all over Cranleigh, that it has friends in those lofty places and who now is pulling the strings of The Chamber of Commerce, which opposes building on brown fields (formerly developed land)) and proposes building on Cranleigh’s green and pleasant land instead – you don’t get much greener than lettuces.The only way Waverley can justify building on fields – (two such sites have already been approved) – is if they do not have viable brown field alternatives.

WW has been doing a little digging and has discovered, thanks to the people over in Cranleigh, that Hewitt’s Industrial Estate was REMOVED from the council’s Strategic Land Assessment in 2014 – we wonder why? If anyone out there knows why – please get in touch.

Although our web has only been spinning for a few days, we have heard from some residents of Elmbridge, that everyone is turning a blind eye to the fact that more jobs will be lost at the thriving nursery site, than on the industrial estate, where neighbours say they desperately want to see housing. Said one “We have put up with the filth emanating from Hewitt’s long enough.” Well hey ho, there we go – the voting fodder of Elmbridge may get an even bigger industrial estate on their back yards and even bigger lorries.

Villagers say they are mystified by Waverley’s decision and are beginning to wonder why some Cranleigh councillors are so determined to push through housing on Cranleigh’s fields, (where there is a history of flooding), rather than a former concrete works which didn’t flood, according to the locals even in the worst flooding of 1968.

There is something rotten going on in the state of Waverley with the stench in Cranleigh causing many a nose to twitch in disgust. According to our informants in Cranleigh – and please keep contacting us – they all have their beady eyes on you!