How many of these “affordable homes” have actually been built?

From our calculations – there may be a handful of “affordable homes” completed in these towns and villages. But so far – Zilch – at Maple Lane, Cranleigh; Zilch at Knowle Park, Cranleigh; Zilch at Hewitts Industrial Estate; Zilch in Elmbridge Road; Zilch in Sweeters’ Copse, or Alfold Garden Centre, Alfold; Zilch at Dunsfold Aerodrome; and Zilch at Backward Point, Ewhurst.

As for the Table below – have you noticed any homes under construction at Dunsfold Aerodrome?

No – because The Protect Our Waverley Group and our MP’s Anne Milton and Jeremy Hunt joined together to jeopardise the scheme which was recently given the go-ahead by the High Court.

So it missed its 2015/16 target – missed its 2017/18 target and will most likely miss its 2018/19 target!

So there you have it, folks.

Had Dunsfold received consent in 2008/9 it would certainly have prevented most of the development around Cranleigh.   For fear of repeating ourselves – now the east gets the worst of both worlds as planning applications steam in! Blame Robert Knowless and Close the Gates for that huge mistake!

But more recently, the challenge by PoW has held Dunsfold up since December 2016 when consent was granted. So they need about 2 years to deal with the infrastructure before they can start building houses. So they are two years behind thanks to the call in and the court action. So DELIVERY of housing is two years behind and under the new NPPF delivery has become a key target.

So now Waverley is vulnerable on this  – e.g. the recent decision on Folly Hill in Farnham, that has blown a hole in Farnham’s Neighbourhood Plan. 

We here at the WW (blame Knowless, not Potts)  It does seem particularly bonkers that under-delivery results in more planning consents but that is how we read AND – it isn’t all Waverley’s fault. ,

The Government wants to build 300,000 per annum by the mid-2020s and developers can smell weakness so are piling in.

Thank you  PoW and CPRE and our MP’s Messrs Hunt and Milton for helping us all smell the concrete on our doorsteps instead of the coffee! 

It’s not what you do but the way that you do it? Are you singing along with us yet?

The predicted snowfall across the South on Friday didn’t prevent Daniel (AKA Cllr Jerry Hyman) stepping into the Lion’s Den – as ‘Your Waverley’ lined up its stormtroopers to bring the outspoken Farnham Residents’ Cllr and champion of our environment, to heel – once and for all.

This post comes with an Elf  &  Safety Warning to anyone wishing to join the council’s ranks:  Unless they are intending to stand for the RULING (or as Non-Conservative voters like to say, rue-the-day Conservatives)  at “Your Waverley’ (YW) – its strapline  – not ours – don’t waste your time and energy,  let alone breath.

‘Your Waverley’s’ Standards Panel came together to judge Cllr Hyman (GH)’s “lack of respect for some officers and a member,” and breaching the Council’s Code of Conduct.   Chaired by the  Tory Whip – Councillor  Michael sleepy – Goodrich also known as Good Riddance. Although in this particular instance viewers of the webcast could be forgiven for calling him, Judge Jeffries! And, who over the seven-hour hearing – created a far worse image of ‘Your Waverley’ in the eyes of the public, than anything Cllr Hyman has ever done!!

The Wonersh councillor likes to joke that he doesn’t have to get elected,  just slide in unopposed every four years, and is infamous for falling asleep on the job. If Wonersh residents had any self-respect they’d dump this ghastly excuse for a councillor and get themselves a real advocate for the village. 

But credit where it’s due, contrary to our expectations. Good-Riddance managed to stay awake in ‘YW’s’ Kangaroo-Court although he failed miserably – to hide his irritation and keep his bully boy ways in check. Look closely if you can bear it, and you’ll see him muttering under his breath as the steam poured out of his ears and nostrils. We all waited with bated breath for his nostril hairs to ignite – and would have happily thrown lighter fuel on the flames!

 It was obvious to anyone watching the webcast – don’t do it – it lasted all day and half the evening –  he was in for the kill. All that pent-up anger and rage bottled up at Joint Planning Meetings since the arrival of … THE OPPOSITION spewed out like red hot lava – or do we mean green bile?

Like a mediaeval inquisitor Good-Riddance,  couldn’t wait to poke Cllr Hyman’s eyes out with a hot poker, reminding him that HE  was the Lawyer in this Kangaroo Court,  understood how to barbecue victims, and knew how to brown nose officers. However, GoodR  was somewhat thwarted in his efforts to flay the victim alive  by an independent Consultant and Independent member, who both agreed Cllr Hyman’s passion for abiding by the rules of environmental law may in fact, have led to a breach that was,  “at the finer end of serious.”

GH, a Waverley council tenant and founder of Farnham Residents Group, admitted he was not well equipped to answer the charges against him, had no legal representation and had only received the papers six days earlier.  So instead of answering the charges made against him by Waverley’s  Snowflake officers more familiar for being congratulated with monotonous and brown-nosing regularity by members for their “hard work providing such excellent reports” –  made statements instead.

Going head to head in the lion’s den with complainant ‘YW’s’ lawyer (Daniel Bainbridge), Cllr Hyman was supposed to be a lamb going to the slaughter. Only the council hadn’t laid on the mint sauce to add piquancy to their delicacy.

So despite his numerous attempts to skewer and kebab Cllr H by complainant – Joint Planning Committee Chairman Peter Isherwood, who is well used to insulting the villagers of Ewhurst & Cranleigh and  Good -Riddance they both failed. Not only because they lacked the skills of oratory, but quite simply because the facts were not on their side. Not something that normally worries ‘YW’  but in this instance, Cllr Hyman revealed, beyond reasonable doubt, how the Council that prides itself of never making mistakes (in their dreams!)  had made HUGE, BIG, FAT MISTAKES with the advice given to councillors by its legal officers. 

Oh Dear!! Saying that to the man with a face like a smacked arse GR –  who was  forced to apologise at the outset for the Council’s mistake of putting up all the paperwork online for public consumption when it was Confidential and on pink papers – including the Independent Member’s private e-mail details.

Then had to admit – officers had not ensured GH’s  Rebuttal Statement attached to an e-mail sent to the `Head Honcho, Tom Horwood – had mistakenly not been included in “the bundle.”

Conspiracy or what? Trust us Watergate has nothing on Waverleygate!

Judge Jeffries  then showed  video clips of planning meeting webcasts to prove that CH was rude and offensive to officers – by using the abusive term – wait for it  – wait for it …drumroll – “MISQUOTED!”

And for daring to challenge their Legal Advice – that’s the legal advice, they admitted in another Webcast clip provided by Cllr H (which by the way that Good-Riddance fiercely objected to being shown)  – was actually correct!  You couldn’t make it up, seriously. Evidence confirmed by the council’s lawyer that proper assessment required under the Habitats Directive had not been carried out. Including measures that ensure the future for birds and wildlife in the Special Protection Areas around Farnham – Godalming and Haslemere.

The Independent professional Mr Oram admitted he wasn’t equipped to judge whether the legal advice officers gave to the planning committee was right or wrong. But he, after recognising how passionate and knowledgeable Cllr H was on the subject, could understand his frustration believing the matter which occurred in 2017 was ” at the finer end of serious could and should have easily been resolved in private to everyone’s satisfaction much earlier.”

So there you have it, folks – in its desire to castrate and humiliate, a man who is seen as – “The Opposition”  ‘Your Waverley’ has wasted time and taxpayers’ money and human resources dragging a man with a dodgy ticker to a Kangaroo Court only for the Independent Professional  to conclude the whole thing could have been resolved behind closed doors to everyone’s satisfaction.  (Oh! the irony of it, given that, in the normal course of events, that’s ‘YWs’ preferred way of dealing with things)  Ah! but that wouldn’t have been to ‘YW’s’ satisfaction would it …. we feel another song coming on…

 We can’t get no satisfaction…

Although we put this picture up a few days ago – there was no way that Goodriddance was going to gag Farnham’s Hyman.   “The people of Farnham elected me to represent their interests – that is what I am doing and that is what I will continue to do – obey the law. A law which over-rides the Code of Conduct.” He wanted the council not to continue making major errors, particularly on environmental issues, as it had done for the past ten years.

 He said he could not sit idly by and watch Waverley’s towns and villages being wrecked, by inappropriate development which damaged the Special Protection Areas and “non-existent SANGS” and elsewhere in  the borough that flood and have poor transport links. However, he claimed although he had challenged officers – he had NEVER abused them personally.

If Jerry Hyman had been elected as a diplomat, and not knowing when he has said enough – then he might be deemed  GUILTY.  But, as he rightly pointed out, he’s an engineer, with insufficient funds to provide himself with legal advice or secretarial help.  He is also part of a minority party whose members have been bullied – derided –  ridiculed and blocked by some – not all we hasten to add,  members of this discredited administration.

Maybe the verdict to impose training in the Protocol of dealing with Officers – which he must undergo within 42 days – will help him learn from his mistakes? And like many of us who don’t suffer fools gladly – learn how to make his arguments  – without *issing off too many officers… And that will equip him with the skills to do what the Tories do.  

Shut their eyes, put their fingers in their ears,  hold their breath and fart loudly at the electorate! Apparently, it’s called multi-tasking!!!

We will share one hilarious moment with you.

When Good-Riddance had the bare-faced audacity to ask Cllr Hyman how he thought he should be punished? We at the WW thought for one – God-awful moment  –  Cllr Hyman was going to resign from the JPC and other committees – one of which he chairs, and which scrutinises business! But the member for Farnham Castle, who has the third highest attendance record of all 57 members, held on to his dignity and smiled at his tormentor.  

The moral of this tale.

The   Delicate little Snowflakes – otherwise known as Waverley officers – cannot and must not be told they are Wrong, even if they are – in case they feel personally insulted.  Because they NEVER, do you hear NEVER – make mistakes! 

Meanwhile, Cllr Hyman who is a highly principled man reminded us at the Waverley Web of: “A Man for All Seasons” He simply could not let go.  Despite everything. He is a good and honest man of whom the people of Farnham should be proud and we only hope this debacle doesn’t prove to be the death of him. 

‘Is Your Waverley’ gearing up the troops to gag Farnham’s Hyman?

https://youtu.be/Cz9SkRgH2gI

First, there were ten homes agreed, now developers want  56 + homes on the former Wyevale Garden Centre in Alfold to be considered by Waverley ~planners shortly.

More new homes about to be planted on a former garden centre in Alfold.

Transport for New Homes has recently published a report on a project which involved them visiting a wide range of new homes, from large-scale greenfield housing to brownfield sites. As part of the study they looked at public transport, cycling and walking routes, congestion levels on surrounding roads, bus services and day to day facilities, such as provision of schools, shops, recreation and the all-important jobs in order to assess how the building of new homes was mirroring and meeting the aspirations and needs of the people living in them.

Their conclusions were that due to the heavy cost of renovating and, in some cases, decontaminating previously developed brownfield sites and the impact this had on their profits most developers preferred, where ever possible, to acquire and build on greenfield locations.

The biggest problem with this choice, the report concluded – aside from the loss of farmland and attractive, rural green fields – was that it resulted in housing developments being built with little regard to the provision of cycle lanes and footpaths, bus services, shops, schools, GP surgeries and jobs; making new residents entirely dependent on their cars in order to go about their daily lives. Everything from buying a pint of milk and a newspaper, to taking Oliver and Olivia to school, visiting the doctor and that all-important commute to work had to be undertaken by car. Even a simple cycle ride with the children could involve either loading the family’s bikes into the car and driving to a country park or a nerve-wracking ride along busy A-roads to access quieter county lanes and recreation facilities.

HOLD THAT THOUGHT! Because here at the WW – we have been roundly lambasted for our stand that brownfield sites should be developed first. WW has been accused of sleeping with the enemy, trousering money from Trinity College Cambridge, and other, unmentionable activities, too sensitive – even for us blokes to mention.

Apparently, there was uproar at the Alfold’s Neighbourhood Plan Meeting recently when outraged members of the self-interest group which calls itself the Neighbourhood Planning Committee expressed their surprise and anger that they had been pilloried on the Waverley Web. Of course, this was after two members of the public were asked to leave, as the meeting was supposedly not open to the public. Not open to the public! That is exactly what Neighbourhood Plans are all about – Consulting THE PUBLIC. That is why they are called Neighbourhood Plans.

HOW DARE WE?

WHO DO WE THINK WE THINK WE ARE?

How dare we what? Expose their behind the scenes machinations to concrete all over the green fields of a beautiful rural village in order to prevent the further development of a brownfield site complete with two massive concrete runways and acres of ugly post-war buildings and hangars? A site which, on its website, already boasts it is home to over 100 local companies, providing jobs for over 1,000 people?

Does it’s Neighbourhood Plan promote vital local employment? You know, the jobs that people need to pay the mortgages for their new homes? 

Who do we think we are? We’re local people who are fed up with minority groups, set up by well-to-do middle-class meddlers, funded by mysterious, unnamed backers with deep pockets, who think they can sell up in Wandsworth and Wimbledon and migrate down the A3, inflating house prices so that they are well beyond the reach of the children and grandchildren of the indigenous population, and then start objecting to a development that will bring affordable homes, a new school, a GP surgery, a new parkland with recreational facilities and even more jobs that will enable those who want to live close to where they work to do so. Where, there will be cycle routes and subsidised bus service, in perpetuity. What’s to complain about that, particularly when that development is compared to the development these plotters one planned to inflict on Awfold at Springbok?

We strongly objected to the Weasel, otherwise known as Chris Little Britton, objecting to development on a brownfield site because it will spoil the view from his house, whilst inveigling himself and his wife onto the Awfold Neighbourhood Plan Committee so that they can promote development, at any cost, at Springbok by Thakeham Homes who, the last time we looked, did not – despite Nik Pigeon’s best endeavours – garner support from Alfold Parish Council, nor from Waverley Borough Council or, when they appealed to the Secretary of State!

Other than inflicting 450 homes on poor old Alfold, and, in the process, attempting to treble the size of the village what, precisely, was in it for  Alfold?

 Now, with another 56 homes in the pipeline Wyevale Garden Centre – where do its residents go for essential services? Probably Dunsfold Park and Cranleigh?

Here’s a suggestion they can’t REFUSE!

They are such meanies at County Towers: on Tuesday they told us all – through the webcast – that they were keeping all of our Community Recycling Centres open. Yes, that’s right, the Recycling Centres had secured a reprieve. Cue a chorus of: Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Now, we all know that a day is a long time in politics but they can’t have changed their minds that quickly – or can they?

Oh yes, they can! And it’s no good going into that old chestnut the pantomime routine: Oh no they can’t!

Because it really is a case of OH YES THEY CAN!!!

No less a personage than Mr Tim Oliver, Leader of Surrey County Council, has written a letter, alleged to be the Cabinet’s combined response to petitions concerning Community Recycling Centres – we guess that’s what they call ‘Collective Responsibility’. The only problem is, very soon, there’s not going to be any collection going on in Cranleigh!  Read the e-mail below.

According to Mr Oliver, the Council is faced with some very tough decisions about the way it delivers services to ensure it can continue to support its most vulnerable residents. Therefore, he claims, the Council has to look again at the operation of Surrey’s community recycling centres. No shit Sherlock!

Our followers over there in Cranleigh were really hacked off when their recycling centre went from being open seven days a week to only three and arising from that fly-tipping went up exponentially. Do Mr Oliver and his Cabinet care? Not so you’d notice.

Whilst he  acknowledged the concerns raised about fly-tipping, he claimed that from the Cabinet’s experience of recent changes to the service and anecdotal evidence from other local authorities who have already closed sites,

“FLY-TIPPING IS NOT EXPECTED TO INCREASE …”

So what’s this then Cllr Oliver?

If Mr Oliver and the Cabinet don’t have any experience of it and don’t expect it, it’s not going to happen!!!

Perhaps Mr Oliver and his Cabinet would like to explain to  Cranleigh residents  why, since their recycling centre went from being operational seven days a week to only three, landowners are finding more and more and more rubbish being dumped in beauty spots, on quiet country lanes and even, in some cases, their gateways and drives? A word to the wise, Mr Oliver, Just because it’s not happening on your commute up the A3 doesn’t mean to say it’s not happening on ours through the Surrey Hills!

Just where does fly-tipping have to occur for it to be on Mr Oliver’s radar? County Hall’s Car park?!

How would Mr Oliver and feel if they weren’t able to enter the Council’s premises because fly-tippers dumped their refuse, overnight, in the entrance or – now here’s a thought – in Mr Oliver’s reserved parking space? He claims they have listened carefully to the views expressed in the recent public consultation and taken them into consideration when developing a final plan.

Seriously? Does Mr Oliver really think the residents of Bagshot and Cranleigh (not to mention Dorking and Warlingham) are stupid? Did any of them vote for the permanent closure of their recycling centres from October 2019? We don’t think so. We entirely agree that it is necessary to set a sustainable budget to enable the Council to deliver a service to the residents of Surrey, we just disagree with its way of going about it.

 But, never fear, we’ve got a plan and, dare we say it, it’s a far better plan than Mr Oliver and his Cabinet’s because we, at the Waverley Web, have never been afraid to go where spiders fear to tread!

1. Reduce the salary of Joanna Killian, Chief Executive of Surrey County Council, from £220,000 per annum by half. For all our sakes, the PM is only earning £150,000 and, with the best will in the world, Ms Killian’s role can’t be anywhere near as stressful or demanding as Mrs May’s!

2. Slash the £1.7 million plus allowances that were paid to Surrey county councillors in 2017/18 – the fourth largest payout compared to 27 other county councils in England! Who the hell do these people think they are? The Fat Cats that got the cream, clearly! In fact, we’d go so far as to suggest they’re drowning in the Gold Top!

3. Instead of expecting the poor, unsuspecting Council Tax Payers of Surrey to plug the gaping hole in Surrey County Council’s gold plated Final Salary Pension scheme, via our Council Tax, we suggest the Council gets real and switches to the Defined Pension Contributions scheme that the rest of us pay into and axes the Final Salary scheme. Join the real world outside of the County Council Gold Plated Fish Bowl, why don’t you?

4. Restructure the top-heavy Surrey County Council, merge with one or two other County Councils and streamline, streamline, streamline.

5. And – stop making stupid investments in shops – like the £50m invested in Blightwell’s in Farnham! 

Mr Oliver claims changes are absolutely necessary to enable him and his Cabinet to set a sustainable budget. We don’t like to repeat ourselves but someone’s got to –  no shit Sherlock!!!

Never mind simply deferring the closure of Cranleigh, Dorking and Warlingham recycling centres – whilst noting, cynically, that the Council recognises this will be an unpopular choice with residents who use those sites – and recommending that the opening hours of recycling centres at Camberley, Caterham and Leatherhead are extended. Who the hell is going to schlep from Cranleigh to Camberley or Caterham – let alone Leatherhead? – with their recycling? If they’re going that far, Cranleigh residents might as well go to Kingston-upon-Thames and vote with their feet (or do we mean wheels?) by dumping their recycling on Mr Oliver and the Cabinet’s doorstep. Maybe, just maybe, when they’re at the sharp end of the problem they’ll do something constructive about it!

Here’s the e-mail sent to all the objectors.

Probably the most important meeting on the Town, Parish and Borough Council’s annual calendar is the meeting/session that occurs at this time every year. To set the Budget.

Perhaps Godalming’s voting fodder – that will soon have leaflets shoved through their doors from political parties and hopefully some Independents – might like to know exactly who is standing up for their interests?

Because at a recent Waverley meeting to discuss important financial matters and the direction in which ‘Your Waverley`’ should travel over the next year. Out of 9 Godalming councillors ONE – yes just ONE Tory Cllr Liz Wheatley – turned up.

As the old saying goes – ‘no names no pack drill’ who the other Godalming Cllr was?  We will not be revealing which other Godalming representative takes your interests, seriously in fact very seriously.

So if you want more of the same in May – here’s your man.

Or maybe like lemmings, we will all cling to old habits that die hard and vote this way for four more years of the same old same old?

Surrey County Council Leader Tim Oliver took the wind out of everyone’s sails when only minutes into the Cabinet meeting he announced that all the county’s Community Recycling Centres would remain open.

Give the man his due – he didn’t stop anyone getting their four minutes of fame allowing them to present their Petitions and tell his Cabinet why their Civic RC’s should remain open.

Over here in Farnham – The Herald’s Don’t Dump the Dump Campaign- had already paid dividends. It was knocked off Surrey’s hit-list a week ago. But that didn’t stop The Herald’s spokesman Daniel Gee from giving them a drubbing for even suggesting the move. He revealed the strength of opposition online and through a petition. He said now residents want their facilities improved.

Hannah Nicholson heading up the Cranleigh campaign argued that with a huge increase in development across the Eastern part of Waverley to remove the CRC would cause problems on narrow country roads on their way to Witley CRC there would be more fly-tipping and bonfires in gardens. Thousands of residents from Ewhurst and Cranleigh had signed her petition.

The route to Witley is shown here: Couldn’t possibly have been the suggestion that everyone give a toot on their horn outside Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt’s country abode on their way to the Witley dump – could it – no of course not.

The ‘Don’t dump the dump’ campaign works for Farnham – but not for Cranleigh and the eastern villages?

Representatives from Warlingham – Dorking – Lyne in Chertsey – and more all lined up to have their say – but the county council had already put their hands up Guv – and delivered the result they all wanted. Some sat like rather deflated balloons having prepared themselves for a fight.

Sadly – it ain’t over until the fat county councillor lady sings  – and residents begin to increase proper recycling into the county’s CRC’s.

No black bags full of toot – proper recycling – the sort you know – that can be recycled. And – the council intends to educate us all. We can see it now a GCSE in Recycling?

Now riding to the rescue comes Dr Andrew Povey Cranleigh & Ewhurst’s County Councillor – He is to head up a new Waste Strategy Taskforce – because the Public Consultation revealed that you cannot dump the neighbourhood dumps – without creating a huge stink. 

But let’s give credit where credit is due – a couple of new brooms have swept into Surrey County Council and they have begun – The Listening Project – and long may it continue.

! 

Here’s a health warning to anyone out there who may be considering standing for public office – at ‘Your Waverley.’

As we are only a couple of months away from the May elections, this is an opportune moment for us to issue a timely warning.

NEVER, EVER, CRITICISE WAVERLEY OFFICERS – DO YOU HEAR THAT NEVER! 

 Where possible keep your mouth shut and your hand up – and don’t question or expect answers from the plumply salaried Stazi rulers of Waverley Towers. 

Because committing that mortal sin of being true to yourself and the people who elected you will see you end up in the same heavy duty dog doo that Farnham Residents’ Councillor Jerry Hyman, has pitched himself into –  up to his neck.

You know the councillor who opposed inappropriate overdevelopment on Cranleigh’s floodplains; also, off numerous narrow country roads in the borough; near Farnham/Elstead/Haslemere Special Protection Area (SPA) without proper assessment of the likely consequences.   He also opposed development on former green belt land in Godalming at Aarons Hill.

HE argued that Non-Material Amendments (NMA’s) on Farnham’s Blightwells were not “non-material.”  This forced planners into referring them to councillors to decide …  the 24/7 closure of the Farnham by-pass which would have wrecked Farnham’s traders’  Christmas. Do you recognise him now? 

 On Friday he appears before Waverleys Standards Committee which has already decided he is GUILTY as charged. Goliath gave David a chance to engage with the process and apologise, but he wouldn’t play the game, stubborn or what? Though he did once and it resulted in a heart attack, followed immediately by heart surgery.

Oh, and in case you are interested in all the CONFIDENTIAL information – minus Mr Hyman’s statement of defence, was there for all to see on Waverley’s website. DON’T LOOK IT’S GONE. Perhaps this was put in the public domain to embarrass Councillor Hyman further?

The WW wrote to Cllr Hyman seeking comment on the above, to which he has not responded, perhaps he’s not allowed? However, we received this message from the Monitoring Officer – which you will note, contains no apology for the serious error. Must be confidential or it wouldn’t have been removed, would it?

We will, of course, agree to the council’s request and remove the offending e-mail. 

Dear sir/madam

Your email to Cllr Jerry Hyman of 26 January 23:04 has been shared with me. You are correct that the detailed papers should not have yet been available online. These papers are not classified as exempt from the public under legislation however under our internal arrangements for standards hearings they were not due to be published prior to Friday.

As you state in your email, the papers included the email address for Waverley’s Independent Person and this should have been redacted from all papers. The Council has today contacted both Ms Cameron and the Information Commissioner’s Office to alert them to this.

When the Standards Panel resolves to publish the detailed papers at item 3 of their business on Friday, the full set of papers (with the Independent Person’s email address redacted) will be posted online and made available in hard copy to anyone in attendance. I would request that you do not share any of the papers you obtained prior to that point and in particular do not publish the page including that disclosing the Independent Person’s email address at any point. I would be grateful if you could delete any documentation containing that email address and refer instead to the version of papers which will be published on Friday.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely

Robin Taylor
Head of Policy and Governance (Monitoring Officer)
Waverley Borough Council

Whose head will roll for that little error?  Nobody, because there is only accountability for some at ‘Your Waverley.’ And, never if you are a Tory and almost never if you are an officer. We all make mistakes. Here at the WW, we apologise – Mea Culpa, Maxima Mea Culpa. The difference between us and  Waverley Borough Council it – NEVER MAKES MISTAKES. 

In fact, having read through a bible of information from an  ‘Independent’ – panel member, and an outside Consultant brought in by ‘Your Waverley’ who has trousered our council tax cash but admits he has “no legal knowledge”  Farnham’s  champion for the protection of our natural environment  – doesn’t stand as much chance of success as Nelson does of getting his eye back. Possibly Nelson’s chances are greater? 

Because in a nutshell – Your Waverley” still accepts Natural England’s opinion on International Environmental Law – despite the Sweetman case having proved them wrong. – But of course – ‘Your Waverley’ will continue to ignore it – along with others. The Sweetman Judgement read it here- paragraph 35-38. http://curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf;jsessionid=3F9139A41D9912E1A7DFC1C79DC6A206?text=&docid=200970&pageIndex=0&doclang=en&mode=lst&dir=&occ=first&part=1&cid=9256487

But the best way of shutting up a councillor is to drag him/her before the Monitoring Officer for a good slap, be put on the naughty step and told to Beeehaaave  – and apologise. However, if you are committed to obeying Environmental Law – you know the laws that protect our natural habitat the Wealden heaths, the birds, bees, flora and fauna that are disappearing fast… you could be thrown off Waverley’s influential Joint Planning Committee. Why not just wipe out endangered species, that is happening all over our borough.

Fear, not prospective councillors – you can fall asleep Sweet Dreams are made of this? – and Sleepy will probably chair the Standards Committee – you can even insult the eastern villages off piste like this As two of Your Waverley councillors sneer and deride the villages of Ewhurst and Cranleigh, officers are daft enough to remove the incriminating remarks from U-Tube.

But don’t ever dare,  criticise, or tell the officers that they might be wrong.   What’s more, don’t you dare to stand up for what YOU believe is right – particularly if you have the misfortune to be part of the POLITICAL OPPOSITION – because they will gag you. So-play nicely – or else!

As Lord Lambing said in the Victoria Climbie Inquiry: “Councillors must not accept at face value what they are told.”

Unless of course they happen to be part of the rotten borough of Waverley.

Here’s a paragraph from the Consultant’s report.

H

Annexe 8 Alex Oram – Final report Councillor Hyman issued to all parties 8.6.18_Redacted2

COMING TO THE GREEN BELT NEAR YOU?

Please, Sir can we have some more… (houses)?

Save Broom and Lees
… because Godalming residents believe the Green Belt matters.

Broom and Lees is a large sports field on the northeastern side of Hurtmore Road in Godalming, Surrey owned by Charterhouse School.

‘Your Waverley’  has repeatedly sought to protect the Green Belt status of this historic field, which falls within an Area of Great Landscape Value (AGLV),
but Charterhouse is demanding that protection is set aside to make way for a housing estate to fill its coffers.

Obviously, David Armitage the schools’ Director of Finance and Strategy is doing a little schmoozing with the locals, and taking his time before lobbing in yet another controversial application at ‘Your Waverley?’ After all, there are only so many proposals for development in the Green Belt that even this sleazy organisation can accept.

But perhaps it will get a little help from its old alumni – or is he too busy climbing up the greasy pole? After all its common knowledge he prefers green fields to brownfield sites!

Calling in the Dunsfold Aerodrome (brownfield site) plan with his colleague MP Anne Milton has delayed development there for years.

Had Dunsfold got consent in 2008/9 it would certainly have prevented most of the development around Cranleigh and almost certainly on the former Green Belt land in Godalming? Thank you Councillor Knowless – and Bramley’s Shut the Gates.
But more recently,  PoW’s challenge has held Dunsfold yet again. Since December 2016 when consent was granted. So it needs  2 years to deal with the infrastructure before even starting to build houses.

So it is two years behind thanks to the call in and the court action. DELIVERY of housing there is now two years behind, leaving the rest of Waverley vulnerable.

In summary, the letter explains that since that time the School has been reviewing the comments received and discussing its proposals with various organisations and has also met with some residents.

The School now “better understands the concerns of the local community” and is “keen to examine these further”. Rather than “rush into a planning application” the School has “decided to review its proposals and re-consider the matter in the early part of 2019”.

Recipients are promised that should there be any further developments David Armitage will be in contact again.

This website   Save Broom and Lees Campaign was established to help provide information to local residents, and many other interested parties,
whose aim is to Save Broom and Lees.

Its raining concrete – halleluiah? 

Developers – Alfold Estates is digging in for 56 new homes – 19 of which it claims will be “affordable” – only months after receiving permission for 10 homes – two of which were “affordable.”

Yup, you did read that right, in the infamous words of Grace Brothers: ‘Going up!’ From 10 to 56 – that’s a whopping 460% increase!!!

We don’t like to say we told you so but … oh, go on then, why hold back?

We bloody well told you so!

The size of the site of the former Wyevale Garden Centre is the same as the previously approved scheme but the developer has just got greedier. Though at least this is a Brownfield site due to it being – a garden centre – and there won’t be many of those judging by the development we have witnessed.

Isn’t increasing numbers once permission has been granted getting to be a bit of a habit in this borough of ours?

 A month ago Waverley agreed to allow A2 Dominion to remove all the affordable homes in Phase 1 of its consent for 265  in nearby Alfold Road, Cranleigh.  It intends to put them in one great lump across the road at West Cranleigh Nurseries. Now the developer wants to increase the 67 to 75 of phase 1. saying – “Please Sir – can we have more? 

Here’s what Alfold’s councillor Kevin Deanus said last time: No doubt he will have another fight on his hands – 

Has the Alfold Bobby’s tirade stopped the creation of Alfold New Town?

Because here’s what the developer claims: There is unprecedented housing need and the Government wants 300,000 homes built every year to meet the need.

•  There is concern Waverley itself is not producing enough homes to meet the identified need.
• Only 519 completions in the borough 2017-2018. Falling short of the 590 p.a. in the Local Plan Part 1. Reminding  Waverley has also continuously delayed the production of its Local Plan `Part 2 and Neighbourhood Plans which demonstrates that the council DOES NOT  have a five-year land supply. Completely ignores the 1,800 homes permitted a few hundred yards away!

The locals cannot believe how Cr*p the Alfold scheme is. They claim there is nothing innovative about the builds asking:  – “How many houses in Alfold have balconies and Teeny Tiny front Patios?? The developer’s  Design & Access statement regurgitates all the usual drivel of the wealth of facilities in the Village within walking distance.

An M & S and a cafe = a self-service in a garage with a drink dispenser!   Residents have no idea where the Café is…. Any ideas appreciated.

One told the WW…

“I am so glad that you can walk down Loxwood road to the Vets – Apart from General Appointments how many people walk their sick dogs to the Vets for 1/2hr???” This developer like all the others is Piggy-Backing off the back of the Dunsfold Park Development saying it is they (Dunsfold Park) who is going to provide all the new Infrastructure for the Village – so why should they have to??

If the residents of Awfold, Bramley, Kerchingfold, Cranleigh, Duncefold, Where-Has-all-the-traffic-Comb-from et al had only listened to the better informed they might well have avoided all the over-development of the countryside that is now raining down upon them.

 

What are they offering the Village of Alfold? NOTHING except more Houses and Traffic – There has been no Real consultation with the Village just a few meetings with Neighbours, Parish Council and WBC – What about the Village?– This is development by stealth because they don’t think anyone in the Village will notice it. Grumpy Denise of  Alfold.