Waverley Web

So concerned are MP’s in the South East about the standard of workmanship of new homes – that they are calling on Government for tougher inspections. 

MP’s in the Waverley/Guildford area, are busy dealing with the Junior Doctors’ threatened strikes and whipping votes, but others in the South are calling for changes in the law to protect home buyers.Mainly due to problems in their areas.

WW has had similar comments from readers on the quality of new builds  particularly in the Waverley Wealden clay areas, where problems are already surfacing with shrinkage, windows and doors moving etc. Some of which are occurring on very expensive properties – the problems appear to be connected with, what are believed to be, inadequate footings and drainage issues

The Government wants to see one million new homes built by 2020 and many thousands of them are coming to the borough of Waverley. From what we can view on our side of the borough – most of which are heading for in, and around, Cranleigh.

“Buyers of mobile phones have more protection than new home buyers,”

according to Maria Miller MP for Basingstoke, who says she wants to see new homes checked by a professional inspector who will provide transparent and open reports to buyers, before they make the most important purchase of their lives.

 

 

The allowances paid to councillors, who take the lions share of the responsibility for heading up Waverley’s planning committee, are to receive an increase. This was voted through at a recent council meeting. The reason being? The unprecedented number of planning applications being dealt with, at this time and the extra work councillors had to undertake.

Back here at Waverley Web towers, we’re a’wondering… When that number slacks off, not that there looks to be any likelihood of that happening in the near future – will the allowances paid  be reduced?

Didn’t all  57 councillors get a 95% increase three years ago on the understanding that a electoral boundary review would result in  fewer councillors – 57 down to 52…that’s gone pretty quiet? Why are we waiting…?

A Waverley Web reader has asked the following question:

Can Waverley web shed any light on what is to happen to the two Cranleigh Primary School Sites? The go ahead had been given by Surrey CC to build the new school in the next couple of years on Glebelands School Playing Fields (that are subject to flooding!). This leaves two prime development sites just off the High Street.

Will we see a continuation of Sarus Place which is on one side? Or will the council turn it into a car park? Any ideas?

Shall we ask Surrey County Councillor Alan Young?

His wife, Councillor Victoria Young (Remember – it’s all in the family being a councillor these days!) told a public meeting in Alfold a month back, that

“there are no plans that I know of, to build any schools in Alfold, or anywhere else for that matter.”

But then, perhaps he hasn’t told her during pillow talk because he is keeping the plans ‘secret’ – only to be shared with developers, certain councillors and the Cranleigh Chamber of Trade.

What we can tell you…is, that there are plans to build homes on these sites, though no applications as yet… Park Mead First and Middle Schools. Park Mead.  Cranleigh Church of England School in Parsonage Road, and Cranleigh First School,  and any others they can find…not too much information out there abut building the replacement schools first though. Perhaps the clever Youngs are grappling with the conundrum of how to deal with  the huge amount of extra traffic generated in the most congested part of Cranleigh that has only two accesses out onto the High Street. But don’t hold your breath!

WW pledged to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth and we will. So, if we make a mistake, we will set the record straight and apologise.

In one of our first posts in September we posted an article called ‘All Aboard’. In it, we mentioned that there were a number of people/councillors who wanted to, or had jumped on board, the developers bandwagon that is rolling through Waverley.

WW would therefore like to apologise to Richard Cleaves, the Chairman of Ewhurst Parish Council, for claiming that his family owned a property.  Because we were technically correct –  he had, as we had claimed, sought a screening opinion from WBC on the possibility of building 22 homes at Tree Tops, Mapledrakes Rd, Ewhurst, owned by his late father. We have been advised that Tree Tops was sold in September to… wait for it… the Surrey County Council husband and wife duo…. Surrey County Councillor for Cranleigh and Ewhurst, Alan Young and his wife  Victoria Young, Surrey County Councillor for The Eastern Villages.

WW hopes you remembered to ask for a share in the mega profits, should the development for which you sought an informal screening opinion comes to fruition – if you didn’t – silly old you…

Councillor Young, in addition to being busy moving into his new home, has been equally busy engaging in numerous secret meetings along with his Waverley Borough Council colleagues with a bevy of developers including Berkeley Homes; Thakeham Homes; Crownhall Estates; The Knowle Park Initiative and Uncle Tom Cobbley and all…  

So, our sincere apologies to Councillor Cleaves – we have put the record straight, so ‘your friend’ need not take the legal action you threatened.

Watch out Ewhurst, you may have a very keen developer in your midst! He might even give the village drummer boy a run for his money.

 

 

 

 

 

Whose put backbone into the backbenchers at Waverley? It can’t be this blog because WBC councillors and staff have been banned from visiting it. Is it the press? Or the Sword of Damocles (aka the Government) that is swinging ominously over councillors’ heads? Listening to, (certainly not watching as the webcast video was, once again, broken). However, you could almost hear the fear.

The important thing is,  that at last, Waverley’s rank and file are waking up to the fact that time is running out for its daft Local Plan (aka Draft Local Plan).

It was down to a member of the public, Jerry Hyman from Farnham, a man who it would appear is a bit of a thorn in Waverley’s side, to send a hand grenade of a question into the powerful Executive when it met on Monday. They may have laughed at him, but may soon be laughing on the other side of their faces. The Inspector who gave you a good hiding, when he threw your last effort out WBC has his beady eyes on you!

Mr Hyman said it was clear from the recent Community OS meeting, that the decision to exclude Dunsfold Park from the Local Plan for another decade, had already been made informally. But queried the Executive’s authority to approve it. He said:

“The simple facts are that firstly, Habitats Regulations  require that the Council has regard for the Directive in the exercise of all its functions.  Secondly, this Spatial Strategy seeks to set a ‘direction of travel’ which is intended to control future decisions which would impact endangered species. And thirdly, the Habitats Directive requires that an Appropriate Assessment is conducted prior to any such decision.

Those are the facts, and so logically, in the absence of an Appropriate Assessment, to approve this Spatial Strategy as a ‘direction of travel’ would be unlawful.   That is the reason that Waverley’s first attempt failed in 2006.

It seems this Executive is setting the Council up for a third failure, so will you please give us your assurance now, that if this attempt fails, the Executive Members who are making this decision tonight will resign en bloc? “

To which Council leader, Cllr Robert Knowless replied, that the decision taken, did not tie the council to anything. That it was not a Strategy but a Direction of Travel towards a Strategy. What the hell does that mean?

More secrets, more lies, and the continuing charade that is WBC, continues unabated… but it could be, that the troops are turning on their leadership? One brave councillor representing Farnham Residents has dared to ask, if the third Local Plan fails,- will the Executive and everyone connected with its failure resign?