It is not often that we receive messages at contact@waverleyweb.com that make us both cringe and shudder – but this certainly made us sit up – and it should make the head planning honchos at Waverley Borough Council feel utterly ashamed too!
“Key Drive is like an airstrip landing runway, and my garden is like an exposed prison camp.”
Dear Waverley Web
I lived in Guildford for 35 years and decided it would be a good idea to downsize in my later years and wanted something new so that I had no worries. How wrong could I be?
I moved into Key Drive (Amber Parkside) in Christmas 2021. The purchase process was paperless due to Covid, and there were reams and emails to trawl through. My sales lady didn’t know much about my plot, but all seemed in order, and I went ahead with the purchase.
Sadly I didn’t think to check reviews regarding A2Dominion, and it appears there is no respect for this company at all!
My plot was earmarked for some form of lighting at both the front of my house and the back, where there is a parking lot with access to my back garden gate. I was informed by numerous A2Dominion (Fabrica) staff, including site staff, that I was getting bollards, not street lights.
Imagine my shock when I received tall street lights by my front door and at the rear. I have attached a few photos to show this impact on my house. It is unbelievable that anyone in planning would have approved this lighting.
Two flood warnings remain in Waverley: River Wey at Elstead and Eashing; River Wey at Godalming. River levels remain high and will continue to be monitored.
– Flood barriers will remain on Catteshall Road until at least Wednesday (but it will be when the EA are happy it’s safe to). So please continue to use the access from the other end of Catteshall Lane for that part of Godalming.
The barriers functioned as designed and I think without them the houses there would almost certainly have flooded.
– the allotments in that area have been under water and I’ll be seeking updates as to next steps there. Likewise borough staff will be looking to see if the existence of the barrier at Catteshall has in any way raised the flood risk further up (e.g. at the Almshouses).
I would like to take this opportunity to to thank the Town and parish council teams across the borough. WBC officers who have been managing this situation and working with the EA and SCC (it has been WBC officers keeping the councillors up to date). Lots of people dealing with fallen trees and other issues quickly and professionally too. Our WBC Comms team, resilience and sustainability managers have also been indispensable over the weekend and today (many working some silly hours in the process!)
Residents have been fantastic at getting us information about what is going on. I also want to thank the councillors I have been in contact with over the weekend, right across Waverley that have been on the phone and text to me, on social media and in general dealing with residents queries.
The Borough Council will conduct a lessons learnt excercise (standard practice). So please let me know if you have any feedback you would like to add. I have raised a few points myself (one being – why is it GBC provide sandbags when WBC does not).
Cllr Paul Follows Deputy Leader, Waverley Borough Council Godalming Central and Ockford Ward
Elmbridge Road in Cranleigh where Thakeham Homes fought tirelessly, with the help of Waverley planning officers, to build homes in the flood plains – and won against massive local opposition. Homes that cannot get insurance? Look at that massive moat in this video!
Watch right to the end of this (or scroll to 4min 25), as 3 cars almost collide, and cause a wave over the windscreen of the third car. Remember its hard enough to pass oncoming traffic without floods on Elmbridge Road. Idiots!
Dunsfold Road:
Broadbridge Heath Shalford: Which Guildford Borough Council intends to take out of the Green Belt – so it can build more homes.
Mill Lane Godalming (road goes toward station) Where developers want to build a Care Home – against local opposition including the Town Council.
Lower Weyburn Lane, Badshot Lea – where parking is for permit holders only!
Horsham Road, Ellens Green: Where developers are lining up to build more homes.
And finally in Catteshall, Godalming, after £5 Million flood defences installed and flood barriers erected today- nothing, nada!
*** Update*** Looks like Godalming’s flood defences have worked. They have saved the allotments!! Thanks Tim Trout for the Drone Photo
Here she is doing her volte face in the House of Commons supporting the opening of the Cranleigh To Guildford line!
Guildford MP Angela Richardson delivers her Maiden speech in the House of Commons this week:
The Maiden Speech is a conventional and traditional speech that describes the constituency with some anecdotes, perhaps describes the MPs challenges and hopes for the future.
Waverley Web was therefore flabbergasted to see Our Angela pitching the notion of opening the Cranleigh – Guildord trainline, particularly when she said in an interview shortly before the election that she would NOT support it. Re-opening the line was something that might have been possible in 2006, but now seems very pie in the sky. Successive scoping reports from Surrey County Council and National Rail have all said the costs would never be recouped from the passengers of Cranleigh Village, and without a magic Dunsfold money tree, the idea was just a heritage steam enthusiasts wet dream. Even Dunsfold’s Flying Scotsman gave up the hope.
It was a constant fear of her predecessor Anne Milton, of whom she spoke so highly, during her speech, that to open up the railway would open the floodgates to further massive housing development in the eastern villages. However, the Hon Angela claims homelessness is one of her priorities, so the further expansion of housing in the villages she serves could thus be satisfied?
We know that Angela is also yet to meet with Waverley Borough Council chiefs, and presumably even consult with them about this crackpot scheme.
No doubt we will soon hear the Honourable Angela castigating people for using dubious tax dodges, and helping to bring in legislation to reduce tax evasion practices?
It’s official. Angela Richardson, Guildford & villages new MP supports development in the Green Belt and doesn’t support re-opening the Horsham to Guildford Railway line.
Is Guildford, Cranleigh and villages new MP Angela unperturbed about the increase in traffic from Horsham / Cranleigh, and into the Bramley bottleneck, as motorists make their way nose to tail through Shalford into Guildford?
Or, does she believe a railway station would see another explosion of housing development in the eastern villages which will worsen traffic queues?
Now she has put up a People Poll on one of the the Cranleigh Community Boards asking villagers? Do they or don’t they support Surrey County Council’s plans to re-locate two schools. It wants to move the Middle School from Parsonage Road, and the Infants School and a Nursery in Church Lane into a new building on a new site adjacent to Glebelands School also in Parsonage Road. The former school sites would then be redeveloped with 91 new homes: Planning decision here: Waverley planners refuse 91 new homes and send the county council back to the drawing board.
As a former parish councillor – she joined her colleagues in their opposition to the scheme. The parish council has objected – among a host of reasons it is claiming that the development will cause road dangers for children and the public, with a concentration of far too much residential and educational redevelopment in one place in central Cranleigh.
The schools applications will be considered on February 27 and will be recommended for approval, and, no doubt, with the support of Cranleigh SCC councillor Andrew Povey, will be approved?
The homes application which was refused, as it takes away valuable parking baywill have to be resubmitted to Waverley Planners for its approval.
So far, most Cranleigh residents are 66% against – 34% support.
Shortly before the general election Ewhurst resident, Ms Richardson, claimed that the Conservative campaign that the threat of former Conservative Anne Milton, standing as an Independent, splitting the Tory vote. was “not a problem,” and her prediction proved to be correct.
It may not be easy for a Cranleigh parish councillor with little experience of grassroots local government let alone, the hothouse of Waverley Towers, to make an impact at Westminster. However, ten out of ten for concentrating on local issues. WW will be interested to see whether her Tory-controlled county council colleagues will take a damn bit of notice of what she, or the locals think?
Having swung in on Boris’s coat-tails by calling for Brexit, she mopped up 26,317 votes to experienced politician Lib Dem Zoe Franklin’s 22,980. Anne Rouse – Labour bagged 4,515, and Anne Milton – Tory MP for Guildford for 15 years – 4,356. John Morris Peace Party 483. In the 2017 General Election Anne Milton polled 30,295 votes and Zoe Franklin 13,255. So there was a huge leap of faith for the Lib Dems.
Mrs Richardson said voters were fed up with Brexit and wanted it done and the greater certainty would be good for business. While admitting there might be a short-term economic downturn, the longer-term future for the UK out of the EU, was “bright.”
She certainly proved it wasn’t ORANGE!
Although she lives in Ewhurst, near Cranleigh, she does not support reopening the Guildford, Cranleigh to Horsham line to reduce road congestion. She also supports the controversial Local Plan for Guildford and the strategic green belt sites it includes.
So do her views include the Green Belt in parts of the Waverley Borough?
What a difference a change could make Just five little letters It might bring back the sun and the favour Where there used to be rain Our yesterday was blue, dear villagers, without you Today we’re a part of you, Our lonely days are through, dear villagers Soon you might just be ours Lord, what a difference a name makes There’s now a rainbow before us Skies above can’t be stormy Since that moment of bliss That thrilling idea It’s heaven when you Find a trick up your sleeve What a difference a name change might make All the difference to us!
Changing the name – so what’s the game?
As they say in a marriage – ‘Change the name but not the letters – you change for worse and not for better.”
After 20 years has the Cranleigh Charity, Cranleigh Village Hospital Trust (CVHT), given up or is it proposing to battle on regardless of public opinion? The residents, includingmany donors, have written to the Waverley Web saying they are completely baffled.
They are asking:
WHY has CVHT announced – just days after its planning application for a Care Home + community beds was refused – a name change? Do they seriously think it’s going to be a game-changer? If so, they’re doomed to disappointment!
CVHT – CRANLEIGH VILLAGE HOSPITAL TRUST HAS NOW BECOME CVHT – CRANLEIGH VILLAGE HEALTH TRUST
Do the Trustees – like Jeremy Corbyn & John McDonnell – think that local residents are daft? Do they really think they can continue to bamboozle them? If so they are living in a bubble bigger than the Westminster bubble that failed to predict the recent political earthquake!
Apparently, the Trustees have also changed their charitable objectives, according to the Charities’ Commission website:
We very much doubt the people of Cranleigh and the Eastern Villages care about the so-called charity’s objectives any longer simply because they know it’s no longer a charity but a private enterprise.
What they do care about is the fact that they’ve been robbed! And in broad daylight!
Until the Trustees of CVHT fess-up, admit to their chicanery and offer to reimburse those who supported their original objective – a NEW COTTAGE HOSPITAL – not a PRIVATELY OWNED NURSING HOME the Villagers – v – Trustees divide will continue.
Rather like Momentum, the Trustees have built themselves an echo chamber and moved into it. But what they need to remember is that there are more villagers than them and that doesn’t bode well for their welcome should they ever succeed in getting their miserable, tainted project off the ground. Do the residents of Cranleigh and the Eastern Villages want this self-serving project to succeed in the teeth of local opposition? The answer is short and to the point: NO! Perhaps there should be a vote on it … just saying…
Here are the original Objects…
Here are the new Objects, if you can Adam and Eve it, published on the Charity’s website. Note: In the area of the Primary Care Group. A group soon to become Surrey Heartlands Trust. Also note the new Charitable Objects cater for anyone and everyone, for anything and everything, – just so long as it can hang onto the land and the public’s money?
No wonder Cranleigh Parish Council, which handed over the proposed site in a land-swap, has set aside £3,000 of its limited funds to seek legal advice?
