Tag: Godalming

Surrey County Council’s sham consultation to close Godalming School.

Anxious parents and supporters lined up to demand answers about the future of Green Oaks School in Ockford Ridge, Godalming.

 Surrey County Council announced a consultation to close the school due to falling numbers, difficult Ofsteads and the inability to find an Academy to take it under its wing.

 

29196767_167455957308609_6680884511544180736_o
Anxious parents filled the hall to learn what the future holds for Godalming youngsters. 

“Plenty of questions – but no answers!”

Said, one observer: 

“I’ve been to a lot of public meetings over the years but tonight’s about the future of Green Oak school was by some distance the worst I’ve ever sat through. Shockingly poor performance by Surrey County Council and the Diocese of Guildford. Pretty much a total failure to answer any of the excellent questions from a  hall packed with anxious parents, teachers and well-wishers. It was quite obvious that this was a box-ticking exercise and that as Surrey has failed to find a suitable Academy, in just in 9 months time – (July)- Green Oaks will be forced to close! 

They had the brass-neck to stand up and assure parents that there were 100 places in local schools, whilst refusing to name a single one. They cited declining pupil numbers as a contributory factor, but failed to acknowledge that they themselves blocked the school from taking admissions last year.

This is looking at best like government policy designed to punish children or at worst a nasty cynical little stitch-up. Why weren’t the people who know what is going on present?  It was evident, within minutes, that their robots were malfunctioning and could answer next to nothing.”

 Waverley’s new Councillor Paul Follows – the school is in his ward, who was there to witness the proceedings, said:

“What we all faced was a wall. A wall of law, a wall put up by people not present at the meeting and most of all a wall of unanswered questions – which considering a similar meeting took place in Ripley last night and many people had sent questions in preparation, I found it both frustrating and utterly inexcusable.

Whatever your view on the potential closure of the school and it’s history, making the consultation real and based on transparency and facts is extremely important.  I intend to assist parents in getting a meeting with the Regional Education Commissioner so we can try to get some answers.”

County Councillor Penny Rivers (Lib Dem) reported the meeting on her blog here.

She said: “It was standing room only. Parents and teachers and members of the community asked questions of the SCC officers and the Diocesan representative. I think it would be fair to say that people did not think their questions were answered. But then these Officers were just doing their job while the decision makers, Council Leader, David Hodge, and the Bishop and the Regional Schools Commissioner must have had something better to do because they were absent!”

My question was, “This room is packed full of people who care about their children, this school and this community. But, the shame is the absence of those who make the decisions. Were they invited? Would they have come?” My question was not answered.”

The meeting was packed with local Conservative Councillors – but not a single one either spoke or asked a question. Shame on them! With both Milford and Loseley Field schools full, just where will these children go?

What can you do? Start by  signing this petition:

https://www.change.org/p/surrey-county-council-keep-green-oak-school-open

The official Surrey County Council consultation is here.

 

THERE’S NO CIL BILL!

Godalming - River Wey under Bridge Street
 

It’s all water under Godalming Town’s bridge – but there will be no infrastructure monies to help alleviate flooding

 

There is no hope – there is no CIL.

The Cranleigh Civic Society’s concerns which the Waverley Web highlighted yesterday are being shared by other parts of the borough – including Godalming.

A bitter pill to swallow over CIL?

Godalming Town Council admits the same dilemma. It will meet its housing target before September 2018 so there will be no Community Infrastructure Levy to spend.

Here’s an extract from a recent Godalming Town Council minutes!

Screen Shot 2018-03-06 at 13.02.58.png

 

A Touch of Frost nips the ankles of Godalming’s new boy!

A little outburst about the adoption of ‘Your Waverley’s Local Plan by Councillor Paul Follows brought a moment of theatre to The Towers when a council veteran waded in to rebuke the new boy on the block after he received a round of applause!

 

Never one to be outdone – The Frosty one, poked Councillor Paul in the eyes, with her increasingly blunt stick – in the hope that the voting fodder would actually believe that the past Local Plan failures, were of course, not the fault of Tory Tossers, but the Liberal Democrats!

touchoffrostIs that chattering the sound of icicles forming on the Frosty one’s lips that we hear? Is she fearful of losing yet another of her Farnham seats? Pat Frost lost her county council seat to her Farnham Residents rival, Councillor Andy McLeod last year.

We say bring those 2019 elections on!

 

A better class of political graffiti in South West Surrey..

Jeremy_PostOffice

The above picture was taken on a Sunday when the Farncombe Post Office was closed. We applaud the gorilla tactics of our local residents in photocopying articles and pasting them up for all to see! Here at the Waverley Web, we feel it is our public duty to continue to spread the word!
They were highlighting both the issue of the NHS march on Saturday that was hardly reported, that happened whilst our MP and Health Secretary was snoozing at a Hampshire spa after a 2-hour massage.

Jeremy Hunt is also in the sights of the Farncombe community for doing nothing to intervene in the ‘Horizon’ dispute between Post Masters and the Post Office. This dispute has lead to the Post Office suspending the licence of hundreds of Post Masters, meaning the Farncombe Post Office – with its essential cashpoint – is out of action whilst it is resolved.

Farncombe residents are also disgusted at having to traipse into Godalming to queue out the door in their tiny new high street shop.

Come on Jeremy – Wake Up and pull your finger out! Because your donors and your members are leaving you in their droves!

Does ‘Godawfulming’ have its own Bermuda Triangle?

Could it be that the town dubbed ‘Godawfulming,’ due to shop and business  closures, may have its very own Bermuda Triangle?

If you sneeze there’s sleaze all around us at present!  So the resignation of the Town Clerk in April, the decision not to hold  planning meetings and now the sudden resignation of Godalming’s  Mayor, and Waverley Borough Councillor, Simon Thornton has everyone wondering WHAT’S GOING ON?

godalming Bermuda triangle.jpg