Tag: Waverley Borough Council

WW sees trouble ahead?

How refreshing to see Godalming’s new boy on Waverley’s block speaking up on our behalf, and asking questions.  However, watch out boyo, we foresee trouble ahead – ask Farnham Residents’ councillor Jerry Hyman, who we understand from an officer, has been brought before the standards board on more than one occasion for asking too many questions? 

Despite being outnumbered, outflanked by heavyweight tories unused to being Screen Shot 2018-01-17 at 19.45.34.pngchallenged, and a rather intimidating veiled rebuke from Mistress Betsy at the Joint Planning Committee meeting last week, Paul Follows the Liberal Democrat Councillor for (Godalming Central & Ockford) didn’t turn a hair of his meticulously coiffed young head as he challenged the  council’s decision-making process. He wanted to know why the controversial Blightwells redevelopment wasn’t getting anywhere! A scheme – which was,  “going on when I was at secondary school”.  Did anyone laugh? No way Jose!

Confidence exudes from this young man, and long may it be so, – here’s his profile for the by-election just before Christmas Ding, Dong the fight’s begun to win Godalming’s By-Election. Part 1.Lib Dems.

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Wow! his work covers standards, legal compliance, and ethical conduct! If that’s the case then he’s in for a field day at ‘Your Waverley’ and we hate to think what he might uncover when he digs into the latest shenanigans in his new role  at Godalming Town Council!   Dare we suggest he starts looking into why the Clerk left?  How much she was actually paid?  Not quite the £30,000  which appears in the annual accounts?  

No surprise to us here at the Waverley Web to hear that some parish clerks around the borough are being bullied – except of course the ‘crystal tips’ clerk of most of the councils in the East – Dunsfold/Hascombe/Alfold/Loxwood who appears to run the show on councillors’ behalf! 

Perhaps  Councillor Follows will delve into why Councillor Anne Bott (now Town Mayor following the sudden resignation of Mayor Simon Thornton) is allowed a conflict of interest as she is employed by The Surrey & Sussex Association of Local Councils) funded, in part, by Godalming Town Council. Of course, most of us realise parish councils are no longer the autonomous parochial bodies they once were! They are now controlled by Conservative dominated Waverley, which is, in turn, controlled by South West Surrey and Guildford and Cranleigh Conservative Association.

So, Councillor Paul Follows,  we look forward with some trepidation to watching your progress over the coming year. But, be warned, if you rattle their cages too often your opponents will stack everything up against you next May!  But then you don’t appear to be a guy who scares easily!

 

Lib Dem Gain in Godalming

Waverley Tories lose a seat

Congratulations to Lib Dem Paul Follows who takes both Waverley Borough Council and Godalming Town Council seats.
Godalming Town Council result: Lib Dem 294 Conservatives 252: Labour 162

Paul said: “It’s clear that the people of Godalming have spoken and that they want fresh voices and real change. I am honoured to be elected to begin that change.”

Paul Follows - Lib Dem Godalming

At last Farnham Residents – the ‘official opposition to the Conservative Party’ at Waverley will have another council member who will challenge decisions rather than rubber stamping them.

Could this be the first sign of things to come?

Why was this By-Election called in the first place?

Stay tuned! Waverley Web is pleased to see a fresh faced youth elected to the Councils, and one that at least has a grasp of communicating on social media. We recommend you all Follow the Follows for future lobbying!

 

Part 2 of Ding Dong the battle has begun to win the Godalming By-Election.

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The election  was prompted by the sudden resignation of Godalming Town Council Mayor, and Tory Waverley Borough Councillor Simon Thornton for, undisclosed ‘personal reasons’. Reasons, that the whole town is talking about!

The Waverley Web is  keen to inform Godalming residents of  the reasons why the men and women  featured want to represent them in the Central & Ockford seat for the remaining two years left in the life of both councils.  Although we have managed to contact some prospective candidates – who  replied moments after receiving our requests – others have not been quite so forthcoming! 

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Richard Ashworth  is standing as the Labour candidate for the Waverley Borough Council seat. Richard has lived in the Ockford ward for seven years and in Godalming for 30 years.  Both his children and now his grandchildren have attended local schools including Green Lane where he was a representative on the Parent Teachers’ Association.  Most weeks he says he can be found early in the morning swimming at Broadwater Leisure Centre.

‘I am passionate about fairness, especially for young people saddled with debt and little chance of climbing the mortgage ladder. More social and affordable housing is urgently needed, especially for the young, as well as better rent control and more help for those with mental health issues’.

It is time that Waverley Council represented all of its constituents and I will do my best to make sure this happens’.

richardashworth.labour@gmail.com

 

Ding, Dong the fight’s begun to win Godalming’s By-Election. Part 1.Lib Dems.

The emergency, emergency at Godawfulming is over? Isn’t it?

If you have been on holiday – or have been busy rummaging in the loft looking for the Christmas decorations, you may have missed the fact that a By-Election is about to take place in Godalming during the busiest week of the year. 

This was prompted by the sudden resignation of Godalming Town Council Mayor, and Tory Waverley Borough Councillor Simon Thornton for/ undisclosed ‘personal reasons’. Reasons, that the whole town is talking about!

As you will see from this link:  The emergency, emergency at Godawfulming is over? Isn’t it? Godalming Town Councillor Anne Bott has taken over the Mayoral role, but it would appear that despite wishing to join the chain-gang she’s not quite so eager to jump into the local butcher’s boots at ‘Your Waverley’! Wonder why?

Here at the Waverley Web we are  keen to inform Godalming residents of  the reasons why the men and women  want to represent them in the Central & Ockford seat for the remaining two years left of the life of both councils. Although we have managed to contact some prospective candidates – who replied moments after receiving our requests – others have not been quite so forthcoming! No prizes for guessing who!

So over the coming days we will give you a brief run down of those who have thrown their hats into the Waverley/Godalming  rings.
Waverleyweb_election.jpgIn no particular order – as they say on Strictly Come Dancing – we have  Paul Follows the Liberal Democrat candidate who is standing for both the Godalming Town council and Waverley Borough Council seats.image1.jpeg This Godalming man’s   main motivation for standing is quite simple:

 ‘The utter lack of opposition to the Tories in Godalming’.

The 31  year-old former university of Surrey student  now works for BAe Systems Applied Intelligence. He and his Lib Dem colleagues have wasted no time in speaking to as many people as they possibly can before the election on  December 13. They say they want to fully understand residents’ concerns. 

Paul has lived in Godalming for several years and  commutes to Guildford for work at the Surrey Research Park where his work covers standards, legal compliance and ethical conduct. He enjoys cricket and ice hockey and is a tenor in the Guildford Choral Society.

He says, ‘another motivation for my getting into politics has been my parents. My father is a retired soldier and my mother is an HLTA at a school in Guildford. Both have had cancer in the last 5 years and survived – largely due to fantastic staff – and so access to these services and providing for health services locally is a big deal for me personally. Equally an affinity for the teaching and defence professions is something built into me.’

‘Over the past few weeks we have been all over the ward canvassing, handing out leaflets and talking people. I just wanted to use this opportunity to feedback on some of the issues people have raised with me time and again on the doorstep’.

  •  Affordable housing which is balanced with the needs of the people living within their communities. People are really concerned that new houses without new infrastructure to support  them will cause big problems;
  • The speed and weight of traffic through residential areas (particularly near schools);
  • The total absence of any other voice at Waverley borough council, other than that of Farnham residents and the Tories. The impact of austerity measures and the frustration with  an unchallenged council  that  repeatedly fails to deliver.

Asked by the Waverley Web, what he seeks to achieve between now and 2019?

 ‘To me that is clear. Local residents have given me a list of issues they would like  investigated,  and, if electors give me the mandate,  I  hope to make progress on those. In addition I want to be that voice of opposition and scrutiny (hopefully the first of many) and essentially be the conscience that our Tory dominated councils desperately need when it comes to further austerity measures.

I want everyone to know I will be accessible during the campaign –  on a stall next Saturday (9th) in the heart of the town if anyone wants to come and have a chat.

Many thanks and I hope to see many of you on polling day. Paul.

https://m.facebook.com/paulfollowsGodalming/

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?

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