Dragon Interview: Paul Spooner, Leader of Guildford Borough Council

Published on: 24 Feb, 2019
Updated on: 3 Mar, 2019

Cllr Paul Spooner

What is our borough council leader’s vision for Guildford? How will it look? Is modal shift going to happen? Is the widely opposed Solum redevelopment a lost cause?

Why should voters trust his party on the green belt? How does he defend his criticised leadership style? Would the continued dominance of the Conservatives after the May elections be a good thing?

It is not often we get the chance to hear our local councillors speak and answer questions outside of the constrained formalities of council meetings and in this unusually extended interview, conducted by Martin Giles,  Paul Spooner faces all these questions…

Interview filmed by Megan Scott.

Examples of Berkeley property developments, referred to by Cllr Spooner, can be found here.

Paul Spooner is not just GBC’s leader. Here is a list of his other appointments and activities as provided by him:

Ash Parish Council:

Elected Member
Chairman – Amenities, Finance & Administration Committee

Guildford Borough Council:

Group leader (Conservative group)
Lead councillor for partnerships, planning & regeneration
Ward member – Ash South & Tongham
Historic environment & design champion
Chairman – Executive Committee
Chairman – Employment Committee
Chairman – Executive Shareholder & Trustee Committee
Member – Planning Committee
Chairman – Management/Exec Liaison Board
Chairman – Major Projects Portfolio Board
Chairman – Slyfield Area Regeneration Project (SARP) Governance Board
Member – Innovation Board
Member – Planning Policy & Housing Delivery Board
Member – SARP Councillor Forum
Member – Town Twinning Working Group
Member – Transformation Board

Regular GBC activity includes (in no particular order):

Ward work (parish & borough)
Attendance and work in relation to responsibilities above
Portfolio meetings
1:1s with managing director
Meetings with local stakeholders
Supporting economic development with business community
Regular engagement with the University of Surrey
Regular engagement with schools & further education sector
Regular engagement with neighbour authority leaders
Engagement with twin & partners – Freiburg Sister Cities network – sustainability
Meetings with other Group Leaders (MD led)
Meetings with residents
Meetings with site promoters (with officer support)
Meetings with developers (with officer support)
Touring parish councils and resident associations
Meetings with community groups (usually with officer support)
Attending conferences
Attending training (internal and external)
Representing GBC at events
Comms – press/media
Issues management – internal & external meetings

Political activity includes: regular briefings with MPs, attending the Executive at Guildford Conservative Association (GCA), attending management and Executive at Surrey Heath Conservative Association (SHCA). I am a member at SHCA (Home Association) and GCA. I am Chairman of Ash Conservative Branch of SHCA (covers Tongham and all wards across Ash and Ash Vale). I attend the annual conference of the Conservative party and regional/local conferences of the party.

I am a Remainer!

I strongly believe in collaboration with other “major party” councillors within GBC.

Joint Surrey County Council/Guildford Borough Council:

Vice Chairman – Guildford Joint Committee
Chairman – GJC Infrastructure, Delivery & Transportation Working Group
Chairman – GJC Parking & Air Quality Group

Surrey County Council:

Member – Physical Energy Project Board

GBC representative on outside bodies:

Board Member – Experience Guildford (BID)
Governor – Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Board Member & Trustee – Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

I represent Guildford on Surrey Leaders Board (comprising all District and Borough Leaders + SCC Leader & Deputy Leader):
Currently Chairman – Surrey Leaders Board

I represent Guildford on Enterprise M3 (eM3) Joint Leaders Board

I represent Surrey Leaders Board on the following:
Full Board Member – Enterprise M3 (eM3) Local Enterprise Partnership
Member – Surrey Health & Wellbeing Board
New Chairman – SHAPE (OPE) Board
Member – TfSE Transport Forum

Outside of local government:

Chairman – Guildford in Bloom
Judge – Guildford in Bloom (Co-judging partnership with Cllr Caroline Reeves)

Chairman – North East Hants Youth Football League (NEHYL) – fourth year as Chairman
Club Secretary – Mytchett Athletic Youth FC and Mytchett Athletic FC – Chairman/Secretary roles for 19 years
Council Member – Hampshire FA

Trustee at Ash CAB

Retain a very keen interest in education, having been a School Governor for 12 years (Waverley Abbey Junior School – Chairman & Vice Chairman roles + Governor at Ash Manor) but currently taking a break. Recently on a steep learning curve on all things sustainability!

Finally, retain a board position (chairman) at EMS Handelsges.m.b.H (EMS Biomedical) in Vienna, Austria as Commercial Director of a Biotech Company in the field of Neurophysiology.

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