Green Belt Pressure Group Petitions To Remove Borough Council’s Executive

Published on: 15 Jun, 2014
Updated on: 15 Jun, 2014

The Guildford Greenbelt Group (GGG) is to petition for a referendum to remove the borough council’s Executive committee and restore what it calls a “more democratic system”.

The view from Newlands Corner. The Guildford Greenbelt Group is

A view from Newlands Corner. The Guildford Greenbelt Group is an organisation set up to represents residents’ concerns over fears to the future of the green belt.

GGG is the organisation representing residents’ concerns over fears to the green belt as part of Guildford Borough Council’s draft Local Plan.

In a statement, GGG said it has been left with “no alternative following the Executive’s meeting on Wednesday, June 4, which ignored demands by the council’s own scrutiny committee to revise the plan’s inflated required housing number of 652 per year before the plan goes to public consultation”.

It adds, that “instead the Executive went ahead and approved the current plan for public consultation – meaning that the public will be told that 652 is the required figure for housing each year”.

Susan Parker, the chairman of GGG, said: “As a result, we feel we have no option other than to petition for a referendum to return the council to a more democratic structure which will better respond to residents’ and councillors’ concerns.

“Guildford area residents who want to ensure the council’s decision making process is more accountable and transparent, and that the law protecting the green belt is properly applied, can start now by signing this petition which will be posted on our website at http://guildfordgreenbeltgroup.co.uk/.”

GGG points out that under the Localism Act, councils have to hold a referendum if five per cent of the electorate sign a petition calling for one – in the borough of Guildford, that would require 5,243 signatures.

It points out that a referendum would enable the people of Guildford to choose to support either the Executive system in place at present or a committee structure where the decisions of committees shape policy.