Green Belt Supporters To Unite In Their ‘March on Millmead’

Published on: 25 Nov, 2013
Updated on: 26 Nov, 2013

Guildford Borough Council Offices at Millmead, the destination of the march.

Organisers of the ‘March on Millmead’ are expecting supporters of other save the green belt campaigns to join them on their protest this Friday (November 29). The destination of the march is Guildford Borough Council’s (GBC) offices in Millmead.

Jules Cranwell, a campaign organiser from Horsley, said: “The main group from the Horsleys will muster at Guildford Station at 1.30pm, to march on Millmead to arrive at 2pm. We will be joined by representatives from Ripley, Shere, Ockham, Effingham, Fairfields and Save Hogs Back action groups along the way.

“Feelings in the villages proposed by GBC to be excluded from the green belt are running high, so we are expecting a good turn-out.”

Karen Stevens one of the Save Hogs Back campaign organisers said this evening (November 25): “We will be joining the march. We agree with the other groups across Guildford that it’s unnecessary to build on any greenfield sites. If GBC reassesses some of the sites within the town’s urban centre, hundreds of more homes could be accommodated.

“If car parks were built underground or multi-storey, if some of the sites allocated for commercial buildings were reallocated to housing, if denser housing was built (100 dwellings per hectare as opposed to 40), if a more realistic view of employment growth was taken and if the eco-town at Bordon was utilised for Guildford’s businesses, there would be no need for Guildford to lose any of its valuable green space.

“It’s been really useful to link up with other campaign groups. Each has its own network of campaigners from whom we can draw support as well as knowledge and ideas. Blackwell Farm is a particularly vulnerable area because it’s so sparsely populated. There aren’t many ‘nimbys’ to protect it. However, with most of the groups in Guildford supporting us and reiterating the same messages – that we don’t believe that green spaces need to be concreted over – the council may listen.”

A police spokesperson commented: “The Guildford Safer Neighbourhood Team is aware of the proposed march on Friday (November 29). People have the right to take part in organised and peaceful protests. The police have a legal obligation to ensure such events remain peaceful and lawful and do not compromise public safety.

“We are liaising with the organisers of the protest to determine whether a police presence is required in the area to ensure motorists are not inconvenienced by the protest”

A spokesperson from Guildford Borough Council later (November 26) added: “We are aware that this march is being planned for the last day of our Local Plan Issues and Options consultation. Thousands of people have shared their views with us during our consultation and engagement events. We will take these into account as we move towards the next stage.

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