Letter: Cllr Juneja To Go? We Should Be More Circumspect

Published on: 18 Aug, 2014
Updated on: 18 Aug, 2014

From John Rigg

I write in response to your editorial: The Dragon Says: It Is Time For Cllr Juneja To Step Aside.

With the circumstances surrounding the search of Cliff Richard’s house fresh in our minds and no response yet from Cllr Juneja, a single, unpaid councillor faced with a tsunami of opposition (even before the charges were laid) I think we need to be rather more circumspect.

Stephen Mansbridge, just back from holiday, has to have time to consider the issues. I suspect there will be few volunteers willing to take on this harrowing task from Cllr Juneja. The sheer scale of the project is known to many of the Dragon NEWS correspondents, all of whom are free to stand as councillors themselves, of course.

Stephen Mansbridge has shown considerable leadership which many recognise both outwardly and behind the scenes and unless it is certain there is someone more able and willing we have to be very careful not to lose the baby with the bath water.

I accept there are valid concerns about the Local Plan and I am nervous about the outcome along with your readers but we are at a crucial time in the history and development of the town and we need to be wary of quick fixes in a difficult situation.

John Rigg is the chairman of the Guildford Vision Group

Responses to Letter: Cllr Juneja To Go? We Should Be More Circumspect

C Stevens Reply

August 18, 2014 at 1:47 pm

I’d like to offer some observations on what Mr Rigg has to say.

1) The cases of Cllr Juneja and Cliff Richard have nothing in common.

2) I can’t see what point Mr Rigg is making in describing Cllr Juneja as a “single, unpaid councillor”. All councillors are unpaid and, for all I know, many are single, as if that made any difference.

3) I can’t believe that Cllr Mansbridge hadn’t taken the time to “consider the issues” before he went on holiday.

4) Whether or not there is a ready replacement to take on Cllr Juneja’s role is entirely irrelevant, as is the weird idea that any replacement must be more able and willing than her. Why?

5) Concerns about the Local Plan have nothing to do with the situation in which Cllr Juneja finds herself. If she were to stand down and be replaced, Cllr Juneja would be able to give full attention to her current situation, and her replacement full attention to the Local Plan.

This comment was submitted before the announcement that Cllr Juneja is standing down.
Ben Paton Reply

August 18, 2014 at 1:57 pm

Which elements exactly should be circumspect about?

Is it that the Probity in Planning Code states: “It is important that all concerned (applicants, objectors, practitioners, officers, councillors and the general public) have complete confidence in the integrity and transparency of the system?”

This comment was submitted before the announcement that Cllr Juneja is standing down.
Martin Elliott Reply

August 18, 2014 at 4:24 pm

Pity that even now, the spin is running.

Councillors are not unpaid, its well known that they receive allowances. Whilst not as generous as Surrey County Council, Cllr Juneja is listed as being entitled to receive over £8k.
Roland McKinney Reply

August 20, 2014 at 6:41 am

John Rigg says: “…we need to be wary of quick fixes in a difficult situation.”

I agree.

That’s why we should not even be considering this Draft Local Plan at all – it is a “quick fix”. It contains a great deal of data that is simply incorrect. Known deficiencies should have been corrected and a revised housing number, following known issues with the ONS statistics used to produce that number.