Letter: Council Planning Business Continues As Usual

Published on: 31 Jul, 2014
Updated on: 31 Jul, 2014

From Cllr Monika Juneja

Lead councillor for planning at Guildford Borough Council

This letter is in response to a letter from Dr Paul Cragg: Who Is Managing the Guildford Local Plan Now?

I welcome questions from all residents and I want to make it clear that no one should feel that they have to wait for committee meetings to communicate with me.

Residents can reach any councillor using their contact details on the council’s website. If people don’t have online access they can also call the council’s Customer Service Centre on 01483 505050 to find out.

To answer the questions directed to me, as lead member for planning, in relation to Carol Humphrey’s departure, I want to make it clear that the business of running the planning service continues as usual. More importantly, the planned progress of the Local Plan has never been down to one person, indeed it is the planning policy manager who ensures that the Local Plan is kept on track, with the work being carried out by an experienced team of 11 officers.

We have always had an executive head of development, who in this case is a chartered town planner. As before, he will continue to oversee the planning service and an interim head of planning is being selected at this moment.

I shall continue to be the lead on planning and oversee the process of review and the continuation of the Local Plan process through this current phase, with the many complexities that are inherent in such a process – not least, getting the “duty to cooperate” right.

I wish Carol every future success.

I encourage everyone to get involved and give us their comments about the Draft Local Plan at the many events taking place or directly at guildfordlocalplan.info.

Cllr Juneja is a Conservative councillor representing Burpham ward.