Letter: Would Councillors Have Been Elected If Their Green Belt Views Were Known?

Published on: 19 May, 2017
Updated on: 19 May, 2017

From Fiona Curtis

Former chairman of Compton Parish Council

In response to: Shalford Councillors Renege on Election Green Belt Pledge

It seems to be quite the norm for councillors and politicians to say one thing and then do another once they are past the election victory line.

I am clearly not alone in finding this totally unacceptable, but what can be done about it, especially when the reward for such underhand tactics results in a place on the Executive or deputy mayor?

The volume of responses to the Guildford Local Plan was higher (both in individual responses and the number of people responding) than many other areas, including other parts of Surrey. Cllr. Illman’s attempts to make light of the level of objection is a clear indication of the low regard he appears to have for the residents he was elected to represent.

Perhaps he is unaware of residents’ views, after all, he did not attend a single parish council meeting during the period May 2016-Apr 2017 at Compton or Shalford and attended only one at Artington (according to the minutes).

Mike Parsons is a parish councillor at Shalford and hence did attend the Shalford meetings but his attendance at meetings in Compton and Artington was low, two out of six.

Blackwell Farm will have an enormous impact on the areas Cllrs Illman and Parsons represent yet they ignore the results of the consultation, ignore residents wishes and treat those with genuine concerns with what can only be described as contempt.

Would they be sitting where they are now had they stated that they would support the inclusion of Blackwell Farm and the desecration of green belt and AONB whilst balancing the needs of those in Shalford with the wider community?

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