Letter: Councillors Should Call for a Vote of No Confidence in Our Planning Department

Published on: 21 Oct, 2019
Updated on: 21 Oct, 2019

The SCC leader’s letter in support of GBC’s Wisley garden village proposal

From Gordon Bridger

hon alderman and former Mayor of Guildford

A brilliant exposé of a very unsavoury decision.

Councillors must insist on a proper review or a vote of no confidence in the management of our Planning Department.

Why were the very serious allegations about this highly controversial £multi-million investment, by an obscure Caribbean Company, not investigated in the way required? It should have gone to the chair of Corporate Governance who would choose an Independent Adviser from the list officers would show him, and announce that anyone giving evidence could do so.

It is not clear, from the published summary, whether Cllrs Spooner and Furniss were even interviewed. If not, why not?

And why were the relevant documents prepared by outside agencies, let alone those involved with the developers.

It might have been legal, but surely our chief planning officers should have warned Cllrs Spooner and Furniss of this proposal and stated that the Planning Department did not have the skills or staff to put it forward and in view of its sensitive nature they would wish to advise what action should be taken?

Cllr Colin Cross has made serious allegations about false claims in the GBC submission which need urgent investigation.

The investigation findings were mentioned only in passing, sneaked through at full council in a way completely at odds with the new councillors’ promised policy of “openness”.

This was a bad decision by Guildford’s Planning Department and councillors must press for another review and should not have to leave it to the Wisley Action Group.

I have been prepared to act but surely there are many others who should be doing so?

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