Letter: Councillor’s Tirade Illustrates Misunderstanding

Published on: 1 May, 2019
Updated on: 1 May, 2019

From Julian Lyon

member of the Guildford Vision Group

In response to: Opinion: I Am Proud of Our Decision to Adopt the Local Plan

Mr Jackson’s tirade is a lengthy illustration of misunderstanding piled on top of error.

It will not be lawful to address the Town Centre Regeneration Strategy as an SPD (Supplementary Planning Document) because in several areas it would be in breach of the Local Plan (as highlighted by other members of Guildford Vision Group and Joss Bigmore [leader of Residents for Guildford and Villages] to no avail).

The notion that all available brownfield has been used before unavailable greenfield land – as green belt land should be considered – is correct. On the other hand, harder to develop urban land should then have been looked at before unavailable greenfield land. That is how the spatial hierarchy works. In practice that didn’t happen here in Guildford.

Many people have had serious misgivings about many aspects of the plan. A substantial proportion of the 80,000 or so representations have identified such misgivings.

To belittle and decry such opposing views is to debase communities and individuals who care. Faced with such arrogance, and the similarly insensitive way the plan was adopted between postal votes and ballot box voting is to debase democracy.

I have always thought Mr Jackson to be a good and thoughtful councillor. I may have to rethink that view on the basis of this nonsensical tirade.

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