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Letter: What Does County Councillor Mean By The ‘Fight’ Against GBC?
Published on: 20 May, 2017
Updated on: 20 May, 2017
County Cllr Julie Iles (Con, The Horsleys)
From Paul Spooner
council leader of Guildford borough Council and lead member for planning
in response to Cllr Isles comment under: Dragon Interview: New County Councillor Julie Iles
Perhaps Cllr Iles could clarify what she means by the “fight” against GBC and her opinion on policy in relation to Local Plan making and DCLG [Department for Communities and Local Government] direction under a national Conservative majority.
Where does she propose to place the required housing in the boroughs and districts of Surrey?
Most importantly by supporting Cllr Cross does she also support his position of moving Lovelace to Woking Borough Council and on what basis is that going to change things? Woking has the same housing crisis as Guildford.
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Responses to Letter: What Does County Councillor Mean By The ‘Fight’ Against GBC?
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Ben Paton
May 20, 2017 at 8:07 pm
Mr Spooner asks,”…where does she propose to put the required housing…?”
He relies on the usual prior assumptions, which are, of course, entirely self-serving.
The first assumption is that the housing target that he has set corresponds with the “required housing”. There are many reasons to suppose that it does not. First of all Cllr Spooner has failed to obtain and disclose the arithmetic model which computed the housing need. Second, under his direction, the local Conservative party refused to ask for the model and failed to scrutinise it. Third, no constraints whatsoever have been put on the figure computed by Justin Gardner Consulting.
The whole approach has been intellectually dishonest. To counter this a smokescreen of personal attacks has been launched.
This open letter to Cllr Iles for having the temerity to question his leadership is just the latest example.
It is the case that so far as the appeal is concerned the residents and GBC find themselves on the same side versus the applicant – the Caymans incorporated Wisley Property Investments.
But it remains a fact that GBC gave WIPL advice for some two years before it made its application, that Mr Spooner is on the public record in the Surrey Advertiser as stating that this site should be developed, and that he continues to include it in the draft Local Plan despite the long list of factors that make its inclusion irrational – such as the effects on the Special Protection Area and the A3.
The real housing need in the borough is social housing. Mr Spooner’s draft Local Plan does next to nothing to address this need. His party continues to sell of its stock of social housing. And the few it is now building, after a hiatus of at least twenty years, do not even replace those it sells off every year.
The Local Plan is a scheme that will increase the already bloated profits of house builders at the cost of the environment presently enjoyed by residents.
As for moving Lovelace Ward to either Woking or Elmbridge, it is an idea that should be seriously considered.