Letter: Failure of Judicial Review is Bad News for Surrey

Published on: 10 Dec, 2019
Updated on: 10 Dec, 2019

From Diana Jones

Green Party borough councillor for Tillingbourne

In response to: Guildford JR Judgement Threatens Death Knell for Britain’s Green Belt

I believe that in surrendering the protection of the green belt we are giving up something very precious to the environment and to us all.

We may also be giving licence to the wrong sort of housing. Expensive land will result in expensive housing.

This will further skew our housing stock away from true affordability while also creating the need for new roads and additional infrastructure.

Traditional developer methods of building account for about 40% of the UK’s total carbon footprint. The future of building is low-carbon and modular, constructed under ideal factory conditions.

If any good can be extracted from the failure of the judicial review, it would be for Guildford Borough Council to lead the way and insist developers start building for the 21st century.

Responses to Letter: Failure of Judicial Review is Bad News for Surrey

Anthony Edwards Reply

December 10, 2019 at 5:37 pm

GBC lead the way? Dream on Diana.

All they’ve led the way on is the decimation of the green belt.

Anthony Edwards is the spokesman for Wisley Action Group.
Peta Malthouse Reply

December 10, 2019 at 7:50 pm

Well said, but those of us who replied to the Local Plan consultation over the last eight long years said all those things. The then Tory council with the support of the current Lib Dem leader ploughed on regardless.

The homes will be expensive and the infrastructure insufficient. Travel issues remain with no attempt to address the extended travel built into the plan as communities are without the basics, given so many are in the green belt.

I travel in my SUV (we were cut off in bad weather a few years back and I did the milk and bread run for five families). It’s four miles to the nearest shop. Six miles to the nearest petrol station I could go on. Many have the same story to tell.
Jules Cranwell Reply

December 11, 2019 at 8:58 am

Unfortunately the GBC leadership cares nothing for what residents want, only what greedy developers want.
Kathleen Parrish Reply

December 12, 2019 at 2:50 pm

They are not building the houses people want. Are there many people who want to live in blocks of flats?

As a person with mobility problems I am looking for a ground floor maisonette, but I see also that these get sold quickly and first-floor maisonettes don’t. The stairs are most likely the problem which also take up more space, so why not put a small lift which would make more space and better than a stairlift?

Both ground and first-floor maisonettes would then have more space and builders could incorporate it into the cost of both. Not many leasehold places are making provisions for keeping mobility scooters, only cars galore which add to the congestion everywhere and worsen the quality of the air we breath.

No houses they should not build on the green belt. And controlling population is a must.
Valerie Thompson Reply

December 13, 2019 at 11:54 am

Has Kathleen Parrish ever tried to get a double bed up in a lift?

Mobility scooters fit well in garages, which, if they are integrated also make good storage space for fridges, freezers, washing machines etc.