Letter: Great Local Plan Meeting – But Where Were My Fellow Councillors?

Published on: 6 Feb, 2026
Updated on: 6 Feb, 2026

From Maddy Redpath

Residents for Guildford & Villages councillor for Castle ward

On January 28, all councillors were invited to attend a workshop on Guildford’s next Local Plan, described as an opportunity to help shape a distinctive local vision for the borough.

Councillors were seated by area, with town centre councillors like myself grouped together, and colleagues from the east and west of the borough on other separate tables.

But despite the importance of the subject, only nine of Guildford’s 48 councillors attended, including just one member of the Executive.

While I accept that some colleagues may have had genuine reasons for being absent, the overall level of attendance was, frankly, disappointing and meant that several parts of the borough had no voice in the room at all.

That is particularly concerning because the Local Plan is one of the most significant responsibilities the council has. It will shape where homes are built, how infrastructure is delivered, and how our communities evolve for decades to come.

If councillors are serious about representing their residents, this is exactly the kind of work they should be prioritising.

Those who did attend were rewarded with one of the most informative and constructive sessions on the Local Plan I have experienced during my six and a half years as a councillor.

Planning officers clearly set out the government’s radically revised Local Plan process, including the ambition to move from the current seven-year timeframe to just 30 months for a fully adopted plan.

They also explained, clearly and convincingly, why it remains vital to push ahead with this work even though Guildford Borough Council will no longer exist by the time the process concludes.

The session highlighted a far more robust and transparent approach than in the past, with defined gateway stages to ensure proper consultation and evidence-gathering before moving forward. There will also be opportunities for feedback with the Planning Inspector prior to submission.

I know further workshops of a similar kind have been hosted by the Planning officers, focussed on relevant groups and Parish councils, which I hope were better attended.

I want to thank the planning officers for delivering such a clear, detailed and well-structured workshop. It was an excellent use of time — and all the more frustrating that so many councillors chose not to take advantage of it.

Responses to Letter: Great Local Plan Meeting – But Where Were My Fellow Councillors?

Paul Spooner Reply

February 7, 2026 at 3:44 pm

I agree with Cllr Redpath’s comments and the disappointing attendance. The 2019 Local Plan has failed to achieve many of its objectives in terms of tying infrastructure and facilities [to development] so existing communities can see real benefits to offset harm but above all to protect genuine areas of natural beauty and heritage across the whole borough.

I urge all councillors from all parties to fully engage with the process through to adoption.

Paul Spooner is a former Conservative leader of Guildford Borough Council
- Jim Allen Reply
  
  February 8, 2026 at 9:33 am
  
  The 2019 Conservative Local Plan was fundamentally flawed from its inception. The projected housing figures were excessively inflated, exceeding reasonable calculations. Furthermore, critical infrastructure limitations, such as sewage treatment capacity, a shortage of which was identified as early as 2010, and diminished road capacity, were overlooked despite the theoretical increase in local population.
  
  There was also a notable absence of corporate commitment to generate substantial employment opportunities, and water supply capacities were not adequately addressed.
  
  The consequences of these oversights are now evident. Projections indicate a 30 per cent increase per house in electricity demand but unavailable until approximately 2035. Fresh water supply necessitates a 142-mile pipeline, in addition to three previously unsuccessful planning applications for a resivour. Moreover, a significant upgrade from 225mm to 450mm pipe size is required for sewage infrastructure.
  
  These figures were known prior to 2016 and remain consistent, yet they continue to be disregarded. It is also worth noting that while approximately 100 homes were genuinely needed, the plan proposed numbers ranging from 365 to 1,000 per annum.
  
  A more effective Local Plan would have been grounded in factual realities rather than governmental “visions,” “mitigation” strategies, and “fantasy” policies.
  - David Roberts Reply
    
    February 8, 2026 at 3:47 pm
    
    Mr Allen is right. All these problems were well known and extensively commented on by the Guildford Greenbelt Group and other residents from the publication of the pre-plan Issues & Options paper in October 2013. Despite years of argument, the then Tory council under Mr Spooner made no meaningful changes before forcing through approval of the Local Plan less than a week before losing the 2019 council elections. It should never have been approved.
Dave Middleton Reply

February 10, 2026 at 5:07 pm

Given that GBC will cease to exist in just over a year and the so called parish/town council that may replace it will probably only be responsible for a few allotments and a couple of public toilets, just how much say will it have in any Local Plan anyway?