Letter: Housing Targets Should Remain The Same Despite Brexit

Published on: 17 Jul, 2016
Updated on: 17 Jul, 2016

From David Smith

Share price falls of the major house builders are hopefully a temporary blip. Suggestions are even being made that the weak pound could encourage a serious amount of foreign investment with people snapping up cheaper stock.

That aside, when will people understand that Guildford is different from other areas in the fact it has an acute shortage of housing. The borough has not got a five year housing plan and Brexit (as someone said, we don’t yet know the effects) has not changed supply in Guildford – there is very little for sale and most people will just stay put, which is what happened in 2008.

Contrary to what some of the whingers claim, Guildford is a nice place to live. It’s close to the capital the coast, two good airports and has some beautiful areas as well as top notch schools.

Our town will always be popular with buyers, so I’d forget any reduction in [housing target] numbers, that is unless people on the outside hear about the objections, from Nimby pressure groups in the town, to anything good happening.

Responses to Letter: Housing Targets Should Remain The Same Despite Brexit

Lisa Wright Reply

July 17, 2016 at 10:00 pm

Good things that could happen in Guildford:

– The council could build some more social housing.
– Traffic congestion could be fixed.
– Air pollution could at least be calculated and sufficient measures adopted to reduce it.
– Waiting times for GPs and hospitals could be reduced.
– More housing for our kids in the town.
– Better, smaller housing or bungalows for our parents to retire to.
– Bigger, better access and parking at Guildford stations.
– Bigger main railway station with longer trains.
– A decent central bus station that looks nice.
– Regeneration of North Street so we don’t have to look at rubble for another decade.
– Guilfest.
– Make the existing shopping areas nicer like Woking have done.
– Encourage more theatre and arts.
– Cheaper parking in the town.
– Empty shops need filling
– Reintroduction of Pegasus bus to take kids to school.

Shall I go on?
D Fassom Reply

July 18, 2016 at 12:06 pm

If Mr Smith thinks building 10,000 houses in the east of Guildford and clogging up the A3 and surrounding roads with no additional funds for the hospital, surgeries and schools, qualifies as ‘anything good happening’ I would hate to see what would qualify as a ‘bad thing happening’!

Yes, Guildford is a nice place to live at the moment but I cannot see many thinking that when they are sitting in a permanent traffic jam with no access to school places and a hospital that is full.
Paul Bishop Reply

July 18, 2016 at 6:19 pm

Well said! Guildford is a great place, let’s allow more people come here and experience it.

Those that only seem to be able to complain and moan can leave and find somewhere better. They’ll struggle.
John Armstrong Reply

July 19, 2016 at 8:35 am

Brexit should certainly render the green belt safer. Five year plans, Local Plans, call them what you will, are politically driven and bear no relation to local demand.

True there is a backlog of demand nationally but that demand will not now be added to faster than it can be met.

What I would like to see around here are more decent blue collar jobs that will pay the mortgage on the dwellings that we are building.

John Armstrong is the chairman of Guildford Ukip.