Letter: Hundreds of Town Centre Building Approvals Have Been Given

Published on: 6 Sep, 2018
Updated on: 6 Sep, 2018

From Caroline Reeves

leader of the opposition at GBC and Lib Dem borough councillor for Friary & St Nicolas

In response to: There Will Be Further Consultation on the Local Plan But No Requirement to Heed It

All those who state that there’s no building in the town centre on brownfield, or previously developed land, should know that in the three years, up to December 2017, there have been 320 approvals for housing development proposals in the urban town centre wards of Holy Trinity and Friary & St Nicolas. This is without the additional number of 438 in the Solum railway station application.

Apart from the Solum development, these approvals do not count toward the Local Plan housing number. Many are already completed and are lived in.

And in response to the comment by Cllr Susan Parker that GBC should be building on land owned by the borough, I am sure that is exactly what all Local Authorities would aspire to do but are blocked by the simple fact that central government doesn’t allow them to borrow to build housing.

Responses to Letter: Hundreds of Town Centre Building Approvals Have Been Given

Valerie Thompson Reply

September 7, 2018 at 12:50 pm

Housing Associations should take on the empty sites.
Ben Paton Reply

September 7, 2018 at 6:25 pm

“I am sure that is exactly what all Local Authorities would aspire to do but are blocked by the simple fact that central government doesn’t allow them to borrow to build housing.”

Is this statement a smokescreen or a complete lack of imagination? It looks like conclusion-based evidence, not an evidence-based conclusion.

The council does not have to borrow anything. It just has to engage in partnership deals with housebuilders, including Housing Associations.

GBC was severely criticised by many participants at the Examination in Public for not putting more houses in the Town Centre.
There is an entire chapter in the National Planning Policy Framework concerning the need to direct development towards existing urban centres in the interests of sustainability.

Sadly very few councillors attended the Examination in Public. If they had they would have heard the many criticisms of these elements of the Local Plan.

Perhaps the councillor could explain how it is possible that the council is proposing to borrow to lend £81m to Surrey University to build student accommodation?
Lisa Wright Reply

September 8, 2018 at 10:38 am

But isn’t the council borrowing £81 million to build student accommodation?