Letter: It Gets Madder By The Minute!

Published on: 11 Mar, 2019
Updated on: 11 Mar, 2019

Chantries Camp Site

From Gordon Bridger

hon alderman and former Mayor of Guildford

In response to: Councillors Told ‘Take a Good Look at Yourselves’ Over Chantry Wood Fiasco and Planned Charges for Whitmoor Common Car Park Should Be Reviewed

What adds to this absurd situation regarding The Chantries is that it has had £500k spent on it from SANGs money (effectively a tax on all new housing) in order to attract visitors from Whitmoor Common where they are supposed to be endangering rare birds.

The borough council estimates that some £8 million will be collected in future to make the Chantries a magnet to bird bothering locals from north Guildford. (I promise readers this is not invented).

I have examined how the £500k has been spent by GBC and this has been done quite carefully and so far has done no damage to this valuable asset- most has been spent on maintenance – so that’s good news for the revenue budget.

But why on earth are they fussing about just £5k spent for the campsite?

I note that Cllr Manning claims this is an electoral stunt by the formidable Mr Rye and it gets madder by the minute. Whitmoor Common, all 156 hectares, is also a Special Protection Area or SPA, for endangered Dartford warblers, woodlarks and nightjars. Under the Guildford Development Plan, anything between £68 million and £90 million is to be raised by a tax on new housing to attract locals away from Whitmoor Common to SANGs (Special Areas of Natural Greenspace).

It now appears, from Cllr McShee’s letter, that SCC is joining in the assault on visitors to Whitmoor Common by investing in parking meters. Visitors can avoid parking fees by visiting the many SANGS now being provided – parking free. Of course, then SCC might not raise the intended dosh to makes ends meet. Anyone might think the policies were uncoordinated!

And what about the poor little birds? It is cold weather rather than humans that is the main threat evidently. Never mind, as long as the councils raise money eh?

All I can say is thank goodness there are elections in May.

Oh yes, and great reporting. Where would we be without The Guildford Dragon NEWS?