Letter: It Should Be Community First, Financials Second, When Deciding Burchatt’s Barn’s Future

Published on: 28 Mar, 2019
Updated on: 28 Mar, 2019

Burchatt’s Barn – photo Mandy Millyard

From Simon Mason

In response to: Burchatt’s Barn Saved for Community as Objectors Win Change-of-Use Refusal

I don’t have an opinion either way about the Burchatt’s Barn application but have just watched the webcast of the meeting last night and have a few comments.

Cllr Nils Christiansen is quite clearly outstanding in his ability to understand and correctly apply planning policy and in this case, would seem to have protected us all against the loss of a community building, and for that, I would like to personally thank him.

It should give everybody confidence in Guildford’s planning system that there are quality members of the planning committee who are able to analyse and correctly apply planning policy even when being advised differently by their professional planning department.

Quite why this application was allowed to get this far with support from the professional planners at GBC should be questioned as it looks to me a big embarrassment. (Of course, my comments do not take into account any pressures the planners might have felt under from their asset management department to make the shoe fit.)

Quite clearly, this whole process of trying to find a sustainable solution for Burchatt’s Barn needs to be looked at from a different angle. Community use first, financials second!

I am not advocating the Guildford Shakespeare Company’s underbid in any way and would hope that if the council were to reconsider their bid it would come under the same scrutiny. Would it result in the loss of a community building? Yes or no?

Cllr Hogger also displays time and time again that she is on the ball with regards to policy and is a credit to the Planning Committee.

Whilst I don’t like to have a go at councillors, (who give their time up for small allowances), I do think that Cllr Furniss’ proposal of a site visit would only have resulted in another month of bad-tempered debate for very little gain and would have left the poor applicant with continued uncertainty and worries. I am sure that all councillors must know this building and its surroundings very well and if they don’t then they should visit it immediately, as it is one of Guildford’s pearls.

I thought all public speakers spoke well, despite being interrupted by the chairman calling out, “30 seconds” each time. Why she can’t use an electronic “ping”, or something, is beyond me because it is very off putting