Letter: Lib Dems and Tories Need to Plan on Planning Policies

Published on: 15 Jan, 2023
Updated on: 15 Jan, 2023

From: David Roberts

In response to: Lib Dem Claims of Working with North Street Developers Shows a Divided Party, Says R4GV

The Lib Dems’ obvious defence against charges of hypocrisy is that their councillors aren’t whipped and that their members on the Planning Committee just happened, on purely planning grounds, to unite to reject the North Street proposal.

Pull the other one. If, beyond pure opportunism, they really don’t have a party policy on planning and development issues, then they need to get one quickly, before the May local elections. This is the most important matter facing the council, yet their leader, Cllr McShane, obstinately refuses to utter a single word about it. This is just not serious politics.

Another striking feature of the story is the uncharacteristically anti-developer line taken by the Tories. Many will hope this is the start of a rejection of Cllr Spooner’s hated Local Plan that would be an easy key to unlocking a revival in their electoral fortunes.

It’s amazing how much heat has been generated by the 400 new homes proposed for the town centre compared with the thousands actually being built around the Horsleys.

Why is Guildford’s MP Angela Richardson silent about the 2,000 houses planned for Wisley, which is likely to be moved into her Guildford constituency?

It’s current MP, Sir Paul Beresford, has been ineffective in his opposition to the development and hasn’t even responded to requests to add his name to the 1,300 public objections to it – surely not too much to ask.

Zoe Franklin is equally ignoring this area, seemingly uninterested in voters who have got rid of all their Tory councillors since 2015.