Letter: Management of Chantries Campsite Proposal Was Deplorable

Published on: 11 Jan, 2019
Updated on: 11 Jan, 2019

Chantries Campsite

From Gordon Bridger

hon alderman and former Mayor of Guildford

In response to: Chantry Woods Proposal Was ‘Secretive’

In September 2017, seeing £200,000 in the GBC capital estimates for Chantry Woods, I asked our three Holy Trinity borough councillors to let residents know what this was for. They never replied. The first I heard of this item again was last week in The Guildford Dragon NEWS.

I secured copies of the seven proposals and circulated them widely. Since there was only a few days before the Executive meeting one of our three councillors, Geoff Davis [Con, Holy Trinity] agreed to ask for a postponement. However, at the Executive meeting on Tuesday, he did not do so and supported provisional approval of a scheme.

I have no details of the scheme but someone who has seen it, and knows the area, advises me that it entails using an existing popular area and that nothing is known about the company contracted.

This is a deplorable way of managing council affairs.

No wonder there is a move to encourage Independents to stand in the May elections.

When invited to respond, Cllr Davis referred us to an email reply he had sent to Gordon Bridger:

From Cllr Geoff Davis (sent to Gordon Bridger)

To say that I am saddened – and not a little irritated – with this further email from you would be understating the situation.

I have spent virtually two days this week on this Chantries Campsite matter, as the ward councillor. To a large extent, I am needing to plough a lone furrow at the moment.

Your email suggests that you have not taken the time to view the webcast of the Executive meeting on Tuesday this week.

Had you done so, you would have heard me explain that I had come in and discussed the matter in detail with my Executive colleagues, and we had ultimately agreed that Option D was satisfactory subject to the safeguards set out by the leader.

I have not let you, or anybody else, down. Kindly retract that forthwith.

You would have seen that local resident Jonathon Bigmore spoke at the meeting, on behalf of other local residents who were also present. Those residents, including the chairman of the Tyting Society, seemed reasonably happy after the meeting because their views will be taken into account as the matter progresses.

I have also had the correspondence and questions today from Bob Bromham [Holy Triunity Amenity Group], which I have passed forward to Peter O’Connell [GBC director of environment]. Surely the two of you can agree who is leading your discussion, without asking me to repeat everything?

I am a totally democratic councillor and behave to the highest professional principles. I object to your constant sniping…

Obviously, if local residents are “demanding” Independent councillors, they will be offering themselves for election – that is their democratic right.

Frankly, I thought you and I had some sort of mutual respect after our lunch together. This accusatorial email from you, copied to so many, has dashed that now.

Hopefully, you will now desist from sending me three emails every day, demanding instant attention on so many matters.

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