Letter: Who Is Managing the Guildford Local Plan Now?

Published on: 28 Jul, 2014
Updated on: 31 Jul, 2014

From Dr Paul Cragg

Having just heard of the precipitate departure of the head of planning, Carole Humphrey, I wanted to address a couple of questions to the council Executive meeting on Tuesday, July 22.

However their rules do not allow questions from the public unless they directly relate to items on the agenda.

The departure of Carole Humphrey was not on the list. So now, as the Executive will not take general questions, if I want to ask what is happening about the leadership in the planning department, I will have to wait until the next full council meeting in October.

This is well past the consultation cut-off date for public responses to the Draft Local Plan. Perhaps the pages of your newspaper will be able to get my concern across to those in charge at GBC?

What I should like to ask them is this:

In the light of recent changes in the Planning Department, would the lead member for planning [Cllr Monika Juneja] explain the measures that have been put in place to ensure the Local Plan remains on track?
And, following the departure of Carole Humphrey after 15 years with Guildford Borough Council, what arrangements has Cllr. Juneja made for an equally competent and experienced planner with a thorough knowledge of the Borough to robustly represent the interests of Guildford at the Examination in Public?

From my point of view, as a resident of Guildford, I tend to think that when the captain deserts the ship that ship is about to sink. In this case it could leave the Local Plan drifting hopelessly in the water.

See Cllr Juneja’s response: Council Planning Business Continues As Usual