Letter: I Have No Confidence in Council Infrastructure Planning

Published on: 10 May, 2016
Updated on: 10 May, 2016

From Peter Walker

I have absolutely no confidence whatsoever in the Guildford Borough Council’s planning department getting the infrastructure required in place either before, or after, the potential developments included in the revised Local Plan.

A good example of their “unjoined up” or disjointed thinking is the new primary school building recently approved in Send with no capacity to expand for greater numbers in the future.

Despite being advised by residents repeatedly as part of the public consultation that the existing school is close to capacity and the new school design had “no in-built flexibility to extend the school if required when all the houses are built” this point was not even addressed in the officers report (GBC ref. 16/P/00033).

I am sure there is no problem with the integrity of the planning department but you have to question their competence. Who is in control of the joined up thinking, the lead councillor for planning or the lead councillor for infrastructure?

Responses to Letter: I Have No Confidence in Council Infrastructure Planning

Neville Bryan Reply

May 10, 2016 at 6:50 pm

All the pupils are probably going to be taken by bus to the new school to be built in Normandy, because apparently that one is needed and provides “exceptional circumstances” to build in the green belt. But there are no buses, because Surrey County Council (SCC) have no funding. Will parents have to drive them to Guildford Station so they can catch the train? Hardly sustainable.

We here in the west of the borough were told that the infrastructure has had no serious investment in 30 years, SCC are billions short to meet current target, and yet senior officials and paid “experts” want to increase the housing, businesses and traffic by getting on for 25 per cent – but cannot provide an explanation of the sums.

I have just read the infrastructure project list, and it’s not close to addressing the core issues today. In fact it’s nearly all linked to the new sites and developer funding assumptions.

Saw a beautiful castle in the south of France on right move for price of a starter home in Guildford last week. Got me thinking I should improve my language skills.