Letter: I Am Not Against Wisley Airfield Development On Condition…

Published on: 1 Sep, 2017
Updated on: 1 Sep, 2017

From M Botha

In response to: Borough Council Accused of Presenting ‘Lame Duck’ Defence of Wisley Planning Decision

I must say that although I am a Ripley property owner I am not against developing the former Wisley Airfield and would support the Local Plan to do so if one could be sure that this would:

mean that other green belt is protected more vigorously;
the development itself is designed to fit into the style of Surrey villages that surround (i.e. no 4/5 storey blocks of flats);
development is after or in conjunction with new developed access to A3 and M25 junction improvements.

I also believe that where green belt is converted to allow development, that the relevant council (i.e. Guildford) should be required to purchase the land at the pre-approval value, and then to auction to developers whose plans meet the conditions (suitability etc).

Windfall gains from land use change consents should accrue to the ratepayers in that council – this will reduce the opportunity for lobbying and corruption.

Responses to Letter: I Am Not Against Wisley Airfield Development On Condition…

Tony Edwards Reply

September 2, 2017 at 9:37 am

I don’t think M Botha has thought this through. How do you protect the green belt by destroying hundreds of acres of prime, productive, green belt farmland set in a historic hamlet?

You either protect green belt or you destroy it – never to be replaced.
Mike Murphy Reply

September 2, 2017 at 3:48 pm

I think when Mr Botha cannot get his car out of his house in Ripley with the extra four to five thousand cars in the area he might just realise what a very foolhardy comment he just made.

Not to mention the pollution, litter, lack of proper infrastructure and the sheer volume of extra people in our already very congested part of the world.

For goodness sake lets preserve our very precious green belt that our wise forefathers left in trust to us.