Letter: R4GV Is Not a Property Developer

Published on: 15 Apr, 2022
Updated on: 15 Apr, 2022

Woking tower blocks. Google Street View

From: John Redpath

R4GV borough councillor for Holy Trinity

In response to: Welcome to Woking-on-the-Wey!

I would like to clarify that Richard Mills is incorrect in his assumption that the North Street development is an R4GV [Residents for Guildford & Villages] one.

Put simply for Mr Mill’s benefit, R4GV currently lead the borough council. We are not property developers we are a political party. The North Street development is being carried out by St Edward which is a property development company, not a political party.

The North Street development will go through the normal planning process and it will be at this stage that height, scale and bulk will assessed.

Of course, I perfectly understand how a Tory can muddle politics and property development as he supports a national party which is funded by, among others, property developers.

On the numbers, I suggest Mr Mills goes to Woking to count the number of floors on some of their new properties before making similar height claims regarding Guildford.

Responses to Letter: R4GV Is Not a Property Developer

Richard Mills Reply

April 16, 2022 at 10:56 am

If Cllr Redpath and his R4GV colleagues will either confirm that when planning applications for the North Street area are submitted they will not support higher-rise developments or, failing that, make public the guidance on building height in the Design Brief that his administration should have prepared for a significant site of this kind, I will willingly bow down and acknowledge my errors.

Richard Mills is the vice-chair of the Guildford Town Conservatives
C S Gosden Reply

April 16, 2022 at 8:20 pm

A somewhat uncivil response – glad I didn’t vote for him!
Michael Brown Reply

April 29, 2022 at 7:00 pm

R4GV [Residents for Guildford & Villages] may not be a property developer but one of their leaders, Cllr John Rigg, who seems to run all the council’s big projects and I understand was a high ranking director of Savills (who apparently now act for the developers of Wisley airfield) must have experience of property development.

So do Savills now represent our R4GV led council or other property developers involved across Guildford?

Response from Cllr John Rigg

There is some misinformation here, even disinformation perhaps, now local elections are on the horizon.

Having been asked by The Dragon to respond l can confirm Guildford Borough Council has always used a considerable number of different external property consultants across their many different projects. Landowners also use different property consultants.

All the council adviser appointments are undertaken through strictly controlled procurement protocols and elected members are excluded from the selection process. Potential conflicts of interest are monitored carefully although any council want to appoint property advisers to be experts in the area and so it is highly likely the advisers will be active in that area.

Savills also, of course, are not property developers but advisers. They can be freely appointed by any party including Mr Brown. They advise countless councils and developers across the UK, that is their business activity.

I gather Savills has over 20,000 employees currently so it is not impossible some might stand as local councillors many years after they retired as l did in May 2019.

I wish more retired professionals from all walks of life would stand as councillors to contribute their experience to local government. Perhaps Mr Brown might be interested and, if so, please can he make contact with me?