Letter: The Forgotten Side of Guildford – Are We Living in a Third World Country?

Published on: 5 Dec, 2025
Updated on: 5 Dec, 2025

Boarded up and unoccupied a council house in Park Barn.

From Dale Layman

Prospective Reform candidate for Guildford West

I am planning on standing as the Reform candidate for the Guildford West area in the unitary elections in May next year.

In preparation for this I have been knocking on the doors and speaking to the residents in the Westborough area to understand their particular issues.

In doing so I felt quite shocked and although the elections are not until next May I feel morally bound to raise this issue now.

My hope is that this will give the neglected residents a voice and press the borough council into urgent action or at the very least comment.

Steel girders give support to these houses with obvious structural weakness.

There are dozens of empty houses, some propped up with steel girders, houses with cracks in their walls, mould and damp, teenage children sharing single rooms, old fridges and washing machines left alongside rubbish in overgrown gardens.

These are some of the things you will see if you visit the social or council housing premises managed by Guildford Borough Council and provided to residents in the Westborough area of Park Barn.

Another house supported by propped up steel beams .

Previously reported in the 2024 Solace report and subsequent independent reviews, multiple red flags were missed by the Liberal Democrat–run council, alongside millions of pounds wasted through financial mismanagement, including a £13.5 million overspend on a maintenance contract.

So what does all this mean for the residents of Guildford?

2,268 people were on the joint housing register waiting list as of March 2025, and for an average person in Band C requiring a 2-bedroom house, the waiting time is over six years.

Residents report that many of these houses have not been empty for just a few months, but actually for several years.

So many empty council homes has a catastrophic effect on not only reducing the much-needed supply but also on the finances of lost tenancy rent to the council.

The cost to the area is also one of community cohesion and pride, which is lost to the people who by and large report being ignored by the council and in some cases having to consider legal action to get anything done.

The residents of Westborough need action and should not be simply brushed under the carpet.

Surely this is a matter for the council and our Liberal Democrat MP to get a grip on as a local priority?

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