Letter: The Only People Who Challenge the Council Are Chucked Out

Published on: 4 Sep, 2018
Updated on: 4 Sep, 2018

From Gordon Bridger

hon aldermen and former Mayor of Guildford

Congratulations on The Dragon’s thorough coverage of the latest development in the long-standing issue of Tyting Farm.

I will not enter into the debate about the legal or moral issues involved on going back on this agreement, as the Tyting Society, and indeed the public, can reach their own conclusions on that one.

I wish to comment on the statement attributed to the Guildford Borough Council (GBC) that “financial pressures on the council have increased and they need to review their building programme”.

Is this the council which has just passed a capital budget which proposes another £1.165 million on an extension of the Tunsgate surface, which is likely to have already cost over £1 million – for a responsibility which is normally that of Surrey County Council? Or is this the council which is planning to spend £200,000 on a campsite on the Chantries? Or where is the £81 million which the council was considering investing in student housing to come from?

We residents living within one of the wealthiest communities in Britain (average salary around £35k per annum), and only paying GBC council tax of around £200 each per year, are entitled to wonder why we are so short of money that we have to renege on commitments.

Yes, the council does have a financial problem with its recurrent budget, but not with its capital budget which is flush with money, as the Government Treasury only allows local authorities to increase their council tax by 2% each year (4% for county councils).

Do you know how much that is on the mean council tax rate in Guildford? Perhaps £10 per year for the GBC element? Furthermore, the government has been reducing grants it gives to councils, obliging them to cut services. This hits counties very badly as they are largely responsible for social and care services.

Guildford Borough makes a huge contribution to government finances through business rates, around £85 million, but is now getting little more nothing in return.

According to The Economist, we have one of the most centralised financial controls of any government in Western Europe, its almost Soviet-like, and this seriously inhibits economic growth.

GBC is being squeezed and has done well to reduce costs and raise funds but it claims that we need capital, in the case of Tyting Farm and many others, are not convincing (the interest it would yield would be trivial) and claims that assets need to be sold off to meet financial needs must be questioned.

Has anyone questioned how much the under-spend on the budget was last year? No? In my day it was anything between £1 and £2 million – far too much to justify the need to cut many forms of minor recurrent expenditure.

What I find worrying is that the only people willing to challenge the financial efficiency of our council are a couple of Conservative councillors who then get expelled for doing so. I should add my fellow hon alderman, Bernard Parke to this meagre list.

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