Letter: Too Many Opinionated, Over 60s Men Prevaricating Over the Town’s Future

Published on: 17 Aug, 2021
Updated on: 17 Aug, 2021

An impression of what the proposed St Mary’s Wharf development might look from Friary Street.

From C Harding

In response to: The Guildford Society is Not Nimby

The problem with Guildford seems to be that there are too many wealthy, retired architects and surveyors or other professionals, mainly men 60 plus, who have far too much time on their hands so sit around provaracating about design and heights and ridiculous things in their old boys clubs.

They all have in common that they individually seem to think their opinion is correct and the only one that matters; they are the experts and everyone else is wrong.

Now they can’t even agree with each other!

There is a massive shortage of homes in the borough and the town is starting to look really drab and run down and needs regenerating. If only Guildford could move forward one day without being held back by the retired professional do gooders who most likely already own their own home.

Responses to Letter: Too Many Opinionated, Over 60s Men Prevaricating Over the Town’s Future

Paul Burgman Reply

August 17, 2021 at 9:36 pm

“Everyone else is wrong!” Says someone who thinks everyone else is wrong.
- Jan Messinger Reply
  
  August 17, 2021 at 11:33 pm
  
  I am not an over 60-year-old-male but I think the proposal at the old Debenhams site is too high.
  
  Has anyone gone around the corner at Walnut Tree Close recently? It looks awful but it’s nowhere near as high as the St Mary’s Wharf proposed buildings.
  
  Is this really what people want?
Jim Allen Reply

August 18, 2021 at 8:12 am

If C Harding would share a cup of coffee I would explain. With age comes experience and knowledge. The word “massive” is poorly advised.

We are not all architects, surveyors or professionals. Some of us, dragged our selves up from the bottom learning to separate fact from fashion on the way. In planning decisions we have learnt that it is financial and political considerations that weigh more than how pretty the end result.

It’s a fact of life that “bin there done that”, trumps inexperience. It always has.
Alistair Smith Reply

August 18, 2021 at 10:33 am

The key activity to address the concerns of C Harding is for GBC to complete (and adopt) current work on a Town Centre Masterplan, with its focus on regeneration. The Masterplan should provide the framework for providing quality housing in the Town Centre on several sites. We would urge this process, including public engagement on ideas and options, is speeded up.

Sadly the St Mary’s Wharf site is not part of this masterplan, and in our view does have serious issues that need resolving.

Alistair Smith is chair of the Guildford Society
David Smith Reply

August 18, 2021 at 2:27 pm

Thanks to C Harding for being brave and saying what a lot of us are thinking.
Adam Aaronson Reply

August 18, 2021 at 10:48 pm

Since the age and gender of commentators seems to be a concern of C Harding, perhaps he or she could disclose his/her age and gender. This might add some weight to the context, if not the substance, of the comment, which some might consider both ageist and sexist. For all we know, C Harding might actually be a male 60 plus architect.
Stuart Barnes Reply

August 19, 2021 at 9:52 am

My rather sad observation is that Guildford used to be beautiful. Every building change has made it less so and the various current proposals are guaranteed to accelerate that trend.