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Letter: Typical Tory Disregard For the Best Interests of the Community

Published on: 19 Mar, 2021
Updated on: 20 Mar, 2021

From: George Potter

Lib Dem borough councillor for Burpham

In response to: Now Tories Demand Review of Their Own 2019 Local Plan

Perhaps Cllr Julie Iles would care to clarify what promise the Liberal Democrats are supposed to have broken?

The majority of Lib Dem councillors voted against the Local Plan and all of us recognised that once the Tories forced the vote to be held before the election then it was going to be impossible to rewrite the Local Plan afterwards without making things worse.

So we have categorically not broken any election promises by trying to make the best of the flawed Local Plan the Tories forced upon us.

That they’ve now had a sudden change of heart, less than two months before the election, smacks of cynical opportunism, as well as the typical Conservative disregard for the best interests of the borough.

They forced through a Local Plan in the most damaging way possible, and now they’re trying to rip it up again in the most damaging way possible.

If Cllr Iles and her colleagues are foolish enough to put their faith in promises on housing numbers from local MPs, who have no power whatsoever to keep those promises, then I have a bridge I’d like to sell her.

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Responses to Letter: Typical Tory Disregard For the Best Interests of the Community

  1. Julie Iles Reply

    March 19, 2021 at 10:49 pm

    George Potter is missing the point. R4GV are to be held to account for their pledge. They are now heading up the administration having had it passed to them from the Lib Dems.

    When the Lib Dems were in charge they fought off judicial reviews of the Local Plan.

    If Mr Potter does have a bridge to sell me I would like it as a replacement for Pigeon House Bridge which was washed away in floods; residents in Ockham, Ripley and Wisley would be most grateful.

    Julie Iles is the Conservative county councillor for The Horsleys

  2. Ben Paton Reply

    March 20, 2021 at 8:16 am

    Flawed Tory Local Plan?

    Ha ha ha.

    The Guildford Lib Dems supported this for some ten years. They voted for it a few days before the last election.

    All the national political parties have made a right horlicks in Guildford. A plague on all their houses.

    Guildford needs local parties (like GGG) and independent candidates.

  3. Colin Cross Reply

    March 20, 2021 at 8:13 pm

    I am not sure George Potter is right when saying that the majority of Lib Dem councillors voted against the Guildford Local Plan in 2019. That’s not my recollection. Certainly, a couple voted against it, mainly due to them not standing again in the upcoming elections, and the rest were split between some abstainers and a hardcore who supported it. I’m sure it’s recorded somewhere [see below].

    Not sure what Julie Isles is trying to say when she states that the Lib Dems “fought off JRs”. There were three independent JRs going through anyway, whether they agreed or not.

    I suppose it’s a compliment to now be told by the Tories that our commitment to a review is such a good idea that we should waste no more time. But how cheeky?

    We’ll be the best judge of that thank you. Our local Tories record on timing important events in recent years is, er, perhaps suspect at best?

    Colin Cross is the R4GV borough councillor for Lovelace.

    Editor’s note: The only Lib Dem to vote for the Local Plan in April 2019 was Caroline Reeves. Three voted against (one of whom did not stand in the subsequent election), two abstained and two, we believe, were absent.

    See: New Local Plan Adopted at Extraordinary Council Meeting – How They Voted

  4. Jules Cranwell Reply

    March 21, 2021 at 1:30 pm

    Isn’t this all a little too late, as the rape of the greenbelt continues unabated. These developments in the greenbelt villages cannot be reversed.

    If we can avoid further desecration, that would be very welcome, but does anyone at GBC have the courage?

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