Letter: What a Shocking Day for Our Local Community

Published on: 25 May, 2024
Updated on: 26 May, 2024

Cllr Catherine Young (left) with Wisley Action Group campaigner Helen Jefferies on a Wisley Protest Walk in February 2022.

From: Catherine Young

R4GV borough councillor for Clandon & Horsley

I am absolutely devastated by this decision and deeply concerned about the effect the decision will have on our residents, local campaign groups and our Parish Councils, who fought the appeal tirelessly and passionately.

Everyone worked so hard to present evidence, local knowledge, and experience, to illustrate the severe impact this development would have on our local villages.

Communities such as ours just do not have the resources, financial or otherwise which allow them to fight a national housebuilder on a level playing-field, especially when the borough and county councils just roll over to prop up their funding.

The planning inspector’s report states there will be “no severe impact on the local road network”, “no likely significant effects on the Thames Basin Heath SPA” and “less than substantial harm to our heritage assets”.

Everything that we desperately need locally in terms of infrastructure is simply allocated a planning condition or money to mitigate the impact.

Locals who sat on the A3 yesterday for five hours due to National Highways (NH) Lane closures, and those children who missed or were late for exams due to the lane restrictions imposed on the A245 know that NH appear to have no idea what impact plans have on the local road network or the Strategic Road Network either for that matter.

We all know what Taylor Wimpey’s track record is like. You’ve only got to read their Facebook Unhappy Customers page to realise how many of their promises will never be delivered.

It is just not good enough.

Those standing in the forthcoming election might be eloquent now in their promises of support, but for me actions speak louder than words, and I would ask where they were during the appeal when
their residents needed them most!

Call me a cynic, but I find it surprising that this decision came out after office hours on Friday after Parliament had been dissolved. There are no MPs now left to deal with residents’ anger so we can’t wait to welcome them, as candidates, onto our doorsteps.