Letter: Where’s the Evidence for this ‘Evidence-based’ Plan?

Published on: 4 Oct, 2019
Updated on: 4 Oct, 2019

From A Atkinson

In response to: More Turnover of Guildford Shops as Retail Instability Continues

The sad procession of Guildford’s retail news is not a surprise as retail has been in a long-term decline. The seemingly accelerated rate is down to business rate-driven cost increases, unsustainable demands from landlords, the higher cost of goods since the EU referendum and the increase in minimum wage.

However, much of this was clear at the time of the Local Plan adoption and God only knows what “evidence” the council was looking at for a massive increase in retail space provision in their “evidence-based” Plan.

Build, build, build on green fields in excess of the over-inflated housing need and associated infrastructure, is not going to help stop what the world, our country and our borough have declared as a climate emergency.

Neither is it going to help curb the accelerating species decline in the UK driving 15% to extinction (see Sky story).

“Evidence-based Plan”, the “right” plan? I don’t think so.

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