Letter: Why Does the GBC Executive Spend So Much Time Fighting Residents?

Published on: 13 Mar, 2019
Updated on: 13 Mar, 2019

Chantries Camp Site

From John Redpath

Prospective Independent candidate at the forthcoming borough council election

After all the anguish, it is good that GBC Executive has admitted communications were unclear with regards to the Chantries Campsite proposals. Incompetence is certainly preferable to an attempt to secretly privatise a community asset.

The claim by the council, suggesting that Kevin Rye’s case was brought due to election-based politicking, is quite wrong. Joss Bigmore (who in part, due to this debacle, has himself become an R4GV [Residents for Guildford and Villages] candidate) was only a resident when he spoke out at the council Executive meeting on Jan 8, at that time Residents for Guildford and Villages didn’t even exist.

It is issues like this, and the rental for profit of the Burchatt’s Farm Barn community facility, that have given life breath to this vigorous group of Independent candidates in the borough. When residents are not listened to they will react. This happens the world over. In our case R4GV is the result, one could say it’s the creation of insensitive and ignorant council decision making.

It’s a shame that some council officers have attracted criticism in the process; I have always found GBC council officers to be most professional in carrying out the tasks dictated by their elected masters no matter how unpopular those tasks may be.

Guildford is blessed with a highly skilled, engaged population as was shown by Kevin Rye’s and Catherine Fowler’s successful campaign. Resident Associations, the Guildford Society, GVG and numerous other groups are stocked with professional people willing to give their time and expertise for free.

In these times of austerity, I really don’t see why the Executive spends so much time fighting residents rather than accepting their help gladly. Hopefully, this stubbornness and refusal to listen will change after the elections this May.