Letter: Wisley Airfield is A Perfect Site for Development

Published on: 11 Jul, 2020
Updated on: 11 Jul, 2020

From William Cole

In response to: I Hope Residents Take Opportunity Comment on Wisley Development

Wisley Airfield is a perfect site for redevelopment.

It is in an area that everybody wants to live in, by a trunk road and a few miles from the M25. Traffic disturbance would be minimal to Guildford. It has a station with access straight to London, perfect for commuters. The surrounding land is mainly heathland with a few farms producing a little produce.

The area is ideal for the few residents who would prefer no significant population increase. Let everybody else suffer from huge population increases and mucky industries.

We have just celebrated VE Day, victory after a war when Wisley Airfield was very useful and no doubt many died for our benefit. But would the local residents accept the offspring now in gratitude? No, let that be someone else’s problem, “I’m alright Jack!”

Like Wellesley, near Aldershot and Elvetham Heath, near Fleet, the Wisley development should be welcomed by everybody in the borough as it goes a long way to solving the shortage of housing for our children and new residents.

So let’s not be so negative and welcome the development and perhaps demand that more homes are provided. I suggest 6,000 homes here. The alternative will be more intensive city development, and loss of all the pleasant urban gardens, because we have used up all the spare land in the Blackwater Valley.

Responses to Letter: Wisley Airfield is A Perfect Site for Development

Frank Phillipson Reply

July 12, 2020 at 2:56 am

It’s not a few miles from the M25, it’s virtually next to it. Where is this “It has a station”? The nearest are West Byfleet or Horsley, hardly close.

The development was refused by Guildford Borough Council and that refusal was upheld by the planning inspector at the appeal hearing.

GBC, under the Tories, seemed to consider that because central government was providing money for Garden Village projects the scheme became acceptable.

I’d like to know what has changed? What was Tracey Coleman, the borough council’s controversial former director and head of planning doing seemingly working on behalf of the developer’s interests? It all seems very, very murky and in need of investigation.

As for the housing, will there really be affordable houses? If the developer says that costs have overrun, they can, and do, apply to drop the affordable housing and they are usually successful, I understand.
- John Ferns Reply
  
  July 12, 2020 at 6:41 pm
  
  I read William Coles’ letter with a wry smile. I hope he was writing tongue in cheek. His second paragraph says it all.
  
  Who in their right mind would want to place a significant conurbation there, miles from a station and with no foreseeable access to even an upgraded A3/M25 junction?
  
  In his final paragraph, he indicates GBC/Rushmoor have already used up all their available space and that is even before we have the basic infrastructure in place.
  
  And Wisley will be getting a new school. Our secondary school-aged kids in Tongham are destined for schools in Farnham; certainly not within walking distance from their homes and even if they used their bikes, it will be across/down dangerous highways and rough farm tracks.
  
  No, William Coles has to be making light of a bad joke. Why stop at 6,000 homes for the Wisley site? Make it 10,000 and that might save the Blackwell Farm and Garlicks Arch sites.
George Sandy Reply

July 12, 2020 at 10:59 am

Won’t it be needed for another massive lorry park?
Adam Aaronson Reply

July 12, 2020 at 6:58 pm

6,000 homes? Don’t be silly.