New Parish Councillor Says Funds from Developers Must Benefit the Local Community

Published on: 30 May, 2025
Updated on: 30 May, 2025

Cllr Sue Wyeth-Price

By David Reading

The newly-elected member of Ash Parish Council, Sue Wyeth-Price, said today (May 30) that one of the major challenges ahead will be to ensure that section 106 funds collected from housing developers are appropriately spent for the benefit of the Ash community.

Wyeth-Price, who stood as an Independent, won the election with 562 votes. Her lone rival, Conservative Naveed Mughal, polled 235 votes.

In the context of the huge housing boom in Ash, Wyeth-Price said it was vital that developer contributions were used for the benefit of local facilities such as schools, roads and GP services

The newly-elected parish councillor is a local campaigner who was formerly the chair of Ash Green Residents Association (AGRA). Since 2023 she has been a member of Guildford Borough Council, representing Residents for Guildford and Villages (R4GV).

The turnout for Thursday’s by-election was low – only 16.58 per cent. A total of 807 votes were cast in an electorate of 4,868.

The election in the Ash South Ward was called following the resignation of Sara Badger, an Independent who was elected in June 2023.

It was because of the efforts of Sue Wyeth-Price and others in Ash that the election was triggered in the first place. The rules state that when there is a casual vacancy, the signatures of ten local electors are needed in order to call an election, otherwise the council can co-opt a new member.

In this case, Wyeth-Price gathered 12 signatures – saying it was vital there should be an election “for the sake of local democracy”.

The winning candidate told The Guildford Dragon NEWS that she was a strong believer in independent representation with the community being put first.

“I’m absolutely delighted to have been elected and want to thank everyone who supported me,” she said. “It’s a real honour to represent our community, and I’m looking forward to working with the parish council and with the residents.

“There are many challenges to be tackled. I want to continue working with councils and charities to restart the youth club in Ash, to give our young residents a place to meet and socialise outside of school.

“I want to continue the work on investing in, and protecting, our local parks and green spaces.

“I will continue to work on the Ash Neighbourhood Plan and hopefully encourage residents to become more involved in developing and protecting the area.

“I regularly attend the meetings of the residents’ association in Ash Green, and hope to encourage other parts of the community to develop their own residents’ association and community groups.

“Above all I want to ensure that the section 106 funds collected from the new developments in Ash are appropriately spent in Ash, for the benefit of the local residents, for schools, road improvements, GP services and public art.”

Wyeth-Price said she believed business at parish council level should be free of party politics. “I believe in community-first, independent representation and I’ll continue to listen closely to residents and work hard to ensure Ash remains a great place to live.”