Residents Party Explains Its Reluctant Decision to Delay Development Moratorium

Published on: 11 Oct, 2019
Updated on: 12 Oct, 2019

Cllr Susan Parker moved the motion calling for a moratorium on greenfield development.

A motion from the leader of the Guildford Greenbelt Group to defer greenfield development was only “reluctantly deferred” according to a statement from the Residents for Guildford and Villages party, most of whom voted against its adoption.

In a press release from the party chairman, Fiona Davidson, it was stated that the party had decided “for delay to consider latest brownfield update and to win majority support for a climate change motion with real potential for tangible results.

The statement continued: “R4GV recognises the criticality of the Climate Emergency. That is why it was so difficult for R4GV to move for a deferment of a climate change motion at the meeting of Guildford Borough Council (GBC) on Tuesday evening (October 8). The motion to defer achieved support from most of the chamber.”

The climate change motion was put by Cllr Susan Parker (GGG, Send) and seconded by Ruth Brothwell (R4GV, Worplesdon). Both spoke with passion in favour of taking tangible action.

Cllr Tony Rooth

Councillor Tony Rooth (R4GV, Pilgrims)), who proposed the motion to defer, said: “We need to maximise development on brownfield sites to protect our green fields. A revised Brownfield Land Register will be published within two weeks. R4GV will seriously study the revised register and investigate ‘Brown Field First’ development. R4GV calls for a full and informed debate with the latest information, which was not available on Tuesday evening.”

Cllr Caroline Reeves

But Council Leader Caroline Reeves, also lead member for the Environment was more critical of Cllr Parker’s motion. She said: “The Lib Dem group read Cllr Parker’s motion as rash and ill-thought-out as well as factually incorrect.

“We look forward to a debate based on accurate facts and information, and a true reflection of evidence-based proposals to ensure the highest quality of sustainability in our planning policies which will show our accepted need to take Climate Change seriously.”

Cllr Diane Jones

The sole Green Party member at GBC, Diane Jones who forms part of the R4GV group, said: “Whilst I can understand the reasons for this motion being deferred, I think the essence of it is something that the whole council will support, and in particular the Villages Groups and Lib Dems at the next time of asking.

“It addresses the concerns that we all have for the green belt and the excessive and unsustainable building that is currently proposed. This is pushed by national government and although this puts pressure on local government, we do have options.”

“Worthing Borough Council is leading the way in sustainable and cost-effective Development. They have forged an agreement with Skanska and Ikea to provide top quality, contemporary and affordable houses that meet the highest environmental standards whilst using less land.

“This is the future, and we now have the opportunity to be an exemplar of Green Development in Surrey I feel confident that we will all soon be supporting a very similar motion to the one deferred, to give us time to plan how we implement enlightened construction.”

Susan Parker expressed her disappointment with the R4GV party decision: “Why did the R4GV leadership act to support pro-development Lib Dem arguments? Why wouldn’t they even discuss amendment, as I‘d offered before the meeting, but pushed for deferral to kick this motion into the long grass?

“I asked Guildford to seek a moratorium on new applications for development on green fields (including Ash & Tongham) and for an all-party group to reconsider site allocations, given we now have housing oversupply.

“It would have taken a few days to put together a working group – a brownfield review being published in two-weeks is absolutely not sufficient reason to defer. The next council meeting isn’t for months.

“How many planning applications will be submitted by then, and how much building will be forced through? Is this why R4GV leaders wanted to defer? There was and is no good reason to delay reconsideration of the hated plan.”

Responses to Residents Party Explains Its Reluctant Decision to Delay Development Moratorium

Julian Cranwell Reply

October 12, 2019 at 8:12 am

This is extremely disappointing as R4GV stood on a platform to revise the Local Plan, in respect of green belt development. If Arun council can do this, why not Guildford?

As to Cllr Reeves’ comments on Cllr Parker, the new council leader appears to have taken on Cllr Spooner’s tactic of playing the man, not the ball.