Worplesdon County Councillor ‘Rants’ About Critics of Countryside Policy

Published on: 26 Feb, 2019
Updated on: 28 Feb, 2019

Worplesdon county councillor Keith Witham.

By Rebecca Curley

local democracy reporter

A Tory county councillor has had a “rant” at residents “opposing” Surrey County Council’s strategy to manage its countryside estate including the introduction of car parking charges.

Cllr Keith Witham said he was “sick and tired” of emails from people who “just oppose stuff”.

The Conservative councillor for Worplesdon said people had “rose-tinted spectacles” thinking the county’s countryside estate is natural arguing instead that it is “man-made” and that “it’s just as man-made as a housing estate built with concrete bricks and tarmac” because the areas are “maintained by man”.

He delivered the speech ahead of a discussion about SCC’s 25-year Countryside Strategy at the environment select committee on Friday, February 22.

The council introduced parking charges for some of the countryside estates in July 2018 and in October last year launched a consultation for views from residents on how they use the common land.

The meeting heard that 1,367 people responded to the consultation with 95% saying the countryside estate was very important or important to them.

Nearly 300 people said they did not want the council to consider income-generating schemes for the site.

But Cllr Witham said some people had a “lack of the grasp of reality” when it came to how the maintenance of the countryside estates would be paid for.

Reading out his speech, or rant as he called it, to the committee on Friday he said: “I welcome this summary as I believe it lays out the groundwork for setting out a strategy for the countryside over the next 25 years. But those who are opposed to extra money being raised either by car parking charges or more commercial activities are simply closing their minds to the reality of the situation.”

Referring to extra emails he had received outside of the consultation, he said there were always people who “were not short of opinions but have absolutely no responsibility for anything”.

Cllr Witham, who will be standing as a borough councillor for Worplesdon in May, said: “The question that groups like this never answer is how will the annual costs of maintaining places like Newlands Corner and our commons be paid for if not through, amongst other things, charges for car parking and other commercial activities.”

He said the reality was the money now raised by council tax was not enough. And that at the same time as reduced funding “demands and costs on other services had increased”.

He said: “All we ever get from those who are opposed to car parking charges or other commercial activities are the same old re-hashed arguments.

“That’s what I get sick and tired of. Emails from people who just oppose stuff and never put forward any constructive alternative suggestions at all.”

The final strategy will go before cabinet members in April. It looks at how the countryside will be maintained and managed between SCC and Surrey Wildlife Trust.

Cllr Mike Goodman, SCC cabinet member for the environment, said: “I think this 25-year countryside strategy is a good opportunity for us to ensure we protect and, more importantly, hand over this countryside for the next generation in a better condition than when we took over.”

Responses to Worplesdon County Councillor ‘Rants’ About Critics of Countryside Policy

Graham Potter Reply

February 26, 2019 at 2:33 pm

How is it that Cllr Witham and his colleagues never mention that they can increase council tax to the maximum to get more income, they can hold a referendum to increase it a great deal as was threatened once before but never carried through? Could it possibly be that our councillors with a Conservative majority, since time began, forget that they are elected to represent all voters in their ward, not just those vote Conservative?
Horror of horrors, they might not get elected again if a referendum upset their supporters, the party’s majority could suffer and, worst of all, a referendum would embarrass poor Mrs May who needs all the votes she can get. Be assured, borough and county councillors, you are all going to lose a great many votes and some seats next time we are allowed to vote.
Betty Jones Reply

February 26, 2019 at 5:26 pm

Keith Witham seems a very nice man. It is unfortunate, however, that it is this very attitude, one of regarding the natural world as a commodity for profit, that is destroying our countryside and wildlife.
Keith Witham Reply

February 26, 2019 at 10:07 pm

I thank Betty Jones for her response but the maintenance of our countryside does cost money. Installing and maintaining the pathways, the ditches, bridges over streams, caring for the flora and fauna, wildlife management etc, and it’s those costs that are being covered through parking charges and commercial activities.

Those who disagree need to make other proposals as to how those costs can be paid every year, but see my comments about the three things that people always say, and then put forward no actual alternatives, regards, Keith Witham

Please look at my article: The Kingston View: Children’s Care Services, Potholes, Traveller Incursions and more… published on The Dragon last May?

Keith Witham is the Conservative county councillor for Worplesdon
- Martin Elliott Reply
  
  February 28, 2019 at 8:08 pm
  
  As I’ve said elsewhere, it’s very difficult to put forward alternatives if material on the funding of SWT [Surrey Wildlife Trust] isn’t available. The business case for car park charges would be a good starting point, as referred to by Cllr Mike Goodman and I’m sure discussed at the Environment Select Committee of which Cllr Witham is a member.
  
  As a committee member, he surely represents all Surrey.
  
  Yet despite all his articles/replies and postings on social media, he has now said he won’t respond to information requests except those from Worplesdon Residents!
  
  This might be a common attitude of councillors for ward/area matters, but is totally unacceptable after such long, general and public conversation about Surrey-wide issues.
Keith Witham Reply

February 26, 2019 at 10:10 pm

I note that Graham Potter makes no suggestions at all as to how our local countryside costs should be paid for in future. Before doing so I hope he reads my article and in particular the three things that people always say.

Keith Witham is the Conservative county councillor for Worplesdon
Valerie Thompson Reply

February 28, 2019 at 11:30 am

But photos are published all the time, showing these car parks are empty. The revenues that GBC and other councils thought they would make are not being realised. People will just go elsewhere for their exercise. If the council provides toilets, these can have paid turnstiles; if a cafe is on the site then the owners can pay rent. Charging for parking is driving visitors away.

Of course, these areas need maintenance. I would ask Cllr Witham and readers to read my response to the letter, “I also said this about paying for countryside services“.

Stop wasting our taxes on these extravagant projects and spending on improving the council offices and use it to provide what the public wants, after all, it is we who put you in place to look after our interests, that includes caring for the countryside without fleecing us.
Keith Witham Reply

March 1, 2019 at 9:40 am

John Oliver, of the Newlands Corner Group, made a complaint to Surrey County Council about my comments on this subject.

See below the response, dismissing the complaint. I believe in speaking in clear, plain English and explaining the rationale behind decisions, and will continue to do that. I have replied personally to John as we will need to “agree to disagree” on this one.

From SCC Legal Officer:

I have looked at the attached correspondence, the news article and also watched the webcast of Cllr Witham’s speech.

Whilst there are clearly differences of opinion between the correspondents and Cllr Witham, and the views on both sides run high and are strongly held, I do not feel that either the tone or the content of Cllr Witham’s speech breaches the Code of Conduct. The speech itself was strongly-worded and direct, but it was also measured, reasoned and appropriate. It did not cross the line between firm political debate and expression of opinion to become inappropriate, irrelevant or offensive. There are those who will strongly disagree with what Cllr Witham said, as is inevitable on any matter of political controversy, but it does not mean that what was said and how it was delivered was wrong, unjustified or inappropriate.

Geoff Wild, Director of Law & Governance
Surrey County Council

(Keith Witham is the Surrey County Councillor for Worplesdon)