WESTBOROUGH, BROADACRES & DISTRICT
RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION
Meeting Minutes
23rd November 2013
Held at: Park Barn Community Centre
Commenced: 1000 hrs
Present:
David Bird (Chair) Helen Ward (Secretary)
Committee members:
Total attendees: 23 John Shorto (Treasurer)
Noreen Moynihan
Beverley Mussell
Dr Paul Cragg
Lewis Hewitt (Legal)
John Kerswell
Apologies: Anne Milton MP
Paul Kassell (Fairlands Action Group)
1 Chairman’s Welcome
Meeting commenced 10:00 hrs
The Chairman (DB) welcomed all those present.
He also pointed out the emergency exits and the evacuation procedures.
2 Approval of Minutes / Re-election of officers and committee members
The minutes of the previous meeting held on 23rd December 2012 were unanimously approved as was the re-election of the serving officers (DB, HW, JS and committee members: Bev Mussell, Noreen Moynihan, John Kerswell & Paul Cragg.
3 Secretary’s Report
Brought up the fight by FLGCA (Fairlands ActionGroup) to stop the possibility of between 519 and 733 new houses being built on green belt land to the south of the area despite them having past flooding and power issues and also that with the local infrastructure. Additionally there were rumours of an £8o million contract for new housing at Woking.
4 Treasurer’s Report
Funds stood at £260. This would cover website lease, Hire of the hall for the AGM and a minor subscription to the Green and Open Spaces Newsletter.
5 Councillors
Julia McShane asked if WBDRA was part of the Guildford Residents Association.
She also queried the options for the Local Plan for the development of the Pond Meadow area.
Fiona White mentioned the Pond Meadow Partnership with the idea of the area being developed towards community need.. She brought op the following points: 1) the area had no dedicated SCC community services 2) better health facilities were required in the area 3) The Park Barn Centre only really caters for the older members of the community and social places were required for people such as young mothers etc. (DB said he had no knowledge of any such plans). FW also asked for WBDRA to give support to the Park Barn community association.
Mark Chapman reminded the meeting that there is pressure to keep the Aldershot Road allotment site as allotments and that the Lib Dems would back this. Recommended keeping up the pressure by writing in support of keeping the allotments as such.
Paul Cragg referred to the proposed developments in Park Barn and asked if the garages in Clover Road were part of these. Julia pointed out that other garage sites in the area were also under consultations for development.
Bob M|cShee asked if WBDRA would support the Hogs Back Action Group who were against building on Blackwell Farm (owned by the Uni) as this would increase the risk of run-off water flowing into Wood Street.
6 Chairmans report
Planning applications have tailed off.
38 Oakfields went to appeal and Bristol seemed to have considered car parking. There are now 5 cars parked in the area of the property.
5 Wood Rise is now up for let.
John Gunner – delivered cow manure for charitable donations ie £160, £50 to the Royal Marsden and £110 to local charity.
The local Police (not invited to this meeting) – DB stated that criminality had gone up in the area and maybe bringing back Janet Ville should be considered.
Guildford Residents Association – aim to present a united response to GBC over development issues
Since the release of the housing docs, lots more places were up for development and as a result, the formation of more action groups eg Hogs Back, Pewley Down, Fairlands etc. Proposed housing plans have generated a lot of interest. AM said that they were only proposals but DB suggested that GBC had probably earmarked sites already and that these councils tended to have hidden agendas and that some of the action groups will have an effect.
At the current time only 2500 people had filled out the Local Plan Questionnaire.
Allotments: for the first time allotment holders agreed with GBC in that under Q36, they no longer considered the Aldershot Rd allotment site suitable for housing but DB suggested that people continued to write in as lots of things could still happen. Keith asked what chance they (GBC) could change their minds regarding the allotments not being built on…referring to the GAS meeting. FW replied that the 2003 plan was now out of date apart from certain saved policies eg the H3 policy concerning allotments. Allotment land sites are still owned by the local council so anything could happen between now and 2015. Bristol could still demand more housing
Mark Chapman stated that this was the first of 3 consultations and the public may need to respond again. If the original 2003 plan was now out of date then there was now no robust framework so the area could still be vulnerable. Sites could possibly be then included which GBC at present have no intention to develop upon. Development of communities around Guildford will be necessary (not just in the town centre) to ensure an area decent and affordable for the next generation.
John Shorto: affordable housing also stated that this should increase the development of the shared ownership scheme. DB said that many of the local housing requirements were put together by consultants.
Julia McShane stated that a Local Plan takes a lot of work and GBC Planning were working hard to produce it but if mistakes were found please let them know.
DB: Hopefully there was no further prospect of another road accessing the allotments or build on any spare land there. Ideas for the Aldershot Road site included a community orchard and help for the Headway charity but how much land could depend on possible development on the Bellfields site.
DB mentioned leaflets circulating promoting activities in the local area by other groups
7 Other issues from the floor
Keith Lawrence: 1 Pointed out the poor fencing on the allotment site. Apparently “Safer Guildford” hasn’t the money to repair/replace them. 2) Aldershot Road Allotment site needs to be redesignated as Statutory Allotments, especially if there are to be more tenants.
Fiona White: PCC Guildford were holding a crime summit at the G Live on November 28….ticket only. DB “We don’t take action on minor crime anymore” was the reply from Surrey police when people reported certain incidents so many no longer bothered to report them. FW said that any crime must be reported as repeat crimes will be flagged. If there were enough flags then action would be taken. No wonder crime figures for Surrey were down. Mark Chapman commented that councillors can also act if the police don’t. eg The speeding issue in Wood Street (Brought up by Paul Cragg).
Meeting was adjourned at 11:05 hrs by DB who thanked all for attending
Minutes submitted by: Helen Ward
Approved by: