Press Announcement
Formation of Guildford Greenbelt Guardians
We are pleased to announce that 18 groups from Guildford's towns and villages have united
to form an organisation in defence of the borough's Green Belt. These include parish
councils, residents’ associations and campaigning groups.
We are not comfortable with allocating significant amounts of green field land as potential
development areas when there are surface car parks, unused brownfield sites and empty
homes that GBC has not taken into account, and where possible housing densities could be
reasonably increased. We believe that Green Belt status should mean that land is protected;
we believe that there should be no development in the AONB; and we believe that all green
fields matter, whether they are AONB, Green Belt, agricultural land (which is important for
feeding our country) or just important local open spaces. We do not want to keep deserted
building lots, or contaminated land, or land-greedy surface level car parks as they are, in
order to build on green fields. While there is brownfield land, we should leave the green
fields alone.
Our members include:
Ash Green Residents' Association
Beechcroft Drive Residents’ Association
Bookham and Effingham Together - Hands off the Green Belt
Burrows Cross Area Residents' Association
Jacobswell Residents’ Association
Keep the Horsleys in the Green Belt
Normandy Action Group
Ockham and Hatchford Residents' Association
Ockham Parish Council
Poyle Road Campaign Group (Tongham)
Ripley Parish Council
Save Hog's Back
Save Shere, Gomshall and Abinger
Shalford Conservation Society
Residents of Wood Street Village
The Ripley Society
Westborough, Broadacres & District Residents Association
Wisley Airfield Action Group
A number of other groups are going through formal procedures to join us and we expect our
numbers to increase rapidly.
We would welcome as further members any other residents’ associations, parish councils or
campaigning groups who may wish to join us.
We believe
• Brownfield land should be used for building before any green fields
• Housing numbers must reflect real local need, not developers’ wishes
• Existing legal protection for the Green Belt and the AONB should stand
• Green fields matter - they are not just building land
• The Metropolitan Green Belt is for the benefit of all
Criticism of the Strategic Housing Market Assessment
We feel the need to launch GGG now because we have particular concerns about the
Strategic Housing Market Assessment which is currently being produced and which will form
part of the evidence base of the Local Plan. These concerns include the following:
• No local people are being consulted
• The remit involves only housebuilders and local councils in consultation
• There appears to be a desire to inflate real local need to reflect developers’ demands
We do not believe that the proposed remit of the SHMA is fit for purpose and we wish to
express this view to councillors in a formal letter.
Tim Harrold, Chairman CPRE Surrey Guildford District, made the following statement of
support:
“The formation of the Guildford Greenbelt Guardians reflects the strength of feeling
amongst large numbers of residents who believe that the countryside is under threat from
the evolving Local Plan.
CPRE understands this concern and recognizes that the credibility of some of the
technical evidence so far published by the GBC has been questioned by many villages,
residents’ associations, and environmental groups.
It is not surprising therefore that residents are worried about how the Strategic Housing
Market Assessment will be prepared and what role community stakeholders are likely to
play in this process.
CPRE supports all those who are committed to protecting the Metropolitan Green Belt,
the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and of Great Landscape Value, and
the agricultural countryside and extensive woodland in Guildford that is under threat.
It is time to say “no” to further development if it means destroying our Surrey
countryside heritage which we all value so highly.”
Save Hog’s Back commented on why they have joined GGG:
“GBC has underestimated the value that Guildford residents place on the borough's open
countryside and picturesque villages. We care just as much about our neighbours' green
spaces as we do about our own back yard and we will fight to protect these as long as we
know that there are more appropriate sites to meet Guildford's housing needs.”
Helen Jefferies, the Wisley Airfield Action Group chair, and deputy chair of Ockham Parish
Council, said today:
"Specific threats to our green belt hang like a sword of Damocles over towns and villages
across the borough, so we fully support a united campaign to protect our children's
heritage."
Enquiries:
Karen Stevens Guildfordgreenbeltguardians@gmail.com
