News & Updates 

Local Plan Submission - Jan 2018

The Draft GBC Local Plan has now been submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for approval (or otherwise).

Most people (apart from GBC) have major concerns with the proposed scale of Housing development in the Plan - this has been widely commented on in the Press by concerned indivuals and by local organisations such as GRA, CPRE, Save Hogs Back and many others.

Our Allotment site is in the Plan (Policy A21). The Allocation note says "This site is allocated for additional allotments" with existing use stated as "Open Space & Allotments". It is also listed as "Protected Open Space".

It will be 2019 before the Plan returns from the Planning Inspectorate so we can only hope that Policy A21 as stated remains unaltered

Local Plan Review July 2017

This latest revamp by GBC was to include/review items from the full consultation of last year.

We reviewed it and heartened to see that the 2003 Housing Plans had not been reintroduced following the removal of that 2003 plan from the list of saved policies in the previous versions of the new Local Plan.

But no celebrations yet as (1) the GBC 2016/7 Local Plan has to be approved by the Planning Inspectorate in Bristol (who knows what might happen there) and (2) GBC have yet to convey the uncultivated part of the Aldershot Road Site to Guildford Allotment Society (no news about that as yet) but it is stated that it will happen on the GAS website.

The Local Plan is expected to be back from Bristol some time in 2019.

Housing Numbers & GRA -July 2017

WBDRA continues to support GRA (Guildford Residents Assocation) and attends its meetings whenever we can.

It doesn't mean that we endorse 100% everything they say but hey -that's democracy for you when the majority do.

What we were concerned about was their consultants initial revamp/review of GBC's housing numbers which seemed not that far different to GBC's.

However a subsequent analysis this year using revised assumptions & official Government statistics has reduced the figure quite substantially. Good news and we now look forward to the publc enquiry!

Oakfields Tree Poisoner still at large - July 2017

No action yet by GAS or GBC to investigate & apprehend the Oak Tree Poisoner.

There is a long established Oak Tree at the Oakfields end of the Allotment site which GBC & GAS realised had been poisoned.

The plot holder whose plot abuts the tree was contacted by GAS last year in a rather accusatory manner but it definitely wasn't him as holes had been drilled all around the base of the trunk and some poisonous/toxic substance poured in.

These holes were there well before GBC built the Oakfields fence so easy for the poisoner to drill around the entire base - that would not have been possible after the fence was erected!

Why would anyone want to do this? Because it spoils their view of the Allotment site said a tenant who lives close by and it had to be someone pretty local as who else would cart a drill around to do this? 

It's a criminal offence to poison an oak tree - so why no action?

Beverley Mussell - Resident of the Month Award - April 2017

We were all very pleased to see Bev receiving this award in April from the Surrey Advertiser. Richly deserved as a result of her dedication to Allotments and community service. A copy of the article is in our Library  see "Bev - resident of the month 28-04-17"

.....more news to follow soon