HTAG Guildford

Egra

EAST GUILDFORD RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION (EGRA)
2 Longdown Road, Guildford, Surrey GU4 8PP
Tel: 01483 564876 Fax: 01483451544
e-mail: tim.harrold1@btopenworld.com
TOP ISSUES OF GUILDFORD

EGRA has now been meeting regularly for 2 years to discuss topics of common interest to Residents Association members. This umbrella group provides an informal forum at which information can be exchanged and points of view on matters of common interest discussed.

As a result of these meetings, it was decided to see if it would be possible to draft a document highlighting areas of agreement in EGRA regarding the top issues of concern at Guildford.

The attached document is the result of this process. It does not pretend to be comprehensive but it does reflect the opinion of a cross section of resident groups in the East part of Guildford.

It is hoped that this will be useful in an election year to indicate some grass roots thinking to councillors and officers at a time when the emphasis on consultation has never been more intense.

We would welcome response from anyone interested. It is intended to continue to amend the document as necessary so that it is constantly kept up to date.

If you would like more information, or wish to suggest other points of view for consideration, please make contact with the address above or with Jim Rattray, who is the Secretary of EGRA. His address details are
59 Chantry View Road,
Guildford GU1 3XU
(Tel: 01483 303170).
We look forward to hearing from you.

Tim Harrold
Chairman
8th February 2005

February 2005

East Guildford Residents Association
(EGRA)

Top Issues of Guildford

EGRA supports fostering a sense of place and community as well as enhancing the built environment and rural landscape. In particular, EGRA encourages:

" Infrastructure before new development
" Protection of the Green Belt
" Protection of distinctive character areas
" Good design of all future developments
" Mixed development and affordable housing on larger sites
" Greater flexibility in changing land use from employment to residential
" Effective enforcement of planning conditions
" An integrated transport policy
" Protection of open spaces
" Effective waste management
" Control of air, light, noise and water pollution.
EGRA has been established for two years, with membership drawn from Boxgrove Park NW and RA, Burpham Community Association, The Clandon Society, Cranley Road Area RA, Chantry View Road NW and RA, Downsedge RA, Holy Trinity Amenity Group, Merrrow RA, Shalford Conservation Society and The Tyting Society.

1. Existing infrastructure problems should be resolved before developments are considered.
1.1. This issue is important because there seems to be little evidence locally or further afield of infrastructure, particularly in the shape of schools, shops and surgeries, being provided before new developments are completed.
1.2. The topography of Guildford as a gap town in the Surrey Hills AONB with important road and rail routes, and a river running through it, makes it essential for traffic and mobility management to be a top priority planning consideration.
1.3. Resident Associations are concerned about the rapid and major expansion of Guildford and the resulting impact upon infrastructure, heritage, open space, countryside, traffic, parking and quality of life.
1.4. Cumulative pressure on all aspects of infrastructure throughout Guildford is being experienced following developments that have already been implemented. This pressure will further increase significantly as higher density development is built without associated infrastructure investment.
1.5. The SEEDA checklist for essential infrastructure requirements should be used before additional housing or business expansion is permitted that will lead to population increase and additional congestion. EGRA supports this list, which includes - convenient and adequate schooling, appropriate hospital, medical and dental surgery facilities, traffic containment and subsidised public transport encouraging greater usage, transport capacity, adequate recreational facilities, waste disposal and water supply issues, and sufficient open space provision for all wards.
1.6. Approved intensive development in Burpham and other communities within the town require infrastructure to be built in advance of implementation.
1.7. EGRA suggests regular data be obtained on the level of empty office space that exists in Guildford. The extent of contaminated land which is available to be treated and could be developed as brownfield sites should also be monitored.

2. Green Belt should be protected from development.
2.1. EGRA supports Planning Policy Guidance 2 because it protects the openness of the countryside, the regeneration of urban centres, and the avoidance of settlements joining together through linear and other development.
2.2. EGRA supports those aspects of Planning Policy Guidance 3 that call for land to be released for housing on a sequential basis with priority given to the use of commercial brownfield sites, treated contaminated land and town centre regeneration projects. This should avoid encroachment on the Green Belt.
2.3. EGRA opposes erosion of open countryside both within and outside the Green Belt when urban capacity studies across Surrey indicate that the present housing allocation until 2016 can be met from existing built community settlements.
2.4. EGRA supports the frequent updating of urban capacity studies, and for development priority to be directed to those towns and communities which are "failing" both in Surrey and the country as a whole rather than to successful "hot spots" where infrastructure is already over-stretched.
2.5. EGRA supports the Surrey Hills Management Plan in its role of protecting Guildford's finest countryside in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Great Landscape Value (AONB and AGLV).
2.6. Development on flood plains is undesirable and inadvisable.

3. Established character areas should be protected from inappropriate development
3.1. EGRA supports the planning process being used to strengthen and enhance the distinctive character of the built environment by cherishing its heritage, ensuring excellence of design, protecting sense of place, and providing open space.
3.2. EGRA supports the protection of attractive suburban roads from inappropriate development and opposes treating them as reservoirs of brownfield land for intensive development.

4. Good design for future developments should be encouraged and monitored.
4.1. EGRA supports the safeguards for good design written into the Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) on Residential Design. The SPG was developed by GBC and approved in 2004 after strong pressure from Residents Associations to redress the problem that while Density Standards can be readily measured, Character and Design Standards need expertise, sensitivity and judgement to be recognised.
4.2. For two years prior to the SPG, developers had besieged the Borough with a rash of planning applications of high density and bulk located on inappropriate sites. Residents and planners urgently needed the SPG to help define Character and Design.
4.3. All concerned with planning need to understand the design safeguards in the SPG and must ensure that development applications and decisions observe them.
4.4. All new development should respect existing neighbourhood standards of height, bulk, massing and inter-building space.

5. Mixed housing developments should be encouraged on larger sites.
5.1. EGRA supports GBC's requirement for mixed housing developments on appropriate larger sites, comprising market priced and affordable housing in single and family units. However, this should not compromise the requirement for new development to be in sympathy with the general character of an area.
5.2. EGRA supports the priority of meeting local community needs for housing rather than market demand, which encourages inward migration and long distance commuting.

6. Flexibility regarding change of land use from commercial to residential should be encouraged.
6.1. EGRA supports flexibility in the reallocation of land from commercial to residential and mixed use especially where this could lead to a reduction in traffic as people will live closer to their work.
6.2. EGRA calls for a more detailed study to be made of the relationship between employment land availability and local housing needs, given the changes in the pattern of industrial, commercial, and service requirements.

7. Effective enforcement of planning conditions is required to engender confidence in the system.
7.1. EGRA supports the decision of GBC to increase the resources of the Planning Enforcement team. This increase is required to enable the service to move from a patchy reactive status to an orderly proactive system of inspection and action.
7.2. EGRA asks that appropriate information be provided on a systematic basis to interested parties, such as neighbours, residents associations and amenity groups. This should facilitate effective monitoring of planning conditions to be made by residents in support of the council's determination to improve enforcement.
7.3. The twin objectives for enforcement should be the consistent handling of breaches in planning legislation, policy guidance and conditions, and the provision of information in a clear and expeditious manner on why action is required.

8. Integrated transport plans for Guildford should be developed.
8.1. EGRA supports the provision of good internal links within the town and to surrounding towns and villages.
8.2. EGRA supports the need to get more people to use public transport, which in turn must be quick, efficient, good value for money and at convenient times. This could require small mini buses operating in residential areas to supplement larger buses on main routes. There should be more bus lanes where appropriate and a better link between the bus station and the rail station. Public funding for these schemes needs to be made available as part of the cost of an integrated traffic management package.
8.3. Park and Ride may provide part of a solution to traffic congestion in Guildford, provided selection of site location and viable size is determined by proximity to major access roads such as the A3 where high traffic flows justify such a development. To be viable, it must be attractive to drivers. The shuttle bus service to the town centre should be quicker than by car, safe, frequent, reliable, clean and significantly cheaper than parking at other sites in or nearer the main shopping areas.
8.4. Timing the introduction of any new Park and Ride site must take account of the congestion likely to be caused by the numerous town centre regeneration projects planned by 2010, and the impact of the temporary bus station on shuttle bus services.
8.5. EGRA supports initiatives that improve the relative attractiveness of public transport, and thereby encourages a modal shift from the car. EGRA is interested in plans for the proposed Airtrack rail link from Guildford via Woking, Chertsey and Staines to Heathrow.
8.6. EGRA is concerned that an integrated traffic management plan for the town is fully implemented before the Hindhead tunnel opens in 2009.

9. Open and green spaces in town centre should be protected
9.1. Open and green spaces are an essential feature of any town. These spaces in Guildford are not numerous and are under threat from development. They should be preserved for future generations. This will require long-term planning of all open space, including river and green corridors.
9.2. EGRA supports the creation of public and private open space, including squares and greens within large developments, and gardens and courtyards within smaller developments. It must be recognised that higher buildings should allow for more open space adjacent to the development.
9.3. EGRA supports the good and imaginative use of financial gain given by developers for open space, where no nearby open space can be created. This could include buying open space to preserve it and enhancing existing open spaces as opposed to just maintaining them.
9.4. EGRA opposes the urbanisation of public and private green space.

10. Effective Waste Management is a critical issue for Guildford
10.1. EGRA supports GBC's incinerator free approach to waste management in Guildford, and the recycling and composting targets put in place to achieve this. 10.2. Accordingly, EGRA supports GBC's tar
gets leading to 60% recycling by 2010 and welcomes the increased kerbside collections of all waste, including plastics. EGRA would be pleased to assist in motivating residents to achieve recycling targets.
10.3. EGRA supports the proximity principle for waste management in order to minimise HGV traffic and to limit the size of installations.

11. Pollution of all sorts should be controlled.
11.1. EGRA supports measures to reduce light pollution of all kinds and in particular the presence of "orange" street lighting. The dark sky at night is an important element in the quality of life and can provide distinctive environmental character in both town and country.
11.2. EGRA objects to the growth in night flying and is concerned at the increase in aviation noise of all kinds both during the day and at night. Helicopter noise is especially disturbing.
11.3. EGRA regards the supply of pure clean water as an essential measure of quality of life. Failure to tackle water wastage effectively from mains should not be used as justification for new reservoirs being built elsewhere to meet the need forecast as a result of housing growth.
11.4. EGRA is concerned about air pollution.

For further information contact - Tim Harrold, Chairman ,
2 Longdown Road
Guildford GU4 8PP
(tel. 01483 564876)
or
Jim Rattray,
Secretary,
59 Chantry View Road,
Guildford, GU1 3XU
(tel 01483 303170)