Difficult Choices

Elections will be held this Thursday May 7th to select members for the new West Surrey Unitary Authority (WUSA), which after a year operating as a 'Shadow' Authority, will assume the responsibilities previously held by Surrey County Council and the various boroughs, including Guildford Borough Council, and districts in the West Surrey area on April 1st

It is inevitable that these local elections, which have largely been driven by the major political parties to concentrate on the national political agenda, have given limited consideration to local issues, which include:

• A particularly difficult financial situation inherited from its predecessor authorities, which is now starting to be documented fully. See Link 
• Creation of a Mayoral Strategic Authority for Surrey in the future.
• Significant changes to the NHS's organisational structure
• The introduction of new planning policies
• For the Guildford Area the requirement to complete a new Local Plan within 30 months.
• Not forgetting the risks and challenges of integrating the constituent councils into one organisation.

Selecting good councilor’s to the WUSA will be critical to make the WUSA effective.

The Guildford Society's Perspective

The Guildford Society has been disappointed at the paucity of information on how candidates expect to tackle specific LOCAL challenges that The Society is concerned about.  A useful source of information is the series of interviews conducted by The Guildford Dragon See at this link. Evidence of candidates engaging with and responding to the following local issues would be good to see related too:

Local Economy

• While Guildford is generally prosperous, there is concern that neighbouring areas, such as Reading and London, are attracting greater investment. It is important that Guildford's strengths can be preserved and enhanced.

Making Livable Places

• Do candidates support measures that improve the quality of new development in the area, such as organising architectural competitions and ensuring council officers have stronger expertise in placemaking and design.
• The Society acknowledges the necessity of accepting more housing in the area. However, are candidates prepared to challenge government targets for housing numbers and explore alternative forms of housing to prevent development sprawl.

Infrastructure Deficit

Positive improvement is required to bring infrastructure up to modern requirements which candidates need to recognise including:

• Guildford’s Water Supply is inadequate and is not resilient.
• The new Slyfield Waste Treatment Plant needs to be bought into operation and if development is to take place plans are needed to ensure capacity is available across the current borough.
• Flood risk alleviation where risks must be mitigated in Guildford Town which will also help unlock brownfield development sites.  
• Transport The increase in development will place additional pressure on an already overloaded transport system. Support for integrated transport options and facilitating active travel is required.

Wellbeing

Ensuring Guildford offers high-quality facilities for education, entertainment, and health is vital for all residents. The Local Plan must be leveraged to identify and provide sports, education, and health amenities as the population grows. It is also crucial for the Local Plan to play an important role in protecting heritage assets and promoting environmental protection.