Archive for the ‘Notices’ Category
Notices
Petition to Number 10 Downing Street
June 24th, 2007
The Westborough and Broadacres District Residents Association (WBDRA) has set up a petition to Number 10 Downing Street asking that the proposed development of 45 houses to be built on the 39 plots at the top of our site, be stopped.
It seems incredible that this development has not been removed from the Local Development Framework when the number of people waiting for allotments in Guildford is approaching two hundred and the benefits of allotmenting in promoting health and good community relations is proven.
Here’s the web address for the petition:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/allotmentsgfd
Allotments are subject to GBC recreation policy http://www.guildford.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/3B7EF53E-32AF-4D75-83E0-12377550B029/0/WS_CH13.pdf.
Guildford has poor provision of recreational facilities, especially so in North Guildford where the high population density requires more local facilities. This is by the council’s own admission – their statistics, their standards and government standards. Westborough has a shortfall of 15.47ha; Stoughton 17.5 ha; Stoke 13.08ha. A hectare is 100m x 100m and is approx the size of a full size football pitch. However a football pitch requires space around the edges a pavilion etc., and so only a junior pitch can fit on 1.66ha at Cardwell’s Keep, and 4 pitches of different sizes on 5ha at Stoughton Rec. So Westborough has a deficit of the equivalent of 10 football pitches.
The council has a policy to resist the loss of open space.
Policy R5
PROTECTION OF OPEN SPACE
Proposals for development on open space will only be allowed if there is no material harm to the character and visual amenity; and
- The proposed development is ancillary to the open use of the site; or
- The proposed development enhances the recreational value of the site; or
- Where equivalent provision is made nearby; or
- Where there will continue to be adequate open space in the locality; or
- In the case of school playing fields, the proposed new development meets a legitimate educational need that is appropriately met on the site.
Building 45 houses on the top third of this statutory allotment site directly contravenes Points 1 and 2.
On point 3, it depends entirely how officers define ‘nearby’. If this already exists, or can be made available, then it should be made available NOW to redress the stated shortfall.
Officers cannot argue for point 4, because they have already demonstrated there is a massive shortfall of all types of open space in North Guildford.
If officers argue the allotments are underused, then it should consider investing in changing the recreational use rather than allow housing development. Even if the recreational use is changed, there would still remain the same shortfall of open space.
In summary, the council should not allow development of the Aldershot Allotments unless it can find nearby equivalent provision for existing users. As we already have a massive shortfall in North Guildford, any land available should be turned into recreational open space to redress the existing massive shortfall.
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WASHA AGM is on Saturday 19th May 2007
May 6th, 2007
WASHA AGM is on Saturday 19th May in St Mary’s Church Hall, Aldershot Road. Doors open at 9am for those who want to read the correspondence of the year. Meeting starts at 9.30am. Formalities will be brief. Come along and hear what’s happening to/on our site!
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Good to see our warden Deric back
April 6th, 2007
Good to see our warden Deric back on site having made a good recovery.
Washa AGM is due in April. Date and venue are not yet fixed but the agenda being prepared. Please email if you have items for inclusion.
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Happy New year to all!
January 15th, 2007
Happy New year to all! Good gardening for the year ahead!
Farewell to Dan and family on plot 41. Good luck in your new home in Farncombe.
Welcome to Vince and family! Vince has already made a start. You’ll love the apricots!
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Great to see so many plotholders at the public meeting!
August 12th, 2006
Great to see so many plotholders at the public meeting! Some of us were difficult to recognise when scrubbed up, minus wellies and not in working gear! We had so many concerned residents attending that we could not all fit in the hall. Politicians present had great difficulty in maintaining their position of housing at any cost. The one unequivocable supporter of our stance was John Pletts of the Green Party. We now have over 300 signatures on the petition and will hand this in to the GBC offices at Millmead on Monday 14th August at 11am. GBC, the press and the police have been informed. It will only take 10 minutes so if you can come along please do!
PUBLIC MEEETING AT ST MARY’S CHURCH HALL, ALDERSHOT RD, GUILDFORD ON WEDNESDAY 9TH AUGUST,7.30 to 8.30 pm. Please come along and sign our petition objecting to GBC’s ’strategy’ to avoid the ban on development of open space such as our site. This ban is rightly in place to protect the biodiversity of the Special Protection Area of Whitmoor Common. We are within 2km of Whitmoor and development on our site would affect the rare birds whose habitat it is. Please spare an hour of your time or, if you can’t come please write and object to Mark Dickson, Planning Policy Manager, Guildford Borough Council, GU2 4BB.
Just a reminder to newcomers and those who weren’t at the last WASHA meeting:- The fruit on plots 82, 84, 85 and 86 is for everyone to share. At present there are apricots ripe and some soft fruit left. There is a good crop of damsons which are still unripe and there will be plums and apples later.
Welcome to Carolyn who has taken on plot 29 which will need a lot of work. We hope to give you some help when the dry weather breaks. Welcome also to Sally on plot 30. This is also a difficult plot but we’re here to help. It’s not so long ago that all three plots 28, 29 and 30 were a giant bramble patch!
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Goodbye and hello!
June 17th, 2006
Farewell to Mike and Jo and family who have moved to Birmingham and welcome to Liam, Kate and daughter Chloe who have taken over from them on plot 75.
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Congratulations to Sarah and Mike
June 2nd, 2006
Congratulations to Sarah and Mike on Plot 25 on the birth of their daughter Mari. The rainy weather has left everyone struggling to catch up, but as soon as we can, some of us will give you a hand with your plot.
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The Third WASHA Annual general meeting
March 24th, 2006
The Third WASHA Annual general meeting will be held on Saturday 1st April at St Mary’s Church Hall Aldershot Road. The doors will be open at 9am for the reading of correspondence and the meeting will start at 9.30. Please come along , have your say, meet fellow plotholders and catch up with what’s happening on our site.
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Welcome to Linda on plot 47
February 21st, 2006
Welcome to Linda on plot 47. She will be assisted by her daughter Ursula and also a strapping grandson. Linda aims to be totally organic and we wish her every success!
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Thanks to St Joseph’s School
August 14th, 2005
Thanks to St Joseph’s School children, teachers and parents for their letter of appreciation for the help given on their plot. The photos of the children proudly displaying their first harvest were delightful and will be displayed at the next WASHa meeting. Here’s an extract from the note:
“Thank you and all our allotment friends for your help this far. We have been up to our plot with the children and watered and harvested. the beetroot and potatoes were cooked for the children to taste and of course, peas straight from the pod! It was fantastically successful and we think the children will remember it all their lives. There is a watering rota organised until the end of summer and we will be back first week in September. The beans are in and we will harvest as we go. Parents have donated £18 towards seeds and tools for next year.”
Attention all those newcomers to the top of the high path who were hoping to use the one remaining tap on the top supply line! The stop cock has been removed and the pipeline dug up. So much for encouraging allotmenting!
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