Councillors tell us it is time to give up the fight. Let’s be clear about one thing - the fight goes on

‘It is perverse that we have a situation where every councillor who stood up to speak agrees this housing development is fundamentally wrong, but, bar a few exceptions, is prepared to vote for it. Quite simply, this council has failed the residents of Horley.’

Thanks to all of you who turned up last night for the Full Council meeting. It was an entertaining, if highly frustrating, evening. At times it was a disgrace - particularly when Andrew Kent was barred from speaking despite meeting all the necessary conditions.

As expected, the council voted to adopt the Horley Master Plan, with just 8 councillors voting against and 3 abstaining (meaning we got about 25% of the vote). This despite every councillor who stood up to speak admitting that the proposed development is wrong. However, once again councillor after councillor pleaded that the HMP had to go through as it is or else:

1. R&BBC would lose control of the planning process. The matter would be referred to the ODPM and it would go through on appeal with all ‘planning gains’ lost.

2. R&BBC would still be on GOSE’s ‘hit list’ and subject to ongoing financial penalty.

So basically, we must suffer the consequences of the council’s failure to push through its plan, regardless of how flawed the proposals are.

All but a handful of councillors are not prepared to fight on on behalf of their electorate. They have given up (and with a hughe sigh of relief it seems).

However, this is not the end of the story.

The planning committee still has to approve the application and we must focus on this meeting in mid-March. Encouragingly Cllr Miller (who voted against the plan) is Chair of Planning and said after the vote that he would make the application’s passage very difficult.

We will discuss strategy and tactics at our future meetings, but it is clear that we have to alert anyone considering buying a house on this new development to the risks. Wates and Martin Grant will also need to see this in action.

Jon - Crossoak Conservation Society