Cllrs Catherine Young and Ramsey Nagaty both took part in this event.
About 100 stalwart people turned out on one of the wettest days of the winter to protest at the possibility of over 2000 houses being built on the Former Wisley Airfield. The walk was part of the National day of protest walks organised to Halt Harmful Housing a sentiment which has been held by many residents near this area of open countryside for years if not decades.
MP for Mole Valley Sir Paul Beresford, Guildford Green Group local councillor Catherine Young and Ramsey Nagaty braved the weather to show their support for VAWNT (Villages Against Wisley New Town). Colin Cross (from Lovelace) had a previous commitment but his wife and son came to show their support.
WAG's Helen Jefferies said: Taylor Wimpey in their haste to scrape away any trace of greenery gave no regard to the fact they were destroying habitats and thereby negatively impacting on the nationally protected local wildlife areas. A tractor spent hours scraping tarmac ignoring Sunday working hours and dangerous machinery with no regard to safety across the Public Right Of Ways.
OPC's Imogen Jamieson said “If two car parks were full in such awful weather this suggests that hundreds of local people would be there if it was a warm spring day.”
OHRA’s Frances Porter said "The interest we had for this walk was huge, the weather put some people off but we have had requests for the walk map so people can come and see the beauty of the area for themselves.
Villages against Wisley New Town’s Chris Campbell said that “ The decimation of this Site of National Conservation Interest of around 300 acres lying alongside SSSI’s of rare heathlands at a time of Climate emergency would be a biodiversity disaster; the developers Taylor Wimpey have no planning permission and it should remain that way for the sake of all our futures ! ”
Julie Iles, formerly the County Councillor for the Horsleys said: "This was a great turnout in awful weather but the R4GV councillors were conspicuous by their absence. They were elected on a promise to fight to amend the local plan. I see nothing to show they’ve started that fight.”
For further info or to subscribe to emails:-
email: vawnt.group@gmail.com
Catherine Young and Helen Jefferies are pictured below along with the many supporters who attended.
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