20120508 Current Vision Feedback

20120508 Current Vision Feedback

20120508 Current Vision Feedback 1920 1440 admin

BELOW is a selection of feedback from the first ninety Questionnaires:

What is your understanding of Guildford’s current vision for the next 20+ years?

“Limited. Not ambitious enough. Not tackling some of the key issues facing the town.”

“I am not aware of one.”

“I don’t know! I’d be interested to know, though.”

“There does not appear to be a vision. Effort seems to be directed at having more shops without any thought about how people are going to get to them.  If they don’t improve the traffic situation, people will stop coming.”

“I can’t say I’ve read anything in the local papers to suggest there is a vision as such – I’ve  lived in Guildford for over 20 years now and cannot in all honesty say I’ve seen any grand plan for the town. Used to live near Windsor and they’ve done a good job of pedestrianising Peascod Street and re-vamping the Windsor and Eton Central railway station with very easy pedestrian access”

“Don’t think there is much overall vision – continued piecemeal commercial development aimed at making money for the developers seems to be the norm.”

“The current view is that retail development must be increased by over 50% in the next 20 years.”

“Made up by people that do not live here.    Even The C.E. O Lives in Oxford.”

“Cramming more and more people, and their cars, into the existing infrastructure that is already stretched to overcapacity”

“More retail development; selling Council-owned sites”

“Concentrating on shopping, ignoring bad public transport, poor planning for better infrastructure, poor planning for pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and public transport users”

“GBC is relinquishing its powers over the control of the Borough’s future appearance and oversight to People and businesses that have deep pockets and shout with many loud voices in the guise of Outsourcing.  In the main, the Guildford public are busy working people and we have to be able to trust GBC to get on with the Job that our Council Tax £’s pay them to do with all integrity, honesty, fairly for the best longterm outcome. Come on GBC pull your socks up and get on with the jobs you once did so well.”

“To build on approx 20 town centre sites considered by Borough Council to be available without change to through traffic routes and town centre access”

“To be the main ‘city’ in Surrey – a hub for business, but also a green and pleasnt place to visit, live and work.”

“I don’t think they have one”

“Somehow to improve the bus station area.”

“Does not seem to be “joined-up””

“To become a retail and business hub for the county and region and a pleasant place to live.”

“I do not understand this question. Who/What do you mean by Guildford? The council, the people, the Vision group, or the person writing in this box?”

“More piecemeal development with a focus on retail shopping and without tackling major issues such as traffic congestion & capitalizing our our river frontage,  in an any strategic way.”

“The Council seem obsessed with the bus station and buses. The building of bus lanes has increased congestion on the gyratory system. Then need to think more about working with motorists. Many people need to use a car to get around. I  also think the management and quality of development in the town has been appalling.”

“Somewhere for people to enjoy living in.”

“Build more, get more people here, improve everyones life”

“Unaware of “official” vision – just some tinkering at the edges”

“It seems to me that current vision for the next 20 years is more retail and better transport links. Looking at the number of empty shops along throughout the town centre it is difficult to see how encouraging more retail will help Guildford move towards a more sustainable future.”

“I wasn’t sure there was a vision.”

“Interesting…but it must tackle its traffic problems”

“Modernising the town, making buildings and facilities more exciting and up to date”

“Not very good”

“Fair but limited; unlike many outside commentators the Council is very (perhaps too) conscious of the cost implications.”

“Don’t know.”

“I have no idea.”

“Development of better transport links and ‘cleaning up’ of the town centre to give a better place to live, work and shop.”

“Completely unaware”

“Generally to redevelop the bottom area of the town centre, around the bus station and railway station but I am very concerned that this will not be done sensitively and effectively.”

“More of the same of the last few years – without thinking through the problems and addressing them”

“Redevelopment of the area north of North St and encouragement of growth. I think the former could be good if done well with attractive buildings of appropriate scale but I am not sure that growth is a good thing.”

“Very limited”

“More retail, more traffic, more empty offices and shops.”

“I don’t think there is a vision, just a vague hope that the good things about Guildford can be retained and that the problems can be mitigated, if not solved, despite the pressures of demography, developers’ search for profit and (often misguided) government policies.”

“fragmented  short-sighted”

“Have heard about new Waitrose on York Road- in favour.. and new buildings around the station.. more traffic needed here??? Other than that, don’t know.  More park and ride?”

“Piecemeal, very little vision of what could be.  Failing to address key issues.”

“it is piecemeal, no joined-up thinking;. inadequate long-term planning”

“A missed opportunity and not much vision included!    Because the current financial situation is dire we should not assume taht it will always be the same.  A town of Guildford’s quality is lacking in self-esteem with no provision for an arts centre/ art gallery.  Guildford House is lovely but totally unsuitable as a gallery.”

“piecemeal development – one site at a time. Very conventional, nothing far-sighted”

“Shortsighted”

“the current GBC masterplan has no vision at all. No traffic improvements identified , no environmental improvements identified, no extension to pedestrianisation, now town square, nor parking improvement etc.”

“A total mish mash of proposals which are mainly cosmetic – dabbing here and there, some good ideas, but in the end not making a real effort to face the need for radical change.”

“Nothing has happened for 20 years. Too many “interested parties” have probably blighted chances for any regeneration unless they start to work together.”

“I’m not sure there is one. isn’t that the problem, that it’s all rather piecemeal.”

“Need to improve, not further blight.”

“More shopping and otherwise make it up on the hoof”

“Short term.”

“I am not aware that the Borough Council has a joined up vision for the next 20+ years that will enhance the town and surrounding area. It seems set on a course to do things piecemeal so that overall the town will be a hotchpotch or development that cannot be accessed successfully because they have not addressed the nightmare problem of traffic and the one way system.”

“I am unaware of any co-ordinated vision.”

“VIrtually non-existant”

“GBC’s TCP was a wish list of we might do this, we might do that if we owned these properties and most of it has been seen before. Is there anything new in what they are saying.”

“Tactical, myopic, inadequate and arrogant”

“Is there one?”

“What vision? I can’t see any visionary thinking at all.”

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