6 September 2012
Guildford
“Council Will Be Acting Unlawfully If It Adopts Town Centre Plans”
An Opinion from a Leading QC has cast significant doubt on the lawfulness of two key town centre plans.
This afternoon, lawyers for Guildford Vision Group (“GVG”) presented the Council with an unequivocal Opinion which warns that the Council could be at significant risk of legal challenge if it adopts the Interim Town Centre Framework or the North Street Design and Development Brief. GVG has also obtained a second Opinion from another QC which supports this conclusion.
GVG has repeatedly sought to engage the Council in collaborative discussions but was left with no other option when it became clear that the Council intended to adopt both documents at its Executive meeting this evening.
GVG believes that the existing Town Centre requires significant and comprehensive masterplanning in order to realise the Town Centre’s potential and sort out its traffic problems. Initial plans by Allies & Morrison, to be available on the GVG website, propose the removal of traffic from the much-maligned gyratory system, the re-routing of traffic around the Town Centre and a new bridge across the railway.
John Rigg, a Director of GVG, said “We believe that the Town Centre has enormous potential and we urge the Council to work with GVG and others for the benefit of all Guildford residents”.
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Notes to the Editor:
- Guildford Vision Group (GVG) was formed to persuade Guildford Borough Council to undertake a proper, visionary Masterplan for the town with the assistance of expert masterplanners and traffic engineers.
- GVG comprises concerned residents, including many property professionals, all of whom are seeking to work with the Council to undertake a radical review of the Town Centre Plan and address the traffic issues.
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