Questionnaire Comments
20120508 Serving Needs Feedback
BELOW is a selection of feedback from the first ninety Questionnaires:
How well do Guildford’s town centre facilities and environment meets your needs?
“Guildford makes very poor use of one of its major assets – the river frontage. The town centre is disconnected from it. The industrial sites in Woodbridge Meadows and Walnut Tree Close turn their backs on it.”
“I am a parent with teenage children and I am concerned about how life will be for them. This was not all that impressive when I was growing up but it is so much worse now – and I pity any parents of students at the University who see what an awful area they have to walk through just to get into town and back!”
“The area around the main bus station and North Street is a disjointed mess, and a bottleneck most of the time., and the intiate mix of pedestrains and vehicles around the ‘Casino’ nightclub area at peak times day and night is scary to say the least.” Continue Reading…
20120508 Efficiency Feedback
BELOW is a selection of feedback from the first ninety Questionnaires:
How effective Guildford has been in addressing its problems or making the most of its potential?
“We need a long term plan, not ill thought out or untested, quick fixes (that only turn out to be a waste of money shortly after implementation.) Further major development should all be on hold until we have sorted out the roads/flow of traffic problems, even it it takes 20 years to afford it!! The idea of a Waitrose, hopefully with a John Lewis, would be most welcome, but without 100′s of extra parking spaces, is only going to make our traffic problems much worse. Peoples’ time is valuable to them in modern life and we do not want to spend hours in almost stationery queues to get in, out, or across the town. This will put people off coming to Guildford to either shop, work or relocate to the town or nearby and therefore the area will get poorer and shabbier.”
“I don’t believe that GBC’s town planners have ANY sense of preserving the beauty, character or unique potential of our lovely little city – and that seems to me very, very sad.”
“Separation of Borough and County (who seem to be almost at war with each other) means there is no comprehensive planning and no accountability or responsibility for the problems. Both Councils are run by people who do not live in Guildford and this presents a major problem when it comes to understanding the problem – perhaps the County Council should be moved to Guildford – then it would understand how difficult it is to get around and across town.” Continue Reading…
20120508 Current Vision Feedback
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.” Continue Reading…
20120508 Priorities Feedback
BELOW is a selection of feedback from the first ninety Questionnaires:
What are the two or three most important priorities for Guildford to tackle if it is going to realise its true potential?
“Traffic management in town centre. Traffic links onto and leaving the A3. Realising the full potential of the river frontage. Continuing to value the wealth of heritage sites we have in Guildford.”
“Find a solution to the town traffic problems, no matter how long the planning needs or the long term cost, but make it last for 30 years. Give our town centre some cohesive style and character to match its history that we can all be proud and want to preserve not the mish/mash we have now.”
“We all need to be allowed to dream and then someone (preferably someone from outside the area who knows how to do it properly and has no baggage) needs to capture those dreams in the most comprehensive way. Then we need to plan how to reach our dreams.” Continue Reading…
20120508 Transport Facilities Feedback
May 9, 2012
BELOW is a selection of feedback from the first ninety Questionnaires:
How do you rate Guildford’s current transport facilities?
“This is hardly a town looking to the future – it is full of history and a legacy of feeble 60′s and 70′s planning that have failed to deliver a lasting attractive and sustainable transportation system (whether on foot, by bicycle, by car, by bus or by train).”
“The key to the town’s future lies in resolving the traffic problem.”
“When the SCC took over in the seventies they went for a cheap fix which tore the heart out of our Town. The town had now become just a route through for other destinations.”
“Traffic routes work well until there is a problem or flood. The gyratory has lines which are too narrow for buses and coaches. People often end up in the wrong lane. The A3 needs to be a proper bypass.”
Continue Reading…