THE GUILDFORD SOCIETY
CHAIRMAN'S REPORT 2010
Seventy Five Years Old
The Guildford Society has been a presence in the town for the past 75 years as its active Civic Society. Looking back it is good to recall so much achieved, and salutary to note one or two failures. If we are to fulfil the vision of our founders whose strapline stated that the Society was “for the protection of the beauty and amenities of the Borough” one prerequisite is a strong, concerned and active membership.
Over recent months there has been a welcome trickle of new members – but our Membership Secretary had to report that enrolments had failed to keep up with end-of-year non-renewals - from age, moving away or perhaps just forgetting to respond to reminders. Our total is around 500. When visiting our neighbour society at Farnham last month we learned that their membership stands at around 800, in a town of some 35,000. Guildford town is about double that.
And the pressures on its beauties and amenities continue. In the past year or so we have had to resist over-development of the Bedford Road area, we are concerned to prevent suburbanisation of the Green Lane above The Mount, we stressed the importance of keeping Guildford House in the public domain and fully accessible, we are working to try to ensure proper maintenance of our historic streets, with others we’ve been able to persuade those responsible to phase long-neglected work to maintain Henley Grove and so keep intact the appearance of that crown of trees, we stressed the value of keeping the Queen Victoria jubilee drinking fountain at the railway station in the M&S rebuilding, and following considerable homework, which no-one else has bothered to do, have submitted statistics showing just why the Debenham’s pedestrian crossing is creating such traffic chaos – and what might be done about it!
So there is need for continuing vigilance and an even stronger presence to protect those beauties and amenities. At its July meeting the Borough Council accepted a Town Centre Development Study prepared by consultants, a report which stresses the urgency of planning for growth but gives little emphasis to environmental qualities and those life-enhancing features which make the town so attractive. Especially at a time like the present when the public purse is limited – and the constant response to nearly every suggestion is “there’s no money” – a long-term vision is even more urgent, a vision looking way beyond the next election. The Guildford Society exists for that purpose.
And to achieve that, it needs to grow too – the larger our membership the greater our impact – with able and committed members. Our only recruiting agents are our members, yourself and myself, so please make sure your friends, neighbours and family who value the qualities of this town of ours know why you are a member of the Society and see the point of sharing its purpose.
This is my opportunity to stress once again that your Society needs you! Our Society is what we make it, and insofar as we are able to present a valid case, so is our town. As the content of this Newsletter makes clear you have really able and committed members on your Committee and each of the four working groups – please urge those who don’t want to see Guildford’s beauties and amenities lost to join, today. Thus we will share in the Anniversary celebrations noted in the accompanying programme in a spirit of optimism.
Michael Jeffery, Chairman(Aug 2010)
Comments and suggestions are always welcome. Please send them to: chair@guildfordsociety.co.uk by clicking this link.