R4GV has announced that it will be putting forward 38 councillor candidates at the 4th May 2023 election for Guildford Borough Council, more than double the number that stood in 2019.
At the last election, R4GV put forward seventeen candidates. Fifteen were elected, making R4GV the second biggest party. Liberal Democrats (LDs), supported by the Conservatives initially secured the council but after only twelve months R4GV was asked to take over the leadership within a coalition arrangement with the LDs. In the May 2023 election, R4GV’s ambition is to achieve a majority to make even greater progress for Guildford and the surrounding villages.
Joss Bigmore, leader of R4GV said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have attracted so many new candidates to stand with us. We’re a diverse group of independent free-thinking people; we do not believe in tribal politics but do believe in putting Guildford first. New people are joining us all the time; we currently have 38 candidates and perhaps by the election we will have a full house of 48! If anyone would still like to join us, there are still opportunities so please get in touch. Nine of us are existing councillors including Cllr Catherine Young who has joined R4GV and Cllr Ramsey Nagaty, leader of Guildford’s Greenbelt Group who are also supporting us.”
R4GV has a clear deliverable vision for Guildford. Our manifesto promises to protect the countryside, the Greenbelt and villages. R4GV will review the Local Plan, regenerate the town centre, open up the riverside and deliver brownfield homes and employment space to drive growth in the local economy.
During the last four years R4GV’s Councillors under Joss Bigmore’s leadership have driven a major reorganisation at the council. It has introduced a whole new management team, while entering into a collaboration agreement with nearby Waverley Borough Council to make important savings, benefitting ratepayers.
Joss Bigmore adds: “We have been absolutely delighted by the progress we have made during our period at the helm at GBC, especially considering we had to manage Covid. If we can achieve a majority at the next election, we will be even better place to deliver on our promises.”
John Rigg, deputy leader of R4GV who has also held the role of Lead Councillor for Regeneration at GBC, says: “With the experience of the recent North Street planning application – incidentally the ninth failure to develop this site over 30 years – the community can see the refusal was based on voting again on party political lines. The Lib Dems and Conservatives did not support the proposal after four years of negotiations with the developer by GBC’s own planning officers, even though the same councillors made no major objections as the design progressed. It not only undermines our officers, but North Street is simply too important for political games. The lead-up to the planning committee involved political jiggery-pokery at all levels of government – local, county and national – to frustrate an emerging and exciting solution for the most rundown area in the centre of town. It was just pure politics, notwithstanding the damage this risked. Guildford can’t afford this debilitating debacle.”
Joss Bigmore continues: “We hope residents will vote R4GV on Thursday 4th May for party-free politics. Less talk and more action.”
Residents voting at the polling stations must remember to take ID with them.
