CONTENTS Introduction 2 Business and the Economy 3 The Community 19 The Villages 27 Local Government 42 Law and Order, Fire and Rescue 46 Guildford People 52 Guildford People: Anniversaries 53 Guildford People: Honours 54 Guildford People: Obituaries 57 Religion 59 Charities 63 Organisations and Societies 70 Culture and Entertainment 74 Heritage 81 Children and Young People 85 Schools 89 Higher Education 94 Science and Technology 99 Health 103 Sport 113 Index 116 2 HONORARY REMEMBRANCER’S REPORT FOR THE MUNICIPAL YEAR 2013-14 Introduction Madam Mayor, The story told in this report is largely a success story, particularly an economic success story in a time when the nation is slowly emerging from a severe recession. Guildford has been rated the most affluent town in the country and second only to Cambridge as the town best placed to support future economic growth. Statistics show that Surrey is economically one of the most productive areas outside London. Dr Malcolm Parry, the Director of the Surrey Research Park, has said that Guildford is at the heart of this. He was in a position to know, as the contributions made by the Research Park and the University are central to the Borough’s economy. Having said that, there is much which is less satisfactory to contemplate. There are some pockets of social deprivation within this wealthy community, and the use of food banks is increasing. Housing costs are among the highest in the country, and traffic congestion is a constant problem. In fact, the overcrowded A3 has been described as ‘the single biggest problem for people living in Guildford today’. Some problems, though, have been completely out of our control; notably the Christmas and New Year floods that were the consequence of the highest rainfall since records began. The greatest success story of Guildford, however, lies in its people. Their achievements in business and science, in sport and the arts, in education and the multitude of charities are documented here as a testament to one of the most dynamic communities in the land. Matthew Alexander, Honorary Remembrancer of Guildford April 2014 3 Business and the Economy Economic vitality On 10th December the consultants Lambert, Smith Hampton published their UK Vitality Index which ranked Guildford the most affluent town and second only to Cambridge as the town best placed to support future economic growth. Like Cambridge, it was highlighted as a centre of science and technology. In other categories the Borough was also considered the second best-educated, and the eighth most entrepreneurial and productive. On 11th March the Office for National Statistics released figures showing that Surrey was economically one of the most productive areas outside London. Dr Malcolm Parry, director of Surrey Research Park, said that Guildford was at the heart of this: a technology cluster at a crossroads of east-to-west and north-to-south links. Companies It was a record year for new companies. In April 2013 the company agents Duport reported that 891 new companies had been registered in Guildford in 2012 - a rise of 8.4% from the previous year – while closures were down. The managing director of Duport, Peter Valaitis, ascribed Guildford’s success to its easy links to London and a skilled workforce. A total of 220 new companies were registered during the period from April to July, an increase of 11.1% compared with the same period in the previous year. This was comparable to the national average. In Guildford 139 companies were dissolved in the same period, a decrease of 13.1%. This compares well with the national average of 3.7%. In October Duport noted that 466 new companies had been formed in the six months to June. This was more than any other half year in Guildford, and a 6% rise on the same period in the previous year. However, company closures rose to 319, an increase of 10%. The third quarter of 2013 set a new record for company registrations in Guildford. A total of 227 companies were registered, an increase of 6.6% compared with the same period in the previous year. Company closures, 151, remained the same as in the previous year. House Prices In April 2013 a survey by Knight Frank revealed that in the top ten villages where properties sold for over a million pounds, East Horsley had come second with 43 such homes sold in the previous year. Clive Bradley, manager of the local estate agent Curchods, described East Horsley as the first true countryside out of London. He also praised West Clandon as a classic English village with access to the A3. Good local schools were the most common reason for moving into the area. Land Registry figures show that in 2012-13 house prices in the Compton, Normandy and Worplesdon area rose by 18½% to a median of £480,000, while those in Burpham and Jacobs Well fell by 15% to £275,000. In June a study by the National Housing Federation showed that house prices in Guildford had risen by 81% between 2001 and 2011, while incomes had only risen 16%. At the same time, there had been a 2% fall in residents aged between 30 and 44. The Federation’s South East Manager, Warren Finney, said that young people were 4 being forced out of the local housing market, which was becoming the preserve of the old and the wealthy. The average Guildford income in 2011 was £27,680, though an income of nearly £85,000 was required for an average local mortgage. In August, the charity Shelter found that Guildford was the 28th worst area for affordable housing. Only 1.4% of houses on sale were affordable for single first-time buyers on an average income, and 3.2% for a couple with children. On 27th September the Nationwide Building Society released figures showing that the average price of houses in west Surrey had risen by 2% from July to August inclusive. In December Winkworth’s estate agents said they had seen a pattern of younger couples earning London salaries coming to Guildford, who wanted to move out of London but remain with an hour’s commute to work. Guildford’s schools and the nearby countryside remained an attraction. In December the average price of a home in Guildford was £358,616; twice as much as the UK average of £165,515. Estate agents Burns & Webber suggested that areas such as Burpham, Merrow, and the Epsom Road could have seen prices rise by as much as 12% over the year. In January the property website Zoopla said that in 2013 local average prices increased by 5.1% to £455,012. Nearly a fifth of homes in the GU5 postcode, which includes Albury and Shere, were worth over a million pounds. Elsewhere, streets with an average house value of above a million pounds included Clifford Manor Road, Guildford and Church Lane, Worplesdon. Mark Collins of estate agents Curchods said “Over the years it will get harder and harder to find a home in the centre of Guildford”. Employers were finding it hard to attract the right people because of the housing shortage. Statistics released in March showed that Surrey house prices had increased by over 5% in the previous year. George Evans, of Savills estate agents in Guildford, mentioned local schools as attracting Londoners to the area, especially the Royal Grammar School. On 14th March Guildford was ranked as the third best place to live in the south east, after Amersham and Bishops Stortford, in a poll published by the Sunday Times. The towns were rated according to quality of life, community spirit, local shops and services, and outdoor spaces. Stamp Duty On 5th August the Taxpayers’ Alliance issued figures showing that more than 97% of Guildford home-buyers paid Stamp Duty at 3% or more in the previous year, for properties valued from £250,000 to £500,000. The Alliance said that it was affecting first-time-buyers particularly, making it harder for people to move into the area, and denounced what it called “an unfair double tax”. On 28th September Andrew Allison of the Tax Payers’ Alliance launched a campaign entitled ‘Stamp Out Stamp Duty’ in Guildford, saying that it was making it very difficult for people to acquire affordable housing in the area. 5 Rents In August a survey revealed that Guildford was one of the most expensive places to rent a house, making properties hard to afford for many local people. Only Chichester and Oxford had higher rents. By January the average asking rent in Guildford was £1,619 per calendar month. Bedroom Tax By 25th June Guildford Borough Council had received 122 requests for discretionary payments from those adversely affected by the changes to housing benefits. Of these, ninety were approved and £51,487 paid out. Empty Dwellings On 22nd June Guildford Borough Council obtained an Empty Dwelling Management Order for 21, Ash Grove, Guildford, which had been empty for over five years. The Council now had the power to control the property for up to seven years, making repairs and bringing it back into use as a home. This was the first such order to come into effect in Surrey. It was estimated that there were about 500 long-term unoccupied houses in the Borough. Building a Sustainable Environment, a housing partnership between Guildford, Runnymede, Spelthorne, Elmbridge, and Woking councils was formed to bring such empty properties back into use. Housing Strategy In May Guildford Borough Council released figures that showed that the demand for social housing in the previous financial year had far exceeded the supply available.