Summary of all events:
The Woodland Trust is pleased to be offering some brand new events at Langley Vale Wood in 2020, as well as a repeat of the popular guided walks.
Choose from dawn chorus and butterfly themed walks, guided walks, yoga and photography workshops this year. Details and booking information is at https://woodlandtrusttickets.cloudvenue.co.uk/ search for ‘Langley’ in the box on the top right corner.
The planning application for the redevelopment of the land sold by the Epsom Hospital trust has now been validated and public consultation is open. If you would like to register your comments for consideration by the Council Planning officer, please click on the link below.
Epsom General Hospital Dorking Road Epsom Surrey KT18 7EG
Ref. No: 19/01722/FUL | Validated: Mon 27 Jan 2020 | Status: Awaiting decision
We would like to invite all Woodcote ward residents to attend the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Woodcote (Epsom) Residents’ Society (WERS) on 3rd March 2020 from 8pm at St. Martins School, Ashley Road, Epsom.
An agenda and previous minutes will be available on the web site shortly.
Please come and join us on the evening to learn what the group has been doing and also share what you’d like the group to do more of.
All Woodcote ward residents welcome.
Thank you.
WERS.
(Right click on above link for full details)
Ref. No: 19/00999/FUL and 19/00998/LBA | Validated: Thu 22 Aug 2019 | Status: Awaiting decision | Validated: Thu 22 Aug 2019 | Status: Awaiting decision
Ref. No: 19/01365/FUL | Validated: Mon 21 Oct 2019 | Status: Awaiting decision
Right click on the above link for full details
December has been a quiet month as far as Council activities are concerned. This is partly because of the general election. This has created a great deal of work for Council Officers and has meant that some meetings have had to be either cancelled or postponed.
Those of us who are chairmen / vice chairmen had been asked to keep a log of the amount of extra work in the chairmanship/ vice chairmanship role that we had undertaken during November. It’s not till you log what you do and how long it takes that you realise just how much time is involved.
One of the strands of the work of the Standards Committee is to keep the Constitution up to date – and it is in the process of being revised. There are lots of changes needed because of changes in legislation and Council changes, such as job titles and responsibilities. There are also changes that Council Officers or Councillors request. The draft amendments are put together by the Council’s legal team, then, as chairman of the Standards Committee, I go through them all with a fairly fine tooth comb to check them before they are circulated to the committee. We then debated the sections under consideration at the meeting in November. Following this, the legal department and I worked on the report that was taken to the Full Council meeting on December 18th and, I’m pleased to say, agreed.
Another interesting item on the Council Agenda was a debate on a petition that had been presented to the Council about their planning strategy in light of the Government’s house building targets. The Government’s housing target for Epsom & Ewell is 579 per year for the next 15 years. This puts the Council in a very difficult position as there just is not sufficient land available without making very difficult decisions about the height and density of housing, as well as the use of green belt land. An interesting debate was held looking at the options open to the Council and the outcome in other areas where Councils have either challenged or chosen to ignore the Government’s targets.
The Local Committee meetings are an opportunity to ask questions about Surrey County Council matters. At the December meeting I asked that the junctions of Ashely Road / Ashley Avenue and Dorking Road / South Street / Woodcote Road could be re-assessed as the current road markings and traffic light timings appear to be causing problems for both road and pavement users. Other points of interest to Woodcote Ward discussed included the problems with traffic in Worple Road and Chalk Lane and the provision (or lack of it) of bus passes for girls travelling to Rosebery School from Langley Vale.
We held a Councillor Surgery in Langley Vale Village Hall. Thanks to those who came and we hope you found the session helpful.
Keeping an eye on planning applications and responding to residents about them has taken quite a lot of time. The controversial ones in the ward this month have included the application for flats in Dorking Road (corner of White Horse Drive) and ongoing rumours about what will be applied for on the part of the site sold by the hospital. So far the applicant has asked the Planning Department whether an Environmental Impact Assessment will be required – and they have concluded that it will not. This month I have also updated residents on progress with planning applications where they have asked for my advice, and have discussed a couple of potential new applications with neighbours.
I was contacted by a resident about slippery leaves for residents walking from the Woodcote Estate area through Rosebery Park to the Town Centre and arranged for clearing these to be added to the Council’s work program. They have a large workload at this time of year and the weather has to be suitable – no point in trying to clear them if they are frozen to the ground!
Other issues raised by residents have included tree preservation orders, litter, untidy gardens, drones and traffic routes for accessing the Woodland Trust site.
We took our two granddaughters to see Peter Pan at the Playhouse – an excellent production, well worth a visit whatever your age! As a Council nominated member of Citizens Advice, Epsom & Ewell I was also pleased to attend their Christmas festive drop-in and hear an update on their work, that does so much to help and support local residents.
My diary is already filling up with meetings for January, it looks like an interesting time ahead.
Ref. No: 19/01668/OUT | Validated: Mon 16 Dec 2019 | Status: Awaiting decision
THIS APPLICATION WAS WITHDRAWN ON 16th JANUARY 2020
(Click on the above link for full details)
Search for Planning Applications, Appeals and Enforcements by keyword, application reference, postcode or by a single line of an address – http://eplanning.epsom-ewell.gov.uk/online-applications/
Our next committee meeting will be on the 8th January 2020 from 8pm at the Sports Club in Woodcote Road.
It is a public meeting, giving residents the opportunity the opportunity to let the committee know their views on local matters.
A printed newsletter will be produced and delivered in January, early February 2020.
Please share and come along on on Wednesday 8th January, 8pm at the Sports Club in Woodcote Road.
You will be very welcome to come.
Note: You must be a resident in Woodcote ward to attend.
For those folks that commute up to London most days (myself included) a little information on the ongoing work to repair the landslide.
Network Rail are dealing with an embankment slippage adjacent to Waterloo Road, Epsom. The line is being accessed via the car repair yard almost opposite Horsley Close, which will occasionally involve the use of Stop/Go boards; this will be to facilitate large vehicles, particularly those bring plant to site, to reverse in, and they will be used as and when required as vehicles attend, & removed as soon as the vehicle is off highway.
It is anticipated that once set up, there will be 10 – 12 lorries a day bringing stone so the impact should be minimal, however the TM websites will show Stop/Go boards 24/7, which may concern those that it may affect.
Since being elected in May this year activities have been busy. I elected to join a number of committees and external bodies for which a brief summary of each is outlined below:
Planning:
A very technical committee and time consuming and I am loving it. The policy and framework that the borough has to review applications against is extensive and complex. Since May there have been a number of planning committee meetings and site visits. The first planning meeting reached its guillotine timing of 11pm when we had to finish the point being examined and reconvene a few days later to complete the agenda of applications. A long day.
Environment:
One meeting held since May and a broad agenda of topics affecting resident’s borough wide. Key items from my point are to continue tree planting, maintain our green space, ensure air quality is maintained and improved.
A climate change working group is being setup and I have opted to join this group. Currently it is oversubscribed and it is yet to be seen if I will make the membership.
Audit, Crime and Scrutiny:
Our first meeting was an introduction and training session combined with our first agenda. More study is required to fully appreciate this powerful committee.
Epsom Downs Conservators:
Liz, Bernice and I are on this committee and Liz has covered off nicely what’s been progressed to date in her report.
Recently I attended the Trainers open day with Bernice and Liz. We visited all but two of the open yards. Ideas are being captured to help improve next year’s event, we may even get a conservators team for the space hopper race!
Attending many of the Epsom Downs race meetings has been key for me as I’m a keen photographer of racing horses for over two years now. I actively support the trainers, jockeys, exercise riders and owners with pictures at the races and on the training gallops. I have attended other race courses, such as, Lingfield to further support Epsom trainers who have been racing there recently.
Epsom Downs Consultative Committee:
No meeting as yet.
Friends of Epsom & Ewell Parks (FEEP):
A joint meeting of all Friends of Epsom parks at this meeting held at the town hall. I was unable to attend the last meeting due to my work commitments.
My activities with Friends of Rosebery Park continues and I organised the Epsom & Ewell Silver band to play in the park again this year. A good turnout was experienced and the weather held.
More recently the Epsom Food Festival was hosted in the park which was a great success.
There is a big push to make better use of our park facilities through the borough and I’m working with officers on progressing, supporting and communicating these activities.
I am very pleased to say that Rosebery Park was awarded the Green Flag award again this year. I met with Green Flag judges and provided a tour of the park and updates of works completed or in flight. They were very impressed with the engagement from the Friends group and the collaboration with Epsom & Ewell Borough Council.
Friends of Rosebery Park has its AGM on 24th September 2019.
Armed Forces champion:
A number of meetings held with the Armed Forces Covenant, an information day event hosted by the 11th Battalion, attendance and support of the Royal British Legion, and attendance and support of the breakfast club on Sunday mornings at the Assembly rooms Weatherspoon’s in Epsom.
Further study and outreach with local organisations is required to support this very worthwhile cause.
A number of councillors along with the Mayor have already volunteered to poppy collections coming up in October/November.
Cycling champion:
Met with the cycling action group who had a long meeting with Surrey County Council to prioritise cycle enablement options throughout the borough.
Due to attend the follow on regular meetings with this group.
Ward issues:
A number of questions and queries from local residents on a range of topics from parking to road safety, trees, pond works, litter, grass verges.
I have submitted a number of questions to the upcoming local committee on Monday 16th September, covering road safety, pedestrian access and safety and parking restrictions.
A considerable amount of time has been spent with local residents working through actions from a previous local committee.
Local Government Association:
The LGA has an education programme called the Next Generation Programme 2019-20 and I have been fortunate to be able to secure a place on this prestigious programme.
“The Next Generation Programme offers ambitious and talented councillors an unparalleled political development opportunity – uniquely developed within party political traditions and with party political experts. The Programme equips emerging political leaders with the skills and confidence to be bold champions of local government and progress in their political careers.”
Other:
EETAB:
I continue to attend and support the Epsom & Ewell Tree Advisory Board (EETAB) in their activities and goals. I see this group as ever more hugely important in the boroughs climate change.
