Liz Frost – Chair Environment Committee; and Member of Health Liaison Committee
Bernice Froud – Vice Chair Community and Wellbeing Committee; Member of Health Liaison Committee; and Member Human Resources Panel
Steven McCormick – Chair Audit and Scrutiny Committee and Chair Planning Committee
We have now learned that the developer is appealing the refusal of the original application for 6 residential units at 6 Bucknills Close.
W(E)RS have submitted a further objection to address the points made in the appellant’s Statement of Case and revised plans on the grounds that:
-the revised layout continues to fail to comply with the requirement of the SCC Design Guide that driveways should be widened to 4.1 metres where they also provide regular pedestrian access.
We do not accept the alternative pedestrian link will reduce pedestrian movements along the access road;
-that previous applications have established this is an area of severe parking stress and we will be challenging robustly the contention that this proposal should be treated as an exception to the Councils Parking Standards SPD because there’s ample spare capacity for overspill parking in surrounding streets such as White Horse Drive; and
-the revised scheme layout fails to provide acceptable, safe and convenient refuse collection arrangements contrary to Paragraph 135f of the National Planning Policy Framework 2023, Policy CS1 and CS16 of Core Strategy 2007 and Policies DM9 and DM10 of the Development Management Policies 2015. It involves residents having to take their own bins to the Bin Collection Point on collection days. Residents should not be required to push/pull a number of full bins up to 86m – which is grossly in excess of the 6m drag distance set out in staff guidance for collection operatives and unacceptable from an accessibility and equalities point of view.
W(E)RS has a responsibility to represent the interests of both existing and future residents in proposed development schemes.
You have until 18 June 2024 to submit a bid for funding for a local community infrastructure project.
More details and the application form can be found here together with details of how projects are selected.
Epsom’s beacon will be lit as part of the national chain to commemorate the 8Oth Anniversary of the D-Day landings.
7pm for entertainment and refreshments
9pm for Ceremony and Beacon lighting.
You can read about the national event at www.d-day80beacons.co.uk
The revised application for 5 dwellings on this backland site between Whitehorse Drive and Bucknills Close was refused by the Planning Committee at its meeting last Thursday.
We had strongly endorsed the objections submitted by local residents and the owner of the local construction company at 13 Whitehorse Drive in our written objection. Councillor Frost also appeared at the Planning Committee to argue against the scheme and this was undoubtedly significant in persuading the Committee to refuse the planning application against officer advice.
The access arrangements were still wholly inadequate and the previous reason for refusal still stood with inadequate space available within the access road to safely accommodate both pedestrian and vehicular movements. In addition the revised arrangements for the refuse and recycling collection were not practical.
On these two points the application was therefore contrary to Policy CS16 of the Core Strategy 2007 and Policy DM,10, 16 and 36 of the Epsom and Ewell Borough Council Development Management Policies 2015.
The Regional Director of Network Rail has confirmed that replacement of the bridge was proceeding and would be completed before the end of the year. However there is a lot of piling and preparatory work to be done on the site and he has committed to consult residents about the impact of this shortly
We will be working to ensure the Common is reinstated properly and without delay as soon as the compound area is no longer required for the bridge works.
At the meeting on the 25th March two issues dominated the agenda: the question Langley Vale residents had asked us to raise on the overgrown vegetation encroaching on your gardens, and the maintenance of the Downs more generally and the condition of the new notice boards.
Maintenance of the Downs
We understand that the vegetation encroaching into your back gardens from the Downs was cut back within days of our informing the Streetcare Manager following our July Open Meeting at Langley Vale Village Hal. To help with and improve the grass cutting going forward the Council is in the process of purchasing its own flail cutter. This issue is now on the Streetcare Manager’s radar but if there is an issue this year you just need to let us know on info@woodcoteepsomresidentssociety.org or make contact any of our Councillors/Committee Members and we will get in touch with the Streetcare Manager again.
Issues with the Listed Wall and the state of the trees in Warren Wood at the back of properties on the upper part of Beaconsfield Road were raised and it was agreed to investigate.
Information Boards
On the information boards we are looking for volunteers to help us rub down and varnish the boards ahead of final versions of the content being mounted. We noted that the current content was temporary while final content is being agreed with the EU funders and completed.
It would be fantastic if some of you would be willing to help with this specific task. If you can help, please get in touch on info@woodcoteepsomresidentssociety.org and we will let you have further information.
There is also an ongoing review of the existing signage to ensure there isn’t too much of it and what there is isn’t contradictory.
Volunteering
The Council is eager to welcome more volunteers to help with implementing the 2023-2028 Downs Habitat Management Plan which you can find here. It was stressed that the plan is quite prescriptive to balance biodiversity with the racing industry but that it is a live document and can change if issues are raised that need to be addressed. Current issues being actioned were Ash Dieback; the planting of new trees; and improving the grassland management including looking at the feasibility of re-introducing sheep grazing on Juniper Hill.
Again if you would be willing to volunteer on the Downs please contact us on info@woodcoteepsomresidentssociety.org or make contact any of our Councillors/Committee Members.
It is good to see work has started on the Ash dieback Action Plan on the Epsom Downs footpaths where the risk of harm to walkers is greatest.
You can find more about the implications of Ash Dieback, the action plan and plans for replanting here
Demolition of main building is now underway. At a meeting last week the demolition contractor reported that the work was progressing quite slowly and the project is approximately 5 weeks behind schedule because of the extensive asbestos found. Great care is being taken to avoid dust and noise. All demolished material is being taken off site and 85% is recycled. This is about 4 loads per day.
The present hospital entrance off Woodcote Green Road will be temporarily relocated to the area previously occupied by Woodcote Lodge to allow safe demolition of that part of Rowan House which is close to the present entrance.
Demolition of the tall chimney is expected to begin mid-May. The top 20m will be removed by had after full scaffolding; the remainder by machine. Completion is still expected in October when the area will become temporary car parking.
Our overall impression is that the contractor is being careful and responsible and is likely to respond to any residents’ concerns. They are working hard not to cause undue nuisance to residents.
A copy of the full minutes of the meeting can be found here.
Our AGM on Monday evening was well attended and residents generated a lively discussion.
Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner Election Presentation
The evening started with a presentation by Alex Coley who is planning to stand as an independent in the May election for Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner (see note below). Alex was born and raised in Surrey, still lives locally and has been a local RA councillor since 2018. He has a strong interest in, and experience of policing and is a believer of visible policing.
He does not believe things are working well now in Surrey and set out what his priorities would be. In his opinion this is more because of a political choice to build up reserves than a lack of resourcing. He also highlighted that Surrey Police was alone in being majority funded by council tax rather than government funding which was moving towards an American model of policing which would lead to a lack of consistency across England and was not an approach he wanted to see continuing to be rolled-out.
Residents discussed with Alex their concerns about the safety of women and girls in the borough not being given the attention it needed; the street lighting policy; drug use; anti-social behaviour and the importance of restoring activities for young people in the borough.
Residents’ Issues
The formal AGM business was concluded with a minimum of fuss to allow most of the time to be spent on what was a lively and engaged discussion about local issues and concerns. The two main areas of discussion were local planning and the state of our roads.
Local planning and in particular
State of local roads
The appalling condition of many local roads; the impact of potholes on residents, the number of accidents and how it is preventing them from cycling locally and the congestion on the A24 at the junction with Woodcote Green Road and suggestions made of how this could be addressed were discussed.
Ideas were also shared about how to address some of the challenges facing the council if they are to continue to meet the needs of residents in the borough including the most vulnerable and those impacted most by the cost-of-living crisis; the growing levels homelessness and the costs and difficulties sourcing temporary accommodation and the level of suicide across the Borough which has been higher than most other parts of Surrey.
Finally there was an interesting discussion about the work of the Environment Committee and the Climate Action Plan; the importance of cycling to local people and the plans for a Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan in Epsom & Ewell. The tree planting strategy in the Borough and how the management of local allotments was being improved.
Note
Find out more here about the Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner Election, 2 May 2024. A full list of persons nominated will be published on 8 April 2024.
Find out more about Alex Coley
