Category Archives: Countryside

River Thames Scheme edging closer

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The scheme to build a second flood-relief channel to help prevent the flooding of residential areas, called the River Thames Scheme, has been a long time coming. Plans were first presented to the public by the Environment Agency over ten years ago but were then put on hold by the government due to cost. The floods in 2014 provided impetus to revive the idea of a Thames supplementary channel from Staines to Shepperton as well as work on the downstream weirs at Sunbury and Molesey to allow for the additional flow.

This large scheme is treated as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) which requires a Development Consent Order (DCO). This removes the need for separate planning permissions in each local authority and is a quicker process. The application for the DCO is now (September) being presented to the government’s Planning Inspectorate after which parties with an interest in the scheme will be able to comment.

More information is at: www.riverthamesscheme.org.uk

 

Elmbridge Local Plan now published

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A Local Plan that protects the character of Elmbridge

The Borough is required by government to produce a Local Plan that outlines how the housing need will be met for the next 15 years and the land that can be identified to allow for those future developments; it is underpinned by a number of documents that guide the council in its decision-making on what are acceptable developments in terms of good design, respect for the character of the location, coupled with environmental and sustainability considerations.

In order to provide a robust Local Plan to the Planning Inspectorate, our officers have consulted with residents and developers, they have investigated all land options and they have assessed every possible scenario, weighing national guidelines and planning legislation against the needs of Elmbridge and our residents. This Draft Local Plan represents that work and has the best interests of Elmbridge at its heart.

The Liberal Democrat and Resident Councillors will be putting forward a Draft Local Plan that will deliver the homes we need while protecting the character of our Borough including its precious Green Belt.

On 16 March 2022, the Elmbridge Draft Local Plan is being debated at a meeting of the Elmbridge Cabinet. The recommendations of the Cabinet will be presented to a Council meeting on 22 March 2022. If approved by Council, the next stage on the way to adoption is a ‘Regulation 19 representation’, after which the Plan will then be passed to the national Planning Inspectorate for examination.

Key points of the Draft Local Plan being presented to Cabinet on 16 March 2022

  1. The Plan allows for 465 homes per year over 15 years, not the 647 pushed for by the Conservative Government.

  2. The Plan will protect the Green Belt and enhance green infrastructure and biodiversity in the Borough.

  3. The Plan will shape development in the urban area to meet the needs of our communities, respecting and enhancing the unique characters of our towns and villages.

Read more on the council’s website here: News | Home | Elmbridge News

A new Local Plan for Elmbridge

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The Lib Dems, who form the joint administration of Elmbridge Borough Council with the Residents Association group, have fought for a Local Plan which cherishes the character of the area we all love and safeguards our Green Belt.

Lib Dem Leader on the Council, Bruce McDonald, said:

“We are putting community back at the heart of our Local Plan. It will help make Elmbridge the place we all want it to be as we rebuild after the pandemic. We want to make sure that our area is thriving with sustainable communities and businesses. We also believe that is is crucial that the residents of Elmbridge are given a voice in shaping our future. That’s why we stand against the Conservative government’s unrealistic housing target for Elmbridge. It has to go. The pandemic has proved how important our green spaces are to health and well-being. We have to put a stop to a system which would trample over our green spaces and damage the character of our towns.”

Lib Dems also challenged the Conservative government last year when they proposed huge planning reforms which would silence the voices of local residents in planning applications. After huge public outcry, and the Lib Dem victory in Chesham and Amersham, the Tories were forced to U-Turn and scrap their unpopular plans.

Local resident and Lib Dem campaigner, Gill Smith: “Lib Dems want to see our glorious area protected, and we want to make sure that local residents get a say in what happens in their local community. So many people tell us on the doorstep that they’re fed up with being ignored by the government and want to see a local team stand up for the things they care about, like our green spaces.”

 

Applications for Local Infrastructure Funding

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Elmbridge Borough Council will soon be accepting applications for the annual local Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding. The application period is Monday 21 February to Sunday 3 April 2022 at midnight,with the applications being reviewed in June and early July.

CIL allows Elmbridge Borough Council to raise funds from developments in the borough to help pay for the physical infrastructure needed to mitigate the impacts of new development.  As part of the process, EBC annually allocates a portion of CIL funds to be spent locally on smaller infrastructure schemes that are required in the communities where development took place.

Seven settlement area committees, known as ‘Local Spending Boards’, have been formed  to cover the whole of Elmbridge; these consist of Ward Councillors serving in each of the areas who meet to decide how their local CIL funds will be allocated. Successful local CIL applications have included projects such as improvements to state schools to better enable them to meet the needs of an increasing school population, improvements to community facilities, footpath works and countryside access improvements.

It is anticipated that by the time the bids come before our Local Spending Board (Oatlands & Burwood Park, Weybridge Riverside & Weybridge St George’s Hill) in June there will be around £250,000 of CIL money to be allocated.

Find out more on the Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy webpages.

Planting Trees of Remembrance

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On Sunday 14 November, five alders were planted in memory of individuals or groups of our local residents who died as a direct or indirect result of the Covid pandemic. One of the trees was dedicated to our late colleague, Cllr Andrew Davis.

Alison Roche tending the tree planted in memory of her husband, Cllr Andrew Davis.

Funding for these trees came from public donations collected by local community activist, Liani Mannifield, in the aftermath of the chainsaw felling of a number of trees along the Thames and elsewhere in Weybridge over the summer.

Elmbridge Borough Council Greenspaces team helped with selection and planting of the trees and the Mayor of Elmbridge and local councillors attended the event. Our thanks go to Liani, James East of Weybridge Litter Pickers and your local Lib Dem Councillor Judy Sarsby, who organised the event. Weybridge church leaders gave their support and helped identify families of those lost, while Weybridge Male Voice Choir sung as each of the families and groups planted the five trees. One of the alders was dedicated to the seven choir members from around Surrey and another by local care home workers in memory of those they nursed but who sadly died.

Protect our Rivers from Raw Sewage

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Our protest against dumping raw sewage

Last week the government rejected a Lords’ amendment to place a legal duty on water companies to reduce raw sewage discharges into rivers. Yet every river in England is polluted beyond legal limits. In England last year, water companies released untreated human waste directly into our waterways over 400,000 times for a total of 3.1 million hours.

Thames Water sewage data show hundreds of illegal spills:
https://on.ft.com/2ZEdJVZ

Can the water companies afford to improve their sewage systems to prevent discharges? This article suggests that they have spent billions on share dividends that could have been used to tackle this problem: cutting sewage spills 

Many people in Weybridge use the Thames to improve their well-being through sport and recreation. Our local MP, Dr Ben Spencer, voted with the government to reject the amendment to clean up our rivers. You can contact him by email to challenge him on his position: ben.spencer.mp@parliament.uk

 

The New Local Plan

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The draft Local Plan has been sent back to officers for further work

The Local Plan sets out the Council’s ‘Place Shaping’ vision for the next 10 to 15 years by showing areas in the borough which could be developed for housing. It has been years in the making and is in its final stages before presentation for public examination and then to the government’s Inspector.

The draft of the new Local Plan was recently presented to councillors who have asked officers to do some further work on it. The aim is to ensure it better represents the views and aspirations of the Borough’s councillors and residents. There are very serious concerns about the impact of any attempt to meet the government’s assessed housing requirement for Elmbridge of 641 dwellings a year for the next 15 years. This would have an impact on our Green Belt, open spaces and the character of our urban areas.

The Cabinet and the cross-party Local Plan Working Group therefore advised senior planning officers that the draft Local Plan, as presented, did not meet the aspirations of the vast majority of councillors and that further work was required before it could be published. The intention is that the short delay will ensure that the eventual Local Plan will have every chance of approval by the Planning Inspectorate. Lib Dem Leader Bruce McDonald described the move as: “Very significant. Our residents have told us so many times about their love for Elmbridge, its green spaces and their concerns for the Green Belt. I’m delighted to see the fruits of the numerous discussions we’ve been having. This is strong local democracy at work”.

Desborough Island

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Our campaign to tidy up Desborough Island

As a keen rower with Weybridge Rowing Club, Weybridge Riverside candidate, Judy Sarsby, has noticed the increasing amount of rubbish being casually strewn around Desborough Island, some of it from fly-tippers. And so she set about forming an enthusiastic group of volunteers who meet every week to tidy up this lovely Weybridge open space. Everyone is welcome to join by getting in touch with Judy.

As summer begins and lockdown recedes, families, sports enthusiasts, walkers and picnickers venture onto the island to enjoy the peace and quiet, the fresh air and the flora and fauna. It appears that the example set by the litter-pickers has encouraged others to take their rubbish home, or at least to the bins at the entry to the island. On recent outings much less litter has been found on the green spaces, though there is still some fly-tipping.

Surrey County Council have recently announced that they will continue to help with funding of the Environment Agency’s scheme for a lower Thames flood relief channel from Staines to Shepperton. An exciting part of the plans include the formation of a wetland habitat on Desborough Island and improvements to access through forming an interconnected route along the channel for walkers and cyclists. 

We would welcome your ideas on the future of Desborough Island via our comments section below.

 

Bizarre spate of tree vandalism

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This week, Weybridge has been subjected to a bizarre form of vandalism – cutting down small trees situated on public land.

Councillor Vicki Macleod was alerted to the first in-town instance – on the green in Thames Street – last Wednesday 31st March by a local resident.  She spoke with households in Thames Street and posted on the local Facebook group.  She also reported the incident to an Elmbridge Officer in the Green Spaces team and was given the crime reference so she could get through to the police directly.  

Later on Wednesday another local resident told Vicki he had seen someone leave the green, get in a red car and drive away.  It was only on seeing Vicki’s post that he put two and two together.  Vicki passed this information on to the local police – Elmbridge Beat – via Facebook Messenger.

Then at 10.40 that evening Vicki was contacted by one of the people she had spoken with earlier who heard sawing, looked out of the window and spotted an individual who got into a car and sped off.  He had come back to cut his tree into three pieces!

Sadly, the following day, Friday, reports came in of another tree that had been cut down outside Manor Court.  Then on Saturday there was a report of another tree cut down off the Queen’s Road, by the cricket ground and Manby Lodge School and one in Pantile Road near the Oatlands Recreation ground.  Police were called to the cricket ground where there was also a noisy gathering. Unfortunately they did not find the perpetrator.  

A red car was spotted near the site of tree vandalism on more than one occasion.

It is not certain whether these incidents are linked to the recent felling of trees at Cowey Sale, along the Desborough Cut and in Walton-on-Thames. If you have seen or heard anything suspicious, please contact Elmbridge Beat and state the crime number 45210028887.

 

The Missing Link

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As soon as Cllr Ashley Tilling became involved in discussions about the Brooklands Accessibility Project a couple of years ago, it seemed to him that a key option for linking Brooklands to the town centre was missing.

The Accessibility Project has already brought a much safer route for people on foot or bike making journeys to or via the station; it provides a properly surfaced and illuminated track from Brooklands to the station, the shared path along Heath Road and the improvements to the town paths. However, it has a big limitation in that all users have a severe restriction at the railway bridge where cyclists will have to dismount in order to safely pass pedestrians on the narrow pavement over the bridge. 

With the renewed interest in cycling and walking that the pandemic has presented, as well as the additional encouragement to leave cars at home, it seemed that there was an opportunity to investigate a ‘missing link’ route. This would make use of the closed railway bridge which was built to connect Locke King House (now Brooklands College) to the Brooklands race track. The path would open up an additional traffic-free route for all those travelling to and from Brooklands and the Locke King housing area with Brooklands College, Heathside School and the town centre without having to negotiate the narrow pavement on the road bridge. 

Ashley contacted Network Rail last year to ask if there was a possibility for them to give permission to use the railway bridge. Their recent reply is very encouraging. They have now conducted a paper-work investigation and physical structural check of the state of the bridge in question. This is their response:

The bridge in question is currently in reasonable condition and, subject to the relevant processes, we would in principle be in a position to transfer it to the local authority if they wished to dedicate public rights over it. 

He will now pursue this scheme with Surrey and Elmbridge Councils but your support for this would be most welcome. Please tell us what you think of this idea and whether you might use this bridge (you can use our comments section).