Summer 2005 Newsletter

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What a way to spend a birthday! Elected to Chair of WERRA and winner of a very big and very green compost bin all in one evening, and to think I only got involved in WERRA 3 years ago to find out more about the area I was living in.

I'd like to start by thanking Steve Yates for taking on the Chair role for last year, I have a tough act to follow. In that year we have grown the committee, changed our newsletter style, helped many residents to resolve local issues and fought a successful county election.

I feel rather in awe of what the expectations will be during my watch. As a committee we have many ideas to take the organisation further, developing our newsletter, making our presence more widely known in the community, and taking advantage of technology to get you more up to date information, faster on local issues. What slows us down is time and available hands. We are always eager to hear from people who feel they may have something to offer WERRA. If you would like to know more please contact myself, a councillor or Gill Smitheram for a no obligation chat.

Helen Worwood, WERRA Chairman

These last few weeks have been a very busy time for your committee, with the AGM and the County election as well as the usual monthly WERRA meetings. WERRA has been listening to the concerns of local residents about the development of the Gadesden Road garage site by Rosebery Housing. I, with several residents, observed the Planning Committee meeting (made up of 1 Councillor from each of the 13 wards and all with specific training in this very complex subject), from the Town Hall gallery. A resident spoke about how the development would affect him and his neighbours and your 2 ward Councillors on the committee, Cllrs Clive Smitheram (West Ewell) and Jan Mason (Ruxley) debated specific issues about the development. It was a fascinating procedure (and open to the public) and rewarded by our relief that this particular application was turned down unanimously by the committee.

Residents at the AGM on April 22nd were informed and entertained by speaker Jon Sharpe, the Borough Recycling Officer. A raffle for a new recycling bin was held and was won by our new Chairman, Helen Worwood, who was also celebrating her birthday! The Councillors spoke of their ward and council activities over the last year and answered questions.

We composed and printed the election address for Jan Mason, our own Surrey County Councillor,and had posters made. Helen made sure that all the available road stewards were on hand to get them to all our residents and part of Court Ward, which together make up the Division. Many roads were also canvassed by Cllrs and Committee members. Hopefully no one was unaware of the 'other election'! Jan's hard work over the last 4 years was rewarded by being returned as County Councillor with an increased majority.

Gill Smitheram, Secretary

Chessington Road/Green Lanes Shopping Parade

We have vigorously campaigned to get the work finished for the new bus bay and reinstate the green amenity area in front of the shops. Unfortunately, due to EDF Energy taking so long to lower their cables, this sorry state of affairs has continued since November 2004. However, we can now tell you that the work to the cabling is complete. The contractors will commence work on the bus bay and reinstate the green during June and July 2005, including planting mature trees to replace the cherry trees that were felled. Construction of traffic refuges, resurfacing the road and other safety measures connected with the Highways House development will also take place. We have been assured that this work will be complete by August 2005 (weather permitting!). We have been as frustrated as you all have with this unsightly mess on the highway. Unfortunately, it was out the Council's and the developers' hands until the utility companies finished their part of the development.

We are also hoping to get some environmental improvements done to the shopping parade itself by having the road resurfaced, replacing paving and kerbstones etc. However, this is a privately owned shopping parade and work is dependent upon the shopkeepers giving permission for it to be carried out. We hope they will cooperate by allowing these improvements so that the whole parade can be improved for everyone's benefit.

Future environmental improvements include repairs to the bridge under the railway on Hogsmill Open Space at the bottom of Station Avenue, including additional lighting.

Gibraltar Park

Work will commence shortly to completely replace the equipment in the children's playground, improve the tennis courts, and generally tidy up the park.

Sunnymede Avenue

The carriageway resurfacing on this road is being carried out during July 2005. There is a prohibition order in force for a period of 12 months. However, it is anticipated that the work will be completed within 3 weeks.

Community Police Officer

P.C. James Green is having regular meetings at the Harrier Centre (monthly for the moment) for residents. The meetings are advertised in shops and on borough boards. Residents can attend these meetings to voice their concerns and speak to the police officers about particular incidents of crime. You are urged to telephone with reports of anti-social behaviour, vandalism and graffiti to the Surrey Police on 0845 1252222, asking for the Crime Reporting Bureau.

Clive Smitheram, Jean Steer and Carol Jay

Ruxley Community Group

This group, which consists of residents and various agencies working in Ruxley Ward, has been in existence for a number of years and you may have heard about it under its former name, the Watersedge Action Group (WAG).

The group is involved in various schemes such as the Hogsmill Improvement Scheme and the Communities that Care programme. It is also a forum for residents to voice their opinions about our area. Working in conjunction with Rosebery Housing Association, it is natural that the group should support tenants in properties let by that Association; however the group does aim to represent residents from all of Ruxley Ward, hence the change of name from Watersedge Action Group to Ruxley Community Group.

The group is attended by your local councillors, Rosebery Housing Association, the police, health professionals, the borough council and others. Although there is a core membership of local residents, if would be a more effective group if people from all around Ruxley Ward could attend. The meetings are held at "The Edge" at the end of Row den Road at 6.30pm. The next scheduled meetings are 6th September, 1st No-v ember 2005 and 10th January 2006. New paths are due to be started under the Hogs mill Improvement Project in July. You can join the Friends of the Hogs mill by calling 01372 741191. Visit Derek Phillips's Web log on http://dereksupdates.blogspot.com

Butchers Grove

May we remind residents of the importance of keeping to the clearly marked public rights of way when using Horton Country Park at Butcher's Grove? The 9-hole course on the Golf Course there is nearing completion, but some walkers are cutting across it, which is clearly dangerous.

Ruxley Lane

At last the bus shelter has been placed outside 93 Ruxley Lane. This will be of real benefit to everyone queuing here on wintry days.

Grass cutting

The contractor is required to blow the cuttings off the pavement on to the verge. Weed spraying took place at the end of April and a further two sprays will be done by winter.

Lighthouse Project

This project to encourage basic literacy and numeracy in Watersedge non-attenders at secondary school has won the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service 2005. They were nominated by the local traveller community, and will have a local presentation and one at Buckingham Palace. They especially thanked Jan Mason and local residents for their support.

Derek Phillips and Jan Mason and John Lucas

Planning is all about "the control of development in the public interest". All development requires permission unless expressly excluded by statute (known as 'permitted development') or is sufficiently minor not to warrant a planning application. The Planning Department will be able to advise and guide you on how to make an application if needed.

There are many different types of applications that need to be submitted but the most common ones in our two wards are:

• Planning Applications - required for most types of development including residential schemes, domestic extensions and commercial schemes including change of use.
• Prior Notification Procedure - for certain types of development e.g. telecommunications - submission of certain details for comment prior to the development commencing.
• Tree Works - for trees covered by Tree Preservation Orders or trees within conservation areas.

Once an application is registered the Council will notify all relevant parties, including neighbours and also Police, the County Highways Authority and other statutory organisations e.g. English Heritage, Environment Agency. You might also be asked to display a site notice. An initial assessment is made by a Case Officer. This will include a site visit. A detailed report will then be prepared which will take into account all representations received from individuals. The application can be dealt with under delegated authority (meaning that it will be dealt with at Officer level), or a more detailed report is written for consideration by the Planning Committee. This Committee is formed of councillors, one per ward, including Clive Smitheram for West Ewell and Jan Mason for Ruxley, who are charged with the responsibility for making decisions on more major or contentious applications. They receive specific training about planning rules and regulations to ensure they have the knowledge to judge the applications.

You can make your views known on a planning application by:

• Writing or speaking to any local Councillor. All ward Councillors are notified weekly of the planning applications received in the Borough but your Councillors need to know that you have an objection or concern, otherwise they will assume that everyone is happy about the application.
• Writing, either as an individual or as a signatory to a petition, to the Town Hall and asking for your views to be passed to the appropriate committee.
• Attending and speaking at the planning meeting.

Prior to the planning meeting (there are ten a year, held at the Town Hall and open to the public), members of the Planning Committee are given copies of all letters, plans etc. relating to the development. They will often visit the planning site to see for themselves the impact the development will have. They may listen to what people say about the planning application but must not express an opinion outside the Planning Committee as this would preclude them from participating in the debate and decision-making on that agenda item. The planning committee can impose conditions on the development, which must be adhered to by the developer. If a planning application is refused by the committee then the applicant can take their application to appeal to the Planning Inspectorate who will carry out an impartial review of the facts and make a decision to allow the application to go ahead or to dismiss it.

For further information about this subject visit the Council web site at http://www.epsom-ewell.gov.uk or speak to the Planning Department.

All planning applications received affecting West Ewell and Ruxley Wards will be considered by a designated member of WERRA. He or she will seek the opinions of those affected by the planning application so that residents can then be given information, advice and support from the WERRA Committee as appropriate.

From your Ward Councillors and WERRA Committee

I would like to thank everyone who has supported me during the past four years, especially for their confidence in re-electing me as a member of Surrey County Council. I would like to take this opportunity to assure everyone that I will continue to work for all residents and do my utmost to ensure Epsom & Ewe11 remains one of the safest and most pleasant places in which to live. You may be interested to learn that our Residents' Association's success was matched in Elmbridge, where the Labour Party now has only 2 county councillors and the RA has three!

Chessington Road - Dualled Section

Following a site visit with Borough Councillors, SCC and myself in March, a scheme was designed to improve the southbound carriageway by introducing lane hatch-in and kerb build-outs. This design has now gone through the Safety Audit process and been passed to the developers, Persimmon Homes, who are pricing and ordering materials. Works should commence by the end of June and may be finished by the time you read this. My thanks to the Local Transportation Team, who have worked hard to get this scheme drawn up and funded so quickly.

100 trees and 7500 shrubs have been planted as hedging, and further planting will take place up to the Horton Lane roundabout. Any plants lost will be replaced by the landscape contractors.

Jasmin Road Pedestrian Island

Design is under way for an island in the mouth of Jasmin Road's junction with Ruxley Lane. This wi11 help pedestrians cross this wide junction without threat from turning vehicles, and is the result of many residents highlighting the problem of crossing here. I was successful in getting it included in this year's projects. I am also looking at problems caused by parking close to this junction.

Resurfacing Programme

As Chairman of the Local Committee I have recently signed Traffic Orders for the fol1ow-ing roads: Fulford Road, Sunnymede Avenue, Chessington Road (Spring Street to Longmead Road) and Sefton Road. Work is expected to be carried out from July to September. The decisions on these roads are made at County Hal1, and not by the Local Team, and I am pleased that these have been approved. Six others are in the rol1ing programme and I am hopeful that they win be viewed favourably by the County.

Verges

Many of the local estates, particularly Larkspur and Jasmine Roads, were built with no parking or garage blocks at some distance, and cars are parked on the verges to al1ow traffic through. I have put in a bid for part hard verging in badly affected areas. I also consider it important that those with garages should use them. The owner of the freehold has a responsibility to ensure that the garage areas are kept tidy.

Blenheim Road Waste Site

Recently several "windows" have been closed and vehicles have queued for a long time. I understand from Richard Parkinson, officer in charge, that equipment broke down and for two days nothing could be moved. I have visited the site recently and 7 of the 10 windows were open. I have expressed my concerns, and those of the Local Committee, to SCC. SITA manage the site and I hope SCC win put pressure on them to improve the situation.

Cllr Jan Mason

Surrey County Council's Trading Standards Service has launched "Buy with Confidence" an approved trader scheme. It is estimated that there is a one in five chance of being ripped off when you trawl through a telephone directory to employ 'Tradesmen' to carry out work in your home. Members of the scheme are vetted and approved by the trading standards service. Find the website at http://www.buywithconfidence.info

Recycling News

Weekly kerbside collection of cans, bottles and papers started at the end of April 2005 and has already had an effect. Epsom & Ewell's recycled materials percentage is now 16.31 compared with 15.30% this time last year. We need to improve further to achieve our target of 18% by April 2006. Well done to all those who are helping by putting their recyclables out for collection.

High Hedge Complaints

Under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 councils have to act as intermediaries in disputes between neighbours about high evergreen hedges. When called upon the Council will assess the nuisance depending upon the height, location, direction in relation to the sun etc., and, if justified, serve a notice on the neighbour requiring the hedge to be cut down to 2.0 metres high. There is a right of appeal by both parties and enforcement action can be taken in the event that hedge owners do not comply with an order to cut their hedge down. In carrying out this service the Authority will charge a non-returnable fee to homeowners who can them in to arbitrate. The proposed charge is £150 or, if the complainant is in receipt of housing benefit, £50.

Carol Jay

Residents will have seen that the flower bed at the junction of Green Lanes/Chessington Road has been removed in order that Transco can lay their gas pipe along this section. We were informed about this by Transco on the 7th June and are advised that this essential work must be carried out. We have been assured that the flower bed will be replaced exactly the same way and planted with flowers. Your councillors will pursue Transco to ensure they keep their promise.

Jean Steer

Ewell West Station

You may remember that in our last newsletter we published very specific information about the dates that new ticket machines would be installed. This information was passed on in good faith and no-one was surprised that the date mentioned came and went without any action. The latest news is that new machine will be rolled out "mid summer". As this newsletter is written in mid summer, we await with interest to if this transpires!

This is one of the issues that your councillors will be discussing with South West Trains at a meeting that, by the time you read this, will have occurred at the station to show the company the poor condition of the land around the station platforms.

Derek Phillips

Welcome

A very warm welcome to West Ewell to Rev. Ian Whitham, who has been appointed the new Vicar at All Saints Church and will be moving into the Vicarage shortly with his wife Lianne and 3 children. He officially takes office in early September.

In March 1998 I wrote a letter in the local papers with the headline of "WAKE UP WEST EWELL". This reflected my concern that hundreds of trees along Horton Lane had been felled to make way for the new road scheme. I also expressed major concerns regarding the twinning of Chessington Road from the Hook Road Arena to Ruxley Lane. I was delighted that Derek Phillips, the then Chairman of West Ewell and Ruxley Residents Association, showed immediate interest and it became apparent to me that this worthy organisation had already been fighting the scheme for several years and that many improvements to the scheme had taken place because of their input.

I was so impressed by what WERRA (which is what the association is better known as) was doing for the area that in the last Borough Elections I stood as a local RA Borough Councillor and was elected to the council.

The two and a half years I have served the area as a Councillor have given me the opportunity to meet many of the people who live in West Ewell and Ruxley and to learn of their needs and concerns. In many instances, I have been surprised that local residents are not aware of the benefits of being signed up members of the local Residents Association. I therefore thought I would use my spot in this newsletter to introduce new readers to the Association and to invite you to join us.

What you get

• You get six dedicated Councillors of varied ages and interest who live locally and want to ensure their Borough is a safe and attractive place in which to live.
• Your Councillors and Residents Association talk to you through newsletters delivered to your door 3 or 4 times a year, year in, year out.
• Your councillors listen to residents every day and share ideas every month with committee members who know the neighbourhood intimately and care about it deeply.
• Your councillors work with other councillors of the RA majority within their Council to maintain the high standards the council has set, bring about improvements and ensure that the Borough and County Councils are responsive and efficient.

How does it happen?

• By caring and interested local residents LIKE YOU becoming members of the RA and paying £1 a year as a subscription.
• By enough interested local residents volunteering to ensure that it's not too onerous a task to deliver newsletters, to collect subscriptions and to feedback views they hear on the doorstep.
• Some offer time and the skills of a secretary, treasurer, editor of the magazine or simply take part in the committee. Others might bring their knowledge, ideas and interest in community safety, environment, transport, buildings, history, etc.

The Residents' Association also encourages and selects people to stand as local and county councillors and members of the association (road stewards) deliver cards and leaflets in sup-port of those candidates. Is it complicated, magical or mysterious? No! Is it affiliated to a political party? No! It's the almost unique way the Residents' Association works in the borough of Epsom & Ewell, and you are invited to be a valued and useful member of it.

If you are interested in becoming a part of WERRA, please contact me, JOHN LUCAS, by telephoning 020 8391 3831 or e-mail me on and I would be delighted to talk it over with you.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Cllr John Lucas, Ruxley Ward