Government need to act on cable theft

Early this evening I happened to watch an item about cable theft on the regional news. I learnt that the Metropolitan Police have set up a task force in an attempt to tackle the problem. I already knew from work with South West Trains, Network Rail and British Transport Police that they are putting extra resource into dealing with this serious crime that led to up to six hour delays for passengers during SWT Jam last June; is costing the country £700 million a year and led to operations being cancelled in Wales last week and roads being plunged into darkness in Yorkshire.

I received a message from a friend a little before 11pm tonight telling me there was a power cut affecting parts of St Johns, Hook Heath and Mount Hermon. The cause - attempted cable theft. Thankfully it appears the power cut out before any cable could be removed and a loud bang sent the thieves running. Power was back on within an hour or so.

As the price of copper has soared on global markets thieves are attempting to steal cables containing copper from signal boxes on the railways, electricity sub-stations and street lighting cable.  Copper can then be sold on the black market.  Copper is being sold for around $9,000 a tonne so is an attractive commodity.

So much money is being lost, so many are being affected, so much resource is going into dealing with this issue. The government needs to do what many have called for and license scrap dealers. This will close the market for illegally obtained copper and solve much of the problem.

Bedser Bridge Victory for Residents

I am delighted to announce a victory for residents on the Bedser Bridge.  The bridge originally proposed to provide access to the new WWF offices on Brewery Road car park and over the canal for residents and visitors was too high and inaccessible.  The bridge was to be 5ft higher than the current bridge and required users to climb many steps or follow a lengthy ramp.  The design seemed better suited to a motorway or dual carriageway.  Residents felt this design was for the benefit of WWF rather than local residents and visitors to Woking and was not in keeping with its surroundings.

After receiving over 2000 public responses on these concerns the Council has taken note and WWF's architects have re-designed the bridge.  The new proposal gives us a bridge 4ft lower than that originally proposed with a much shorter ramp and a separate access arm for the WWF offices.  There will be direct access across the canal and the bridge will be built from timber so won't look like something removed from the side of a motorway.

This is a great victory for residents. I am so pleased to have been able to raise this issue back in September and to see it through to a successful conclusion.

The full details of the new plans will soon be on the Woking Council website and you will be able to see the plans at the Lightbox, Council offices and the entrance to Peacocks shopping centre.

Massive response to Bedser Bridge Petition

There has been a massive response to the petition calling for the lowering of the height of the Bedser Bridge. The petition, set up by local resident Carole Frost, has been signed by 1875 people.

Over 500 people signed the online petition and a further 1300 signatures were collected by volunteers at the bridge and in Horsell over several week.  I did several Saturday sessions in the car park and found many residents and vistor alike were concerned with the new access plans. 

The petition will now be put to the meeting of Woking Council on Thursday 8 December where it will be open to all councillors to discuss. 

Why not tell your local councillor what yout think of the plans for the bridge, designed for the convenience of WWF but at a cost of £750K to Woking Council.

You can also come along to the meeting which starts at 7pm on Thursday 8 December in the council offices.

Woking Library Closure Date Update

At the last minute Surrey County Council has announced that the closure of Woking Library for work on the building has been delayed.  The library was due to close this week but will now stay open until Saturday 29 October.  The good news is that the library will now be open over half term week.

After the 29 October it now seems it will take three rather than the previously quoted two weeks to move some library services to a temporary home in Wolsey Place.  Limited library services are expected to be available from 12 November.  One shop in Wolsey Walk will house some books and another access to IT facilities.  For alternative local libraries see my earlier post about Knaphill and Byfleet.

Woking library is expected to re-open, via a new entrance in the side of the building, in Spring next year.  The new entrance will be towards the theatre entrance, opposite the entrance to the Council offices.  The existing library entrance will house a Cafe Rouge.

Full horror of bridge access emerges ...

Apart from checking that the consultation on the new canal bridge was on the Woking Council web site I had not looked at the detail.  I assumed the pictures and plans would be ones I had seen before. It was only when I walked through the Peacocks tonight on the way to the cinema and saw the display in the entrance foyer that the full horror of accessing the bridge was brought home to me.

Pedestrians wanting to use the bridge to access the town can walk up 24 steps to the  bridge or they can go in the lift.  To access the long ramp (which appears from the plans to be only for cyclists) pedestrians will need to go on to and along the canal path.  This is an unlit path and it makes a very long route

Given the number of pushchairs that go across the current bridge, along with wheelchairs and mobility scooters I can send a great demand on lift capacity - which has not yet been announced

You can view the consultation online on Woking Council web site or on the first floor of the Lighbox until Saturday 8 October, then down on the ground fllor; in the Council offices (hidden behind the reception kiosk) and in the Town Square entrance to the Peacocks.

Responses can be completed on the web form or sent to the email address mailto:bedserbridgeproposal@woking.gov.uk or put on paper forms available at the Lighbox and Council offices.

Woking Library Closure – opportunity to explore?

Woking Library is closed for two weeks as it moves to a temporary home in Wolsey Place.  This period includes half term week.

It strikes me that this could be an opportunity to explore other libraries in Woking Borough.  If you have access to a car, can afford the bus fare or fancy a cycle ride why not check out one, or both, of the other borough libraries.  Both are under threat of closure unless volunteers come forward to run them.  Extra patronage can only help their cause.

Byfleet Library

A recently refurbished library (why spend all that money on it and then threaten to close it!) with a good range of books and DVDs and a lovely children’s section.  Byfleet Library also has  a whole fascinating room devoted to the history of Byfleet. The Heritage Centre has lots of photographs of Byfleet in years gone by and very readable text on the history of the village.  Have a preview of Byfleet’s long history (it pre-dates West Byfleet) here 

Located at High Road, Byfleet, KT14 7QN – on the village green, opposite the Plough pub

Free parking behind the library or take 472 bus from Woking

Open 10-6 Tuesday 10-5 Friday and 9.30-4 Saturday

Knaphill Library

A virtually brand new library, fitted out just a few years ago, after the previous library had been closed for several years.  Light and airy with children’s and adult books.

Located at 4 Anchor Hill, Knaphill GU21 2PD – behind the Anchor pub

Open 10-6 Tuesday, 2-5 Wednesday, 10-5 Thursday, 10-5 Friday, 9.30-4 Saturday

Free parking behind the Co-op which is a short walk down the road or take 34 bus from Woking.

Before or after the library why not browse the Knaphill shops.  The pet shop just across the road from the library is always a favourite with my children.  Be warned you may get requests for hamsters, mice, rats, guinea pigs or rabbits after the trip!  We always stop to at least look in the window of the cake shop. They always have several amazing cakes on display.  Shop here for an incredible range of food colourings and fantastic cake decorations, order a cake to your own design or rent a character cake tin to make your own amazing creation.  Stock up on any school uniform requirements at Valentinos and check out their other items of clothing while you are there.  If a half term treat is in order why not stop for a break the Valentinos coffee shop before you head for home.

Resident Uproar over proposed new canal bridge



Gathering public views on proposed new canal bridge

 Background to a new bridge


Much of my time in recent weeks has been taken up with the proposed new bridge over the Basingstoke Canal from Brewery Road car park to the town centre. Plans for this bridge first appeared when WWF applied to build new offices on the car park site. The WWF planning application included few details of the bridge but did show a lengthy ramp from the car park to the bridge. The length of the ramp was said to be dictated by requirements of the DDA (Disability Discrimination Act). This Act does require a gentle slope, and it is important the requirement is met, but the main reason for the long ramp is the raised height of the proposed new bridge. The whole reason for this height is to give WWF direct access to their offices which will be on stilts above the car park at a ground floor level..

It seems that the bridge is designed for the convenience of WWF not for local residents and visitors to Woking.

As more plans for the bridge have emerged over recent weeks residents have raised concerns about the height of the bridge and the inconvenient ramp.

Concern has also been expressed at first sight of designs for the bridge. It has been variously described as looking like a motorway bridge and as an insult to the cricketing Bedser twins who it is planned to name it after.

Conservative response to new bridge plans

The Conservatives who run Woking Council have shown a reluctance to engage local residents in plans for the new bridge and have only finally given in to and allowed for a sham consultation after much local pressure.

Conservatives have refused to discuss the height of the bridge and the lengthy ramp saying that the public had chance to have their say at the planning stage.

One Executive member said "We don't want a beautiful bridge" and that eyes won’t be drawn to the bridge but to the statues of the cricketing Bedser twins on either side of the bridge. This councillor lives on the other side of town so he may not see the bridge very often. However those of us who live in Horsell or Goldsworth Park or Knaphill or St Johns; visitors to the Lightbox, theatre and cinema goers may well see the bridge quite regularly.


Timeline

I set out below a timeline of events from when I first saw the full design and plans for the bridge and shared information with local residents.

4 Sept Settled down to read Woking Council Exec papers on my return from holiday. Shocked by the design of bridge that does not fit its surroundings; disappointed to see no change in the height of the bridge and lengthy ramp leading up to the bridge for cyclists and pedestrians with prams, wheelchairs or mobility buggies who prefer not to use the lift.

Post link to council executive papers on Twitter and email link to various interested parties including Horsell Residents Association.

5 Sept Raise my concerns with Shadow Executive colleagues at meeting. Concerns are shared and we discuss how such a mediocre bridge can cost so much.

7 Sept In the face of growing resident concerns send email to Leader of Council asking that item on bridge is deferred to allow for public consultation. No response received.

8 Sept Arrive at Council Executive meeting to find extra paper tabled to justify going ahead with the bridge. This is obviously my response from the Leader, though he has not replied directly to my email. At the beginning of the meeting I am told I cannot speak on design of bridge because that was part of WWF planning application (I live very close to the car park where WWF offices are to be built). As the bridge design, save for the long ramps was not shown in the planning application I find this rather strange.

During the meeting I am told the bridge is all decided, that there was lots of consultation and that all processes have been followed (and boxes ticked no doubt).

The general consensus from the Conservative Executive is that I am being silly to raise this issue because it is all determined and there is nothing more to be said. One councillor says that Woking Cycle Forum did not raise concerns about the ramp to the bridge. I don't think this is correct (and confirm this later - see below).

The Executive appear to be satisfied that Woking's cost contribution to the bridge is capped at 750K. Nothing else seems to matter to them. I am pleased that WWF are at last making a contribution but it is not a substantial part of the total cost.

12/9 Learn that bridge recommendation are not going to Council in October but to a special Council meeting, scheduled only to sign off the accounts, on 22 September.

Discuss next steps with residents.

14/9 Attend Woking Cycle User Forum as WBC representative. Group confirms they raised concerns about the height of the bridge and the length of the ramp. Paul Fishwick, who was programme manager for Cycle Woking confirms he submitted a formal objection to the planning application.

Cyclists are keen to get something done, for those with bikes but also people pushing prams and those in wheelchairs and mobility scooters. A petition is suggested but there won't be time to do this before the Council meeting.

Continue to take on-board resident’s concerns

19/9 Liberal Democrat Group meeting backs me on opposing the new bridge plans

21/9 Attend Horsell Residents Association and hear the concern of this group

22/9 Submit amendment to paper on the proposed new bridge, trying again to get the Conservative run Council to consult residents.

Horsell Residents Association representatives meet WWF and state very strongly their concerns about the bridge proposals.

At Council meeting in the evening my amendment requesting consultation is rejected by the Conservatives. The ruling group come up with a plan for a “sham consultation” and agree to accept “public representations” on plans for the bridge

23/9 Having heard nothing about how public representations are to be collected I raise the matter with the Chief Executive and am told a display and feedback forms are being prepared and should be at several places in the town by the following Thursday

24/9 A concerned residents lets me know she is setting up a petition to Woking Council calling for the bridge to be retained at its current height – sign up here

30/9 Still no sign of anything to collect public representations so I wrote to the Leader of the Council.

1/10 With several concerned residents we set up a table to collect petition signatures and resident feedback plans in Brewery Road car park. There is an amazing response from worried residents and 482 signatures are collected.

Receive a reply from the Leader of the Council telling me all will be in place from Monday. Displays and feedback forms will be set up at the Lightbox, Council offices and Peacocks shopping centre. There will also be collection boxes for completed forms at the Lightbox and council offices. A web page will also be available.

2/10 Receive an update from the Council. Planners feel a further drawing is required from WWF’s architects and this will delay collection of “public representations”, probably until Thursday

3/10 Woking Cycle User Group meet with WWF to raise their concerns. WWF say they were not aware of issues over the ramp. (I raised the issue with them when I first saw the plans!!)

4/10 Residents collect more petition signatures in Brewery Road car park

Next Steps

8/10  Collecting signantures and feedback in Brewery Road car park - come and join us.

10/10 Petition closes.    !!! UPDATE  Petition deadline extended to 21 October !!!

20/10  Next Council meeting.

28/10 Closing date for receipt of "public representations".

More news on Victoria Way Cycle Crossing

In my capacity as a Woking Council representative on the local Cycle User's Forum I attended a meeting on Wednesday.  Rather appropriately I cycled to the meeting at Quadrant Court (Surrey County Council offices) on Guildford Road., having come from a governors meeting at Horsell Village School.

One thing I learned at the meeting is that work will not continue on the new cycle crossing over Victoria Way until the forthcoming Chinese ceramics exhibition at The Lightbox has closed.  When I checked the dates for this exhibition I found that it doesn't close until December!  If work really is delayed until then I envisage a further delay when roadworks are kept out of the town centre in the busy Christmas shopping periods.  So that will be January then before work starts again ...

I first blogged about this crossing on 10 September 2010 when I saw a site notice on the post of the pedestrian crossing.  It is over a year ago now since initial work started on the site. As I previously threatened  I think it is time to got out there with a cake and wish the works a happy first birthday.

Pedal 4 Charity 2011

I was delighted to take part in Pedal 4 Charity on Sunday 11 September.  The event is a 22 mile cycle ride raising money for Woking and Sam Beare Hospice.

We set off from The Cricketers in Horsell and rode across Horsell Common, through Ottershaw and Lyne to Thorpe.  The half way point was the Rose and Crown at Thorpe Green,  The first half of the ride involved a few hills and a combination of an and off road and was a pleasant ride.  Having set off at 11am we reached the pub by 12pm.  Then for the return journey ...

We followed the same route to begin our return but then went through a different area of Lyne and on to Chobham Common.  That's when it got tricky.  There was a lot of mud.  A real quagmire.  There were long drags of hills and to add to the challenge some were surfaced with gravel.  Hard work.  But there were amazing views over Chobham Common,

At one point we followed the crowd down a muddy hill to the left, only to hear the cry "wrong way".  We turned about and took the only other available route, but there was still uncertainty.  The track ahead was narrow, punctuated by trees and roots and vey muddy.  We all paused and waited for a man with a smart phone who seemed to have links to a route map.  After a few minutes the decision was made to move forward.  A few of us had our doubts about the way but our worries were unfounded, a yellow arrow leading the way soon appeared along the path.

The return route took a lot longer and two and a half hours later we returned to the Cricketers, tired but satisfied.

The ride was really enjoyable but I would have liked to linger longer over some of the views.  I am sure we will be back next year.

Congratulations to The Cricketers for organising the event and to all those from the hospice, Horsell Common Preservation Sociey and others who gave their time on the day to make a succcessful event.

If you would like to help in my fundraising for Woking and Sam Beare Hospice you can subscribe on my Just Giving page

How many county council workmen days do you need to cross a road?

An awful lot apparently.  You may have noticed various stages of work next to the crossing of Victoria Way between Brewery Road car park and the Lightbox to the town centre.  This is intended to be a cycle crossing.

Work started last year in October, then had to pause during the Christmas period and then was set back by the refusal of the police to agree to change in the level of the road - so that had to come out.

Men in high visibility jackets were spotted examining the site a few weeks ago but I am not aware of any activity since that time.  News in August was that work was to start again in September. Its early in the month so you never know ...

If the whole long strung out project makes its first birthday in a few weeks time I plan to head out with a birthday cake to mark the occassion.

Changes on the Buses

Look out for yet more changes to buses in Horsell from September.

Loss of the 28
Following the latest stage of Surrey's bus review the 28 bus will not run through Horsell from 5 September.  There will be another bus service the 48 that will cover some of this bus route and run to Knaphill along Littlewick Road.  This will be a weekday only, day time service with 5 buses per day from Horsell to Woking and 4 in the opposite direction.

The withdrawal of the 28 means no service to Goldsworth Park centre or Waitrose, fewer buses and no weekend service.  The reason for withdrawal is lack of users but given the number of changes to bus routes and times it is hardly surprising that it has few passengers.  Most people just don't know when the bus is running.

Revised service on the 73
At the end of October Countryliner will end their 73 service which runs hourly on Mondays to Saturdays from Chobham to Woking, going through South Road, Meadway Drive, Ormonde Road and then Well Lane in Horsell.  This is deemed to be a commercial service (that is Surrey does not subsidise it) and will be put out to tender.  Surrey see this as an opportunity to change the route if that is what is wanted locally.

Surrey County Council would like your views on where this bus should run.  They have suggested two possible route options plus the opportunity for the bus to run to Morrisons on some journeys.  Please take a look at the information below and send your views to Laurie James (

laurie.james@surreycc.gov.uk)

 at Surrey (if you could copy me it would be helpful so I know what suggestions are being made).

BUS ROUTE 73 CHOBHAM – HORSELL – WOKING

Option A) Continue with a similar timetable on the same route as now

Option B) Continue to provide an hourly service to/from Chobham but divert certain journeys between Horsell and Woking so that they run from Meadway Drive via Horsell Church and Brewery Road, rather than Ormonde Road and Well Lane.

Reason: From 5 September 2011, bus service 28 will be withdrawn from Horsell as already advertised. This service runs via Horsell Church and Brewery Road and is being replaced by a less-frequent service 48 on Mondays to Fridays only. The 48 will leave Horsell for Woking at 0828, 1017, 1217, 1417 and 1617. It will leave Woking for Horsell at 1030, 1230, 1430 and 1635.

By diverting part of service 73, journeys could run from Horsell to Woking via Brewery Road on Mondays to Saturdays at 1132, 1332 and 1712, returning from Woking at 1100, 1300, 1500 and 1730.

Advantage: Horsell High Street, Church and Brewery Road get more bus choice

Disadvantage: Ormonde Road and Well Lane get fewer buses.

Possible improvements with both options A and B: Extend service 73 during the middle part of the day to/from Morrisons Store in Woking and provide a better choice of buses back to Horsell and Chobham at commuting times from Woking Station at 1640, 1730, 1820 and 1910 (as well as 1935 to Horsell only)

Comments on the above are invited by Monday 19 September by email to laurie.james@surreycc.gov.uk 

The ones that didn't make it ...

It's a few weeks now since the local elections and time to reflect.  I blogged previously on the fate of the Lib Dems in those elections and mentioned new councillors who won seats on 5 May.  Now seems a good time to look at those who were not successful in their election bid in 2011.

Barnabas Shelbourne was up for election in Byfleet.  He was only elected back in 2010 but took his seat in a by-election, where the previous councillor had only one more year left to run.  Barnabas is a youth worker and brought his expertise in this area to the Council.  He had a fresh and enthusiastic approach and it is sad that he lost the seat.  Barnabas was also a great support to the other Lib Dem councillor in Byfleet, Anne Roberts.  Anne works tirelessly for her area and is well known there. Having Barnabas to work alongside Anne  meant the team could do so much more for Byfleet.  Campaigning to save Byfleet Libary was one example of the team in action.  Barnabas' contribtion included an excellent letter in the News and Mail in praise of this local facility.  As a father with a young son Barnabas also played a key part in raising concerns about the way in which extra spaces were to be provided at the local primary school.

Philip Goldenberg, a past councillor with a long political history, was standing in Goldsworth East. Philip is a formidable political operator and the Conservative party clearly feared his return to the council chamber.  A large part of a leaflet was devoted to personal attacks.  Against this sort of campaign and a slight upturn in the Labour vote Philip was not elected.

In Knaphill Lisa Harding put up an amazing fight.  Despite being a first time candidate Lisa did an incredible job, whether working hard on the ground talking to residents and delivering literature or gaining publicity in both the local papers and the online world.  Lisa was a fantastic candidate.  Her background, growing up in East London, and her work for a national charity, mean she has both an empathy with people at all levels and a wider social conscience.  Lisa fell victim to the double whammy of a surge in the Conservative vote and a well known local councillor.  There was no more Lisa and her team could have done.  It is a real pity that she is not a part of our council group.  We are however using her many skills as secretary to the Lib Dem group.  She is already scaring us with a new level of organisation not seen for some time in the group.

The Maybury and Sheerwater seat was a three cornered fight with the Conservatives just ahead of Labour and Lib Dem Ajmal Latif running close behind.  Ajmal is a keen and energetic young man who put a lot into his campaign.  He is welll known across the area and I hope he will be back to try his hand again in future.

Mark Hanley in Horsell West was late into the fray of candidature but he did all that was asked of him and put up a creditable fight in Horsell.  Again the vote was affected by both the wider increase in Conservative vote and a well known councillor.

Over in Horsell East the Sanderson dynasty continued with James Sanderson (son of former Horsell West councillor Richard) taking up the Lib Dem mantle.  James has past council experience having held a seat in Tower Hamlets when he lived in London.   Horsell East tends to be a seat where the votes could almost be weighed rather than counted for the Tories and this year was no different.

A similar situation exists in West Byfleet where Bill Woolf worked very hard over many months but the Conservative majority inevitablty prevailed and in Pyrford where a veteran candidate Andy Grimshaw flew the Lib Dem flag.  Past Lib Dem councillor Diana Landon ran again in St Johns and Hook Heath and made a creditable showing.

Conservative Domination

I am increasingly of the view that Conservatives would love to have single party rule.  They have a huge majority on Surrey County Council and use it to every advantage.  The voice of Surrey residents is ignored at every turn.

Three recent events are indicative of a total rejection of public views and use of a majority to ignore others:

- Surrey Conservatives rejected a petition of over 26,000 Surrey residents who objected to being charged to park near local shops.  Those at the annual meeting of the county council, where the petition was barely discussed. report that Tory county councillors spent much time in electing themselves to positions and committees and self congratulation but little time on the parking petition.

- Byfleet Library is planned for closure and replacement by a "Big Society" initiative.  Byfleet residents have objected and been ignored.  They have pointed out that the library was closed during some of the period in which usage was measured. Pleas for a "recount" have been ignored.

- Woking currently has equal numbers of Conservative and Lib Dem county councillors.  County councillors for each areas sit on a Local Committee.  Despite the current equal share of seats (subject to a by-election) the Tories refused to support Lib Dems for either chair or vice-chair of this committee.

Looking back on local elections

Local elections are over for another year (although if you live in the St Johns, Brookwood or Hermitage and Knaphill South areas of Woking you have a county by-election on the 19 May).

Results for the Liberal Democrats across the country were not great (understatement alert).  Losses to Labour in the North of England had been anticipated.  Few people predicted the rise in both Conservative and Labour vote in the South.

So what happened in Woking?

It was a bad night for Labour.  Milliband's men had hoped to get at least one seat on Woking Council after several years absence.  They failed.  In Maybury and Sheerwater they came close.  In other seats with a traditional Labour vote they finished in third place, behind both the Lib Dems and the Conservatives.

The Conservatives had a good night.  They held all but one of their seats and gained seats from the Lib Dems in Byfleet and Goldsworth Park. Pyrford went back to the Conservatives having been held by an Independent, orginally elected as a  Conservative, since 2008.  They moved to second place in Old Woking.  Woking Council now has a Conservative majority.  Conservative Leader Kingsbury said at the count that Woking Conservatives would now be able to do what they wanted to do.  No change there then.

UKIP appeared to have high hopes and targetted Old Woking in particular.  They made little impact, taking last place in Old Woking.  I was surprised to see that Labour got a higher vote share than UKIP all but one of Woking's wards for the first time in several years.  In that one ward UKIP and Labour tied for vote share.

And so to the Lib Dems.  Well we lost two seats but we gained one seat - Kingfield and Westfield - from the Conservatives.  Will Forster gained this seat against campaigns from the Tories, Labour, UKIP and a small independent party.  In Old Woking another new councillor Louise Morales held off a three party challenge to hold the seat for the Lib Dems.  Over in Goldsworth Park Amanda Coulson was elected in a by-election.  We held our own in Maybury and Sheerwater in another three way fight.  Overall Woking Lib Dems are down one seat.  A performance comparable with councils we run in the South East such as Portsmouth and Bournemouth.

Emerging from the dark - new life for Heather Farm

On Wednesday evening I visited the site of the old mushroom farm at Heather Farm on the Chobham Road. Horsell Common Preservation Society, owners of the land, have drawn up plans for a wetland area, dog walking and an alternative access to the countryside.

The site has a chequered history. There was a mushroom farm in operation until around 2006 when the main supermarkets moved their business to overseas suppliers. Much debate over the future of the site followed. Woking Council proposed an energy from waste plant for the site. This facility was planned to use pyrolysis and in-vessel composting to give, potentially, a more environmentally friendly way of disposing of non-recyclable waste than traditional incinerators.

The energy plant proposal was not popular with either residents in the immediate vicinity or the wider Woking population. Eventually the plans were dropped. But Woking’s plans led to interest from Surrey County Council who added the site to their Waste Plan. Heather Farm was designated a site for an energy from waste site. In parallel the owners of the land sought to achieve planning permission for light industrial use or storage on the site.

Fast forward to 2009 and McClaren sought further building on their site to house the building of a new road car. HCPS had a covenant over the site. Agreement was reached that Heather Farm be bought by McClaren for HCPS in order that the land be returned to nature. In return McClaren were able to go ahead with their new facility.

I was amazed at the area of the site. Last time I was there, a little after the mushroom farm closed, the site was covered in concrete. There was a concrete surface over much of the site and many concrete buildings. All of this is now cleared, bar the main administration building which will be kept.

HCPS hopes to set up a wetland area, taking advantage of the natural features of the site, a dog walking area and the site will fulfil the role of Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG), drawing visitors away from sites with protected species to less sensitive locations. The remaining building will be used for wildlife or nature charitable organisations, with some space for HCPS. It is also hoped to create a visitor centre where young people can learn about the natural environment.

HCPS have made much progress in the last year. It is fantastic to see this site slowly returning to nature. A planning application setting out the future of the site is anticipated in the summer.

Need for a new Horsell Scout "hut"

Today I took Lib Dem Leader on Woking Council Richard Sharp to meet representatives of Horsell Scouts. We met at the scout hut in the village to see just how desperately they are need of a new building.

Richard was particularly impressed at just how much the Scouts and Guides have raised over the years. The current total from fundraising and donations stands at around £100,000. The scouts don’t rest on their laurels. Whilst we were visiting work was in full swing in preparation for the very popular May Fayre held every bank holiday Monday on Wheatsheaf Common.

We toured around both inside and outside of the facility. From the outside you can see what a hotch potch of buildings make up the hut. Part of the building is a former school prefabricated classroom. This came to the scouts some years ago, having already spent a number of years at a school.

Richard was left in no doubt as to how much the scouts need some help from the council to make their new building a reality.

WWF HQ to be built on Brewery Road Car Park

Woking's planning committee has given permission for WWF to build a new headquarters on Brewery Road car park.

The headquarters will be built on stilts above the car park and will be two storeys high.  This will be much the tallest building on the Horsell side of the canal, more than 2 meteres higher than the Kingswood Court flats and 5 metres higher than the neighbouring houses.  It will be the first "commercial" development to cross the canal barrier from the town centre.

Car parking will be retained under the building but the number of parking spaces will be reduced to 165, a loss of 42 spaces.  The number of disabled spaces available to the public will be reduced by 2 spaces.

As a local councillor who lives in close proximity to the site I am judged to have a "prejudicial interest" and so was not allowed to address, or even attend theplanning meeting.  I was permitted to listen to the proceedings in a separate room.

Listening to my fellow councillors I was rather disappointed in the lack of discussion and debate in which the committee engaged.  The proposal represented a departure from the Local Plan, raised issues of accessibility across the site and gave nothing back to Horsell or Woking save for the intangible economic benefit and kudos of having an international charity based in the town.

However I was very impressed by my colleague Cllr Lyons, Mount Hermon West councillor, who raised a wide range of issues and asked a number of pertinent questions, several of which I had asked him to raise.

As it became obvious to me that there was little chance of preventing this development on the car park and Woking's Conservative Executive were set on giving the site away I focused on what both Horsell and the rest of Woking might get back from this development. 

On reviewing council executive papers from September 2008, when the WWF proposal was first made, and January 2009 when the results of public consultation were reported to the executive I saw how much emphasis had been put on the development bringing improvements to the canal, as required in the Local Plan.  This had been totally removed, without mention, by the term the final terms of the deal with WWF came to the executive in November 2010.  When I read that WWF would make no contribution to the canal I contacted the planning officer to confirm my understanding.  WWF were making no contribution to the canal side.  Woking has lost its greatest chance to improve the canal side and integrate the canal and the town centre.  This was a requirement of the Local Plan.  It has been a requirement on all of the number of applications for the site.  Now it had been brushed aside and was not mentioned by the planning committee save for Cllr Lyons valiant efforts.

The canal and the town are so separate.  It is a green space so close to the town centre that so much could be made of to make it a more pleasant environment for all. Canal users would love to bring their boats into the town. If there were facilities visiting boats would come to the town, creating some life and energy on the canal.

As I have reported before Woking Council is giving this site to WWF, charging no rent for 20 years and then a peppercorn rent of just £1,000 per year. Meanwhile Woking Council will pay for a replacement bridge across the canal to connect WWF to the town centre.  The Council has already been allowed to spend up to £25,000 to enable WWF to move to the site.

Horsell Under Attack & It's Costing Us Money

It has happened before and it is happening again. Horsell is under attack and it seems that local residents are paying for it.

The true cost of WWF on Brewery Road Car Park
We have known for several months that Conservative run Woking Council wanted to go ahead with plans to bring WWF to Brewery Road Car Park in Horsell.  What has now become clear is the cost of this great ambition.  I revealed back in November that the WWF HQ will require a new bridge to cross the canal and connect it to the town.  The current bridge across the canal badly needs to be replaced (if only the Council had maintained it properly would that be necesary?). However WBC is looking at spending up to a million pounds on this new bridge and not asking WWF for a penny towards a rather important requirement for their new building.

Last week's News and Mail brought news of even more cost to Woking tax payers.  The paper reports that WBC is giving the site away and giving WWF a long rent free period.  It would be very nice to have WWF in Woking (on a site in the town centre rather than Horsell) but can an environmental charity with a couple of hundred employees really bring enough economic benefit to our town to justify this huge give away.

Relocation of the Fire Station
The second attack on Horsell relates to plans to move the fire station, currently located in the town centre,  to land on Kestrel Way, behind the allotments on Bullbeggars Lane and the Salvation Army.  This proposal is at a very early stage.  I am totally opposed to this move.  It is the wrong location for the fire station.  It is wrong for the residents who will be disturbed by this facility so clsoe to their homes and wrong for the residents who will have speeding fire engines tearing down their local roads to get to emergencies. Although fire and rescue services are the responsibility of the County Council, Woking Council is involved and this can only mean more costs for Woking residents.

I have two messages to Woking Council - Leave Horsell Alone and stop wasting our money!