The Mayor of Epsom & Ewell Borough Council, Councillor Clive Woodbridge, has officially unveiled the first phase of an exciting programme of improvements on Epsom & Walton Downs.

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council (EEBC) secured a grant of £132,000 from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development to support the rural economy by encouraging visitors. The EAFRD grant was boosted by a further £18,000 from The Jockey Club and £20,000 from the Epsom & Walton Downs Conservators.

^{Image: Simon Durrant Jockey Club, Cllr Liz Frost (RA Woocote and Chair Epsom and Walton Downs Conservators and Mayor Clive Woodbridge unveiling}.

The improvements, which includes new benches, bins, picnic tables, waymarkers, information boards and counting posts, have been three years in the planning and began earlier this year after funding was secured.

The new infrastructure will enhance the visitor experience and allow tourists and residents to enjoy the panoramic views, discover the role of the Downs in the Borough’s equestrian history and learn about the unique flora and fauna of the area. It also improves safety for both visitors and the horses by directing people away from training grounds.

The benches, bins, counting posts, picnic tables and waymarkers are now in place, and the information boards will be completed in the coming weeks. Further developments such as a brass rubbing trail are also planned for the future.

Councillor Liz Frost, Chair of the Epsom & Walton Downs Conservators, stated “I am delighted to see the improvements being made to this much-loved part of our Borough. We had three aims at the start of this project; to increase rural tourism; to improve safety for visitors and for both the horses and staff involved in racehorse training on the Downs; and to educate people about the area. I think this initiative will help us to achieve those goals. I love the nods to our equestrian history on the benches and bins. The information boards will be a great asset in sharing the unique history and ecosystem of the area with visitors, and the counting posts will be able to tell the difference between walkers, cyclists and riders, so we can tailor facilities in the future. We hope that visitors to the Downs will enjoy these new resources.”

Simon Durrant, General Manager at Epsom Downs Racecourse, said, “The contribution to improving the Epsom & Walton Downs is something The Jockey Club is very passionate about. The work being carried out contributes to preserving the history of the area, along with improving the experience of all visitors, be that walkers, riders or cyclists. We look forward to the continued development throughout the next phase of improvements.”

While open to the public, the Downs is privately owned by The Jockey Club and managed by the Epsom & Walton Downs Conservators. Membership of the Conservators is prescribed by the Epsom & Walton Downs Regulation Act 1984, and is made up of Borough councillors, The Jockey Club and the Betting Levy Board. 

The Council is committed to supporting the Conservators in maintaining the Downs.

The Council was able to secure the EAFRD funding before the UK becomes ineligible for such grants following Brexit.

Surrey Police marked County Lines Intensification Week (3-9 October) by targeting and disrupting violent county lines gangs and engaging with those most vulnerable to exploitation by these criminals.

The intensification week, which is run nationally, aims to make life as difficult as possible for members of county line gangs, who often use violence and intimidation to exploit children and the vulnerable and to force them to store and ‘run’ drugs for them.

Over the week, officers focused on visiting local communities to raise awareness of the signs of exploitation and what to do if you think a loved one is at risk. They carried out 31 cuckooing prevention visits, safeguarded 40 vulnerable adults, engaged with over 460 people at local community events, and completed almost 120 prevention and education visits at secondary schools, taxi firms, leisure centres and youth groups.

A total of 11 people were also arrested for various drugs offences, 76 people were proactively stopped and searched, over 250 wraps of heroin and crack cocaine were seized, and more than £2000 in cash and assets were confiscated.

This latest activity was carried out by the neighbourhood and proactive teams and is on top of the 119 county lines that Centurion, our dedicated county lines team, have successfully shut down since their creation in September 2020. This works out at just over one drugs line being closed per week.

DCI Debbie White said: “County lines gangs can cause untold misery to their victims as they often utilise violence (including sexual violence), and intimidation to exploit the most vulnerable in our society. Working closely with our partners in neighbouring forces and the South East Regional Crime Unit (SEROCU), we have become very effective at using intelligence to identify and target those who may be involved in this criminal activity and bringing them to justice. Your information is vital in allowing us to keep on closing down these drug lines, so if you have any information regarding drug dealing or violent crime in your area, or you are worried that someone is being exploited, we need you to tell us. If you’d rather not speak to police, please reach out to the anonymous and fully independent charity Crimestoppers. Together we can stop the flow of drugs into our county.”

Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey Lisa Townsend said: “Driving county lines gangs out of Surrey remains a key priority for me as your Commissioner and this kind of targeted police action is vital in helping take dangerous people and drugs off our streets. These networks are ruthless and actively groom young and vulnerable people in our communities to act as drug couriers or dealers. It is so important we all work together to prevent them falling into the clutches of these gangs. That is why I would ask everyone to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the police so they can take immediate action and disrupt this criminal activity in our county.”

Surrey Police news

Guildford’s MP has labelled a “blanket ban” on solar farms “unwise” and says she supports a bid by the University of Surrey for a site outside of the town. The plans, put forward by the university for a solar farm across three fields, are described as an “essential component” of the university’s target to be net-zero by 2030.

Early plans for the site can be found in a request for an environmental impact assessment screening submitted by SSE Energy Solutions to Guildford Borough Council. A planning application has not yet been submitted for the approximately 21.6 hectare site, called Blackwell solar farm in documents.

Angela Richardson MP (Conservative) said on Twitter: “There is a planning application for a solar farm in my constituency which I support as it will help my local university meet its net zero aims by 2030. A blanket ban on solar farms would be unwise. Should be looked at on a case by case basis.”

The land is currently being used as farm land, and plans show the panels, of a maximum height of around 3 metres, could be surrounded by two-metre high fencing, with CCTV cameras on four-metre poles.
PM Liz Truss could ban solar panel installations from most farms in England, with The Guardian reporting on Monday (October 10) that, Ranil Jayawardena, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, was understood to oppose solar panels on agricultural land. It also said he had asked that the definition of “best and most versatile” land be broadened to include the current 3b grade of agricultural land.

The screening request submitted to the borough council said though there were different grades of land on the fields, the whole site would be farmed as grade 3b. Documents also showed the applicants did not think the site would be visible from nearby villages or the nearby Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, though two farmhouses nearby could have a partial view of it.

In a release about the project, being put forward with SSE Energy Solutions, The University of Surrey said once complete the site could generate enough energy to supply the equivalent of 4,000 UK homes each year.
Professor Bob Nichol, the university’s executive lead for climate change, said: “The University of Surrey community is dedicated to doing our bit to minimise global warming and our move to home-generated solar power is an important part of our plans. Big strides like this are essential for organisations to reduce their carbon footprints. Increasing our solar generation is just one part of Surrey’s sustainability story and our road to ‘Net Zero’.”

A university spokesperson said: “The University of Surrey is putting finishing touches to the application for the solar farm proposals we announced for consultation in May. We have not yet submitted a formal planning application, but will do soon. We welcome the support for this important green energy plan from our local MP and other local stakeholders who have engaged with us. We look forward to progressing the proposal, which is an important part of our sustainability story and our road to ‘Net Zero’.”

Epsom and Ewell Times exclusive: 21st June 2022 HRH The Princess Royal entered the Borough of Epsom and Ewell. The Court Circular states: Her Royal Highness this afternoon opened the First World War Centenary Woods’ “Regiment of Trees”, Langley Vale Wood, Langley Vale Road, Epsom, and was received by Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey (Mr. Michael More-Molyneux).

The Epsom and Ewell Times requested The Woodland Trust to explain activity at the Headley Road Car Park entrance that day. The owners of the Centenary Wood fell silent. Our investigation reveals that no “song-and-dance” has been made of the Royal event as the car park cannot open until electric vehicle charging points are working.

As today’s photos show, they are nearly ready but the car park remains closed. Walking is the best way to get to the Wood at the moment. The narrow country roads that surround the wood have no safe places to park.

The 650 acre Centenary Wood at Langley Vale is the English site of the four for the four nations of the United Kingdom. Epsom and Ewell is very privileged to have this extraordinary amenity at our doorstep.

^{Ed: This story was ready to break just before Queen Elizabeth II died. Out of respect for the Royal Family we put a hold on publication until after the State Funeral. The car park remains closed as of today.}

Epsom and Ewell has so far escaped the grant of licences for shale-gas exploration. Other Boroughs in Surrey are targeted. 25th September Business and Energy Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg announced: “In light of Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and weaponisation of energy, strengthening our energy security is an absolute priority, and – as the Prime Minister said – we are going to ensure the UK is a net energy exporter by 2040. To get there we will need to explore all avenues available to us through solar, wind, oil and gas production – so it’s right that we’ve lifted the pause to realise any potential sources of domestic gas.” Including through new oil and gas licences and shale gas extraction.

Friends of the Earth has provided a map and statistics showing the areas and licences for shale-gas exploration in Surrey.

Between now and 2040 will Epsom and Ewell’s natural resources have to play their part in energy self-sufficiency?

Let us know your views.

Our special correspondent shares his local experience.

In the good old days before Covid 19 you could visit the surgery to book to see a doctor, or instead telephone. You can do neither these days; now you have to fill an online form in and in a day or so the doctor will get back to you. If you are lucky, you will be able book a face-to-face appointment with the doctor provided you do not have a temperature or any other of the dreaded symptoms of Covid.

There is one exception to this; if you have an eye problem you book an appointment at SpecSavers as (at least in this area) they act on behalf of the NHS. They do an excellent job; for minor problems they will sort it out. If not, they will send you off to the eye hospital to be seen straight away as a lengthy wait to see a consultant may result in more damage.

I have been a type 2 diabetic for twenty-five years and because of this annually I have my eyes screened; photographs are taken of the back of the eyes. When I started this was done at Epsom Hospital. I got there by bus and the procedure was tiresome, as they put drops in your eyes which make your sight blurry. But it had to be done!  Then after a few years the technician gave me some good news; they had a modern machine and drops in the eyes were no longer needed. Absolutely brilliant. On top of that she would put your mind at ease and tell you not to worry.

Then someone in government decided to privatise the operation and accepting the lowest bid without having regard to anything else the service went into rapid deterioration. The new equipment was sold off and outdated technology returned. Years later, the privatised version of diabetic eye screening is still using equipment that became obsolete twenty year ago. Now you are advised:

*  plan how you’ll get to and from the test – do not drive, as you sight may be blurry for a few hours afterwards.

* you might want to bring someone with you or ask someone to collect you after the test.

* During the test you’ll be asked to read some letters on a chart first.

* Drops are then put in your eyes. This may sting for a few seconds. The drops make your sight blurry after about 15 minutes. After that you’ll be asked to look into a camera.

* After the test you will not get the result on the day. You will get a letter about your result within 6 weeks.

Screening can take place at various venues, such as community centres, as well as hospitals.

I could have my eyes screened at Epsom Hospital without spending a penny on transport as the 166 bus would drop me outside. However, I choose not to because I do not need to waste a few hours being unable to see properly. Instead, I have my eyes photographed at Steven Harris Opticians in Beckenham. I get there by train and tram, but if I did not want to spend any money, I could take the 166 to Croydon Bus Station and get another bus from there to Beckenham. They take a number of photos in each eye (not just one in each eye) and the consultant shows me these and what they mean; he says we are looking for consistency with last year. No drops and a fantastic service.

Of course, other opticians, including SpecSavers, have the latest equipment also.

I keep on being harrassed by Surrey’s Diabetic Eye Screening Programme (DESP). They insist that if I opt out it means I don’t have my eyes screened and they will inform my GP. They simply don’t understand that there are better services out there.

Anyone over 60 can have a full eye test, including a retinal scan FOR FREE under the NHS. Those under 60 can go privately and the same procedure costs around £45. In my view, such a fee is worth every penny.  After all, it would relieve the anxiety of waiting six weeks to know if there were a problem or not.

The NHS would save a fortune if they scrapped this privatised service and organised screening through qualified opticians.   

[Do you have a view? Write to us. Ed]

Epsom Strength and Balance is celebrating five years of helping seniors in the local community stay stronger and keep upright longer.  Karen Willson changed career to one in the fitness industry after medically retiring from working at City Hall. She trained thanks to Instructability, which trains disabled people and helped her get a job at a local leisure centre in 2014. Enjoying helping people improve their health, she later trained as a personal trainer and Otago instructor. This allowed her to start Epsom Strength and Balance [ESB] in September 2017. Gradually classes increased in size and more classes were required. Now, after the pandemic, she is rebuilding her business and reconnecting with people in our community.  She just loves to see people ‘stay strong and keep upright longer’.

The ESB community has improved their strength and balance by doing activities in fun weekly group classes. This has improved their posture and mobility, which reduces their risk of tripping and falling.  They learn how to safely get up off the floor and how to recover their balance so they do not fall. This allows us to safely do the things we enjoy. 

We are all getting older each day and we can improve our quality of life during our later life. These weekly classes have helped reduce the severity and number of trips into hospital following a fall. ESB classes are now delivered at home via zoom and as group classes in Ashtead and Epsom.

 Is it time you reduced your risk of falling by improving your posture and mobility?

Some people prefer to move to music. Sit and Stay Fit is a class of gentle movement to music from the 60s and 70s and this can be done sitting down. You’ll be surprised how beneficial it is for the whole body.

Join Karen:

Ashtead St George’s Christian Centre Mondays at 1:45 or

Epsom Methodist Church Wednesdays at 11:30 & 13:30.

Email   Epsomstrengthandbalance@gmail.com  or call Karen on (07771 647132)

Sit and Stay Fit Tuesdays at Epsom Methodist Church 14:00 

email Sitandstayfit@gmail.com or call Karen on (07771 647132

Visit: EpsomStrengthandBalance.com

Vice Lord Lieutenant of Surrey Sir Stephen Lamport came to Epsom Saturday 24th September. Addressing an audience in Epsom Methodist Church he condemned the aggression of Russian President Putin. He welcomed to Surrey those refugees from Ukraine who have come. He applauded the work of local charities, including Surrey Stands With Ukraine.

His speech was followed by 90 minutes of classical music performed by Ukrainian musicians. Sergei Sinkovski and Yevheniia Semydilko played Bartok duets on violins and Vivaldi. Kateryna Bolkunevych sang Casta Diva from Bellini’s opera Norma and Song to the Moon by Dvorak. Her powerful voice filling the vaulted Worship Hall. She was accompanied by pianist Bogdana Ravliuk who played Ukrainian composer Lysenko’s elegy.

Epsom poet Audrey Ardern-Jones, who’s Ukrainian mother fled Kiev in WWII to escape the Nazi occupation read three poems including a haiku. Translated and read in Ukrainian by the evening’s co-presenter Darina Dvorinchenko.

Young star of Surrey’s Yehudi Menuhin School of Music, Vadym Perog, born in Odessa, played a Mozart sonata for violin accompanied on the piano by Svitlana Kosenko.

The evening was crowned by Juliya Komyshan who brought tears from the standing audience with the Ukrainian national anthem. She played and sang other music using the traditional Ukrainian bandura instrument; to the amazement of all.

Jazz pianist Gabriel Latchin’s Trio performed in the Oaks Room (Conservative Club, Church St Epsom) on Tuesday last. The ever-growing Epsom Jazz Club audience were thrilled with the booking. The Trio performed wonderfully varied sets featuring unique versions of songs by Bossa Nova pioneer João Gilberto, a beautiful reworking of “They All Laughed” by the inimitable Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong, and Latchin’s own composition “Carlora” (a dedication to his parents).

American jazz bassist Christian McBride is quoted as saying “Gabriel is an excellent musician and one hell of a nice guy”. No-one could possibly argue with that.

He’s made a name for himself as one of the UK’s finest musicians, known for his effortlessly swinging feel, deep repertoire and compelling performances, and Epsom’s Tuesday night crowd lapped the three musicians up.

Gabriel Latchin was accompanied on stage by the rock-solid Jeremy Brown on double bass and long-standing collaborator Josh Morrison on drums. A truly wonderful Jazz Trio and understandably a number of the audience were keen to purchase and take home a personalised CD.

And if that wasn’t enough, Epsom Jazz Club had also organised an interval act! Ukrainian refugee Yulia Komyshan had previously performed on the Bandura at a Ukrainian Music Evening held at Epsom Methodist Church, and her remarkable rendition of a blues number went down equally well this week with the Jazz enthusiasts. Incidentally, there’s another Ukrainian Music Evening this Saturday 24th September – again featuring Yulia and her Bandura!

The next Gabriel Latchin Trio album is scheduled for release in early 2023. But until then we’ll just have to make do with listening to his first three albums “Introducing”, “The Moon And I” and “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” on rotation.

Epsom Jazz Club returns with its monthly residency at The Oaks Room on Tuesday 18th October, featuring the ever-gigging and ever-swinging London Django Collective. This is sure to be a popular concert – for more information and to purchase tickets in advance visit EpsomJazzClub.com

@EpsomJazzClub on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook

Jack and Emily Brown of Stoneleigh are delighted to announce the birth Wednesday 6th April 2022 of their first child named Sara Louise.

Born Beaconsfield – bred in Ewell – Frank Nutting – 80 years young Friday 8th April 2022. Keep going Frankie – love Diane and Paul.

Nearly 150 families have been left “in limbo” and facing additional stress without school transport as Surrey County Council deals with more than 500 applications. The authority said “urgent” steps were being taken to deal with the backlog, described by one councillor as a “tsunami” of cases.

Image: Aimee James and her son Isaac.

One single mum on Universal Credit is paying around £10 a day to take her son to school by public transport, and claims she has not had it confirmed by the council when she will be reimbursed. Aimee James’s son, Isaac, is in his first year at Gosden House School for children with learning and additional needs.

She told the LDRS she had transport approved by the county council in June for Isaac, but before the August bank holiday, just days before the start of the school year, received an email to say it would not be available for the start of the school year but with hopes it might be by the end of October.

While she said the school have been understanding about the difficulties she faces, having to drop her other child at school in Woking and then come back to Guildford to get a bus to the school, Isaac is still doing shorter days because she “can’t be in two places at once”.

No confirmation of when reimbursement will come Miss James said she only has a couple of hours in the middle of the day before she has to turn around and do the journey again for pick up. She added: “It’s really stressful because I’m a single parent, and I don’t drive. I’m also on Universal Credit, so trying to get him to school is a real pain.” Her son, who has autistic traits, is “not brilliant” on public transport and Miss James said the transition has not been an easy one for him.

While the council has confirmed it will reimburse those who are out of pocket while waiting for transport to be arranged, Miss James said she hasn’t had confirmation of when this money will come in. She added: “At the minute, life on Universal Credit isn’t brilliant anyway. Because I’ve got to spend out before they reimburse me, I’m sort of skint before they give me my money back.”

A spokesperson for the county council said “complex and significant challenges” and a 20 per cent increase in the number of applications for transport on last year were leading to the delays. They said staffing resources had been increased and temporary financial allowances were being given to allow families to make alternative arrangements where possible.

‘I’ve never seen it like this before’ Councillor Nick Darby, Residents’ Association and Independent Group Leader on the county council, said he’d heard of several cases from residents and also from other councillors. He described it as like a “tsunami” of cases, and said he had never seen it like this before. He’d heard of children who simply couldn’t go to school, others whose parents had taken most of the day out of their jobs to do school runs, and children who were “hugely stressed” at the lack of routine.

He called for better communication from the council with parents and councillors, saying because many of these cases related to children with additional needs, it was “very difficult and challenging” for the parents concerned.
Cllr Darby said the council was “just not delivering what we should”, and of the lack of communication with families, said: “Just ignoring it doesn’t do us any good.”  ‘I’m crying a lot, because I’m so emotional’
Another parent who has been juggling multiple school runs is Claire Nash, whose daughter Justice is currently attending a mainstream school but awaiting a place at a specialist school.

Her school taxi was cancelled last school year but Ms Nash said it should have then been extended until July 2023, because of the circumstances she faces in trying to get her four children, three of them with additional needs, to school.

Having emailed the council on September 6, she is yet to hear back at the time of writing, and is currently getting her daughter to school late every day after taking her eldest two children to school and then waiting for a mini bus to take her son to his school. She said: “I’m so stressed out, my life is very stressful anyway, but I’ve lost sleep over it.  “I’m crying a lot, because I’m so emotional. It’s extra stuff I just don’t need. My life’s already hard and I have to fight for the things that should just be easy to get considering my circumstances.”

A Surrey County Council spokesperson confirmed that as of September 20, there were 529 school transport applications being processed, of which 196 were received before the start of the academic year.
There were 149 families who had had their eligibility confirmed but had not yet had transport scheduled.
These families had been offered temporary financial allowances in order to make alternative arrangements.
As well as this, there are currently 141 families going through an appeal process for school transport, which the spokesperson said the independent appeal team were working through at an increased rate in order to process them as quickly as possible.

The spokesperson said they could not comment on any individual children, but the council “would like to sincerely apologise to anyone experiencing delays” with their applications.  They added: “As with many services nationally we are dealing with complex and significant challenges, particularly with driver shortages in some areas.  “We are concerned about the delays some families are facing and are taking urgent steps to address this by increasing staffing resources and offering temporary financial allowances to enable families to make alternative arrangements, where possible.  We are determined to do everything we can to support children and young people that need us most. We know how important it is for children and young people to have access to their education setting and we are working tirelessly to manage increased demand and address issues.”

Surrey Police chiefs have revealed the “nervy” moments they had ahead of the Queen’s funeral passing through the county. While the operation “went very well” from the force’s perspective, those high up did admit to underestimating just how many people would show up along the streets as the coffin passed through on its way to Windsor.
Superintendent Graham Barnett, the silver commander for the operation in Surrey, said in a press briefing today (September 20) this was one of “the very few events that has never happened” on this scale and in our lifetimes.
He said contingency resources and several partners all working together were important on the day, from Surrey Fire and Rescue, Surrey County Council, as well as the borough and district authorities and the National Trust way finder volunteers around Runnymede.
The coffin passed through 6.2 miles of roads in Surrey on its journey to Windsor, on a route that was planned “with the public in mind” to allow as many people to bid farewell to the monarch as possible.
Supt Barnett said his most “nervy” moment was when the procession passed Town Lane on its way into Staines, when people wanted to get forward and see the coffin.
He added: “I was under no illusion that Staines was going to be busy, that the A308 was going to be busy, Runnymede meadows of course can cater for huge numbers of people.
“So we were aware. Even I underestimated quite how many people would come out to show their respects, and I will be the first to put my hand up and say there was a couple of nervous moments for me as people increased.”
He said all contingency resources were “pushed in” to support the lining of the route.
Supt Barnett added: “The reality is, we were always expecting large numbers. But I was surprised at quite how large and what a fantastic turnout we had from the public of Surrey, and further afield of course, to see Her Majesty off.”
He confirmed there were no reported anti-monarchy protests in Surrey, with all public engagement being “very supportive” both towards officers and in terms of taking “one last chance to be involved in something so historic”.
The “clear steer” given to Supt Barnett from Chief Superintendent Jerry Westerman was that giving resources for the event could not affect “business as usual” for the force.
He said officers worked longer days and cancelled days off to play their part and that resources were only allocated after ensuring the usual needs of the public could be met, and then increasing that by ten per cent.
Chief Supt Westerman confirmed no national debrief had as yet taken place, only a “hot debrief” which looks at immediate issues after the event.
He added: “This operation, from our perspective, went very well. But we can always learn lessons and improve.
“And where it goes well, it’s equally important that we make sure that in future events, it goes well.”
He added that there would always be some form of “Operation Bridge” in place,  the name given to arrangements made for funerals of the Royal Family, and so a debrief with other partners was important to make sure they were always ready for the next one.
The force’s Chief Constable Gavin Stephens had taken on the role of the Commander of the Civil Services Contingent and so was pulled away from his usual policing duties in Surrey to be part of the central London ceremonies.
He said he had to “put his faith” in the “brilliant” team in Surrey as he went “off-grid” as the force lead.
Chief Constable Stephens said the events on the day were all about “discipline and following instructions”, with all participants knowing what their role was and sticking to it, whether lining the route, in the middle of a procession or monitoring crowds.
He added: “It’s the combination of everybody following their individual instruction that makes it look like such a spectacle.”

Plans were published by Transport for London and Network rail for a north south route running from Wimbledon to New Southgate in the north under the name of Crossrail 2. Epsom was mentioned as a possible terminus. But so too are Shepperton, Hampton Court & Chessington South.
The reasons given are that London’s population is growing rapidly and will increase from 8.6 million to
10 million people by 2030. Whether this projection can be believed is a matter for debate because official statistics show that this would be 75% of the increase in population for the whole country If they are correct in their assertions then the then an increasing population will require more housing, more jobs and greater transport capacity which is why Crossrail 2 is proposed.

The proposal is for a new line in a tunnel from just north of Wimbledon via either Tooting or Balham to
Clapham Junction then Kings Road, Chelsea, Victoria, Tottenham Court Road, Euston/St Pancras, then
Angel and north from there to Tottenham Hale and New Southgate. The black dots on the map are
intermediate shafts for building access.

Trains
More of a cause for concern might be whether current routes might be curtailed. If there is no increase
in capacity between Raynes Park & Wimbledon then either we will have Crossrail trains taking the place
of current services or there will be a great need for line capacity to be increased. The latter solution has
already been ruled out so it looks as if todays withdrawn services become the norm.

That assertion would appear to be borne out as passengers from Epsom will be expected to change at
Raynes Park for Waterloo for 2 of the 4 services per hour. Motspur Park that is served by both Epsom & Chessington South will be
reduced to just the two trains from Epsom. Chessington will have no services to Waterloo.
All stations on the proposed South West branches would benefit from an increased frequency of trains
into London. Fast interchange to and from trains at Waterloo would be available at Raynes Park and
additional interchanges with London Underground, Crossrail 1 and National Rail services would also be available across Central London.

The local line on that stretch could theoretically take 20 trains an hour. During the peak hours there
could only be two more trains.

Crossrail 2 would support 200,000 jobs, spur the development of 200,000 new homes across the region
and increase London’s rail capacity by 10 percent. Its impact would be felt across the wider South East
and beyond: Crossrail 2 will cut journey times in an area from the South Coast and stretching up to East
Anglia and the Midlands.

Is there a demand for the extra housing and if so how will it be satisfied? And how many will our
Borough be expected to provide?

The government directs councils as to how many housing units they have to provide and with the next,
probable, Prime Minister on record as freeing up Green Belt land for housing it is too obvious where
Epsom’s share will be expected to be built.

Level Crossings
In order to facilitate reliability with the added benefit of increased safety it is proposed that a number of
level crossings would be closed. Throughout Europe misuse of these have been a regular cause of accidents and despite efforts to mitigate risk accidents and near miss incidents still too often occur.
Network Rail say that they will work closely with local communities and local authorities to provide
“appropriate resolution for each crossing”. However, they restrict the options to ones inconveniencing the public, especially pedestrians. The alternatives proposed are either tunnels or bridges across the railway while no thought is given to the railway crossing over or under the roads.

Any of these options might impact on the local community in those areas by the need to acquire land;
re-siting the crossing or the impact of the actual construction. However, there are only five of these on the proposed southern routes at Motspur Park; West Barnes (between Raynes Park and Motspur Park); Elm Lane (Malden); Hampton; and Summer Road (Hampton Court). Regular travellers will know that only the first two of these might affect Epsom services. So, the inconvenience to the public should not affect our Borough.

Following the demise of the public toilets on the B290 up on Epsom Downs, The Epsom and Ewell Times reports on the current Council provision of conveniences for the public:

• Nonsuch Park – open during park opening hours which are usually 6am to ½ hour before sunset.

• Horton Country Park – open during park opening hours as above

• Alexandria Recreational Ground Pavilion – operated by the café during café opening hours

• Auriol Recreation Ground, Stoneleigh – operated by the café during café opening hours

• Epsom Cemetery – open during cemetery opening hours

• Bourne Hall, Ewell – open during centre hours

• Epsom Town Hall – open during operating hours

• Harrier Centre, Poole Road, West Ewell – open during operating hours

In answer to The Epsom and Ewell Times, The Epsom and Ewell Borough Council provided the following information on the costs of spending a penny of those public toilets that are NOT part of a building used for other purposes (e.g., The Town Hall and Bourne Hall etc). To be clear – they are free to use! It won’t cost you a penny except through your Council tax.

Annual Expenditure 2021 to 2022 up to end of March 2022.
Nonsuch public toilets – Cleaning: £14,716.56
We cannot break down the costs for Mechanical &Electrical (M&E) as it comes within the expenditure for
the whole of the Mansion House.
Cemetery – Cleaning £6161.04 and M&E £993.68
Horton Country Park – Cleaning £5555.40 and M&E £741.36
The utility costs are also not broken down for just the toilets and therefore we cannot provide separate
costs.

Contrary to myth a person not patronising a pub does not have a right to use its toilet. London promotes a “Community Toilet Scheme” that encourages businesses to allow non-customers to use their toilets. London’s Railways stations take part. In the Borough of Epsom and Ewell the Ashley Centre would be hard pressed to prevent a member of the public having no intention to spend a penny in its shops from spending a penny in its toilets.

Should Epsom and Ewell have a Community Toilet Scheme? Write to us.

and goodbye to a regular Royal visitor to our Borough.