Could geothermal roads help prevent potholes before they form? Surrey trial aims to find out.

The UK’s pothole problem could one day be tackled from beneath the road surface, as researchers at the University of Surrey launch a pioneering trial that uses heat stored underground to keep roads cooler in summer, warmer in winter and less prone to damage. 

The Thermo-active Roads for Heat Harvesting and Pavement Temperature Regulation project will test whether a ground-source heating and cooling system can regulate road temperatures throughout the year – helping roads better withstand increasingly extreme weather while reducing the carbon footprint of highway maintenance, improving safety and reducing the inconvenience of roadworks. 

The system works by embedding a network of heat exchange pipes beneath the road surface, running through both the asphalt and the layers below. During summer, water circulating through the pipes absorbs heat from the asphalt and transfers it to a 100-metre-deep borehole, where it is stored underground. In winter, that heat is circulated back through the pipes to warm the road surface, helping to prevent ice from forming and reducing the freeze-thaw cycles that contribute to potholes. 

Installation has already begun in the Senate House car park on the University’s Stag Hill campus, with the first phase of the trial underway and the second phase starting in mid-August 2026. Once operational, researchers will monitor the system over a number of years using underground sensors to assess how effectively it regulates road temperatures. 

Project lead, Dr Benyi Cao, who is a Senior Lecturer in Geotechnical Engineering at the University of Surrey and Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow, said: 

“Rather than reacting to potholes after they’ve formed, we’re asking how we can prevent them in the first place. Potholes are more than an inconvenience – they are a safety hazard; they disrupt journeys and are costly to repair. Our project will explore whether geothermal technology can help prevent that damage from happening at scale.” 

Unlike many emerging infrastructure technologies, Surrey’s project uses mature, readily available materials, including standard plastic pipework and water circulation pumps, making future deployment both practical and affordable. 

Previous studies in Europe and the United States have explored similar concepts, but Surrey’s project will provide detailed real-world evidence of how the technology performs in UK conditions. 

As well as monitoring the road itself, the team will measure air temperatures above the test section to investigate whether cooler pavements could also reduce surrounding air temperatures during periods of extreme heat. 

Dr Nikolas Makasis, Lecturer in Civil Engineering at the University of Surrey and project co-investigator, said: 

“This trial will give us real-world evidence of how geothermal road systems perform outside the laboratory. If the results are promising, road authorities will have the evidence they need to deploy this technology to create longer-lasting roads, reduce maintenance costs and make transport infrastructure more resilient to a changing climate.” 

The project is funded through Dr Benyi Cao’s Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship, with additional support from Surrey County Council’s Lane Rental Scheme. 

Surrey University

Image: Construction underway outside Senate House, University of Surrey. Image credit: University of Surrey.

Dear Editor,

This August, children aged five to 15 can travel free on local buses across England. I think that’s genuinely good. It makes days out cheaper, helps children get to summer activities, and might persuade a few families to leave the car at home.

But I can’t quite work out why it stops at 15. And where I live, age isn’t really what decides the price of a bus seat anyway.

I’m 16. I live in Epsom and travel to school in Wallington, which is in the London Borough of Sutton. I have a 16+ Zip Oyster photocard. Going to school in London, it turns out, makes no difference at all; the rule follows where you sleep, not where you study.

So here is what the same card is worth to different people. If you’re 16 and live in a London borough, it gives you free bus travel. If you’re 16 and live outside London, as I do, it gives you half the adult fare – about 88p a journey. And if you’re 16 and have never applied for one, you tap a contactless card and pay the full £1.75.

Three 16-year-olds. Same bus, same stop. One pays nothing, one pays 88p, one pays £1.75.

Nothing in that reflects need, or distance, or what anyone’s family earns. It reflects which side of the Greater London boundary you sleep on, and whether somebody remembered to tell you the card exists.

That second part bothers me most, because it’s the easiest thing to fix. Some students will inevitably miss out simply because nobody has explained the system clearly enough. A benefit that depends on knowing it exists ends up helping the organised rather than the people who need it.

And the cost starts to matter more at 16 than it did at 15. At 15, most journeys are still with your family. At 16 you’re travelling on your own to sixth form, a Saturday job, or a work experience placement you were told to arrange yourself. Nobody tells you that you can’t apply for those things. On paper they’re open to everyone. But one student can afford the journey every week and another quietly decides they can’t, and from the outside that never looks like unfairness at all.

I should admit I’m arguing against my own convenience here. I have the card, and half fare is not a hardship. I’d still rather Epsom’s 16-year-olds got what Sutton’s get. The Greater London boundary was drawn to decide who administers what; it was never meant to decide which teenager can afford to get to an interview in Croydon. TfL buses cross it every twenty minutes.

Surrey does have its own scheme, the LINK card, which halves fares for under-20s. It’s useful, it’s badly advertised, and it doesn’t work on TfL services – which are the buses that actually serve this town.

Of course the government has to draw a line somewhere, and August’s offer was aimed at families with younger children. That’s fair. Public money isn’t unlimited. But 15 isn’t an obvious place to stop, and a postcode isn’t a principle at all.

Two things would help. Extend the August offer to everyone under 18; we’re legally required to be in education or training, and most of us earn very little. And make sure every pupil in Epsom and Ewell hears about both the 16+ Zip and the LINK card before their sixteenth birthday, with a plain list of what each one covers.

Free buses this August are a good idea. I just don’t think a birthday, a boundary and a form should decide who keeps them.

Yours faithfully,

Emad Rehman
Aged 16, Epsom, student at Wilson’s School, Wallington

A drone is now operating at London Waterloo to tackle trespass, fix infrastructure faults and reduce disruption
Operated remotely from Southampton, the drone provides live intelligence to South Western Railway and Network Rail Wessex for rapid response to incidents.

Trespass and fatalities account for almost 14 per cent of delays, making them a leading cause of disruption and costing taxpayers millions.

Automated drone technology is part of publicly owned South Western Railway and Network Rail Wessex’s plan to improve services for customers ahead of the establishment of Great British Railways
RAILWAY customers at London Waterloo may have spotted a new presence overhead: a drone helping to prevent delays at Britain’s biggest station.

South Western Railway (SWR) and Network Rail Wessex (NR Wessex) are deploying automated drone technology to deter and tackle trespass, improve safety and reduce disruption on one of the country’s busiest rail corridors.

Trespassing on the railway is illegal and extremely dangerous. SWR and NR Wessex trains are powered by an ‘always on’ electric third rail carrying 750 volts of direct current, which can cause severe, lifechanging injuries or death.

When trespass is reported on the railway, SWR and NR Wessex must turn off the power, preventing trains from running until the incident has been resolved and power to the lines can be safely restored.

Most of South Western’s 1,600 daily services begin or end at London Waterloo. Even minor incidents can delay thousands of customers and cost taxpayers millions.

Between April 2025 and June 2026, trespass and fatalities caused almost 14 per cent of cancellations and over 200,000 minutes of delay to SWR and NR Wessex services, making it one of the leading causes of disruption.

Last September, a trespasser near Clapham Junction caused more than 57 hours of delays and was later imprisoned for eight weeks.

Another even more serious incident in the New Malden area in August 2024 saw the equivalent of nine days of delays, costing the taxpayer £1.2 million. The trespasser was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

The drone is operated remotely by British firm SkyBound from a high-tech control centre almost 80 miles away in Woolston, in the Southampton area.

When required, operators launch the drone from its trackside station to provide rapid intelligence for SWR and NR Wessex’s control centre, security and engineering teams, even before teams arrive on the ground.

Its high-resolution and thermal imaging cameras give enhanced visibility of trespass incidents, infrastructure concerns or any situation that requires inspection, with live footage streamed directly to the network’s operations centre in Basingstoke.

This allows the railway and emergency services to respond more quickly, reduces the need for ground teams to access the track, and limits the need to switch off the power and delays customer journeys.

The drone at Waterloo is just the first of a planned chain of SkyBound drones to help protect the busiest section of the SWR and NR Wessex network, with further drones to be based at Clapham Junction, New Malden and Walton-on-Thames.

South Western Railways

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A newly built railway footbridge has been delivered to Epsom Common but cannot be installed after a late dispute emerged between Surrey County Council and Network Rail over its width.

Residents of Castle Road, Epsom, who have endured nearly three years without the former crossing to Evelyn Way, briefly blocked access to the Network Rail compound when the replacement structure arrived to be stored beside their homes.

The previous bridge was closed and demolished almost three years ago. Work to strengthen and rebuild its supports began earlier this year, and residents had expected the new bridge to be installed over the weekend of 4 July.

Instead, the structure is now lying within the building site while Network Rail and Surrey County Council attempt to resolve whether it can legally be installed.

The bridge has been designed with a width of 1.5 metres. However, SCC says the public footpath crossing the railway has a legally recorded width of 3.6 metres.

The council maintains that allowing a narrower bridge would obstruct part of the public right of way and breach its statutory duty to protect its full width.

What has particularly angered residents is that the conflict appears not to have surfaced until April 2026, despite the bridge having been absent for almost three years and construction work beginning in February.

SCC says it was neither consulted about the replacement design nor asked to approve the works before construction began.

‘No choice but to object’

Cllr Matt Furniss, SCC Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth, told the Epsom and Ewell Times:

“We appreciate and share residents’ frustration at the situation. Unfortunately, Network Rail failed to consult us on the installation of the bridge prior to starting construction works in February, nor did they apply under the Highways Act for an S118 or technical approval to undertake works to a structure on a public highway.

“This meant when we found out about the bridge work in April, we had no choice but to object in line with our statutory duty to assert and protect public rights of way.

“The bridge being proposed by Network Rail also fails to meet minimum width national design standards, with it being less than half the width of the public footpath. To provide a narrower bridge is an obstruction under the Highways Act.”

Cllr Furniss added that SCC understood Network Rail had placed a structure on the site but said the rail infrastructure body had not confirmed its intentions.

“We will continue to work with Network Rail to resolve this situation as soon as possible while achieving the best possible long-term outcome for the community and ensuring that the public footpath is protected,” he said.

Residents halt delivery

Residents learned that, rather than pay for storage elsewhere, the completed bridge was to be delivered to the site and left there pending a resolution.

When the delivery day arrived, a group gathered at the entrance and initially prevented the vehicle from entering.

“We were ready for it; the whole thing was set up for it,” said Castle Road resident Linda Barry. “But if it’s now just dumped here, we have no idea when the bridge will be installed. What has been the three-year hold-up at Surrey County Council?”

The project manager was called to the scene and attempted to reassure residents that the delay would be temporary. With the bridge already in transit and no alternative place immediately available for it, residents eventually allowed it to be unloaded.

“We were in an impossible position,” said Ms Barry. “The bridge was here, and there was nowhere else for it to go. But now we have no guarantee that it will be installed, so it could be here by the side of the road for a long time.”

Residents say they have already endured years of disruption, dust and temporary sewage-pumping arrangements associated with the works.

Council learned of bridge through social media

In a separate response to Ms Barry, a member of the SCC Countryside Capital Programme said the authority became aware of the proposed replacement bridge only in late April — and did so through social media.

She wrote: “Unfortunately, we had not been consulted on the design and therefore had no opportunity to provide input during its development.”

She explained that Section 130 of the Highways Act 1980 requires the council, as highway authority, to assert and protect the rights of people using public rights of way.

“This includes protecting the full recorded width of the public footpath,” she said. “As a result of the legislation, we are not legally able to permit the installation of a bridge that would reduce the available width of the public footpath to below the recorded legal width.”

Ms Barry questioned why consultation had apparently not taken place during the years between the closure of the old bridge and construction of its replacement.

She also pointed out that, during her 43 years living in Castle Road, she had known the crossing as a footbridge used by pedestrians and people with pushchairs rather than as a route requiring a 3.6-metre-wide structure.

Potential year-long delay

Residents have been told that resolving the dispute could delay installation by as much as another 12 months, although no revised completion date has yet been formally confirmed.

The controversy raises questions over how a replacement bridge could be designed, manufactured and brought to the point of installation without the highway authority responsible for the public right of way being consulted.

For Castle Road residents, the immediate result is that a bridge built to restore a long-closed route has reached Epsom — but remains firmly on the ground.

Photo caption: Castle Road residents Linda Barry and Rob block access to the Network Rail site before the replacement footbridge was unloaded.

Network Rail was been invited to comment.

Sam Jones – Reporter

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Photo caption: Castle Road residents Linda Barry and Rob block access to the Network Rail site before the replacement footbridge was unloaded.

Related reports:

A bridge closed too far?

A Surrey train station that was once voted the county’s prettiest station by Surrey Live readers is now stewing in litter after the rail operator took away all the bins on its platforms.

Box Hill & Westhumble station, serving a popular spot for visitors looking to enjoy picturesque country walks, had its bins removed by Southern rail to bring it into compliance with new recycling regulations.

A Southern rail spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) this is because the small station does not have “secure space for the large wheelie bins we would need to store rubbish from the bins ready for collection”.

They are encouraging passengers to use bins on board their trains or taking their litter home to dispose of appropriately – while increasing the number of staff picking up rubbish from platforms.

But residents are furious at the changes, with several writing to MP Chris Coghlan to voice their anger at the growing mountains of rubbish accruing on their local station’s platforms.

Pictures shared with the LDRS show piles of litter building up on the platforms, including plastic wrappers, coffee cups and beer bottles. These photos were taken on July 5, 2026.

Westhumble resident David Farmery told the LDRS he thinks Southern Rail is “abrogating its responsibility” to ensure the station is clean and tidy.

“They seem to think that Boxhill and Westhumble is a small station but we receive an incredible amount of visitors over the weekend.

“So I really do wonder if they did a proper assessment of our situation rather than imposing a company wide no bins policy to their unstaffed stations,” he said.

In a post on Facebook, Chris Coughlan said he had jointly raised concerns to Southern rail along with residents, imploring the rail operator to fix the problem.

While he said Southern had subsequently deployed more staff to carry out cleaning at the station, he added: “I’m glad they’ve listened, but I will be asking them to provide a more permanent solution.”

Box Hill & Westhumble station was last year voted the prettiest railway station in Surrey by our readers, narrowly beating out Godalming for the top spot. 

A Southern spokesperson said: “We take concerns about litter at Box Hill & Westhumble station seriously and have increased the frequency of staff attending the station to carry out cleaning. The changes were introduced to comply with new Simpler Recycling regulations. 

“We are keeping the change under review, as well as listening to feedback from our communities.”  

The LDRS understands that the rail operator recently installed segregated bins at its staffed stations to bring them in line with up to date regulations and encourage recycling, while a trial of removing bins from unstaffed stations on the Wimbledon loop did not see an increase in littering.

James Moules Local Democracy Reporter

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Image: Google map capture Boxhill and Westhumble station and insert of platform litter  (Credit: David Farmery)

Guildford’s MP has reiterated calls for a third railway station to be built in the town, saying public transport infrastructure “must be delivered” alongside new house building.

Zöe Franklin has urged the government to revive plans for a Guildford West train station, which would be located in the Park Barn area.

Plans for the new station have been floated as far back as the 1990s, but have yet to materialise despite advocates arguing it would boost connectivity to Royal Surrey County Hospital and the University of Surrey.

Ms Franklin told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “The western part of Guildford is growing rapidly.

“New housing developments will bring thousands of new residents to an area that’s already under-served by public transport.

“We must join up housing, transport and economic growth alongside infrastructure, not try to retro-fit it, when congestion and other problems have become ingrained and it becomes, I would argue, a much bigger project.”

If fully realised, Guildford West station would operate on the North Downs Line – which runs from Reading through Guildford and links up to Gatwick Airport.

In 2019, it was reported that the station could be on course to open by 2025, but the project is still yet to materialise. 

Surrey County Council reportedly set aside hundreds of thousands of pounds for the project over the years.

Surrey Live reported in January that the authority’s ambitions for the project remain unchanged, although further national funding would be needed for it to proceed.

Ms Franklin, who had been a Guildford Borough councillor before her election as an MP, added: “By providing a realistic alternative to car travel for thousands of existing and future residents, a new station could help reduce traffic-related emissions, supporting both local environmental objectives and national net-zero goals.”

She further said that Guilford’s high housing costs mean many of the town’s workers cannot afford to live locally, and that improving rail links would broaden the labour market for businesses.

“I’ve been supporting this project since I was first elected as a councillor to Guildford Borough Council nearly 20 years ago,” she said.

“Now representing Guildford as MP, it’s given me more opportunities and a louder voice to work on this in earnest.”

James Moules Local Democracy Reporter

Zöe Franklin At London Road Station (Credit: Zöe Franklin)

Heathrow Airport has begun working on its third runway planning application with the aim of getting the green light by 2029.

Last November, the Government indicated that the West London hub’s plan, which  involves re-routing and tunnelling the M25,  would be the preferred basis for expansion.

A second, less disruptive, option that featured a smaller runway put forward by Arora was rejected.

Now, Heathrow has announced it will begin getting its blueprints in order –  in what it has called a significant step forward for the UK’s most important growth project.

The Government will still need to push through regulatory and policy decisions this year  that will determine whether the £33billion  3,500m long runway project can proceed.

If built, it would increase the number of flights at Heathrow to 756,000 a year, with  150million people expected to use the airport.  In 2024, the airport handled 83.9 million passengers while operating at 99 per cent of its annual flight capacity of 480,000.

Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye said: “Expansion is taking another significant step forward today as our board greenlights starting work on the planning application.

“This decision means we are on track to secure planning permission by 2029 and reflects Ministers’ renewed commitment to expansion and progress made to speed up delivery of the project to boost UK economic growth.

“Heathrow expansion is a critical national project and a central part of our journey to make Heathrow an extraordinary airport, fit for the future. Maintaining momentum will mean the CAA and Ministers remain focussed on securing the benefits of the project by meeting vital milestones in 2026 that are essential to enabling the next phase of delivery.”

Heathrow argues expansion  would drive  long-term economic growth and see billions invested into the UK while strengthening  airline networks and enhancing the UK’s global trading links.

Critics slam the plans for the devastating impact it would have on the environment and challenge the financial benefits saying they are both overstated – and with many of extra passengers being transit, the benefits would be felt elsewhere.

Others believe the airport is already too close to London and Surrey and the added noise would blight millions of lives.

The Government believes the project can be delivered while meeting national environmental targets.

The timetable for the complex project has the runway coming into operation by 2039.

Key dates to look out for before then include Spring 2026 when the Civil Aviation Authority is expected to provide clarity on early stage project costs.

In the summer the Department for Transport is scheduled to publish its draft Airports National Policy Statement.

In the autumn, Parliament will decide on the project’s planning framework.

Chris Caulfield LDRS

3rd Runway Plans (image Heathrow)

Related reports:

Tunnel vision for Heathrow’s 3rd runway?

Conditional nod to southern rail link to Heathrow

Heathrow expansion – what it may mean for Epsom

Heathrow expansion reaction

Heading out over Christmas? Here is what Surrey buses and trains are actually doing this festive season.

If you are planning to get around Surrey over Christmas and New Year – whether that is popping into town for Boxing Day sales, visiting family or braving a London trip – it is worth knowing now that services will be patchy, quieter and sometimes non-existent.

Here is the lowdown:

Christmas Eve – Wednesday, December 24

Most buses will run as normal, but:

• No night buses
• Some evening services will finish earlier than usual

A few operators (including Stagecoach and First Berkshire) will switch to a Saturday timetable, so buses may be less frequent later in the day. Essentially it will be fine to take a bus during the day, do not rely on late buses coming home from the Christmas Eve pub crawl.

Trains on Christmas Eve will also wrap up quickly:

• Trains finish early – around 10pm
• Island Line services finish even earlier

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Christmas Day – Thursday, December 25

The only services running are a handful of special routes, mainly:

• Carlone’s 442/X442
• A couple of First Berkshire and Metrobus routes

For most of Surrey, there will be no buses.

South Western Railway has also confirmed there will be no trains running.

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Boxing Day – Friday, December 26

Still very quiet.

• Many areas will again have no bus service
• Some operators will run a Sunday-style timetable

If you do need to travel, check your route carefully as services vary wildly by operator.

South Western Railway has also confirmed there will be no trains running.

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Saturday & Sunday, December 27-28

The good news is this is when things feel more normal again as standard weekend bus services return.

The bad news is this is when there are major train disruptions.

• No trains between London Waterloo and Clapham Junction
• Trains from Surrey will start and finish at Clapham Junction

If you’re heading into central London, you’ll need to:

• Change onto the Tube (District Line from Wimbledon or Richmond)
• Or use other rail operators via Reading, Portsmouth or Epsom

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Monday 29 to Wednesday 31 December

Most buses switch to a Saturday timetable, meaning:

• Fewer buses
• Longer gaps between services

On New Year’s Eve, there will again be:

• No night buses
• Early finishes on some routes

For trains

• Services via Barnes still stop at Clapham Junction
• Reduced services elsewhere
• Some central London stations closed

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New Year’s Day – Thursday, January 1

Much like Boxing Day:

• Very limited services
• Mostly Sunday timetables where anything is running at all

Trains:

• Reduced services
• Many trains still start and finish at Clapham Junction

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From Friday, January 2

Services mostly return to normal, though some operators will ease back in with Saturday-style timetables.

When does it go back to normal? Monday, January 5, 2026. When most people are back at work.

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The simple advice is to check before you travel, even if you ‘know’ your route. If you are heading into London, Clapham Junction (rather than Waterloo) will be your point of entry. Travel early when possible – late services are the first to disappear – unless you want an expensive taxi back home.

Engineers say the disruption will lead to more reliable journeys long-term, but for now, Surrey residents should expect a festive period that’s a little more stop-start than usual.

https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/buses-and-other-transport/bus-timetable-changes/buses-at-christmas-and-New-Year

https://www.southwesternrailway.com/plan-my-journey/christmas-trave

Emily Dalton LDRS

Photo: Engineering work at London Waterloo. (Credit: South Western Railway)

Young people in Surrey have helped test a new travel-planning app designed to make public transport less stressful for neurodivergent passengers. Members of ATLAS, Surrey Youth Voice’s participation group for young people with additional needs and disabilities, spent three days trialling Aubin, a free app that takes a different approach to journey planning.

Unlike standard apps that prioritise the quickest route, Aubin focuses on reducing anxiety and supporting users who may find travel overwhelming. The app allows travellers to tailor their journey according to personal needs, rather than simply finding the fastest option. ATLAS members used it to plan and carry out trips across North, East and West Surrey, assessing how effectively it helped with independence and confidence.

Aubin functions as both a route planner and a “travel companion”. Alongside directions, it offers practical tools to support users in moments of uncertainty. These include grounding exercises to help regulate emotions during difficult points in a journey; a type-to-speech feature for anyone who may struggle to speak when stressed; and an editable Autism Card that allows travellers to explain needs quickly and discreetly to staff or fellow passengers. Users can also set preferences that shape the route suggested, such as avoiding busy interchanges or long waits.

ATLAS has long advocated for more accessible, neuroinclusive transport options, arguing that navigating public transport is essential for young people to reach education, work and social opportunities. Members described the trial as a chance to influence a product that could help reduce isolation and build independence for others with similar needs.

At the end of the pilot, ATLAS met with Aubin’s co-founder and product manager, Corinna Smiles, to give detailed feedback. Suggestions included adding journey-sharing options so a trusted contact can follow someone’s progress, communication prompts for stressful situations, and a checklist to help users prepare before leaving home. Aubin welcomed the recommendations and said they would incorporate them into future updates.

Ms Smiles said the pilot was a valuable example of user-led design and thanked the group for helping shape the app. ATLAS members have since given Aubin their “seal of approval”, encouraging other neurodivergent young people to try it.

ATLAS member Emily said taking part “felt empowering” and that knowing the group’s input would help autistic travellers made the experience worthwhile: “I feel honoured to have been part of shaping this app, which I’m sure will give many people the tools to travel with confidence.”

Councillor Helyn Clack, Deputy Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Lifelong Learning, said the collaboration showed the importance of designing tools with “the voices of the community they serve”, and that the app has real potential to improve accessibility.

Aubin is free to download from app stores.

Sam Jones – Reporter

Image – Surrey County Council news

20mph speed limits could soon be introduced across three Surrey neighbourhoods, with residents now invited to give their views.

Surrey County Council is consulting on new slower-speed zones in Barnsbury and Bonsey Lane in Woking, the Goodwyns estate in Dorking, and the Parsonage Road area of Cranleigh. The aim, the council says, is to make streets safer and more pleasant for people travelling on foot, bike and especially children heading to and from school.

Speed surveys carried out by the council show drivers in all three areas are already mostly respecting limits, meaning the new rules could be brought in without speed bumps or chicanes. In Woking, some “light-touch” measures such as vehicle-activated signs or painted roundels could be added on Bonsey Lane as an extra reminder to keep speeds down.

If approved, the schemes would each cost around £20,000 from a budget specifically set aside for 20mph zones. Details on the council’s website highlight that money cannot be spent on potholes or other road maintenance, which is funded separately.

Residents may spot a few extra road signs, though council officers say they will only install what’s needed and will make use of existing posts wherever possible to avoid cluttering pavements.

Currently, there are no plans for police to step up enforcement. Instead Surrey said the new limits must “self-enforce” and remain credible to drivers. Information online stressed that action should not wait for someone to be hurt: slower traffic means fewer crashes, and those that do happen are much less severe.

The consultation website read: “Research suggests 20 mph schemes do not increase air pollution. Slower vehicle speeds support a shift to more walking, scooting and cycling and then fewer polluting vehicles on the roads. 20 mph schemes can also encourage a smoother driving style with less acceleration and deceleration between junctions and pedestrian crossings.

“The amount of fuel a vehicle uses is mainly influenced by the way we drive – driving at a consistent speed is better than stopping and starting. Accelerating up to 30 mph can take twice as much energy as speeding up to 20 mph.

“Some people are concerned that 20 mph may lead to increased journey times. However, most of the delays that occur for motor vehicles in built up areas are at junctions, rather than the roads between junctions.”

Plans and maps for each scheme are now available online, and residents living in or near the affected roads are being encouraged to take part in the consultation and share their feedback.

Emily Dalton LDRS

Related reports:

Surrey examines a plea for a 20mph road

Mixed responses in Surrey to 20mph zones

I want to resist 20mph speed limits

Image: 20mph sign. Picture taken by LDR. Permission for use by all partners.

New balloon-mounted radiation probes developed by the Surrey Space Centre at the University of Surrey have captured their first readings of a major solar storm, confirming that levels of cosmic radiation at typical cruising altitude briefly surged to their highest point in almost two decades. The findings come as aviation authorities worldwide are responding to unrelated but highly publicised technical concerns affecting a small number of long-haul aircraft, prompting the UK Transport Secretary to offer public reassurance.

The powerful X5-class solar flare recorded on 11 November 2025 triggered a rare Ground Level Enhancement (GLE), in which solar energetic particles penetrated unusually deep into the atmosphere. Within an hour, the UK Met Office and the Dutch meteorological agency KNMI launched rapid-response weather balloons equipped with Surrey’s newly developed sensors, sending them through commercial-aircraft altitudes and far higher.

Early analysis shows that radiation at 40,000 feet briefly reached almost ten times normal background levels. Scientists stress that the spike posed no immediate health risk to passengers or crew, but they note the potential for temporary pressure on aircraft electronics. Surrey researchers estimate that during the storm’s peak, “single-event upsets” — tiny, unpredictable bit-flips in onboard computer memory caused by energetic particles — may have reached around 60 errors per hour per gigabyte.

Clive Dyer of the Surrey Space Centre said the November surge was the strongest event of its kind since December 2006, with new UK neutron monitors at Guildford, Lerwick and Camborne helping to map the storm’s radiation footprint across global airspace. Researchers emphasise that while far larger historical events are known — including the record 1956 radiation storm and the ancient “Miyake Events” revealed through tree rings — such extremes have never struck during the modern aviation era.

The renewed scientific focus on space weather arrives during a period of public sensitivity around flight safety. In recent days, several international carriers have reported technical issues affecting specific aircraft types, prompting precautionary inspections and, in some jurisdictions, temporary operational restrictions. Although no link has been made between these aircraft issues and solar activity, the incidents have heightened passenger concern.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, responding to the situation, said: “I am aware of the technical issue impacting certain aircraft and concerns over how this will affect passengers and flights this evening. Passengers who are due to fly this weekend should check with their carriers for the latest information. The good news is it seems the impact on UK airlines seems limited with a smaller number of aircraft requiring more complex software and hardware changes. I would really like to thank the experts, staff and airlines who are working at pace to address this and reassure passengers that work is ongoing. It is heartening this issue has been identified and will be addressed so swiftly, demonstrating the high aviation safety standards globally.”

The Surrey sensors, engineered to withstand near-vacuum conditions and temperatures down to –70°C, stream real-time radiation data up to 100,000 feet. Their results will be used to refine models at the Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre, improving forecasting for sectors reliant on high-altitude electronics, including aviation.

Keith Ryden, Director of Surrey Space Centre, said the 11 November flare provided the team’s first opportunity to use the rapid-launch sensors in a live event, producing a “3D picture” of radiation patterns across UK airspace. Met Office Space Weather Manager Krista Hammond added that this is the first time radiation has been measured across such a broad range of altitudes during a solar storm, describing the new data as “a big leap forward” for forecasting capability.

Further launches are planned from Met Office sites in Lerwick and Camborne, and from KNMI in the Netherlands, as the current solar cycle moves into a more active phase. Aviation regulators say the Surrey results will help inform future operational guidance during solar storms, while the Transport Secretary emphasised that UK passenger safety remains “of the highest priority”.

Sam Jones – Reporter

Heathrow Airport’s plan for a third runway – requiring a major re-routing and tunnelling of the M25 – has received Government backing as the preferred option for expansion. A competing proposal for a smaller runway put forward by Arora has been rejected. Heathrow welcomed the decision to proceed with the 3,500m runway, arguing it would deliver economic gains and improved passenger experience. Critics have long criticised the plan, saying it undermines climate targets and that the motorway works risk repeating the chaos seen with the delayed A3/M25 junction upgrade, potentially bringing parts of Surrey to regular standstills. Heathrow insists the M25 realignment would be built on adjacent land, allowing the switch to the new carriageway to take place “in a series of carefully planned overnight operations”.

A Heathrow spokesperson said the expansion would mean “more connectivity, increased trade, improved passenger experience and a huge economic boost for the British businesses that will help design and build it”, but added that “further clarity” is required on regulation of the next phase. “We need definitive decisions from the CAA and Government by mid-December so that delay to the project can be avoided and we can get on with delivering this vital project for our customers and for the UK.” The £33 billion scheme is expected to be entirely privately funded. Around £21bn would cover the runway works, including £1.5bn for the M25 realignment, with £12bn for new terminal infrastructure. Heathrow says it will also invest £15bn to modernise existing facilities, including a new terminal “T5X”, an expanded Terminal 2 and three new satellite buildings.

In 2024 the airport handled 83.9 million passengers, operating at 99% of its annual flight cap of 480,000 flights. The expansion would lift these to 756,000 flights and around 150 million passengers. Heathrow’s plan will now inform the review of the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS), the framework on which the eventual planning decision will be based. The Government said Heathrow’s proposal is the most deliverable and most likely of the options to be approved before the next general election. The Department for Transport stressed this is not a final decision; any changes to the ANPS will be subject to consultation and parliamentary scrutiny next year, with details such as runway length, layout and infrastructure impacts considered throughout the review.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said Heathrow is the UK’s only hub airport, supporting “trade, tourism and hundreds of thousands of jobs”, adding that the announcement is “another important step to enable a third runway and build on these benefits”. She said the Government is acting “swiftly and decisively” to realise the project’s potential for passengers, businesses and the wider economy. Ministers also said the scheme must comply with legally binding climate obligations, while balancing economic growth, as well as air quality and noise requirements. The independent Climate Change Committee will be consulted to ensure compatibility with the UK’s net-zero framework. A planning application is expected after the ANPS review is complete.

In a promotional video, Heathrow sought to reassure the public about the M25 works: “We understand people may be concerned this could cause congestion or delays. Following previous consultation with National Highways we have developed a smarter solution. We build the future right next to the present. The vast majority of construction happens off-line. A new realigned section of the M25 is built on adjacent land while the current motorway operates as normal and the tunnels and bridges for a new runway are constructed while minimising impact on the airport or the existing motorway. Then in a series of carefully planned overnight operations, we make the switch. Traffic is transferred on to the new alignment with minimal disruption. Our approach also ensures local traffic and access for surrounding communities are kept moving with minimal disruption. This frees up the old route of the M25, creating a safe, traffic-free zone to build the final parts of the runway. The result is an upgraded and expanded M25, with new link roads separating M4 traffic from M25 mainline journeys, easing congestion and improving safety.”

Chris Caulfield LDRS

Heathrow shown with a third runway over the M25 (image Heathrow)

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