Bus drivers strike affecting the people of Epsom and Ewell. There are planned bus driver strikes during the 19th till the 20th of August. Passengers from west and south west London, as well as parts of Surrey will be impacted. The affected Epsom and Ewell bus routes will be; 470, 293, 406, 418 and 265.
166 may be affected as well, even though it has not been listed. The dispute is over the lack of pay rise in 2021, the 3% increase offer for 2022, cuts of pensions and lack of guarantee job security.
Affected bus routes:
470 – from Colliers Wood station to Epsom High street ,
293 – from London Road/ Morden station to Epsom Hospital,
406 – from Cromwell road bus station to Epsom hospital,
418 – from Cromwell road bus station to Epsom Station and
265 – from Putney Bridge station to Tolworth / King Charles road
166 – from Epsom hospital to West Croydon bus station, (even though it is not listed, it may be affected
as well)
More than 1600 bus drivers are going to be striking, as a result of the company’s (RATP) pay package offer, as it would amount to a wage cut in real terms due to the rising costs of living and inflation rate, which is at 11.8%. RATP offered bus drivers an increase of 3.6% in 2022 and promised a 4.2% increase next year, Unite the union and the company are yet to agree on a pay package which could satisfy both parties.
Unite General Secretary, Sharon Graham said: “RATP is fabulously wealthy and it can fully afford to pay our members a decent wage increase” as “Unite’s members play a crucial role in keeping London moving, and they are not going to accept seeing their pay constantly eroded”
The workers are employed by London United, which is subsidiary to RATP, a French owned company. And according to UNITE’S website, they turned-over £4.8 million in 2021, profiting of £174 million in the last year.
Catherine Guillouard, RATP’s chairwoman and CEO, during its meeting on the examined and approved RATP’s financial statements on the 30th of July 2021 said: “the Group’s half-year results show a clear increase in the first half of the year, with a €141m (+5.1%) growth in turnover and a €193m increase in the Group’s share of net profits, standing at €105m, despite the lingering negative impact of the health crisis”
Unite Regional Officer, Michelle Braveboy claimed: “this dispute is of the company’s own making, it can make a fair pay offer to its workers but has chosen not to, so it now faces the prospects of a highly disruptive strike action”
Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps had previously stated in regard to ongoing and planned strikes: “Unfortunately, it’s too late to call off today’s damaging strikes but I urge the RMT and indeed all unions to stop holding the country to ransom with the threat of further industrial action and get off picket lines and back around the negotiating table.”
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan gave the following statement when discussing TFL operations: “It’s no secret that we’re talking about [a matter of] days in relation to TfL’s ability to carry on operating the services it’s providing without the additional support from the government […] what’s important though is for TfL and department for transport officials to try and reach a resolution.”
The TFL has stated some of the routes from Surrey will not be operating during the 19th till the 20th, along with the no running of night buses, throughout these two days. Services will continue to be impacted in the morning of the 21st of August, however, from 08:00am, services will resume as normal.
Passengers wanting to travel to London might be affected as well as there are strike actions being held for other TFL services such as; the London overground, the Elisabeth line, the National rail service and the Tube, among others. The strike will also impact workers based at Hounslow, Hounslow Heath, Park Royal, Shepherd’s Bush, Fulwell, Stamford Brook and Tolworth depots.
TFL recommends to not make unnecessary journeys from the 18th until 08:00am on the 21st. Although ifone must, they are advised to plan in advance, allowing more time for making the journey. They also suggest people to either cycle or walk, if necessary journeys need to be made, as the buses and other TfL services that will be running are expected to be extremely busy.
TFL’s Chief Officer, Andy Lord stated: “walking and cycling is likely to be the best way to get around this action”.They have guaranteed that Santander cycles will be available across London, and teams will be sent out to ensure they are distributed at key locations according to demand. And they recommend citizens to use planning tools, such as; Journey Planner and TFL Go, to be updated in real time about the strike actions.
For the latest information about the strike action one can also go to TFL.gov.uk/strikes.
https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2022/august/london-bus-workers-to-take-strike-action-
in-pay-dispute/

https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2022/august/tfl-issues-travel-advice-for-customers-ahead-of-upcoming-strike-action-with-most-tfl-services-likely-to-be-disrupted

Sadiq’s quote: https://www.mylondon.news/news/zone-1-news/sadiq-khan-warns-every-london-
24722175

Ro Stretton from Epsom has signed up to the Baylis & Harding Free Recycling Programme offered by recycling experts TerraCycle. By sending waste to TerraCycle, Ro also raises money for charities Univida and Christ Church Epsom. Ro also collects other items for recycling including Pringles tubes, cheese packaging, biscuit and snack wrappers and bread bags

Epsom resident, Ro Stretton, has signed up as one of the UK’s first public collection points for recycling used Baylis & Harding products.  The free recycling programme was created by Baylis & Harding in partnership with TerraCycle, the world leaders in recycling “hard-to-recycle” waste.

Ro has set up a publicly accessible drop-off location at her home at 233 The Greenway, Epsom, allowing the whole Epsom community to drop-off items including Baylis & Harding caps, hand and mist pumps, flexible plastic lotion tubes, screw tops and Goodness hand wash refill pouches to be sent to TerraCycle for recycling.

While most Baylis & Harding products can be recycled through traditional methods, unfortunately some products can end up in landfill as local councils simply don’t have the infrastructure to recycle these materials.  By taking their waste to Ro’s location, members of the community can give their Baylis & Harding products a second life.

The collected waste Ro sends in to TerraCycle is recycled by shredding, cleaning and turning into a pellet format which can then be used by manufacturers to create new generic plastic products, reducing the need to extract new resources from the planet.

Ro commented: “Everyone is aware of how important it is to waste less and recycle more, but this can be a challenge when kerbside recycling collections are limited to certain items. TerraCycle’s free programmes are great because they allow whole communities to give a second life to the waste that’s usually destined for landfill or incineration.”

As well as recycling the waste they receive, TerraCycle awards points for each parcel of waste Ro sends in, which can be redeemed as a monetary donation to the causes of their choice – Univida and Christ Church Epsom.

Ro continued: “So far we’ve raised more than £1,500 for charity by sending this waste to TerraCycle. We donate the funds to Univida, which provides education, support, and food to children in Brazilian Favelas, and Christ Church Epsom which provides support to local people in need. The more we collect, the more we can donate, so I’d encourage everyone in the community to get involved.”

As well as collecting Baylis & Harding products, Ro also collects on the Cathedral City Cheese Packaging, pladis (the company behind McVitie’s and Jacob’s) Biscuits and Snacks, Marigold Gloves, Philips Dental Care and Babybel Free Recycling Programmes, among others, enabling the people of Epsom to recycle waste including cheese packaging, biscuit and snack wrappers, dental care products and packaging and more. For a full list of what Ro can accept, visit https://www.facebook.com/greenwayterracycle/.

There are other similar drop off addresses and Epsom and Ewell including one at 72 Hookfield, Epsom and Rymans in Epsom High Street. Go to TerraCycle for details and search locations

About TerraCycle

TerraCycle is an international leader in innovative sustainability solutions, creating and operating first-of-their-kind platforms in recycling, recycled materials, and reuse.  Across 21 countries, TerraCycle is on a mission to rethink waste and develop practical solutions for today’s complex waste challenges. The company engages an expansive multi-stakeholder community across a wide range of accessible programs, from Fortune 500 companies to schools and individuals. An estimated 6.9 million people across the UK have helped us to divert more than 231 million items of packaging waste from landfill while earning over £2,000,000 for schools, charities and non-profit organisations. To learn more about TerraCycle and join them on their journey to move the world from a linear economy to a circular one, please visit www.terracycle.co.uk.

As drought is declared in Surrey during the driest UK summer in 50 years, councils and services across the county have been taking measures to save water. The temperatures are forecast to remain high over the weekend, and measures such as hosepipe bans could on the cards from water companies.

From watering plants only from tanks which collect rainwater, suspending boat journeys on part of the Basingstoke Canal and no charity car washes for the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, measures are being taken across the county to save water.

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council said it would follow guidance from the water companies in regard to watering plant, trees and bowling greens. A spokesperson said water fountains were still available, advised the public to take reusable water bottles to parks and open spaces.

The council’s general advice to the public was guided by Thames Water’s tips, including: swapping a garden hose for a watering can, taking shorter showers and fixing leaky loos and dripping taps among others.

A Surrey County Council spokesperson said all the authority’s services were reviewing their water usage and monitoring the restrictions coming into force in the county.

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, covered by the county council, had temporarily stopped hosting charity car washes and advised crews to be mindful where possible, such as performing dry drills.

The spokesperson said: “As a big user of water, we’re going to be taking reasonable steps to play our part in this, without affecting operations.”

The watering of new trees planted last autumn and plants at the county council’s main offices was being reviewed, as were low water levels on the Basingstoke Canal.

The spokesperson said: “We have suspended boat navigation between Aldershot and Brookwood to help address [low water levels].

“Canoeing and paddlesports are continuing but may need to be restricted if levels continue to fall.

“We’re also working with the Angling Association and Environment Agency to monitor fish welfare.”

Reigate and Banstead Borough Council

Reigate and Banstead Borough Council has two 20,000 litre tanks which collect rain water, which is used to water the plants and flowers in much of the borough during the summer months, and the authority using mains water for this only where necessary.

Morag Williams, head of neighbourhood operations at the borough council, said the authority would follow all advice from the water companies.

She added: “We are always looking for ways to be more sustainable and our Greenspaces team is investigating options for more drought resistant planting for future planting schemes, in addition to those we already have in place.

“We would advise residents to follow the advice of the water and fire authorities and we are helping to share their information through our channels.”

She said residents and businesses could find advice on reducing water consumption generally on the council’s website, and staff were also given advice on what they could do to help, including in their own homes.

Elmbridge Borough Council

An Elmbridge Borough Council spokesperson said they were waiting for details of restrictions from the three water companies covering the area: Thames Water, Affinity and SES.

They said the borough’s paddling pools, which were in “high demand at the moment to help children cool off in the heat” dated back to the 1950s and were not efficient in terms of water and energy use.

A public consultation is due to be launched into the Oatlands paddling pool, which takes 4 hours to fill, and Churchfields, which takes 5 hours.

The spokesperson said: “Our residents are aware that we will be talking to them in the weeks ahead about the future of the paddling pools and how Elmbridge can be best served with play equipment as we look to improve play facilities in the borough.”

They added that Centres for the Community were supporting our older and more vulnerable residents, making sure they know to hydrate and how to keep cool in their homes and that advice on heatwave and water saving could be found on the council’s website.

Mole Valley District Council

Mole Valley District Council had been in discussions with its grounds and maintenance contractors, Idverde, regarding not carrying out any extra watering if a hosepipe ban came into effect.

Councillor David Draper, cabinet member for leisure and tourism, said the authority would continue watering summer beds and newly-planted trees.

He said this used a “very limited” amount of water, around 4,000 litres per week, is equivalent to 20 bath tubs’ worth over the whole of Mole Valley.

Cllr Draper added: “We must continue to maintain the health and growth of flowers and trees during these periods of sustained hot weather, particularly the new trees, otherwise they risk perishing.”

Guildford Borough Council

Guildford Borough Council’s lead councillor for environment and regulation, Cllr James Steel, said the authority was “doing all it could” to reduce water usage without affecting service delivery.

He said: “If the dry period continues, we will re-evaluate what we are doing.

“We may have to limit our water usage further, if water companies struggle to supply water to homes within the borough.”

Cllr Steel said fresh treated water would be added to the council’s pools and sports pitches were watered to maintain a safe playing surface where appropriate.

He said shared community facilities, such as the recently resurfaced paddling pool could help to reduce domestic use, and that the parks department recycled water where possible.

He added: “When it comes to community services our main priority is to keep our most vulnerable residents healthy and safe.

“We encourage all residents to follow heat health messages in this hot weather.”

A Tandridge District Council

A Tandridge District Council spokesperson said the authority was careful with water usage year round and not just during a water shortage.

They said: “We will continue to water plants until the flowers are past their best and trees when watering is required.

“Our bowls green and croquet lawns will be watered in the early hours of the morning several times a week either using a pop up sprinkler system or a hose sprinkler.”

Surrey County Council is to take back control of verges and on-street parking enforcement from Epsom and Ewell Borough Council and all other County districts. In a bid to streamline services, ensure consistency and improve biodiversity SCC will do the lot.

Surrey County Council is responsible for highway verge cutting and weed control, as well as on-street parking enforcement. It currently has agreements in place with eight of the eleven district and borough councils, including Epsom and Ewell, to manage the verges on the county council’s behalf, and all on-street parking enforcement is managed by the districts and boroughs.

From April 2023 the county council will manage both of these county-wide to ensure consistent approaches across Surrey.

Matt Furniss, Cabinet Member for Transport, Infrastructure and Economy, said: “We appreciate the hard work our district and borough teams have undertaken on our behalf. However, as we continue on our mission for a greener future, now is the right time to take verge cutting and weed control back in-house to enable us to focus our efforts on improving biodiversity consistently across the county. We will continue to regularly cut junctions and sightlines so it’s safe for residents.

“We also know how important parking is for residents and by managing on-street parking across the county, we can ensure it’s fair and consistent. We’ll also take a look at options to improve our systems and make processes as easy as possible for all Surrey residents.”

The county council aims to promote biodiversity by promoting wildflowering on appropriate highway verges and will continue to trial more sustainable approaches. Managing parking across the county will ensure a good service is offered throughout the county and offer good value for residents.

Nigel Collin, Chair of Surrey’s Wildflowering Project said “I welcome Surrey’s commitment to promote biodiversity by promoting wildflowering on appropriate highway verges. The County wide management of verge cutting from next April is also welcomed since this will ensure a uniform approach across all of the County’s Districts and Boroughs.”

This was echoed by SWP volunteer Kim Spickett who responded “As a borough, I think we have a good starting point – so many of us enjoy our wildlife! Flowering verges, along with our open spaces, parks and gardens, will be a win for biodiversity. Native plants come in all shapes, sizes and heights – there are examples to beautify every situation. White Clover and her relatives supply the grass with the nitrogen it needs, giving the verge the ability to stay green during dry spells. It looks pretty and suits verges that have to be kept short – and it feeds our insects!” Kim demonstrates the contribution verges can make to biodiversity with this photograph:

Residents Association County and Epsom and Ewell Borough Councillor Eber Kington expressed his doubts about the plan: “I have real concerns about these proposals. Given SCC’s track record on service delivery, ensuring “consistent approaches across Surrey” will very likely mean a poorer service for residents and a levelling down rather than an improvement in the quality of service. For example, SCC currently funds just four verge cuts a season across Surrey but the Borough Council, which undertakes the verge maintenance work in Epsom and Ewell, funds between 2 and 4 additional cuts. Unless SCC continues with this current level of service, the grass verges in our residential streets will see a fall in standards and complaints from residents will rise.

Reducing the established Borough Council service is a pattern of behaviour already established when Surrey Highways took back the maintenance of highway trees from the Borough Council. SCC will now only provide for the maintenance of a tree if it is diseased, dying, or dead. So pruning, clearing telephone wires and other maintenance work is no longer undertaken.
I also have a concern about SCC taking back on-street parking enforcement. In Epsom and Ewell, we have resisted pressure to introduced parking meters across the borough. My concern is that SCC’s “fair and consistent approach across Surrey” will be used to populate our streets with these parking charging devices as a way of funding SCC’s services and taking more from our residents.“

Cllr Julie Morris (LibDem College Ward Epsom) responded to the wider plan: “This sounds like another power grab , furthering SCC’s mission to abolish district and borough councils entirely.  Having the county council deal with on street parking enforcement will not work.  Centralisation means there is no local knowledge.  Our wardens respond really well to complaints, hot spots and are quick to resolve problems when these are reported.  As for wildflower planting, I’m happy to reserve judgement on that one as we’ve tried for a few years to get EEBC to leave verges uncut and introduce a wildflower bloom+cut regime and they’ve done nothing. “

Related stories

A Greener Future in Partial Sight As Verges To Be Left Unmown

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council (EEBC) has responded to Transport for London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) consultation. TFL’s proposal is to expand the ULEZ to all London boroughs, including Kingston-upon-
Thames and Sutton. This means eight out of the 13 wards in the borough will border the ULEZ and be directly affected. The Council anticipates the remaining wards will also be impacted by increased parking demand and use of side streets by non-exempt vehicle owners.

The following response was agreed by members at Full Council on 28 July:

1. Provision is required for exempt routes which enable access to essential places and
   roads such as:
   a. A3, M25, A240.
   b. Facilities, e.g. the existing St Helier in Sutton.
   c. SW Region stations and other transport hubs that at present are outside the
   ULEZ but require EEBC residents to pass through the proposed ULEZ to reach
   them.
2. Owners of non-exempt vehicles in EEBC to be included in any scrappage scheme that
   the Mayor of London is requesting from central government for London borough
   residents.
3. The consultation period of two months should be extended until 31 December 2022 to
   allow more careful analysis of the cause and effect to the welfare and economy of the
   boroughs.

Councillor John Beckett, Chair of Environment and Safe Communities Committee, said: “We support the move to reduce high levels of air pollution, which the ULEZ scheme aims to achieve. However, owing to the acute economic pressure households and business are facing at this time, the scheme needs to consider the economic, social and mental health needs of all communities affected by this scheme, not just London boroughs.”

BELOW WE REPORT ON RESPONSES FROM OTHER SURREY DISTRICT COUNCIL AREAS THAT WILL BE IMPACTED BY THE ULEZ EXTENSION

Julie Armstrong – Local Democracy Reporter adds:

London Mayor Sadiq Khan will be asked by Elmbridge Borough Council to delay expanding the city’s ultra low emission zone (ULEZ) in order to do more research.

Any vehicle not complying with minimum nitrogen dioxide emissions standards has to pay £12.50 per day to drive inside the zone, with a £180 penalty charge issued by TfL for late or non-payment.

According to the 2011 Census, nearly two in five (37 per cent) of Elmbridge residents commute to work in London.

TfL said it “would be happy” to meet with Elmbridge representatives to discuss the proposals before any decision is made.

Nicholas Martin, Elmbridge’s policy and community safety officer, said on Monday (July 11) he thought it could push drivers wanted to avoid heading into London to leave the A3 at Copsem Lane towards Esher, “already a congested route”. Increased use by commuters of Elmbridge’s car parks could lead to a lack of space for shoppers, for example in The Dittons, Hinchley Wood and Weston Green, Claygate and East Molesey.

Additional resident parking schemes and pay and display may have to be introduced, he said.

And many who park in Richmond for Hampton Court Palace would instead park on the Elmbridge side, negatively impacting the Hampton Court Air Quality Management Area. On the other hand, air quality could be improved if drivers in the area switch to compliant vehicles to avoid the charge.

Air pollution contributed to the premature deaths of around 4,000 Londoners in 2019 and TfL estimate that expanding the ULEZ to outer London could reduce traffic emissions of nitrogen oxides there by 6.9 per cent.

Mr Martin said detailed analysis of impacts had not been possible in TfL’s two month consultation period and they had not provided any modelling on air quality or traffic flow. The borough council’s consultation response says: “Such analysis will take time and we would hope for a delay in implementing the scheme to allow for this.”

There are concerns that Elmbridge businesses may have problems accessing materials if deliveries are coming from or through London. A borough council report says: “Small businesses continue to be impacted by the pandemic, energy price increases, inflation, and supply chain issues. An expansion of the ULEZ London-wide could see further increases to their cost base that could harm their future viability at an already uncertain time.”

Council leader Chris Sadler (The Walton Society, Walton Central) said: “We feel strongly that the residents of Elmbridge should see some kind of tangible benefit as a result of the payments being made by Elmbridge residents into this scheme.”

Spelthorne, Epsom and Ewell, Tandridge and Reigate and Banstead also have more than one in five of its residents commuting to London.

A TfL spokesperson said: “The length of the current consultation to expand the ULEZ London-wide is of a similar duration to those for previous schemes of this significance. As part of the consultation we have provide detailed local air quality data for all parts of London and surrounding areas, including Elmbridge. We would be happy to meet with representatives from Elmbridge to discuss what the proposals mean for them ahead of any decision to go ahead with the plans.”

Emily Coady Stemp Local Democracy Supporter further adds:

A Surrey council is calling on Sadiq Khan to extend London’s scrappage scheme to the county’s residents.

Tandridge District Council voted in favour of a motion put forward by its leader objecting to the proposed extension of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).

A consultation on the proposed extension to the boundary ended on July 29.

Councillor Catherine Sayer’s motion said a request to central government from the London Mayor for a scrappage scheme for Londoners would mean “that Tandridge District taxpayers would subsidise new cars for Londoners whilst getting no support themselves.

“That is clearly unfair and, if there is to be any such scrappage scheme, it should include bordering councils.”

A meeting of the district council on Thursday (July 21) also heard the leader read out an example of the son-in-law of one of the councillors, who lives in Hurst Green, Oxted.

The son-in-law was a firefighter who worked at Croydon Fire Station and also did window cleaning in Sutton approximately 2 days a month.

He had worked out the cost of paying the ULEZ charge if the boundary were to be extended as £325 a month or £3,900 a year.

This was broken down by eight day shifts a month at £100, eight night shifts a month at £200 (because it would cover both days) and the two  window cleaning days at £25.

Councillor Taylor O’Driscoll (Conservative, Westway) said: “Residents trying to drop children off in Coulsdon, going to work as fire fighters in Croydon, visiting family in Biggin Hill, relaxing in Bromley, attending hospital appointments in Tooting or visiting friends in Wallington will have to pay £12.50 whenever they cross the greater London boundary if they don’t have a ULEZ compliant car.

“And not every resident in Westway can afford a ULEZ compliant car.”

Councillor Jeremy Pursehouse (Independent Group, Warlingham East Chelsham & Farleigh said he agreed with the motion being put forward by the leader.

But he added: “Air quality within London is a huge issue and it needs tackling. People are suffering, people are becoming ill because of it.”

The leader committed to try to meet with TfL representatives, as had also been proposed by Elmbridge Borough Council which will also be impacted by the proposed boundary change.

With just one day to go before the end of the consultation period, Epsom and Ewell Borough Council agreed on 28th July a response to Transport for London’s (TFL’s) proposed plan to extend the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) to all London boroughs, including neighbouring Kingston and Sutton. See Epsom and Ewell Times report 17th June on ULEZ extension.

ULEZ is a charge, currently £12.50 a day, imposed on the most polluting vehicles that enter the zone. Most petrol cars manufactured after January 2006, most diesel cars manufactured after September 2016 and all electric cars are exempt from the ULEZ charge.

In a special motion to the Council meeting on 28th July, Councillor Phil Neale (RA, Cuddington Ward) proposed a response to the consultation arguing for a significant increase in the number of exempt routes and an extension of any scrappage scheme to include Epsom and Ewell. The motion also called for an extension of the consultation period to allow more careful analysis of the cause and effect to the welfare and economy of the boroughs neighbouring London. “We support the move to reduce the high level of air pollution caused by congestion and high-emission vehicles,” he said. “However, in this time of economic pressure, the scheme needs to consider the economic, social and mental health needs of all communities affected by the scheme, not just London boroughs. It is going to hit lower income families more. I’m not asking for ULEZ to be dropped, I’m asking for TFL to consider what will happen in the boroughs surrounding London.”

“There seems to be no thought by TFL whatsoever of the impact this will have on the borough and our residents” said Cllr. John Beckett (RA, Auriol Ward, Chair of the Environment and Safe Communities Committee). “I welcome the travel corridors that have been put in, but I do have to question why I can drive 98% of the way to the new hospital site, but the road I need to use to get into the hospital site is in the proposed ULEZ.”

“If we get public transport sorted, that would be the time to get people moving out of their cars” said Cllr. Neil Dallen (RA, Town Ward, Chair of the Strategy and Resource Committee).

Cllr Kate Chinn (Labour, Court Ward) provided the solitary voice opposing the motion. “It is only the oldest and most polluting vehicles that apply – these need to be taken off the roads…let’s give people help to do that and let’s look after this world for ourselves and the people who come after us.”

The motion was passed by a considerable majority. Exact voting figures were not announced by the Mayor who chaired the meeting.

A plan to mitigate some of the environmental impacts of sewage on the Hogsmill River, in West Ewell, was finally approved by Epsom and Ewell Borough Council Thursday 21st July.

The scheme submitted by local charity South East Rivers Trust in May 2021, was granted by councillors after a 30-minute meeting of the Planning Committee, chaired by Cllr. Humphrey Reynolds (RA Ewell Ward). Cllr. Steven McCormick (RA Woodcote Ward) abstained from the vote.

The project will divert the Green Lanes Stream approximately 50m upstream from its current confluence with the Hogsmill River . The Stream will flow along a new winding channel through Chamber Mead meadow within the Hogsmill Local Nature Reserve, passing through a constructed sediment trap and wetlands, before entering back into the Hogsmill River approximately 200 metres further downstream from its original confluence. Up to 1,000 m2 of wetlands habitat will be created and the flow of the new channel will attenuate the sewage brought to the watercourse from road runoff, misconnections, and overflows from Epsom Storm Tanks.

“I hope it will become like the Garden of Eden,” said Cllr. David Gulland (Liberal Democrat College Ward) during the meeting.

According to the application, sediment and contaminants would be trapped, and a level of treatment would be provided to the polluted water in three different forms. A biological treatment would naturally occur with the uptake of aquatic plants and metabolism; a chemical treatment would act on pollutants with the employment of dissolved nutrients, such as nitrate and phosphate; and a final treatment would be carried out physically, harnessing the decrease of flow velocities caused by the sediment trap, to settle sediments and pollutants via gravity.

In addition to the creation of the new channel, a 12-metre bridge was proposed to let pedestrians, including wheelchair users and cyclists, reach the stepping stones from the south of Chamber Mead.

”It’s a very welcome improvement to reducing and mitigating the impact of pollutants entering the chalk stream river and the discharges of sewage,” said Cllr. Kate Chinn (Labour Court Ward).

Pollution has long been a scourge for a river that is internationally recognised as one of the only 200 chalk streams on Earth, and its chemical concentrations even led the Environment Agency to issue a ‘fail’ status in 2017. Warning signs have been put up advising people not to attend the area.

After the application was submitted, 527 letters of notification were sent to neighbouring properties to advertise the plan. As of July 2022, more than 35 letters of support have been received. Nevertheless, one of the recipients manifested their objection, as pollution “should be addressed at source.”

Despite the worthy purposes of the plan and the actual benefits this could achieve, failures at Epsom and Manor Drive Storm Tanks, Hogsmill A Wastewater and Cso At St. James’s Road stewer storms – all managed by the private utility company Thames Water – appear to be the real problem.

In 2021, a total of 159 hours of untreated sewage contaminated the river across 47 incidents, according to data published by The Rivers Trust.

“We support the scheme to reduce the impact of some of the pollution, however it will only do this on a fraction of the pollution coming into the channel,” said Mark Todd, local entrepreneur and member of Epsom and Ewell Labour Party, whose petition asking the company to stop the pollution has recently topped a thousand signatures. “Thames Water must, must, must stop overflowing so much sewage deliberately into the streams for wildlife to survive and for the streams to be safe for kids.”

In a letter sent to the company and reviewed by Epsom and Ewell Times, the signatories of the petition demand that Thames Water upgrade their “inadequate infrastructure,” as “local residents and community groups are very concerned about what is going on and are very disappointed.”

Along with coliforms, raw sewage discharge from the sewage network is seen as one of the two “major issues to tackle,” according to a joint opinion piece from Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England, Jonson Cox, Ofwat chair, and Emma Howard Boyd, Environment Agency chair, released in June 2022. “The principal public health responsibility for ensuring human faeces and viable human faecal bacteria do not get into waterways people might use recreationally, rest squarely with the water companies and their directors.”

A spokesperson from Thames Water, although acknowledging the risks of pollution, seemed to disagree. “We certainly can’t do it on our own,” they said.

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council will be opening a public consultation on Monday 25 July to give residents, workers, business owners and visitors the chance to help shape the future of Epsom town centre. Epsom and Ewell Times reported on the cost of this planning endeavour HERE on 13th June 2022.

The consultation is looking to find out:

– How respondents feel about the town centre today
– How respondents would like the town centre to change in the future
– What respondents think should happen in the key opportunity areas that have been identified.

The public’s opinions will inform a new Epsom Town Centre Masterplan, which will be a key part of the evidence base for Epsom & Ewell’s borough-wide Local Plan, guiding decisions about planning, development and investment in the future.

Councillor Steven McCormick, Chair of the Licensing & Planning Policy Committee, said, “We want to hear as many local voices and opinions as possible about our Town Centre. To do this we need a range of people who both visit and use Epsom to go online and take part. There will be an exhibition within the Ashley Centre (opposite Costa Coffee) from the 8th August, with an opportunity to meet the project team on the 11th and 13th of August”

Respondents will be able to give their views via an online questionnaire at https://epsom-
ewell.gov.uk/residents/planning/planning-policy/consultations-and-examination which has been
made possible with the support of the Department for Levelling Up, Homes and Communities
(DLUHC) “Prop Tech” 2 engagement fund.

Roadside verges in Surrey will be cut less frequently to foster biodiversity, according to Highway Authority, Surrey County Council. In a move to ease the pressure on native nature from human activity, around 700 species of wildflower will be left unmown, and plants and wildlife in the area restored. “It’s time to redefine our ideas about what well-managed public spaces look like,” said Andrew Jamieson, Projects Director at Surrey Wildlife Trust. “It’s an essential part of our joint plan to restore and support Surrey’s plants and wildlife and take a first step towards a greener future for the neighbourhood.”

Feature photo: credit Jon Hawkins – Surrey Hills Photography

The decision builds on the Climate Change Delivery Plan published in 2020 to respond to Surrey County Council’s climate emergency declaration and set a target for Surrey to be net zero by the half of the century. Supporting and increasing biodiversity will contribute to become a carbon free county by 2050, said Matt Furniss, Conservative Cabinet Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Economy, in the press release. “Vegetation has fantastic benefits for both Surrey’s wildflowers and wildlife.”
According to research, over 97 per cent of UK wildflower meadows, equal to 3 million hectares (7.5 million acres), have been lost since the 1930s and replaced with monocultures with a lower ability to store carbon.Emissions relating to the consumption of goods and services by Surrey residents and businesses are estimated to be more than twice greater than those measured as part of the net zero targets.
According to the Climate Change Delivery Plan, land can naturally reduce the county’s carbon emissions by 3%. Not surprisingly, the strategy includes the Growing Back Greener programme, through the facilitation of planting, the reduction of flooding and the support to native biodiversity, as one of the main goals to achieve. Surrey itself aims at growing 1.2 million trees over the next decade.
Although nature and its safeguard are known to lead to multiple accomplishments, mixed concerns among residents were stirred after the measure was announced. “Many people fear a tick population explosion because of ‘wild’ grassland: where you have wild mammals, you have ticks,” said Kim Spickett of Epsom and Ewell based Surrey Wildflowering Project, a community-led initiative to promote and celebrate the borough’s diverse environments. “But ticks frequent parks and gardens too, not just countryside. Our nature reserves have safe paths that you can use to walk safely with dogs and children.”

Roadside verges, that tend to thrive on the sides of highways, might also cause safety issues if left untilled as sightlines might be affected. “A sightline for traffic can be cut and the rest left to bloom,” said Spickett. “That said, wiping out or “scalping” makes no sense. Mowing blades can have the height adjusted to “top” the grass and leave shorter flowers intact.” Echoing Spickett, SCC acknowledged the risk to sightlines and promised to ensure safety while pushing to keep the verges intact. “Highway safety remains paramount, and sightlines will be kept clear,” said Furniss. “Any issues with vegetation impairing visibility can be reported via our website.”

Advice on ticks and tick bites can be found on the NHS website.

UK HEATWAVE: THAMES WATER URGES HOUSEHOLDS TO CONTROL THEIR WATER USAGE.

• Thames Water is urging residents to control their water usage and limit consumption around the home.
• Households are being advised to take shorter showers and limit use of the garden hose in a bid to reduce water usage.

With temperatures set to rise to record levels this week, Thames Water is urging residents to control their water usage and limit consumption around the home where possible.

Prolonged spells of hot weather increase the demand for water, putting a strain on the network and accelerating the draw on rivers, underground aquifers, and water stored in reservoirs.

Thames Water is offering advice to households on how to limit their water usage and help to prevent any future shortages. This includes simple routine changes such as taking shorter showers, reducing use of the garden hose and turning taps off when brushing your teeth.

Research released today by Thames Water and YouGov reveals that rising temperatures and its effect on the supply of water is an issue causing concern among adults in England. Over three quarters (76%) think it’s possible parts of England will experience water shortages in the next 20 to 30 years.

It’s changing the way they think about water too; more than a third (38%) say they would be motivated to use less water to protect rivers and the environment, while almost as many would cut back to make sure there’s enough water available for future generations (35%) or to help avoid a drought (31%).

Andrew Tucker, Water Demand Reduction Manager at Thames Water, said: “During spells of hot weather, water usage can often rocket, with hoses and sprinklers watering gardens and paddling pools filled. That makes it even more important to be mindful of water usage to ensure there’s enough to go around for everyone.”

“While we’re not currently expecting to introduce restrictions on water use this summer, it’s important that households remain responsible with their usage and help us to limit the pressure on our resources.”

• Take shorter showers. On average, a shower uses around 10 litres of water a minute. That means a 10-minute shower can use 100 litres of water. If a family of four reduced their shower time by just one minute, they could save up to £45 on metered water bills and a further £52 on energy bills every year.

• Swap your hose for a watering can. You can keep your plants happy and still save water by swapping the garden hose or sprinkler for a watering can. A sprinkler can us as much water in half an hour as the average family of four uses in a whole day. Using a watering can in your garden could save up to 4,050 litres a year, that’s equivalent to more than 50 full bathtubs.

• Don’t water when the sun’s out. Avoid watering plants when the sun’s out and temperatures are high to help minimise the amount of water evaporating. Water early in the morning if you can as evening watering encourages the slugs and snails to come out at night.

• Turn off the taps while you brush your teeth. A running tap uses on average 6-8 litres of water a minute. That’s over 14 pints straight down the drain – so an easy change to make a big difference is turning off the taps while brushing.

• Fix leaky loos and dripping taps. Leaky loos are usually caused by a faulty flush valve or fill valve inside your cistern tank. A leaky loo can waste an average of around 400 litres of water a day. That’s equal to five full bathtubs or around £350 a year.

• Go the full load. Wait until you have a full load before running the dishwasher or washing machine. This will not only save on the amount of water you use, but it’ll lower your energy use – helping you reduce your bills.

Households can also find a free water saving calculator on the Thames Water website where they can work out how much water and energy they are using and receive tailored advice on how to save.

Surrey’s ten-year Transport plan which includes measures for reducing the 41% of carbon emissions currently generated by transport, was approved by Surrey County Councillors at their Full Council meeting on 12 July 2022.

The plan prioritises measures to support people to get around Surrey easily and sustainably including increasing the number of walking and cycling routes, providing more charging points and parking for electric vehicles, charging for transport use and introducing car clubs, as well as improving internet connections for home-working and redesigning neighbourhoods to enable easier access to local services, lessening the need to travel by car.

Matt Furniss, Cabinet Member for Transport, Infrastructure and Economy said, “Our new transport plan sets out our roadmap for a transport network in Surrey that meets the needs of the future. Crucially this includes proposals to help tackle the climate emergency and become a carbon free county by 2050.

“With such a high proportion of harmful emissions coming from transport and their significant impact on our environment, we all need to act. Residents can play their part by relying less on their cars for some journeys.

“We know this will be a challenge and we do not expect to eliminate car use. We have recently invested over £39m in buses, £6m to improve cycle routes and footpaths and a further £6m to improve road safety around schools to help make other methods of travel more appealing and accessible for certain journeys, whilst also improving the health and wellbeing of our residents.”

All local authorities are required to produce and consult on, a local transport plan to set out how it will maintain and improve the local transport system.

The full plan will be available at www.surreycc.gov.uk/roads-and-transport from Wednesday 13 July.

The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) that charges old diesel and some old petrol cars £12.50 a day 24/7 for travel in inner London might be expanded to Epsom and Ewell’s borders from August 2023.

You can examine exactly where the proposed ULEZ will be located near the Borough’s borders via this detailed online map CLICK HERE

The Mayor of London’s case for the expansion of ULEZ is summarised in the consultation document: Health crisis, climate crisis and road congestion.

“London’s air quality is a public health crisis. In 2019, it’s estimated that more than 4,000 Londoners died prematurely because of filthy air, with the greatest number of deaths attributable to air pollution in outer London boroughs. The London boroughs with the highest number of air pollution related deaths in 2019 were Bromley, Barnet, Croydon and Havering, proving that poor air quality is not just an inner London problem. More than 500,000 Londoners suffer from asthma, making them vulnerable to toxic air pollution. If we do not act now, it is estimated that more than 500,000 Londoners will develop diseases attributable to toxic air pollution in the next 30 years.

We face a climate crisis. Last year the COP 26 conference concluded that without urgent action, there will be catastrophic temperature increases and extreme weather events. London is already suffering these, such as flash flooding of some stations, schools and hospitals in 2021.

Road congestion is still a big problem. Congestion cost the capital £5.1bn last year alone. This heavily impacts businesses, bus customers and other essential services. Longer journey times affect us all. Traffic can negatively impact our health and wellbeing, and increases road danger. This makes our city a less pleasant place to live, work, visit and do business.”

Epsom and Ewell Times asked all the Councillors representing Wards in the Borough with London area borders:

The irrepressible Jan Mason (Residents Association) for Ruxley Ward was first off. “My Ward is on the Boundary of Chessington and would be greatly affected by these proposals. Plus of course the thousand of vehicles which use the Chessington  Road to go to work  or to go to the Merritt Doctors’ Surgery and the shops and schools and to join the M25 etc. In other words the proposal  is ridiculous. Yet again an ill thought out proposal”. 

E&ET: [Note that in fact by using Ruxley Lane, the Ewell-By-Pass and A3 you will be able to get to the M25 without crossing into the proposed expanded ULEZ.]

Next we have a response from John Beckett (RA) Auriol Ward: “I oppose the plans as they stand but, if they do go ahead, there need to be more ULEZ free travel corridors that enable Epsom and Ewell (E&E) residents to access locations such as Worcester Park shopping area, Tolworth shopping area, Malden Rushett access to the A3 along the A243 Hook Road, Chessington without having to be penalised for supporting London businesses by paying the charge.

Many residents in West Ewell, Ruxley, Auriol, Stoneleigh, Ewell Court and Nonsuch have their doctors’ surgeries, medical facilities, local shops, leisure facilities, open spaces (Nonsuch Park), friends and family and schools etc just across the border. Many hundreds of residents in Nonsuch Ward live so close to the border that their postal addresses fall under Sutton and not Epsom and Ewell. The new hospital for Epsom & St. Helier Trust will be located next to the Royal Marsden Hospital in the London Borough Of Sutton. This would mean that Surrey residents would have to pay to go to their local hospital. Epsom’s Maternity Unit will be transferring to this new hospital site which means that our expectant mothers will have to pay to have scans, check-ups and to give birth!”

Epsom and Ewell Times notes from the map of the proposed ULEZ that Malden Road, where the Worcester Park shops are, is not in the zone.

Chris Grayling MP states: 

“Those who live at the north end of Epsom and Ewell and in Nork are probably particularly aware of the Mayor of London’s plans to extend the Ultra Low Emission zone to the London boundary. This would mean that older vehicles would have to pay a daily charge to drive across the boundary.

Clearly this has major implications for many people living locally, and while I understand the intent behind the policy, it is in my view damaging and unworkable for the areas immediately adjoining the boundary. Transport for London has yet to give clear details about how it would work on the border – for example what do they plan to do with cases like that of Sparrow Farm Road in Stoneleigh? This road is in Surrey on one side and in London on the other. But it would mean a charge for many Surrey residents doing local journeys or driving from one place in Surrey to another if the route crossed the boundary.

I have lodged an objection to the scheme because of this, and would encourage residents here to make their views known to TfL.” 

The consultation ends on 29th July 2022. You can have your say via this link

https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/cleanair

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