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

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

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already been ruled out so it looks as if todays withdrawn services become the norm.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Friday 9 September is World EV day, a global movement to celebrate switching to electric vehicles and driving change. In Surrey, almost half our emissions come from transport, and about half of that is from private vehicles. So, reducing the emissions from the way we travel about – whether that’s by walking or cycling more, using public transport or switching to an electric car – can help to drastically reduce our carbon footprint.

Electric vehicles produce virtually no exhaust emissions, so are much cleaner than petrol or diesel cars. And lots of people are choosing to make the switch.

Recent Government data shows a 62% increase in battery-operated electric vehicles in the UK, compared to the same period last year and, for the first time, registrations of new electric vehicles outstripped registrations of new diesel vehicles.

To support residents’ switch to electric vehicles, Surrey County Council is installing on-street chargepoints across the county. Phase one of the installation programme will see 80 chargepoints installed across four boroughs – Woking, Guildford, Spelthorne and Waverley. Phase two has already started and includes plans to install 110 chargepoints across six boroughs in the coming months.

Residents can suggest a location for an on street chargepoint near them via a dedicated online map – Have Your Say Today – Surrey EV – Commonplace. Over 1700 suggestions have already been submitted and the information is being used to inform future EV chargepoint installations.

Matt Furniss, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, Infrastructure and Growth, said: “On World EV Day, it’s important we recognise the progress we have made in supporting residents to switch to electric vehicles, and the ongoing work to ensure we meet our goals. Transport is such a huge contributor to our carbon emissions in Surrey, so changing the way we travel and reducing our emissions from transport is a key area for achieving our climate change targets.

“We have recently invested over £39m in buses including a new, electric on-demand bus service in Mole Valley.”

Surrey County Council has a target to be a net zero carbon council by 2030 and a net zero county by 2050, in line with government targets.

Access to chargepoints for electric vehicles is essential in order to give resident’s the confidence to make the switch, especially those who do not have access to their own driveway or for whom it’s not appropriate to install a chargepoint at home.

Current estimates are that we would need 10,000 chargepoints in the county by 2030 to meet demand from electric vehicle owners.

Read about one resident’s experience of switching to electric, and why she’s a total convert now! Resident Blog: Going Electric… (commonplace.is)

Sunday 4th Sept, Epsom & Ewell’s climate action group put on a hard-hitting and thought-
provoking street-theatre performance in Epsom centre. Right in the middle of town, on the big crossroads near the clock tower, a colourful backdrop had been erected, depicting landscapes ravaged by drought, forest fires and flooding. Against this backdrop, a dozen actors played out a silent lament, mourning the victims of climate disasters in the global South. The emotional impact of bodies on the ground being covered by shrouds was further amplified by a slow, powerful drumbeat and a bugle playing ‘the last post’…

Not surprisingly, this performance drew strong reactions from the public. Some felt greatly
strengthened in their perception that a changing climate is a grave danger to us all, and the cause of worldwide injustice. However, there were also some who disapproved of the graphic nature of the performance and who felt that ordinary people were made to feel bad for things that are really the responsibility of governments and commerce?

As far as the local climate action group (Epsom & Ewell XR) is concerned, all views for-and against are welcomed, as they feel the gravest danger to us all will come from indifference to the issues.

Further actions and street-theatre are being planned.

Epsom & Ewell XR can be contacted at epsomewellxr@gmail.com

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.