May is the month to talk about walking, more walking and even more walking. The weather is brighter, dryer and warmer and is the best time to get outdoors as a family.

We know how important walking to school is for children’s health and the environment. It reduces congestion, improves road safety at the school gates and instils lifelong healthy habits. It’s been proven that children who do some form of exercise, especially a walk before school, do better in class because they arrive refreshed, fit and ready to learn.

The school run alone is responsible for generating half a million tonnes of CO2 nationally per year

Not everyone is able to walk to school, but there might be part of the journey you could walk. This Walk to School Week (15 to 19 May), could you think about turning rides into strides which can really make a difference? Take a look on our active travel webpage for inspiration.

Making it safe for Surrey’s children

It’s important for parents to know that their children are safe when walking along a road. This is where our Feet First: Walking Training comes in – a programme that provides school children aged 7 to 8 years old (Year 3) with the road safety skills to enable them to safely walk to and from school with their parents and carers, whilst also preparing children to travel independently in the future. The training is done in the classroom as well as using online resources, at home activities and taking children outside on Surrey’s streets for them to practice what they’ve learned in a real-world environment. It includes teaching:

• The Green Cross Code and how to cross the road safely
• Road signs and pedestrian crossings
• Recognising safe and unsafe places to cross
• Dealing with distractions and rushing
• How to cross between parked cars
• Understanding vehicle lights and sounds
• Crossing driveways
• The benefits of active travel

Last term, our Feet First: Walking Training instructors taught 3,500 pupils across 65 schools the skills they need to stay safe on Surrey’s roads. By the end of this academic year our instructors will have taught over 5,500 pupils at nearly 100 primary schools in the county.

For more information on the training visit the Walking training for schools webpage or speak to your school to see if they’re signed up.

People from across the borough joined forces with Citizens Advice Epsom & Ewell (CAEE) to raise
vital funds for those at the forefront of the cost-of-living crisis.

Nearly 50 staff, volunteers and supporters went the extra mile on Sunday 14 May 2023 by walking a
self-guided 5 mile route around Horton County Park or 10 mile route through the Epsom countryside
to raise funds for the charity.

Image: Cllr Kieran Persand, Chris Grayling MP, Sue Grayling, Lisa Davis CEO CAEE, Louise Curd CAEE, volunteer Chris Bruce CAEE, Cllr Bernie Muir

Supporters who took part on Sunday included MP Chris Grayling and Horton councillors Bernie Muir and Kieran Persand. Epsom and Ewell Rotaries both fielded volunteers to help on the day plus some CAEE staff and volunteers who gave up their Sunday.

The event is expected to raise over £1,000. Anyone who would like to walk the route and donate or
even just donate, can visit the CAEE Just Giving page. All funds raised during Sunday’s event will go
directly into supporting frontline services.

One of the people CAEE has helped is Tom (not his real name), a man in his 50s who lives alone in a
rented property. He is typical of many of CAEE’s clients and their multiple (and sometimes hidden)
vulnerabilities. When Tom first came to CAEE he was defensive, lacked confidence dealing with
people and his finances and had spiralling rent arrears, council tax liabilities, water arrears and other
debts. His paperwork was chaotic and incomplete and Tom found appointments challenging.

Over a period of time, advisers at CAEE have been working regularly with Tom and he has taken
giant leaps forward and is now in a much better situation. CAEE has empowered Tom to work at a
pace that he can cope with to help him overcome some of his difficulties.

Lisa Davis, CEO of CAEE, said: “We’re so grateful to everyone who rallied together this weekend. Every day our advisers hear from people who are stressed, isolated and frightened as they try to deal with the cost-of-living crisis. We’re working flat out to help people find a way forward. But we’re a charity and our services are stretched. All the funds raised by the people of Epsom and Ewell will help us get crisis support for those who need it.”

Brownie leader Mary Zoeller from Epsom has been recognised for her outstanding volunteer work by Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

Led by Queen Camilla, the Royal Voluntary Service has recognised 500 outstanding volunteers from across the UK with a Coronation Champion Award. The awards celebrate and recognise the tireless work of volunteers around the country, which formed a key part of the coronation celebrations for His Majesty the King.

Mary received the award for her work volunteering with Girlguiding and other local charities. Over the past thirteen years she has inspired girls to have exceptional experiences as leader of 1^st Ewell Village (St Mary’s), as well as being Epsom division and assistant county commissioner for Surrey East.

The Coronation Champion Volunteer Awards were judged by a panel consisting of specialists in the volunteering field and charity leaders. Mary is one of only 500 people in the UK to be awarded a Coronation Champion Volunteer Award.

Mary attended the Coronation concert at Windsor Castle on Sunday 7 May in recognition of her award.

Mary said: “I’m very shocked but absolutely delighted to be named a Coronation Champion. In Girlguiding, we all work hard to make a difference to girls and young women’s lives and it’s wonderful when our volunteering efforts are recognised. Attending the concert on Sunday was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, one which I will always remember.”

Brownie in 1^st Ewell Village (St Mary’s) Libby, aged 9, said: “All the brownies are so excited and happy that Brown Owl won this award. When she told us about the award, we clapped really hard. Brown Owl deserves this award for always making sure we have the best time at Brownies every week. Brownies is so much fun, Brown Owl always helps everybody with a big smile.”

About Girlguiding 

Girlguiding is the UK’s largest youth organisation dedicated completely to girls, with around 370,000 members. Girls can do anything. We help them know that, whether they’re 4 or 18 or in between. All girls have a home at Girlguiding – whoever they are, and wherever they are. We show them a world of possibilities, big and small. We help them think big and be bold in a space where they can be themselves, get creative, explore, and have fun. We’re a powerful collective voice – with girls, led by girls – changing the world for the better. 

We’re 300,000 Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers, who come together to laugh, learn, explore and have adventures, in communities across the UK and virtually. We’re 70,000 volunteers who make guiding happen by giving time, talent and enthusiasm. Registered Charity No 306016 girlguiding.org.uk 

A new national research facility could significantly improve our understanding of infectious diseases, ageing and cancers, leading to novel treatments and vaccines. 

The University of Surrey’s SEISMIC facility will offer scientists access to technology that enables them to pick up single cells or even parts of cells and measure the spatial position of biomarkers like proteins, metabolites and lipids. 

Funded by £2.8 million from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and industry, SEISMIC uses an advanced type of microscope manufactured by Yokogawa Corporation.  

Professor Melanie Bailey, Director of the SEISMIC facility at the University of Surrey, said: 

“Thanks to SEISMIC, we’ve made a breakthrough in measuring lipids in individual mammalian cells. This new technology is a game changer because it allows scientists to measure important biomarkers while keeping track of where they are in the cell. This is important for understanding how healthy cells work and how infections or cancer can affect them.  

“We’re really excited about this because it will help us better understand how cells communicate with each other, and this knowledge could lead to new ways to fight diseases.” 

SEISMIC enables single-cell and sub-cellular analysis, which will help scientists understand what happens under defined conditions and how cells signal to each other. 

Dr Dany Beste, Senior Lecturer in Microbial Metabolism at the University of Surrey, said: 

“The new facility is free for academics working in BBSRC-funded areas and also available to scientists in industry. We are confident SEISMIC will enhance scientific training in single-cell work and overcome some of the challenges in this area.”  

SEISMIC is the University of Surrey’s third national research facility with the Ion Beam Centre and the Environmental Flow Laboratory.  

Prof Bailey said: 

“The combination of SEISMIC, the proton beam facility and the Ion Beam Centre are a boon to Surrey’s scientific and business communities and could allow us to understand the interaction between cancer cells and radiation in more detail. This has enormous potential and we are excited to welcome researchers to use our new facility.” 

Surrey University News.

For over 35 years a close friendship has existed between the 1st Cuddington Sea Scouts in Epsom & Ewell District and the Karel Doorman Zeeverkenners Groep of Bergen Op Zoom in the southern Netherlands. The roots of the relationship go back to the 2nd World War, Arnhem, disrupted schooling and a Royal Navy Admiral.

The relationship centres around reciprocal visits on a 3 or 4 yearly basis; and 2019 saw the last pre-pandemic visit. The Groups kept in touch over lockdown (and they had a brief joint paddle-boarding session with a motorcycling leader in 2020), but there was incredible excitement when at the end of April 2023, 74 Dutch Sea Scouts and leaders arrived in a double decker coach for their 12th visit.

Their journey had taken them via a day trip to Canterbury and they arrived to meet the 1st Cuddington team who were cooking dinner. Over the course of the week they had a week with joint boating at the Warspite Water Activity Centre on the Thames; a hike down (and up) Box Hill with Warspite Scouts and Explorers, London Zoo, a day of boating at the Dockland Scout Project in central London, kipping on a ship in the West India Dock, exploring London, swimming in Guildford, widegames with Explorers, joint discos and much more.

Neighbours at 2nd Cuddington provided accommodation for the girls whilst the Dockland Scout Project supplied both accommodation and a day of boating in the shadow of Canary Wharf; there was also support from Scout partners at Ajax Sea Scouts

About Scouts

• Scouts, the world’s largest youth movement, was founded on 1 August 1907.
• In the UK, Scouts is supported by The Scout Association, enabling 7,000 Scout Groups across the country to provide opportunities to over 475,000 young people aged 6-25.
• There are now more than 638,000 individuals actively involved in Scouts in the UK.
• All genders, races and backgrounds are welcome at Scouts. Every week, it gives almost half a million people aged 4-25 the skills they need for school, college, university, the job interview, the important speech, the tricky challenge and the big dreams: the skills they need for life.  
• Scouts helps members gain these skills by encouraging them to ask the big questions and listen with wide open minds. It helps them to take a deep breath and speak up, think on their feet, ignore the butterflies and go for it. With Scouts, young people don’t give up – they get back up and try again, often with the support of the friends they’ve made there.  
• Over 200 activities are offered by Scouts around the UK, from canoeing and caving to coding and community projects, made possible by the efforts of over 163,000 adult volunteers.
• Worldwide, Scouts has over 50 million members, both male and female, and operates in nearly every country in the world.
• UK Scouts has over 250 Scout Activity Challenge badges. These require participants to achieve a level of understanding and skill realistic and appropriate to their age range.

Three Surrey councils have been warned that their planning departments are “not good enough” and threatened with having their decision-making powers stripped.

Guildford, Waverley, and Epsom and Ewell Borough Councils have each been written to by the Housing Secretary Michael Gove over their “very poor” quality of service that fell “far below” expected thresholds.

Councils must determine at least 70 per cent of non-major planning applications within eight weeks – or agree to an extension. The three Surrey councils have fallen well below that figure, the department said.
Mr Gove was therefore “minded” to designate the councils, meaning developers could bypass them completely and submit planning applications directly to the Planning Inspectorate. The impact effectively strips a local authority’s say over planning matters.

The letter to all three councils, part of a group of 10 nationally to be given final warning, read: 

“The Government is clear that having an efficient and effective planning service at local authority level is essential to delivering the homes, building and investment the country needs. 
“The planning performance regime was introduced to ensure that all local planning authorities contribute to this objective. I have significant concerns about the performance of a handful of local authorities including your council.”

For Guildford, its performance of 50.1 per cent between October 2020 and September 2022 was far below the expected threshold of 70 per cent. In Epsom and Ewell that level was 52.5 percent, and in Waverley it was 61.7 per cent.

The letter continued: “That is indicative of a very poor quality service to local residents and a significant deterrent to investment in your local housing market and wider economy. That is not good enough, and despite some more encouraging recent data, I am therefore minded to designate [the council]. “

Mr Gove has now asked the Planning Inspectorate to prepare for designations over the summer period but said they had until June to make the required improvement to their planning service and “to exceed our performance thresholds and stay above it consistently”. 

If levels were to drop again, he said, he would “ not hesitate” to use his “powers to designate your council later this year”.

Waverley Conservatives have since called on the council’s ruling coalition to “get a grip” on planning.
Councillor Carole Cockburn, acting leader of Waverley Conservatives, said: “Communities and local businesses have had the threat of the planning department being taken into special measures hanging over them for months because of the Lib Dem-Labour-Green-Farnham Residents Party coalition administration’s inability to deal with the problem. They need to get a grip, and fast, to save our local voice in planning matters. Otherwise, people and businesses across Waverley will continue to suffer.”

A spokesperson for Waverley Borough Council said that planning performance suffered in 2021 and early 2022, was a result of the pandemic, “teething issues” with a new planning IT system, an increase in applications following lockdown and a nationwide shortage of planning officers.

Since then, they said there had been a “significant uplift in planning performance, and we are making headway in reducing the backlog of planning applications, but caseloads for our officers remain high” . Staffing remains a “significant challenge”.

They added: “Mr Gove has acknowledged the improvement in our performance and rather than moving to formally designate the council, has given us the opportunity to demonstrate this improvement over a longer period of time.”

Waverley Borough Council portfolio holder for planning and economic development, Councillor Liz Townsend, said: “We have been working closely with the Planning Advisory Service to improve our performance, and during the three most recent quarters 83 per cent, 92 per cent and 96 per cent of non-major applications respectively, were determined within the allotted time – significantly above the Government’s 70 per cent target. Our view is that designation is not appropriate and would be counterproductive to sustaining and improving on the gains in planning performance we have achieved over the last year.”

A Guildford Borough Council spokesperson said that it have been working to reduce backlog since June but that caseloads remain high. They said: “To supplement our internal planning team and improve performance, we have employed external planning consultants and temporary planning officers. 
“With housing and the cost of living so high in Surrey, recruiting and retaining talent in the South-East remains a significant challenge. However, we are actively recruiting new permanent planners to help build a resilient planning function. Our new executive head of planning development, Claire Upton-Brown, took up post on March 20, 2023. She has a strong history of turning services around and is well qualified to address the challenges we are facing, with the support of the senior management and councillor team.”

Jackie King, chief executive of Epsom and Ewell Borough Council said the authority was hopeful the secretary of state would recognise the “significant” improvements it had made in recent months.  She said: “The council has been fully aware of this historic issue relating to performance over that period, which was a result of Covid and capacity-related issues. “Having acknowledged the issues, the council took swift decisive action to address issues, resulting in the recruitment of a new management team in early 2022, the securing of additional staffing resourcing within the department as well as investing in IT and improved ways of working. Additional process reviews and follow on improvements were identified and implemented.  All actions and process improvements have the full support of members. As a result of the council’s actions, performance on planning applications has improved rapidly and significantly. Since early 2022, the council has continued to determine well over 90 per cent of planning applications within the statutory timescale target.”

She added: “Epsom and Ewell Borough Council has demonstrated a sustained improvement in service and performance and have been in regular contact with officials at DLUHC over the past year to keep them up to date with the progress which the council has made. When the Minister reviews Epsom and Ewell’s performance again in June, the council will be able show five successive quarters of performance well above the 70 per cent target: 

 APR/MAY/JUN 2022 – 95 per cent
JUL/AUG/SEP 2022 – 92 per cent
OCT/NOV/DEC 2022 – 94 per cent
JAN/FEB/MAR 2023 – 96 per cent
APR/MAY/JUN 2023 – 97 per cent (to date)

“Once reviewed we are hopeful that the minister will acknowledge and recognise that the issues the council faced were historic and temporary in nature and this council has taken significant proactive steps to address and improve.”

The full list of councils written to by Michal Gove were:

Calderdale, Cotswold, Epsom and Ewell, Guildford, Hinckley and Bosworth, Pendle, Portsmouth, Vale of White Horse and Waverley councils, as well as the Peak District National Park Authority.

The June 8th judicial review against the Government’s decision to allow fossil fuel drilling near an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty will go ahead. Waverley Borough Council held a special meeting of its executive committee to approve the £82,500 in funding to proceed – £32,500 for legal costs with a further £50,000 set aside in case it is liable for the oil driller’s costs.

According to the published papers, the executive considered “it a moral imperative to continue its legal challenge”. The money was approved on Thursday, May 11, as the council continues its four-year battle to stop UK Oil and Gas from drilling at Loxeley Well in Dunsfold  – and means the judicial review into the exploratory drilling of £123 million of oil by UK Oil and Gas (UKOG) can proceed.

Addressing the meeting was Councillor Steve Williams, Green Party member and portfolio holder for environment and sustainability. He said: “In July 2019, we held a listening panel where we could listen to the views of residents on this proposal that was in the air to undertake on-shore drilling in Waverley, in Dunsfold. We listened and we listened to the concern after concern in terms of the local environment as well as to the planet and the people of Dunsfold. The impact was absolutely clear and from that point on Waverley Borough Council saw it as its mission to do exactly that, to protect Dunsfold and to stop the drilling. It was consistent in terms of our position in declaring a climate emergency and committing ourselves to carbon neutrality.”

The original planning applications were rejected by Surrey County Council’s planning committee members in 2020. UKCOG then mounted an appeal which was eventually called in for review by the Secretary of State, Michael Gove. Mr Gove recused himself due to possible conflicts of interest, but former Housing Minister, Stuart Andrew ruled in favour of the plans.

Cllr Williams added: “Now is the opportunity for Waverley executive to follow this through.We would, if we did not do so, be inconsistent with our previous clear commitment on this issue. We would be neglecting our duty to the people of Dunsfold, we would be flying in the face of our climate emergency. It is imperative, for if we are to be successful in this, and I very much hope we shall be, but we should be putting our money where our mouth is, for the people of Dunsfold, for the natural environment, and for the planet.” He said the council must “take the next step and secure that judicial review in the anticipation of the outcome we’ve been working for four years”.

Cllr Liz Townsend, Lib Dem member and portfolio holder for planning and economic development, said the application had “wide implications”, not just for the borough, but the country as a whole. She said: “It’s difficult to believe that the UK already has 509 fossil fuel sites specifically in protected areas. More than any other country in the world. South Downs national park already holds nine oil and gas sites. If the Loxley well site is successful how many other sites will be allowed?”

She added, while some may view this as a David versus Goliath battle we “should remember who was the winner of that conflict”.

The committee heard that the cost to residents would work out to about 65p per person but had the potential to set a national precedent.

The committee also called on Dunsfold and Alfold Parish Councils to offer their “substantive” and vocal support.

Related Reports:

The Hills Are Alive With the Sound of Drilling… ?

Oiling the wheels of justice on Surrey Hills

Surrey MPs oppose each other on drills in the hills

Fractious Court case anticipated

Even Al-Jazeera’s global reaching website is plagued by pop-ups. Your local quality news service, The Epsom and Ewell Times, is determined to resist its website being used to generate income. We say “No” to irritating advertisements, pop-ups and other uninvited interferences with your reading pleasure.

The Epsom and Ewell Times has been in full operational mode for one year and we have not charged readers a penny. We want our service to be available to everyone. The 2019 Report into the Press of Baroness Caithness sets out, with substantial evidence in support, the vital role quality local news services provide local communities: Improvements to participation in local affairs: Council business and politics, community events and volunteer activities.

Our efforts have been recognised by the BBC permitting us to print the reports of its local reporters. The BBC does not provide any financial support.

We still have a long way to go to extend and improve our service and with your support we can continue to build.

Today The Epsom and Ewell Times appeals to all our readers to make a modest donation for us to cover our running costs. All our contributors are unpaid volunteers. However, there are fees to pay for regulation, subscriptions for the use of images, website hosting fees and other unavoidable expenses.

For donors giving us £20 or more there is an option to be entered into a draw for two free passes for the upcoming Satisfied Eye International Film Festival. 26th to 28th May Bourne Hall, Ewell.

We would be very grateful for any donation you can kindly make.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO OUR DONATE FORM and help the Epsom and Ewell Times maintain its service for another year.

Epsom and Ewell’s own international film festival is coming. The Satisfied Eye International Film Festival, now in its fourth season and consistently rated in the top film festivals in the world, is already acknowledged for its high quality programme. This year, due to Co-Vid delays, the Festival has two year’s worth of submissions from over 50 countries; so the organisers could cherry pick even more for an extra high quality programme.

SUPPORT EPSOM AND EWELL TIMES AND WIN TWO FREE FILM FESTIVAL PASSES

To celebrate the first year of Epsom and Ewell Times donors supporting our advertisement free quality news service can choose to be entered into a draw for two full free film festival passes. Click HERE to donate.

The Festival takes place at Ewell’s Bourne Hall in Spring Street between Friday 26th and Sunday 28th May.

There will be more Oscar nominees than ever before, with European and UK premieres and some of the best up and coming directors, producers and other talent from around the world.

The People’s Choice screening this year (Friday 27th … films chosen from the programme by local filmgoers) is probably the strongest they have ever had, with an Oscar nominee, an Oscar winner and a real battle to see who picks up the People’s Choice award.

The Festival is part of the sci-fi rebranding of Bourne Hall this year so there will be some extra fun treats in store for film and TV fans.

Anyone who likes a good photo op can come and have their picture taken in the Game of Thrones’ Iron Throne, get a selfie with the Back to the Future DeLorean and a whole lot more during the festival.

And there’s scheduled to be a live performance after the screening of Finding Her Beat. The film is a joyous, uplifting documentary that follows the struggles to launch the first concert for women taiko drummers … something reserved normally only for men.

There will be free screenings for children throughout the weekend at Bourne Hall, Spring Street.

This year sees the first ever Emily Davison Award for Best Female Director. The association with Epsom and Ewell being obvious with the statue to the famous suffragette in Epsom’s Market Square.

Over £12m of grant funding is now available for Surrey residents whose homes are not heated by gas, to make their homes more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

Residents living in hard to heat homes and on lower incomes could receive up to £38,000 to fund measures that; improve a range of insulation including wall, loft and underfloor; install solar PV, solar thermal and air source heat pumps and ensure ventilation meets the industry standards.

Eligible properties must have an EPC rating of D-G, the primary form of heating must not be mains gas and applicants will need to meet the financial eligibility criteria. Funding is limited and will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. Residents can check if they are eligible by visiting contacting Action Surrey via the website – www.actionsurrey.org or calling 0800 783 2503.

Marisa Heath, Surrey County Council Cabinet Member for Environment said: “It is still a challenging time for many households who are struggling in this cost of living crisis which we are all facing, which is why it’s so important we reach out and help those who need us the most.

“I’m sure there are many residents who do not realise they are eligible for this funding, which is a great opportunity to reduce their energy bills whilst reducing their carbon footprint. I’d like to encourage all residents living in homes not heated by gas to check if they are eligible and help us achieve our goal to be a net zero county by 2050.”

Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance, said: “This investment will help thousands of households to heat their homes for less, keep them warm for longer and could save hundreds on their annual energy bill.

“The green energy sector is growing, and this funding will support green jobs and provide the training needed to deliver these vital upgrades to homes.”

Surrey County Council has been awarded Government funding through a second phase of the Home Upgrade Grant. The project will be delivered by Action Surrey – an energy efficiency advice service set up in partnership with Surrey local authorities.

Sign up to the Greener Matters newsletter to keep up to date on Surrey County Council’s progress towards its target of making Surrey net zero by 2050 and find out what you can do to help.