The Epsom and Ewell Times accepts full responsibility for last night’s farce and failure over the promised Stamford Ward election hustings. We apologise unreservedly to the public.

Residents Association candidates Steve Bridger and Martin Olney had been prepared to answer your questions and debate with Alison Kelly (who cycled to three churches in her quest for the hustings – see below) and David Buxton of the Liberal Democrats and Andrew Bailey of the Green Party.

The candidates who did not register to attend the hustings were Karen Landle and Richard Chinn (Labour) and Aaron Persand and Stephen Pontin (Conservative).

The Gods seemed to be determined that this hustings would not take place. Firstly, we wrongly assumed a hall we had booked was the Scout Hall at the rear of Epsom Methodist Church in Ashley Road. An eagle eyed scout-leader spotted our error Tuesday and pointed out that we had booked the St Martins Scout troop hall. We then wrongly assumed their hall was beside St Martin’s Church in Church Street and re-directed people there. Then on the night we discovered the scout hall is in fact at the rear of the former St. John Chandler Church in Church Road.

To cap it all Church Road was closed for access at the East Street junction.

Two determined electors of Stamford Ward managed to work this out and turned up but agreed the abandonment of proceedings. But nevertheless they had the chance to engage with Cllr Steve McCormick (RA candidate for Woodcote and Langley Vale) who had attended as a spectator. As had Janice Baker of the Green Party standing in Nonsuch.

Lionel Blackman, who was to chair the event said: “It’s all my fault. I am sorry. We will get it right in 2027. Plenty of time to continue our mission to inject new life into our local democracy. You know, in the global struggle against authoritarianism not only must we nurse democracy at the micro-local level, if conducted with personal respect democracy can be fun. And we did have a bit of fun last night, albeit at my expense.”

Epsom and Ewell Times is very confident, however, that the next hustings for the new ward of Horton will take place on Tuesday 2nd May at Southfield Park Primary School,  Long Grove Rd, Epsom KT19 8TF at 7pm. There is only one such school isn’t there?

The candidates willing to face the public standing in Stamford Ward:

Steve Bridger – Residents’ Associations of Epsom and Ewell 

David Buxton – Liberal Democrat Focus Team 

Alison Kelly – Liberal Democrat Focus Team

Andrew Bailey – Green Party

Martin Olney – Residents’ Associations of Epsom and Ewell

It’s a grey day in Claygate but the mood among the Lib Dems who have gathered at a micro pub next to the village station is anything but gloomy.

In a bright yellow jacket she said was a “hand me down” via one of her sons, the party’s parliamentary candidate for Esher and Walton reacted to the news that Dominic Raab had resigned from the cabinet.

Monica Harding called for Mr Raab to resign as the area’s MP, and said residents “deserved better”.
Mr Raab said he had set out his position, and appreciated the “hundreds of messages of support” he had received. He added: “My overriding focus now is on delivering for the people of Esher and Walton, with our economic plan and support with energy bills.”

In the 2019 general election, Ms Harding took 45 per cent of the vote in Esher and Walton, cutting the Conservative MP’s majority from 23,298 in 2017, to 2,743. It is therefore a key seat the Lib Dems have their eye on for the next general election, which must be called before January 2025.

But with local elections taking place in Elmbridge on May 4, could Mr Raab’s resignation in the wake of an investigation into bullying also impact on those voters?

The Lib Dem leader, Ed Davey, also the MP for neighbouring Kingston and Surbiton, told the LDRS that in parliamentary constituencies across Surrey, including Esher and Walton, Guildford, Woking and Mole Valley, the party was sensing a “real opportunity”. He added: “This chaos and indecency in the Conservatives is what’s putting off a lot of life-long Tories.”

The village of Claygate has around 7,000 people, an average house price of more than £1.1million and three Liberal Democrat councillors. Elmbridge Borough Council, the area’s local authority, is run by the Residents Associations’ 18 councillors, in coalition with the 13 Lib Dem councillors.

The Conservatives are the second largest party, with 15 councillors, five of which hold seats that are up for election on May 4 when a third of the members are up for election.

Current Lib Dem councillor Alex Coomes is up for election, standing against John Charles Burns for the Conservatives and Sue Cope for the Labour Party.

One voter told the LDRS Mr Raab’s resignation would not impact on how she would vote in the borough council elections.

An investigation into Mr Raab by Adam Tolley KC looked at eight formal complaints against the MP from his work in three separate government departments.

In his resignation letter, Mr Raab said all but two of the claims had been dismissed in the report and raised concerns the inquiry would “encourage spurious complaints” against ministers.

Peter Szanto, chairman of Esher & Walton Conservative Association, said: “Dominic has continually worked to support our constituency and all those that live here. He has always been professional, kind, thoughtful and tenacious in his work.I, and the Esher & Walton Conservative Association, fully support him.”

Ann Hennings, who said she had met Mr Raab “several times at various functions”, had found him to be “very kind” and said she didn’t have “a bad thing to say about him”. She said she was glad she was not at work anymore, and asked: “What is bullying? Getting somebody’s job done, is that bullying? I think anybody who’s in charge of anything might be accused of that sometimes.” She said that the local Liberal Democrats, who run the council in a coalition with Residents’ Association councillors, “seem to get things done” but added that her voting habits were not the same on national and local ballots.

“If you have parents that are a certain party, I think a lot of people tend to be the same, it goes down with families,” she said. “My family were staunch Conservatives. I’ve always voted Conservative but never locally. I’ve only ever voted liberal.”

Another resident said Mr Raab’s resignation from his roles as Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary was “good riddance”, but said it would not change how she would vote locally.

While the Liberal Democrat leader on Elmbridge Borough Council, and Claygate councillor, Cllr Bruce McDonald, said on the doorstep the constituency’s MP came up “from time to time” he didn’t think Mr Raab was “at the front of their minds”. Cllr McDonald said: “I and my colleagues are much more interested in talking about our positive vision for Elmbridge, what we’re getting on with doing because, ultimately, that’s what people want from us.”

But the national picture isn’t far from some people’s minds on the doorstep. Lynne Murray opened her front door to find Ed Davey, Monica Harding and a raft of journalists on her doorstep. She told Mr Davey there was a “very high chance” the Lib Dems may be lucky and get her vote in the future elections.

With issues including the country’s economic prosperity, a “holistic, long term” look at the NHS needed and wanting people to feel “hope again” she said she thought that aspiring to “have a great life” was “so far away from so many people at the moment.” She added: “I’m looking back at 12 years of Conservative government and I can’t think of a single aspect of life in the UK that’s been better.”

Green Belt campaigners have obtained a breakdown of over half-a-million pounds spent so far by Epsom and Ewell Borough Council on the draft Local Plan and the Town Centre MasterPlan. The Epsom and Ewell Times provides the figures below.

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Epsom and Ewell Borough Council’s response to a Freedom of Information Act request:

“The figures below are broken down into two time periods: 

• The first covering the April 2016 to December 2021. 

• The second period covers January 2022 until 15^th April 2023 – this is to reflect that from  January 2022 additional evidence was commissioned to support the preparation of the  Draft Local Plan 2022-2040. 

April 2016 – December 2021 Local Plan consultancy 

Service	Consultant	Cost
Spatial Economic Development Strategy	Economic Growth Management Ltd	£13,725
Post Covid – Spatial Economic  Development Strategy	Economic Growth Management Ltd	£7,787.50
Sports Facilities Assessment and Playing  Pitch Strategy	Ploszajski Lynch Consulting Ltd	£24,113

 

Green Belt Studies	Atkins Ltd	£36,471.61
Housing Needs Assessment Update	Cobweb Consulting	£14,497.55
Background paper on the horseracing  industry	Matthews Associates (UK) Ltd	£2,970
Local Plan Viability Assessment (2019)	HDH Planning & Development Ltd	£16,063
Habitats Regulation Assessment	Lepus Consulting	£7,244.33
Strategic Flood Risk Assessment	Jacobs UK Ltd	£9,838
Graphic Design services	Soapbox Design Limited	£5,940
Local Plan Consultation Support	Luther Pendragon	£16,557.30
Mapping services	Pindar Creative	£2,624
Retail Study	Urban Shape	£26,654
Retail Study – update	Urban Shape	£6,050
Master planning	Allies and Morrison	£71,984
Total		£262,519.29

January 2022 onwards to support Draft Local Plan 2022-2040 

Service	Consultant Appointed	Cost
Housing and Economic Development  Needs Assessment (HEDNA)	GL Hearne	£47,890.49
Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation  Assessment (GTAA)	Opinion Research Services Ltd	£6,850
Local Plan Viability Study (2022)	HDH Planning & Development Ltd	£16,000
Interim Sustainability Appraisal of Draft  Local Plan 2022-2040 (Reg 18)	AECOM	£23,807.50
Habitats Regulations Assessment of  Draft Local Plan 2022-2040 (Reg 18)	Lepus Consulting	£3,410
Climate Change Study (Part 1)	Wood Plc	£17,512
Graphic Design services	Urban Graphics	£23,000
Emerging Town Centre Masterplan	David Lock Associates	£99,768.10*
Independent Review of Draft Local Plan  (Reg 18)	Carewold Associates Ltd	£750
Social Media promotion of Draft Local  Plan consultation	Quick Fox Labs	£4,786.45
Printing of consultation materials	EEBC print room and Blue Dot  display	£6,291
Total		£250,695.54

* note no net cost to EEBC as funded by the Local Enterprise Partnership The total spend on external services from 1^st April 2016 until the 15 April 2023 was £513,214.83. However  as noted above £99,768.10 of this was for the Emerging Epsom Town Centre Masterplan was funded by the  Capital to Coast Local Enterprise Partnership.”

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Mark Todd, Chair, Epsom and Ewell Labour Party and a candidate in Horton Ward for the upcoming local election, responded to our request to all parties for comment: “Yet more evidence of terrible waste and mismanagement by the Residents’ Association running Epsom and Ewell Borough Council. No wonder our council tax is so high and our services so poor. It’s time for change at the local elections on May 4. The local Labour party will clean up the council and make sure money is spent wisely again.”

Julie Morris, College Ward Councillor and Liberal Democrat told us: “The need for a new Local Plan is known years in advance and steps should have been taken to make sure our borough had robust local planning policies in place, rather than procrastinate over what was exactly the right time to create a new Local Plan. 

Much of the evidence base has needed to be updated and has therefore required the work of professional organisations to do this, resulting in a much greater spend than was originally forecast.  There was no alternative but for council to agree to this expenditure.  Had Residents Association councillors given the matter greater priority, expenditure would undoubtedly have been less.  It’s important to bear in mind too, that the process is far from complete.”

The Residents Association, Conservative Party and Green Party have not responded.

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Related Reports:

£225,000 to plan the unplanned

The Local Plan to plan The Local Plan

Many others – search “Local Plan”.

There could be more than 250,000 cars on Surrey’s roads that do not meet ULEZ complaint standards. That figure climbs to 335,584 cars when counting those with Statutory Off Road Notifications (SORN), according to a Freedom of Information request by the LDRS.

The figures are based on collective postcode data supplied by the DVLA and include some crossover, for example with Chipstead and Coulsden in London, and on the border with East Grimstead in West Sussex.

According to Transport for London “petrol cars that meet the ULEZ standards are generally those first registered with the DVLA after 2005, although cars that meet the standards have been available since 2001. Diesel cars that meet the standards are generally those first registered with the DVLA after September 2015.”

In Surrey postcodes, recorded information held by the DVLA shows there were 71,892 petrol engine cars first registered before January 1 2005, with a further 50,655 classed as SORN. The figures are worse for non-compliant diesel cars, with 190,026 licensed and 23,011 SORN first registered before September 1 2015. Combined that means there are 261,918 non ULEZ  compliant taxed cars registered to Surrey postcodes and a further 73,666 off road.

The figures were from a snapshot census of the DVLA vehicle record which is taken quarterly and is up to date to February 2023.

The ULEZ boundary is expected to be expanded to the Surrey border in August and would mean that those driving with petrol vehicles registered before 2005 or diesels users before 2015 will need to pay a £12.50 daily charge.

In February, ​​Surrey County Council joined forces with four London boroughs to launch a High Court legal challenge against Transport for London (TfL) and the Mayor of London’s decision to expand the zone.

In April a judge ruled there was a case to be heard on two grounds – the legal basis for the scheme and the rollout of the scrappage scheme. It is expected to be heard in July.

Among the things Surrey County Council is calling on the Mayor of London provide are more data on the impact to residents, extend car scrappage and the Zone 6 Oyster Card scheme and to provide corridors to NHS facilities that are on the border,

Key workers, who regularly have to travel to London, should also be exempt, the county argues.

The Local Democracy Service has also requested that these figures be broken down by individual postcode.

The full list of postcodes included in the data is: CR3, CR5, CR6, GU1, GU10, GU12, GU15, GU16, GU18, GU19, GU2, GU20, GU21, GU22, GU23, GU24, GU25, GU26, GU27, GU3, GU4, GU5, GU6, GU7, GU8, GU9, KT10, KT11, KT12, KT13, KT14, KT15, KT16, KT17, KT18, KT20, KT21, KT22, KT23, KT24, KT7, KT8, RH1, RH10, RH12, RH19, RH2, RH3, RH4, RH5, RH6, RH7, RH8, RH9, SM7, TN16, TN8, TW15, TW16, TW17, TW18, TW19, TW20

Related reports:

ULEZ Court battle looming

Surrey Council’s ULEZ talks ongoing with TfL

Can you beat the ULEZ charge?

Will Me’lud halt ULEZ expansion to Epsom borders?

A sign of no signs to come on ULEZ?

ULEZ will come to Epsom and Ewell borders

Back to back away victories for Epsom and Ewell FC win 2nd place in the league and home front play-offs for promotion. Richard Lambert reports on both matches:

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Chessington & Hook United 1-2 Epsom & Ewell -Southern Combination League – Division One – Thursday 20th April 2023.

For the second match in a row we let a lead slip, but fought back to take all three points with a late winner, this time a close range 83rd minute header from Nick Wilson as we maintained our grip on the top playoff spot with a 2-1 victory over Chessington & Hook United at Chalky Lane.

The win maintained an extremely odd sequence of results between the clubs. At home we have only won one of our last eight matches against Chessington & Hook United, but at Chalky Lane it is a different story as we have only lost once in sixteen visits there! And in the end I felt we were worth the points, although there were times when I worried that it wasn’t going to be our night as we spurned a number of good chances to make the game comfortable.

We made four changes from our win against Selsey with Athan Smith-Joseph rested after tweaking his hamstring on Saturday, while Alex Penfold and Rory Edwards came back into the starting line up at the expense of Steve Springett and Gavin Quintyne. Finally, further forward, Thompson Adeyemi came in for Jaan Stanley as we rotated our squad with one eye on another match coming up at Billingshurst in less than 48 hours.

We got off to a flying start with our first attack down the right wing where Adeyemi sent a low ball across goal and it was swept home clinically at the far post from twelve yards by Lewis Pearch in the 3rd minute to give us an early lead. Adeyemi then saw his shot blocked and also a follow up from Edwards as we tried to double our lead from a corner.

In the 13th minute it was Adeyemi again who tried his luck from twenty yards but found Chessington and Hook keeper Andrew Osei equal to the strike. The home side responded by forcing a couple of corners but we dealt with the deliveries into the box well enough and were soon on the attack again with Jamie Byatt seeing his shot tipped wide by Osei and then Dylan Merchant sending a header back across goal from a deep corner, only to see the ball cleared.

We had an excellent chance in the 41st minute when a defender’s error let Pearch through on the right and his ball across goal was perfect for Adeyemi, but his left foot contact wasn’t as secure as his right and a defender was able to clear the ball away from the goal line. Then Byatt had another try just before half time but his shot was straight at Osei and the last chance of the half also fell to Byatt whose twenty yard strike was far stronger than the one he netted with against Selsey on Saturday, but as a result it just didn’t come down in time, clearing the bar by about three inches!

We should have been further ahead by the half and it is always a concern when chances aren’t taken. Tom Theobald made a good block with his feet after a defensive slip, but we were back on the attack soon and a foul on Jaevon Dyer allowed us to float a free kick into the box, only for Osei to punch clear. The game was starting to get a little niggly, as is so often the case when these two teams meet and just after a bit of a scuffle the home side equalised with a ball in from the right that was collected by Joe Avery who cut inside Gideon Acheampong before firing the ball past Theobald at his near post from ten yards for the equaliser in the 55th minute.

This was ever so disappointing and we would have to go again. But we did. A Dyer run and pass to Wilson was hacked clear by Osei just ahead of our man who was then adjudged to have fouled the keeper. Stanley came on for Adeyemi and as we entered the final quarter of the match Dyer set up Pearch for a similar chance to the one he had scored from earlier, but this time he scuffed his shot wide of the post and then it was Dyer’s chance to miss a good chance after great interplay between Stanley and Byatt had left him in space, but his touch let him down and Osei’s leg was able to dispossess him.

Five minutes later Dyer robbed a defender and broke through on goal, drawing the keeper before flicking the ball on to Byatt, but instead of rolling the ball into the empty net from the edge of the area, he hesitated and a defender closed down the chance which then rebounded into Osei’s arms! We made a couple of substitutions in the 77th minute with Springett and Quintyne entering the fray for Penfold and Byatt before we then had the second multi-player scuffle of the day, following a foul by Johnny Akoto, who was then kicked while on the deck. The refereeing could have been stronger in this match and although a card was issued to both sides here, it looked like the home team maybe ought to have seen red.

However, the main event occurred in the 83rd minute. Stanley was released down the right, although his ball across goal was just ahead of Wilson and just behind Dyer, by now operating on the left wing. He retrieved the ball though and sent a superb deep cross to the back post where Wilson met it with a solid downwards header just a couple of yards out from goal, giving Osei no chance to save it.

We played five minutes over the ninety which was about fair and managed the game well in that period with much of the time being spent near the corner flag and there were large celebrations from the away support and the players when the whistle blew for full time and the points were well deserved, even if we had required the late intervention to get all three of them.

So where does this leave us? Well, barring a seven goal swing in our final matches we will now finish in the top playoff spot, ensuring home matches throughout our participation in them. We are now level on points with second place Dorking Wanderers B whose goal difference is three goals better than ours. It is not impossible to catch them and if we could do that it would be the first time we had finished in the top two since 1984. As it is, third place is our highest finish since 2014 and represents a decent campaign, but concerns remain about our consistency as we approach the real business end of the season. A good showing against Billingshurst on Saturday is important to keep building any momentum before we return to Fetcham Grove to close out our season over hopefully the next two weekends.

Epsom & Ewell: Tom Theobald, Gideon Acheampong, Johnny Akoto, Nick Wilson, Dylan Merchant, Alex Penfold, Jaevon Dyer, Rory Edwards, Jamie Byatt, Thompson Adeyemi, Lewis Pearch

Subs: Jaan Stanley for Adeyemi (65), Steve Springett for Penfold (77), Gavin Quintyne for Byatt (77), Kevin Moreno-Gomez for Dyer (86), George Owusu for Pearch (88)

Billingshurst 1-3 Epsom & Ewell Southern Combination League – Division One – Saturday 22nd April 2023

Cast your mind back to 1984. Lionel Richie was Number 1 with Hello, Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister and our boys had just clinched promotion to the Isthmian League Premier Division with a late 2-1 win at Farnborough Town that secured second place as we waited in the clubhouse for our Secretary to get confirmation of other results on the one phone they had there.

How times have changed, but if you are under the age of 40, you’ll just have to trust me on this one. It was the last time we had finished as high as second place in any division. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting it as I thought Dorking Wanderers B would win at Mile Oak and we would fall just behind them on goal difference, but a late equaliser for the Oak enabled us to pinch the runners-up spot (and presumably individual medals for our boys?) against the odds.

We made four changes to our starting line up following our win at Chessington & Hook United some 42 hours earlier with Steve Springett coming in at the back for Dylan Merchant who was unavailable. Gavin Quintyne and George Owusu came in for Nick Wilson and Jaevon Dyer who dropped to the bench, while Athan Smith-Joseph who came back in up front ahead of Jamie Byatt. Or so we thought! As it turned out Johnny “Sonic” Akoto was injured in the warm up and so Byatt came back in with Lewis Pearch drawing the short straw and finding himself moving from up front to the right back position with Captain Gideon Acheampong moving over to the left.

But despite the rotations, we scored a goal in the opening ten minutes for the third match in a row. Smith-Joseph got away down the left and fired a cross in. The ball was palmed away by Ollie Courtney but fell kindly to George Owusu who guided his volley over everyone and into the far corner for a smart finish in just the fourth minute.

Unfortunately for the third week in a row we let that early lead slip as the hosts drew level just seven minutes later. Pearch tried to clear the ball under pressure in his unfamiliar position and the ball rebounded kindly for Sam Jobbins who had time to guide the ball beyond the reach of Tom Theobald into the far corner from just inside the penalty area.

We continued to make chances, particularly on the left, although the end product from Smith-Joseph was proving more of a threat to the trees behind the goal instead of the Billingshurst keeper. A Pearch chance deflected wide for a corner and then Owusu found Byatt but he was well marshalled and unable to get a powerful shot away.

We had one scare when a deep free kick was sent into our penalty area and no one took responsibility, leaving Robbie Tambling unmarked to volley the ball goalwards, but fortunately he was unable to keep the ball down and we went in at the half ahead on points, but not on the scoreboard.

We thought we had taken the lead early in the second half when Smith-Joseph’s cute through ball found Owusu who netted from a narrow angle, but he was denied by the Assistant’s flag. Then at the other end we had danger after Alex Penfold lost the ball, but pulled the striker down to take one for the team. It was an obvious yellow card with Acheampong covering so no further penalty would follow and the free kick was easily gathered by Theobald. Our keeper was active again as he had to dive to his left to keep a powerful shot out and another shot went just wide of our goal as we looked a little wobbly at this stage.

However, we made three substitutions in ten minutes and Dyer then restored our lead within seconds of joining the fray; cutting in from the left and striking a shot at goal which took a deflection off a defender’s outstretched leg and looped somewhat harshly over Courtney into the net in the 73rd minute.

We then had another chance when Dyer’s initial cross was blocked back out to Smith-Joseph whose ball in to the near post was blazed over the bar by Wilson as the ball bobbled on him just four yards out, but fortunately just a couple of minutes later in the 79th minute we gained some breathing space when Smith-Joseph tried his luck with a strike that Courtney had covered, only for the ball to hit him squarely in the hands and just drop apologetically over the line for our third goal!

The hosts were looking visibly tired by now after matches on Tuesday and Thursday and with Dorking Wanderers leading at this stage, I was aware that two more goals would give us second place even if they held on to win. As it happened though, we wouldn’t need them as the Mile Oak result went our way. It was all good, although there were a couple of injury concerns as Springett picked up a broken nose and then in the final minutes Penfold went down having pulled his groin, which threatens to put a premature end to his season. The injury gave Jack Porter a rare run out for the final moments, becoming to my knowledge the first person in club history to take the field with a number 21 shirt!

The result and the late drama elsewhere in our favour was reminiscent of that spring evening in 1984 and may well live as long in the memory. Back then of course, second place guaranteed us automatic promotion, while now we have to win two playoff matches to secure it, but unlike last season we go into these contests with as much momentum as anyone after compiling a run of five matches unbeaten with three straight wins. One of those was a 3-2 victory over Selsey who we now host just two weeks after they last visited and the hope is that we can repeat that victory this coming weekend. To paraphrase Lionel Richie, “is it promotion you’re looking for?”

Epsom & Ewell: Tom Theobald, Gideon Acheampong, Lewis Pearch, Rory Edwards, Steve Springett, Alex Penfold, George Owusu, Gavin Quintyne, Jamie Byatt, Thompson Adeyemi, Athan Smith-Joseph

Subs: Jaan Stanley for Adeyemi (62), Nick Wilson for Edwards (72), Jaevon Dyer for Byatt (72), Jack Porter for Penfold (92)

http://eefconline.co.uk/

The Epsom Playhouse is listed as one of Surrey’s “quirky” polling stations in the report below from the BBC’s LDRS (Epsom and Ewell Times’ official news partner). A full list of the polling stations for the Borough of Epsom and Ewell Council’s upcoming 4th May elections can be FOUND HERE.

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When many Surrey voters head out to cast their ballot in local elections on May 4 they will go to the village halls, community centres and schools that are often used as polling stations.

But some will visit more unusual locations, including a pub, a theatre and a former home for “vagrants and casual workers” all being used as polling stations.

Local elections are being held in all 11 districts and boroughs across the county, though not all residents will go to the polls.

Some councils, including Elmbridge, Tandridge and Woking, elect their councillors “by thirds”, meaning one third of council seats are up for election each time.

Others, including Guildford and Epsom and Ewell, hold “all out” elections every four years.

At the Bull Inn, in Warlingham, people voting in Tandridge District Council elections will be able to grab a pint once they are done and drink it in the pub’s garden. It is the third time the pub has been used as a polling station, and tea and coffee will be served in the morning with alcohol available from midday.

While voters in Esher, within Dominic Raab’s parliamentary ward, will tread the boards of the Esher theatre to cast their vote. A production of City Of Dreams will run at the theatre until April 29, and there is a performance the day after the vote of Cool Britannia Cabaret.

It’s not the only theatre to be used as a polling station on May 4, with the Epsom Playhouse also being used as a polling station for voters in Epsom and Ewell’s Town ward.

Some voters in Guildford will have the opportunity to cast their ballot at the Spike in the borough’s Castle ward. The purpose-built home for vagrants and casual workers, which opened in 1906, was built to separate vagrant workers from those within the main workhouse. In 2005, the Charlotteville Jubilee Trust fundraised to rescue the building, after a period of it being used by St Luke’s Hospital before its relocation to the Royal Surrey site, and after it was listed as a Grade II building. The Community Centre and Heritage Centre now on the site opened in 2008.

Polling stations on May 4 will be open from 7am until 10pm, and voters should receive a polling card from their district council to let them know which polling station to attend.

It is also the first local elections where voters nationwide will need to show ID in order to be able to vote.
A full list of accepted forms of voter ID is available on the gov.uk website and the deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate is 5pm on Tuesday, April 25.

Related Reports:

Epsom and Ewell Local Elections general

Beginning to line up for local elections

Register to vote deadline for elections

4th May Surrey goes to the polls

Turn up to turn downturn in turnout!

Worrying about voter ID law

No photo – no vote!

UCA Epsom has secured a multi-million-pound fund to meet a Net Zero target. The University for the Creative Arts (UCA) in Epsom has been awarded £4.5m in Government funding to decarbonise heating at its campus.

By harnessing new technologies and increasing onsite power generation, the University aims to deliver more than a 90% reduction in carbon emissions from energy consumption across a ten-year period and meet its commitment to Net Zero carbon emissions by 2030.   

Professor Mark Ellul, Chief Operating Officer at UCA, said: “Since 2007, our investment in energy efficiency and onsite renewables, have halved our carbon emissions despite growing as a university. We are now building on this work to create a step-change in our efforts to reach Net Zero. 

“We are committed to being one of the greenest universities in the UK and this funding is an endorsement of the work we have already undertaken to deliver greener campuses.”  

Scott Keiller, UCA Sustainability Manager said: “In the coming months we will be developing our plans, aiming to replace our gas-powered heating with ground source and air source heat pumps by spring 2025. We will also be significantly increasing our solar power generation to reduce our demand on grid electricity and adding sophisticated energy control systems and grid connected energy storage.”  

The project will be funded by the Government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) with the University committing a similar amount of funding. The Public Sector scheme was initiated by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and it is delivered by Salix Finance. 

Director of Programmes Ian Rodger from Salix Finance said: “The projects at the University of Creative Arts are ambitious and our teams at Salix are looking forward to being part of the University’s journey to reach its Net Zero targets.

“The University has made substantial progress in the last few years in reducing its carbon emissions and this PSDS grant will enable significant further carbon reductions.

“As well as creating greener campuses, the buildings will also be more comfortable for the students, staff and other visitors to use.”

The University of Surrey’s Professor Jin Xuan has won a prestigious Open Fellowship from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to develop the next generation of clean energy devices using advanced artificial intelligence. 

As well as using electrochemical technology to explore established applications like green hydrogen production and CO2 reduction, Prof Xuan will also develop future technologies, with a particular focus on cleaner, greener fertilisers. 

Prof Xuan said: 

“Manufacturing fertiliser to help crops grow is hugely carbon intensive, but if we can achieve a breakthrough on the difficult electrochemical reduction of nitrogen to generate ammonia, we could make significant steps to address this. 

“The answer lies in artificial intelligence to design the complex electrochemical devices, but many existing algorithms in this area don’t offer explanations for how the AI comes to its conclusions. The relation between the inputs and outputs is a mystery, but I plan to open the ‘black box’ to find results which are reliable, explainable and transferable.” 

The five-year fellowship will enable Prof Xuan to develop Explainable Artificial Intelligence tools and models which lead to an automated loop of materials design, manufacturing and testing of electrochemical devices. Prof Xuan will work with industrial partners from Siemens PSE, Intelligent Energy and Johnson Matthey. 

Prof Xuan said:  

“My ambitions for this research are huge and can only be achieved with long-term support like this. The flexibility offered to me through this fellowship will enable me to shape my research as findings emerge, following the solutions which reveal themselves through my work, in partnership with other academics and industry. I’m extremely grateful to the EPSRC for this support.” 

 President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Surrey, Professor Max Lu, said: 

“Jin exemplifies Surrey’s values of inspiration and innovation. He is ambitious about solving global challenges, working collaboratively with interdisciplinary researchers and innovators. We’re very proud of him for winning this fellowship.” 

Romy Sustar In conversation with the father of The Satisfied Eye International Film Festival (SEIFF), Chris Hastings:

When discussing film festivals, one thinks of the famous five festivals: Venice, Cannes, Berlin, Sundance and Toronto. However, you might not come up with Epsom when thinking about film festivals in England. 

Q: Is there a film festival in Epsom?

A: The Epsom Film Festival is also known under the name The Satisfied Eye International Film Festival (SEIFF), and it was launched in 2018. The festival attracted international attention, and in 2020 SEIFF took place at the Odeon in Epsom just a week before the lockdown. 2021 was a year of uncertainties and lockdowns, so the team decided to plan ahead, especially after the Picture House announced its arrival in Epsom 2022. Unfortunately, unpredicted delays took place, and there is still no sign of Picture House opening its doors soon. The good news is that Bourne Hall kindly agreed to host the film festival, and we are grateful to be part of their exciting rebrand and relaunch between the 26th and 28th of May. 

Q: Why do you think Epsom needs a film festival?

A: In our first year, we carried out an audience survey to discover local likes and habits. Apart from finding out that Epsom’s two most desired things were a Primark and fewer potholes, we found that many people travel to Wimbledon, Kingston and Guildford for entertainment. I grew up in Hastings, like living in an episode of The Last of Us. The town completely reinvigorated and reinvented itself through arts and culture. Many towns and cities have done the same, with arts and culture driving regeneration. When you ask what Epsom is famous for, most people say Epsom Salts or the Derby. And nobody is coming to Epsom for the salts, and the Derby is one weekend yearly. So to have any sense of sustainability and to battle ever-changing shopping habits, there need to be events and attractions that draw people in. After our first year, we were rated in the top 100 festivals in the world so that we could be a part of that cultural change.

Q: Please share with us a few past SEIFF insights.

A: The festival always finishes with our gala red carpet awards ceremony, our chance to enjoy glitz and glamour. The awards ceremony is open to everyone, so we always get a mix of our filmmakers and festival goers and local people. It’s an excellent chance for anyone who has been to any of the screenings to come and meet some of the filmmakers and for the filmmakers to talk to their audiences. Generally, the audiences like to dress up for the occasion, and filmmakers, like I, dress down! They’re our mini Oscars with all the awards you’d expect and a few particular to SEIFF. We also have a People’s Choice award, which goes to the best film chosen by local people who are part of our judging panel. The People’s Choice is always the first event of the festival, where we screen 90 minutes of the most popular short films as voted by local filmgoers, and for instance, this year includes one of this year’s Oscar winners.

Q: How can Epsom support the Film Festival?

A: SEIFF is an entirely voluntary event run wholly by local volunteers, and local people’s excitement and enthusiasm help keep it growing. So, the most important thing is bums on seats and volunteers! We’re lucky to have a loyal following, but we want to grow because that will allow us to do more events and bring more fun and excitement to the borough!  

Q: Any final thoughts?

A: Every year, some of our films end up at the Oscars or go on to secure big deals. While these are all independent shorts, feature films, documentaries and animation, the quality is phenomenal, and you’ll see some of the best films you’ve seen in your life. That’s why a festival like the Satisfied Eye International Film Festival exists. So, save the date and meet us in Bourne Hall, Spring St, Ewell, Epsom KT17 1UF, between the 26th and 28th of May. 

Q: How would you describe Epsom with one word and why?

A:  Prospect. Epsom is a bit like a rookie footballer or boxer.  There’s huge potential and the possibility to be something special. It simply needs everyone to come together and help make that happen.  

Q: Where can we find out more about the Epsom film festival? 

A: The best thing to do is follow our FB group at https://www.facebook.com/satisfiedeye.

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About Chris:

Chris Hastings is a multi-award-winning writer, director and producer. He has become a familiar name at festivals around the world. He is the CEO of 1066 Productions,  an independent film and television production company based in London.

 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishastings1066/

About Romy:

Romana Sustar is a multilingual freelance journalist, University Language Tutor, accomplished marketer and owner of  Epsom Digital Ltd., a local digital marketing agency.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/romanasustar/

On Saturday 15th April, Epsom based PR agency, The Oracle Group, and its partner charity, The Children’s Trust, held The Great Epsom Bike Off at The Ashley Centre in Epsom raising an extraordinary figure of nearly £700. Inspired by the agency’s Chief Development Officer, Clare Sanderson, running the London Marathon 2023 to raise vitally-needed funds on Sunday 23rd April, the event saw the two organisations and members of the public cycle the distance of the London to
Brighton Cycle Ride.

Leading multi-service communications agency, The Oracle Group chose The Children’s Trust as one of its charities of the year. The Children’s Trust is the UK’s leading charity for children with brain injury and neurodisability. Based in Tadworth, Surrey, it delivers rehabilitation, education and community services through skilled teams for children, young people and their families.

Throughout the event, volunteers took part in a challenge to cycle 54 miles on two bikes loaned by Pure Gym Epsom, to complete the distance of the London to Brighton Cycle Ride. Journalist and news presenter, Nicholas Owen, who is an ambassador of The Children’s Trust, also attended the event and helped the team reach the target mileage.

Supported by GoEpsom and The Ashley Centre, the event included a wide range of activities for the local community to enjoy including performances by young dancers from local dance school, the Terri-Jayne School of Dance. Visitors also enjoyed face painting by Bee Happy Facepainting, a Meet and Greet with Ashley Bear and The Children’s Trust’s Mascot, and lots of activities available on the children’s crafts table.

A group of children supported by The Children’s Trust came along to the event with their carers and families, enjoying the activities and dance performance. Throughout the day some of the families’ stories were shared on a big screen and a few who had previously been helped by The Childrens Trust also stopped by to enjoy the event.

Partnerships Manager Kat Caddick comments: “We are incredibly grateful to The Oracle Group for organising this brilliant event and to all of the organisations and individuals who have generously given their time and donations. Some of our amazing children and their families had a lovely time and it was a great opportunity to raise awareness of the work we do and why donations are so vital. We would also like to thank Clare for her brave commitment to running the marathon, the dancers from Terri-Jayne’s School of Dance, our face painter and GoEpsom.”

Clare Sanderson, Chief Development Officer at The Oracle Group comments: “We are delighted that this event has been such a success. We have been working hard over the past few months to plan today and couldn’t have done it without the generous donations and help from local businesses. The work that The Children’s Trust does is phenomenal and I am excited (and a bit apprehensive!) to run the marathon for them this weekend. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the charity throughout the year.”

The partnership has already seen The Oracle Group volunteer in The Children’s Trust’s charity shops in Reigate and Redhill, where two teams competed to raise the most money. Over £2,000 was raised on this day and more fundraising plans are in the pipeline for the rest of the year.