Not an Epsom and Ewell report but Guildford’s ambitions may signal a local future? [Ed.]
Congestion charge could be coming to Guildford as the council looks at ways to reduce traffic and raise money to support sustainable travel. As part of wide-ranging plans for the town centre, including more than 2,000 new homes, opening up the area around the river and overhauling the one-way system, officers are also starting to look at the options for some form of charge to drive into the town.
A meeting of the borough council’s executive on Thursday (September 22) approved £3m to be moved into the relevant budget for the next stage of planning to begin. The meeting heard that more had to be done to encourage businesses to set up and stay in the town, and more measures needed to be taken to protect from flooding.
Council leader Cllr Joss Bigmore introduced the range of consultants at the meeting as “a number of very expensive people” who would talk through the plans as they currently stand. All works will go through the usual planning stages at the borough council. Andreas Markides, from independent consultancy Markides Associates, told the meeting a lot of work had been done to gather data on how people were travelling to the town and where from, using car parks, traffic surveys and mobile phone data.
He said many elements would be considered including improved cycling and walking in the town, a better park and ride service and the consideration of “some form of congestion charging”. Mr Markides added: “I don’t know at this stage what form that will take, there are dozens and dozens of different forms. “But I think that would be a very good way of not only deterring car traffic to come into the town, but also to get money that we can put towards more sustainable measures.” He said the next step was to work on traffic modelling plans with Surrey County Council and looking at the whole town.
The basics objectives of the plans were as follows according to Mr Markides:
Getting rid of the one way system because two-way roads mean slower traffic and more attention paid to pedestrians; Opening up the riverside to the town centre, “cutting out” a lot of existing roads “so that the the town centre can roll down to the river as required by the master plan”; Removing some traffic lanes to give priority to cyclists, pedestrians and buses; Maintaining access to all key destinations in the town such as the bus station, train station and car parks.
Improving local voter access
A review of all polling districts and polling places in Epsom & Ewell is taking place following the recent boundary review by the Local Government Boundary Commission.
The purpose of the review is to ensure that:
• All electors have reasonable access to voting facilities
• Polling places are accessible to all electors including those with disabilities
The 2022 review started on Monday 12 September and views are invited from electors within the district as well as from persons or bodies with expertise in relation to access to premises or facilities for persons with any form of disability.
There will be a change to some of the polling stations residents’ use as a result of the review.
Councillor Neil Dallen, Chair of the Strategy and Resources Committee at Epsom & Ewell Borough Council said: “We’re pleased that this review will facilitate more accessible polling places in Epsom & Ewell. We hope anybody with personal, or professional expertise in this area can take the time to share their views before the deadline of 17 October 2022 at 5pm.”
Epsom & Ewell Borough Council will be directly contacting:
The Member of Parliament for Epsom and Ewell, Chris Grayling.
Electoral Services (Polling District/Place Review), Epsom and Ewell Borough Council, The Town Hall, The Parade, Epsom, Surrey, KT18 5BY.
The deadline to respond to this review is 5pm on 17 October 2022.
Epsom & Ewell Borough Council regularly reviews its polling districts and polling places. The last full review took place in December 2019.
APRIL 2022
Jack and Emily Brown of Stoneleigh are delighted to announce the birth Wednesday 6th April 2022 of their first child named Sara Louise.
Born Beaconsfield – bred in Ewell – Frank Nutting – 80 years young Friday 8th April 2022. Keep going Frankie – love Diane and Paul.
Distinguished scientist and former Glyn Grammar boy dies.
John Fawcett of Brockenhurst, Hampshire has died at the age of 92. Between 1950-1961 John was in charge of the rudimentary laboratory of the professorial surgical unit at St Mary’s Hospital, London. Under his leadership over the next 11 years this expanded rapidly and, with a staff of 10, also serviced the first British metabolic unit. After several years of research, John moved into an administrative role in the Institute of Biomedical Science, rising to chief executive until his retirement in 1989. On retirement John moved to Brockenhurst where he became an expert and lover of the New Forest deer. He became a member of the Mammal Society and a founder member of the British Deer Society which was set up in the 1960s. John was a long-time local man having lived near Epsom from 1932 to 1989. He was schooled firstly at Ewell Castle and then Glyn Grammar School during the war years. Between 1944-7 John attended Sutton County Grammar School.
Epsom born filmmaker passes away at 70
Bill Clark, Epsom-born and educated filmmaker has passed away at age 70 from a brain haemorrhage. Bill was known for films such as Starfish (2016) and The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey (2007). He is survived by Debbie, their children, Edward and Celia, a grandson, Alfie, and his brother, Paul.
Families ‘in limbo’ as SCC fails on school transport
Nearly 150 families have been left “in limbo” and facing additional stress without school transport as Surrey County Council deals with more than 500 applications. The authority said “urgent” steps were being taken to deal with the backlog, described by one councillor as a “tsunami” of cases.
Image: Aimee James and her son Isaac.
One single mum on Universal Credit is paying around £10 a day to take her son to school by public transport, and claims she has not had it confirmed by the council when she will be reimbursed. Aimee James’s son, Isaac, is in his first year at Gosden House School for children with learning and additional needs.
She told the LDRS she had transport approved by the county council in June for Isaac, but before the August bank holiday, just days before the start of the school year, received an email to say it would not be available for the start of the school year but with hopes it might be by the end of October.
While she said the school have been understanding about the difficulties she faces, having to drop her other child at school in Woking and then come back to Guildford to get a bus to the school, Isaac is still doing shorter days because she “can’t be in two places at once”.
No confirmation of when reimbursement will come Miss James said she only has a couple of hours in the middle of the day before she has to turn around and do the journey again for pick up. She added: “It’s really stressful because I’m a single parent, and I don’t drive. I’m also on Universal Credit, so trying to get him to school is a real pain.” Her son, who has autistic traits, is “not brilliant” on public transport and Miss James said the transition has not been an easy one for him.
While the council has confirmed it will reimburse those who are out of pocket while waiting for transport to be arranged, Miss James said she hasn’t had confirmation of when this money will come in. She added: “At the minute, life on Universal Credit isn’t brilliant anyway. Because I’ve got to spend out before they reimburse me, I’m sort of skint before they give me my money back.”
A spokesperson for the county council said “complex and significant challenges” and a 20 per cent increase in the number of applications for transport on last year were leading to the delays. They said staffing resources had been increased and temporary financial allowances were being given to allow families to make alternative arrangements where possible.
‘I’ve never seen it like this before’ Councillor Nick Darby, Residents’ Association and Independent Group Leader on the county council, said he’d heard of several cases from residents and also from other councillors. He described it as like a “tsunami” of cases, and said he had never seen it like this before. He’d heard of children who simply couldn’t go to school, others whose parents had taken most of the day out of their jobs to do school runs, and children who were “hugely stressed” at the lack of routine.
He called for better communication from the council with parents and councillors, saying because many of these cases related to children with additional needs, it was “very difficult and challenging” for the parents concerned. Cllr Darby said the council was “just not delivering what we should”, and of the lack of communication with families, said: “Just ignoring it doesn’t do us any good.” ‘I’m crying a lot, because I’m so emotional’ Another parent who has been juggling multiple school runs is Claire Nash, whose daughter Justice is currently attending a mainstream school but awaiting a place at a specialist school.
Her school taxi was cancelled last school year but Ms Nash said it should have then been extended until July 2023, because of the circumstances she faces in trying to get her four children, three of them with additional needs, to school.
Mum of four, trying to sort transport for her youngest, Justice, who is 6, but SCC have left her in the lurch. Claire Nash with daughter Justice (6). photographer byline Darren Pepe.
Having emailed the council on September 6, she is yet to hear back at the time of writing, and is currently getting her daughter to school late every day after taking her eldest two children to school and then waiting for a mini bus to take her son to his school. She said: “I’m so stressed out, my life is very stressful anyway, but I’ve lost sleep over it. “I’m crying a lot, because I’m so emotional. It’s extra stuff I just don’t need. My life’s already hard and I have to fight for the things that should just be easy to get considering my circumstances.”
A Surrey County Council spokesperson confirmed that as of September 20, there were 529 school transport applications being processed, of which 196 were received before the start of the academic year. There were 149 families who had had their eligibility confirmed but had not yet had transport scheduled. These families had been offered temporary financial allowances in order to make alternative arrangements. As well as this, there are currently 141 families going through an appeal process for school transport, which the spokesperson said the independent appeal team were working through at an increased rate in order to process them as quickly as possible.
The spokesperson said they could not comment on any individual children, but the council “would like to sincerely apologise to anyone experiencing delays” with their applications. They added: “As with many services nationally we are dealing with complex and significant challenges, particularly with driver shortages in some areas. “We are concerned about the delays some families are facing and are taking urgent steps to address this by increasing staffing resources and offering temporary financial allowances to enable families to make alternative arrangements, where possible. We are determined to do everything we can to support children and young people that need us most. We know how important it is for children and young people to have access to their education setting and we are working tirelessly to manage increased demand and address issues.”
Walk, cycle, scoot – don’t drive!
Surrey County Council will launch a new campaign on World Car Free Day, 22 September, to encourage residents to change the way they travel to stay healthy, save money and help the environment by reducing their carbon footprint.
In Surrey, 41% of carbon emissions come from transport, with around half of that coming from private vehicles. For shorter journeys such as the school run, the commute to work or a trip to the shops, residents are being encouraged to consider leaving the car at home and walking or cycling instead
The County Council has teamed up with BetterPoints to reward anyone in Surrey who opts to travel by foot, bike or public transport, instead of using a car. Each car-free journey earns residents points which can be redeemed for high street vouchers to spend at shops, local coffee shops or can be donated to charity.
Surrey County Council is developing Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) across the county to help determine where best to prioritise improvements to continue to enable residents to walk and cycle more often. Residents can use an interactive map to ‘pin’ locations and comment on how walking and cycling could be made easier there.
Matt Furniss, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, Infrastructure and Growth, said: “We know it’s not always possible for everyone to walk or cycle everywhere, but for shorter journeys we could all think about making a small change which on mass would make a big difference.
“We’re continuously looking at ways to improve our infrastructure to make walking and cycling easier for the people of Surrey and would really encourage feedback on our interactive map.”
The 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. Information about making active journeys can be found on the Surrey County Council website.
Surrey Police’s ‘nervy’ moments before Queen’s funeral
Surrey Police chiefs have revealed the “nervy” moments they had ahead of the Queen’s funeral passing through the county. While the operation “went very well” from the force’s perspective, those high up did admit to underestimating just how many people would show up along the streets as the coffin passed through on its way to Windsor. Superintendent Graham Barnett, the silver commander for the operation in Surrey, said in a press briefing today (September 20) this was one of “the very few events that has never happened” on this scale and in our lifetimes. He said contingency resources and several partners all working together were important on the day, from Surrey Fire and Rescue, Surrey County Council, as well as the borough and district authorities and the National Trust way finder volunteers around Runnymede. The coffin passed through 6.2 miles of roads in Surrey on its journey to Windsor, on a route that was planned “with the public in mind” to allow as many people to bid farewell to the monarch as possible. Supt Barnett said his most “nervy” moment was when the procession passed Town Lane on its way into Staines, when people wanted to get forward and see the coffin. He added: “I was under no illusion that Staines was going to be busy, that the A308 was going to be busy, Runnymede meadows of course can cater for huge numbers of people. “So we were aware. Even I underestimated quite how many people would come out to show their respects, and I will be the first to put my hand up and say there was a couple of nervous moments for me as people increased.” He said all contingency resources were “pushed in” to support the lining of the route. Supt Barnett added: “The reality is, we were always expecting large numbers. But I was surprised at quite how large and what a fantastic turnout we had from the public of Surrey, and further afield of course, to see Her Majesty off.” He confirmed there were no reported anti-monarchy protests in Surrey, with all public engagement being “very supportive” both towards officers and in terms of taking “one last chance to be involved in something so historic”. The “clear steer” given to Supt Barnett from Chief Superintendent Jerry Westerman was that giving resources for the event could not affect “business as usual” for the force. He said officers worked longer days and cancelled days off to play their part and that resources were only allocated after ensuring the usual needs of the public could be met, and then increasing that by ten per cent. Chief Supt Westerman confirmed no national debrief had as yet taken place, only a “hot debrief” which looks at immediate issues after the event. He added: “This operation, from our perspective, went very well. But we can always learn lessons and improve. “And where it goes well, it’s equally important that we make sure that in future events, it goes well.” He added that there would always be some form of “Operation Bridge” in place, the name given to arrangements made for funerals of the Royal Family, and so a debrief with other partners was important to make sure they were always ready for the next one. The force’s Chief Constable Gavin Stephens had taken on the role of the Commander of the Civil Services Contingent and so was pulled away from his usual policing duties in Surrey to be part of the central London ceremonies. He said he had to “put his faith” in the “brilliant” team in Surrey as he went “off-grid” as the force lead. Chief Constable Stephens said the events on the day were all about “discipline and following instructions”, with all participants knowing what their role was and sticking to it, whether lining the route, in the middle of a procession or monitoring crowds. He added: “It’s the combination of everybody following their individual instruction that makes it look like such a spectacle.”
New Surrey home for young with mental health needs
A £10million mental health unit which will allow young people to be treated nearer to home is under construction in Charlwood. The new facility will have 12 beds for young people aged people between 12 and 18 years old, providing in patient care for those with acute mental health needs.
Funding for the unit has come in the form of around £6m from NHS England as part of a national programme to make sure specialist services are available for the needs of local populations, and £4m from private company Elysium Healthcare.
The mental health unit will prioritise young people in Surrey and, where possible, across other south east regions. It will be built and managed in a partnership between Elysium Healthcare and Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, a provider of mental health, learning disability and drug and alcohol services for people of all ages across Surrey, Hampshire, Croydon and Sussex.
According to the trust’s website, when completed the unit will provide, for the first time in more than ten years, inpatient care in Surrey for young people with acute mental health needs, closer to their home and community. On the site of April Cottage, Farmfield Drive, which was previously owned by Surrey and Borders, the facility will have 12 inpatient beds for young people as well as communal living and outdoor spaces to encourage socialising and independence.
There will also be an on-site school for the young people to continue with their schooling during treatment. Graham Wareham, chief executive of Surrey and Borders, said the trust was please to be partnering with Elysium Healthcare to “transform the care experience for young people needing inpatient services in Surrey.” He added: “Young people need to be cared for close to home when they are at their most vulnerable with acute mental health needs. The opening of this new unit will help us provide care and treatment for many young people, so they get the support they need without having to travel far from their families, carers, and friends.” Joy Chamberlain, chief executive officer of Elysium Healthcare, said the project would “create a new benchmark for the future”. She added: “I am delighted that Elysium and Surrey and Borders Partnership are collaborating on this joint venture. We are bringing together expert knowledge, clinical acumen, innovation, and capital to deliver the best care for the young people of Surrey.”
The facility is due to open at the end of 2023.
If Crossrail 2 came to Epsom……
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.
The Cost of Spending a Penny
Following the demise of the public toilets on the B290 up on Epsom Downs, The Epsom and Ewell Times reports on the current Council provision of conveniences for the public:
Nonsuch Park – open during park opening hours which are usually 6am to ½ hour before sunset.
Horton Country Park – open during park opening hours as above
Alexandria Recreational Ground Pavilion – operated by the café during café opening hours
Auriol Recreation Ground, Stoneleigh – operated by the café during café opening hours
Epsom Cemetery – open during cemetery opening hours
Bourne Hall, Ewell – open during centre hours
Epsom Town Hall – open during operating hours
Harrier Centre, Poole Road, West Ewell – open during operating hours
In answer to The Epsom and Ewell Times, The Epsom and Ewell Borough Council provided the following information on the costs of spending a penny of those public toilets that are NOT part of a building used for other purposes (e.g., The Town Hall and Bourne Hall etc). To be clear – they are free to use! It won’t cost you a penny except through your Council tax.
Annual Expenditure 2021 to 2022 up to end of March 2022. Nonsuch public toilets – Cleaning: £14,716.56 We cannot break down the costs for Mechanical &Electrical (M&E) as it comes within the expenditure for the whole of the Mansion House. Cemetery – Cleaning £6161.04 and M&E £993.68 Horton Country Park – Cleaning £5555.40 and M&E £741.36 The utility costs are also not broken down for just the toilets and therefore we cannot provide separate costs.
Contrary to myth a person not patronising a pub does not have a right to use its toilet. London promotes a “Community Toilet Scheme” that encourages businesses to allow non-customers to use their toilets. London’s Railways stations take part. In the Borough of Epsom and Ewell the Ashley Centre would be hard pressed to prevent a member of the public having no intention to spend a penny in its shops from spending a penny in its toilets.
Should Epsom and Ewell have a Community Toilet Scheme? Write to us.
Sutton & Epsom had not played a league fixture at Watchetts Recreation Ground since January 2013. They renewed acquaintances with their Surrey rivals on a sunny but chill afternoon. On Saturday Camberley, promoted as London One South champions, were smarting from their first defeat in 11 months at Havant and Sutton and Epsom were still seeking their first win of the season. It was normal service resumed for the hosts with a 43-21 success whilst the wait for a win goes on for the Rugby Lane team.
Images courtesy Robin Kennedy
Sutton and Epsom fielded two debutants Tom Brooker and Archie Fitzgerald. Five minutes before the start the visitors suffered a hiatus as Kyren Ghumra withdrew injured. A hasty reshuffle brought Austen Bell off the bench to 15, Sam Hurley moved to the wing and Ciaran Mohr stepped off the 2nd XV paddock to catch a breather on the bench. Camberley kicked off and the Rugby Lane team dropped the ball near their 22 to concede the set piece. From the scrum the ball went to the left wing, Josua Lewanituva, who strolled over to score. It was the start of a spectacular afternoon for the Fijian flyer that would garner four tries. Liam Prescott added the extras for a 7-0 lead. After a series of infringements the totemic Fijian crashed over by the uprights from a 5-metre ball for his second. Liam Prescott completed the scoring to extend the host’s lead to 14 points in as many minutes.
From the restart Sutton and Epsom showed more resolve. A fine line out catch and drive and sweeping movement demonstrated that the S&E machine was up and running. However, on the half hour Josua Lewanituva completed his hat trick with a magnificent 40 metre run weaving through the defence and swatting aside prospective tacklers. Liam Prescott’s conversion made the score 21-0. Sutton an Epsom’s despondency was short-lived as a superbly controlled advance by the forwards was rounded of by George London touching down.
Freddie Bunting bisected the uprights as Sutton and Epsom trailed 7-21. Sadly the try-scorer was to depart moments later with an ankle injury to be replaced by Dan Jones. There was no further addition to the score before the interval but there was no masking the size of the task facing S&E in the second period. As the teams turned around Sutton and Epsom at least they had the benefit of the slope as they re-started the match playing towards the clubhouse with Will Lloyd replacing Tom Boaden in the front row. The second half started in a depressingly familiar fashion as poor tackling resulted in full back Vic Hardwicke touching down for the bonus point try for Camberley. The excellent Liam Prescott touchline conversion made it 28-7. The fear of a rout soon became the hope for a memorable win. Sutton and Epsom stormed back playing their best rugby forcing the Watchetts men into defensive duties. George Drye was the first to score for S&E after Charlie Aylward had done well to keep the attack alive and Luke Halford had come close. Freddie Bunting’s conversion made in 14-28. Five minutes later a sumptuous break by Freddie Bunting created a score for the supporting Ross Parsons. As Bunting added the extras for 21-28 the game was in the balance with 15 minutes to go. Sadly a minute later Tom Brooker was contentiously yellow carded for breaking his binding.
With the extra man Camberley reasserted their authority and control. Prop Joshua Thundercliffe scored from a catch and drive. Liam Prescott added the extras as well as a penalty five minutes later for a telling 38-21 lead. Returned to fifteen men the Black & Whites went in search of their fourth try in an attempt to record a bonus point. Trying to counter from their 22 in time added on Sutton and Epsom lost possession. The ball was spun wide for the hirsute winger to fittingly conclude the match with his fourth try. Liam Prescott erred for the only time and the match ended with Camberley 43-21 victors.
Camberley deserved the win as they ruthlessly capitalised on a woefully slow and error-strewn start by Sutton and Epsom. Their powerful pack dominated the scrummage. The experienced Liam Prescott calmly orchestrated his back division and kicked 13 points. Man of the match Josua Lewanituva enjoyed a memorable afternoon that included a hat trick in the first half hour and four tries in total. The step up from level 6 to level 5 may well be slightly mitigated by the restructuring but the early season form of Camberley suggests that they will be a force to be reckoned with this season.
Great credit must go to the Black & Whites for a rousing display of immense character in the second period. Unfortunately the comeback was deflated by a yellow card moments after their third goal which scuppered an enthralling finale. Tom Brooker was prominent throughout and his powerful ball carrying will be of great benefit to S&E this season. Fellow debutant Archie Fitzgerald put in several jarring tackles and did not look out of place in 1 st XV company. Dan Jones added energy off the bench in the revitalised second half. Jamie See and Freddy Bunting combined to make impressive breaks as the Rugby Lane men rallied and hinted at a memorable success.
The campaign continues with the visit of Brighton next Saturday, 24th September, and the Black & Whites will be hoping for a repeat of last season’s 24-12 triumph. However, the Blues enjoyed a thrilling 39-38 over the previously unbeaten Havant in Week 3 and will travel to Sutton and Epsom full of confidence. I am delighted to report that rugby returns to Rugby Lane, after the brief Cobham interlude, and the kick off will be 3pm at the familiar location.
