Surrey Police are appealing for witnesses following reports of a serious sexual assault in Epsom in the early hours of the morning of Monday 13th June.
The victim was walking through the grass area in the middle of Parkview Way at around 4am when she was pushed to the floor and sexually assaulted.
Police believe there may have been three men nearby at the time of the assault who may have information.
Officers are carrying out house to house enquiries in the area as part of the investigation and are keen to speak to anyone who may have seen someone, or a group of people, acting suspiciously in the area at the time.
If you have any information which could help the police investigation, including any smart doorbell footage, or if you were in the area at the time, please contact Surrey Police quoting PR/45220062125 via:
If you do not wish to leave your name, please call independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
£225,000 to plan the unplanned
15 June 2022
Council to spend £225,000 on consultants for Epsom Town Centre “Masterplan”.
Epsom and Ewell Borough Council (EEBC) has secured a total of £225,000 from The Department for Levelling Up and the regional Local Enterprise Partnership. The money is earmarked to pay consultants to develop an “Epsom Town Centre Master Plan”, including digital community engagement plans. A public consultation about it later this year is indicated.
26th May 2022 Council officers reported to Councillors: “The Council is faced with some difficult decisions about how it can plan to accommodate growth to meet central government policy. There are several potential development opportunities within Epsom Town Centre that could come forward(emphasis supplied) promoted by each respective landowner.”
“.…… presently, there is not an up-to-date document to guide development in the Town Centre. The Town Centre Masterplan provides the opportunity to plan comprehensively for development to ensure that there is a coordinated approach to address the following:
The parameters for development of the sites that have been submitted through the Local Plan Call for Sites for development (Utilities, Ashley Centre, University for the Creative Arts (UCA))
The facilities and infrastructure that would be needed to support the development of key sites (parking, retail, social, community, transport).
Environmental Improvements to the town centre that could be facilitated through development proposals. Whether through development itself, Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) (chargeable on substantial developments) and section 106 Town and Country Planning Act funds (money transferred to the Council by developers, usually on the larger scale developments that require structural support).
Key principles for retention, enhancement or development of areas that would not be subject to major development proposals.
EEBC’s Licensing and Planning Policy Committee agreed to delegate the spending of this £225,000 to the Council Officer entitled Head of Place Development.
The digital engagement element of the £225,000 is £125,000 and was sought by EEBC to support the following Governmental objects and within the development of the Epsom Town Centre Masterplan.
• “Incentivise communities to positively engage in planning conversations.”
• “Engage a more representative range of citizens in decision-making.”
• “Inform the community on trade-offs and outcomes through development.”
• “Establish meaningful baseline data and, where possible, integrate digital and traditional engagement best practice.”
Lessons learned from this Town Centre Masterplan “digital engagement” might be applied to planning matters generally in the future.
Only time will tell whether landowners and land developers will ever submit plans that need to be judged by the policies of the “Epsom Town Centre Masterplan” that is to be developed at a cost of £225,000.
Borough celebrates being a Twin for 25 years
15 June 2022
Over the Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend, Epsom and Ewell entertained a large group of visitors from its French twin town, Chantilly. Guests included Chantilly’s Deputy Mayor and members of the Chantilly Comité de Jumelage (Twinning Committee). The occasion celebrated 25 years of the official signing of a Twinning Charter in 1995, the visit having been postponed for two years due to the pandemic.
Chantilly is a commune in Northern France. Surrounded by Chantilly Forest, the town of 10,863 inhabitants (2017) lies about 24 miles northeast of Paris and with six neighbouring communes forms an urban area of 37,209 inhabitants (2017 census).
The Château de Chantilly was home to the Princes of Condé, cousins of the Kings of France, from the 17th to the 19th centuries. It now houses the Musée Condé. Chantilly is also known for its horse racing track, Chantilly Racecourse, where prestigious races are held for the Prix du Jockey Club and Prix de Diane. Chantilly and the surrounding communities are home to the largest racehorse-training community in France. Chantilly is also home to the Living Museum of the Horse, with stables built by the Princes of Condé.
Over the years, many such visits have taken place, links between schools, clubs, choirs and individuals have been established, and friendships made. This weekend some of the original contacts from the Chantilly and the Epsom Model Railway Clubs were reunited. There were also new introductions, with two members of Chantilly’s Karate Shotokan club joining the Chief Coach and members of Mo-Ichido Martial Arts Club for an impressive training session, and high school teachers meeting to discuss involvement in an international project in Chantilly. Meanwhile, the rest of the party were taken on a guided tour to Ermyn Lodge breeder and trainer’s yard, and the historic stables at the Durdans. There were some more official, commemorative moments, when The Mayor of Epsom and Ewell, Councillor Clive Woodbridge, and the Mayoress, Mrs Mary Woodbridge, joined for the planting of a European Oak tree in Rosebery Park, and a visit to Epsom marketplace to show off the recently placed Derby Hall of Fame roundels which feature notable Derby winners, including 1965 winner Sea Bird from Chantilly. Time out was allowed, of course, for lunch at a local pub and essential shopping in the Ashley Centre.
No celebration would be complete without speeches, delivered in English and French by both parties, and the exchange of gifts, with Epsom and Ewell presenting Chantilly with a display case of limited edition Jubilee coins, and an individual commemorative £5 coin for each visitor. The Mayor of Epsom and Ewell was delighted to receive a very handsome model of a horse’s head, mounted and engraved on interlinked horseshoes. This will be on display in the Town Hall in due course.
The Epsom and Ewell Town Twinning Association
The Epsom and Ewell Town Twinning Association is always delighted to hear from organisations looking for their equivalent in Chantilly, as well as individuals offering language skills or seeking a way to improve their French. The Association has a regular programme of local events in the Borough, both social and educational, allowing the chance to practise speaking French. There is a very popular annual French Public Speaking Competition for Schools, run jointly with Epsom Rotary, and regular Soirées Françaises for members. Of course there are also fundraisers like quizzes and the appreciation of French food and wine from time to time. Advice on visiting Chantilly, where to stay and what to see, is available too.
Established in 1994, Epsom and Ewell Town Twinning Association is a non-profit association, funded by members’ subscriptions and fundraising, and run by a group of volunteers to fulfil the obligations of the formal twinning agreement signed by the Mayors of Chantilly and Epsom and Ewell the following year. It is not supported financially by the Borough.
For more information onThe Epsom and Ewell Town Twinning Association:
Epsom and Ewell Times reported 25th April 2022 on the new lease of life promised for the Wells Estate, Epsom community centre. The charity Epsom Wells Community Association hope to fund repairs from grants but to cover legal and other initial costs they need to raise money from the public.
EWCA and are working hard to re-open the centre after being awarded a 125-year lease by the Epsom and Ewell Borough Council to operate it. The centre, and its wooden predecessor, have welcomed all ages – from toddlers and pre-school children to pensioners – for over 70 years. There is a shortage of social centres in Epsom. The Longmead Sefton Road centre is frequently over-subscribed so, the Wells centre has been sorely missed.
The Wells Centre and top Wells Estate c. Alan Becken
Vanessa Marchant of EWCA said to our reporter: “Leaflets are being delivered to homes asking for donations – no matter how big or small. After fighting doggedly for five years EWCA wrote an extensive business plan to convince the Council to back us. Just like buying a house, there are legal hoops we have to jump through before we get the keys. We need financial help to deal with the legal, accounting and insurance costs for the purchase.”
In addition, volunteers who have specific skills to donate, or who want to be part of the “big plans” to re-open, should contact: contactewca@gmail.com
In an exclusive for Epsom and Ewell Times, we report on Paul Matthews’ (of Lewins Road Epsom) recent experience taking aid provided by Epsom based Surrey Stands With Ukraine [SSWU] to the bombed and neglected Ukrainian Black Sea city of Odessa.
What is it really like to be take humanitarian aid to Ukraine?
Many people have responded to the terrible situation of the war following the invasion by Russia, but what really happens to all that money and donations that are made in the UK?
Paul Matthews returned last week after travelling in a borrowed van packed with generators and medical supplies destined for Odessa on the Black Sea coast.
Paul in blue shirt with Ukrainian volunteers
Most aid is handed over at the western border between Poland and Ukraine, but for the 21st supported vehicle to travel for SSWU the plan was to try to take the aid to where it was most needed.
Paul left with with co-driver Alan Avis of The Greenway Epsom and volunteer coordinator of Surrey Stands With Ukraine, for the two days to Krakow and stopping off at a major hub for refugees from Ukraine. This was aid on an industrial scale with a large number of women and children quietly waiting their turn to collect a carrier bag of food and an opportunity to find a pair of shoes for a child or jacket. A phone call with the hosts in Odessa leads to urgent additional supplies filling the van and then the roof rack. The site is open each day, and each family can visit only once a week. Another completely different group will be here tomorrow. What we also learn is that what are the needs in Poland are different to those in the south and east of the country close to the war, and that transport is a key problem, but only one of many.
Poland was the last place to get fuel. Russia destroyed the only refinery in Ukraine, and then targeted the storage facilities, so if you go into Ukraine you need to take all your fuel needs. That meant next stop was finding fuel cans to buy and fill, so with a mixture of 10, 7 and 5 litres cans the day ends with a full tank of 90 litres, and another 192 litres in the back. Time to say goodbye to Alan who flys back from Krakow, and on to the border for Paul.
The plan was for a Ukrainian national to meet and co-drive at the border, and immediately that plan went wrong as he couldn’t get to the border control. With helpful Polish and Ukrainian officials, and a Red Cross sign stuck on the windscreen to enable Paul to drive past miles of waiting traffic he was through in a couple of hours. Then eight hours of driving to Uman before the nighttime curfew started. Uman was the base for two nights with a daytime 3-hour dash to Odessa to drop the aid and leave, but that was just another plan that was not to happen.
On arrival the Odessa lawyers Bar Association gave a warm greeting mixed with a need to get down to the business of offloading and learning about the situation, along with the background wail of an air raid siren…something Paul would soon get used to. And that is when everything changed again. Fuel in Ukraine is difficult to find, and the further away from Poland the situation worsens. Now the group of volunteers who before the war spend their days in court were now feeding and caring for IDPs (Internally Displaced People), who had been forced from their homes or were damaged and now uninhabitable.
Without a working vehicle or fuel to put in it the aid would not be very helpful. So plans changed and Paul was to spend the next week in Odessa and towns to the east. His accommodation was a hotel, but not the one he was booked into on the seaside since missiles had recently destroyed one nearby. So with a change of accommodation, and the trying on of a bullet proof vest and a, “sorry, you can’t keep that it’s needed for someone else”, it was off to find out more of the situation in Odessa.
Over the next week Paul spent time either making aid drops to towns and villages or meeting with other humanitarian aid groups and local volunteers. But there was a troubling question. Where is the international and European aid? Well, not much really. Once past Lviv in the west the presence of organisations from outside Ukraine seem to disappear. In Paul’s time since going south and east he never found another UK or even west European number plate. Only one organisation he met had any external funding, from a charity in Germany.
Local NGO’s (Non-Government Organisations) have sprung up in response to the war in Ukraine. Paul met only Ukrainians who in their previous life were teachers, builders, shop workers or IT engineers, who now were splitting litre bottles of vegetable oil between three families who had arrived from the east. I did eventually bump into an Australian who had arrived last week and was busy helping, and one German TV crew filming a well known shopping centre that had recently been destroyed (and no sign of any military there). For 500 metres all the blocks of flats had shattered windows and frames and were now also deserted and uninhabitable. Two missiles destroyed a shopping centre and made a couple of hundred people homeless. The destruction was in the centre of Odessa, but also in the east and west. Some looked targeted with cruise missiles, and others random. Paul visited a block of flats near the sea hit by a shell from the Russian navy. Just one shell, but as the husband went out to buy food his wife, her mother, and their 3 year old child stayed in, and three generations of a family killed together. Now the block stands empty as the shock wave also badly damaged the block, and even killed a man who was sitting in his van 50 metres in front of the block. Random, and deadly. The situation was best described when asking “if it’s safe?” by the answer “No where is 100% safe.”
Everywhere Paul went he was met with gratitude and appreciation and often someone wanting to offer a coffee or share whatever little they had. He found himself realising that everyone he met was deeply affected by the war. Either people were also receiving aid, or volunteering to help give aid, and often both. People who helped were scrupulous beyond his expectations at managing the aid received, and this usually was given by other Ukrainians. Whilst some dealt with IDPs others prepared and cooked food and gave it free from soup kitchens sometimes on the street or gave it to volunteers working all hours to help others. Nothing was wasted, and every piece of aid was recorded, listed, and only given after registration and proof that you were a refugee in your own country. No one got angry. No one took more than they could be given. Everything was in short supply and people also had to be turned away. Some NGO’s will only help families with three or more children such is the scale of problem. Others try to help pensioners who can no longer get their medication and try to find donors and pharmacies locally who will donate the drugs.
People have lost jobs. Businesses have closed. Odessa is a vibrant lively summer beach resort. Odessans love their Black Sea and promenade and still go to the beach (especially as it costs nothing). Taking the kids to play in the sand is one of the few possibilities to help the kids forget the war for a few hours, but even that has issues. The main beaches where a sea borne invasion is possible are off limits now with minefields. Even where there are no mines (if the beach is too small), then no one is allowed in the water as it’s heavily mined by both Ukraine and Russia. Mines just under the water regularly end up on the beach. In the meantime a few beach bars open behind the red and white tape to mark the minefield, and children play in the sand in the few feet left before the tape. That is life in Odessa, and then there is the air raid sirens, and occasionally the missiles.
If it is difficult in Odessa it’s worse outside in the smaller towns and villages.
Arriving in Mykoliv, to more air raid sirens, but this time with the almost mechanical sound of thunder. It’s incoming artillery. Landing far enough away that no one runs for the shelters. Those that can wear their body armour. There is an App for everything, and now one that tells you where is being hit, it’s called Liveuamap. A must have for every smart phone here. However, phone and internet signal is not everywhere and in the area you need it most such as the “Grey” zone. Appropriately coloured on the Apps map is not clearly under Russian or Ukranian control. The next stop for the van was to mothers with babies and the elderly in villages that had not seen any aid and with all the men under 60 having left to fight as we were close to the front line. On arrival the village mayor had organised the waiting mothers and elderly, or it required a visit to take the aid to them.
Another place to get too was through a Grey zone corridor to Bashtanka where an Odessa NGO was supporting a church turned into a forward IDP hub. All known as “hubs”, this one was known as the bunker. Paul was shown why. The basement had a large room with bare walls, and here, for three weeks, 120 women, children, babies, and elderly lived. Water was usually carried in buckets. Sanitary situation was bad, and there was not enough room for most people to lie down.
Above them the Russians arrived, and fighting did take place with locals with rifles and burning tyres to try to stop their “liberation”. The area stretching from Donbas and the border with Russia to Odessa is all Russian speaking. Many who can now try to remember to speak only Ukrainian in this dual language country.
The people remained in the bunker of the church praying not to be discovered as the Russians used a tank to hit the village’s main shops in a tiny central area. Where its not burnt out machine gun holes and shrapnel pepper the buildings around and again, glass is everywhere from broken windows and shattered homes, houses, and businesses. Paul was told most people left before the Russians arrived, and then Basktanka had many come from other attacked villages further east. The charity and church run high risk trips in minibuses to collect those wanting to leave from behind Russian lines passing through Ukranian and Russian checkpoints (though the latter usually require a “present”). The church building is quiet now as vehicles had just taken the last group to Odessa and now the kitchen starts preparing food again. Mattresses on floors are packed close together, are tidied and clean sheets put on ready for the next group. In a side room there is a pop-up pharmacy, the only one in the area after the Russians looted and destroyed the local hospital as they retreated a few weeks ago.
Paul and his Ukrainian guide/minder/bodyguard are offered some vegetable soup and coffee before leaving to return to Odessa with an empty van and leave these many locals to their fate. Not long after Paul sees on the App that Basktenka was shelled. The journey back passes lovely countryside, and they stop briefly in Mykolaiv as Andre (name changed) wants to show the city centre and where he used to enjoy summer days and evenings on the Parisian styled boulevards with cobbled streets and boarded up businesses. Around the corner they are stopped from entering and put away phones…this is where a Russian missile hit the high-rise municipal town hall killing 34 office workers and punching a huge hole through the centre of the building. Paul recognises it from the TV pictures back home. At checkpoints they are usually met with a friendly chat, mainly due to being the only UK registered number plate vehicle they have seen.
Paul started his return to Epsom after a week in Odessa and areas east. A near empty van is added to with donations given by his hosts keen for me to bring gifts for SSWU and a jar of Arcasia honey. It is a long way from home now and Paul is alone. The checkpoints thin out between Odessa and Kiev, but you need to be alert. One time Paul saw a small rise in the road and slowed, and found it was the edge of a crater caused by an airstrike on a fortified structure…a bus stop.
Paul’s most memorable meeting was not planned. It happened in a tiny village outside Odessa on one of the aid drops. A young woman wanted to talk and she spoke English. Aged 20 and studying culture at university in Kherson was under attack. She left with student friends and fled to Odessa terrified before it fell to the Russians. Her parents were further east and caught behind the Russian lines and unable to leave. Why was she in this tiny village? Odessa was then attacked from the sea and an invasion expected and her friend asked her to come to stay with her family. Her life is disrupted and twice she has become homeless in two months. It is quiet, cut off, but it feels safe. Throughout she struggles to talk between tears, but wants her story told. She fears for her parents most of all. Every few days a phone call or internet works long enough to talk to them. They ask if she remembers a neighbour who is an elderly man with a small field next the family home. Yes, of course she answers. He was shot tending his vegetables by a Russian sniper. And another woman was walking on the street they live on with her shopping. Shot as well. Others are mentioned. She can not talk anymore.
On the way back from Mykolaiv, Odesa, Kiev, Urpin and everywhere else Paul is thanked for coming and for the aid brought from Surrey. Somehow it doesn’t seem enough.
Donations of money are needed most, to be directed to give immediate humanitarian aid to the oblast (region) of Odessa and it’s villages. Support for this can be made to Surrey Stands With Ukraine
Long term support, in partnership with the UN and others using helicopters is planned, and this can be supported with donations to humanitaid.com
Paul is taking an ambulance to deliver further aid to be used in the Odessa Oblast. Donations for this can be made to Just Giving, Medical Life Lines Ukraine with the reference “Odesa”.
Lorry Undercover: Is this PC?
15 June 2022
“You have to ask yourself is it worth it?”: Undercover officers stop 106 vehicles in just three days for road traffic offences.
A dedicated road safety campaign by Surrey officers saw 106 vehicles stopped in just three days for a variety of road traffic offences.
Officers from the Surrey and Sussex Roads Policing and Commercial Vehicle Unit used an unmarked HGV lorry from National Highways, as well as unmarked police cars, to catch law breakers in the act.
This tactic is outside the box, but the logic is sound. A large HGV lorry is the last vehicle anyone would expect to be part of an undercover operation.
The campaign which ran from 30 May to 1 June, saw officers patrol the M25 and deal with a variety of offences including the use of mobile phones whilst driving, not wearing a seatbelt, and drug driving.
Over the three days, officers completed 82 traffic offence reports, issued four FPNs (fixed penalty notices), and summonsed ten drivers to court.
Surrey’s dangerous drivers will now be thinking twice when not giving their full attention to the road.
Sergeant Huw Watts, who led the team said: “This has been a very productive operation for our officers. It is always disappointing to see that the road safety message is not being received by drivers on some of the fastest roads in our counties. Despite advances in vehicle technology drivers still feel the need to use their mobile phones whilst driving including texting, checking emails, and even watching film clips!”
“Ten of the drivers we stopped will now have to attend court and potentially face losing their driving license, which will have a very real impact on their lives. We take road safety very seriously at Surrey Police and we run these dedicated operations alongside our normal road policing operations 24/7, 365 days a year. We will catch you, so you have to ask yourself is it really worth it?”
Epsom and Ewell Borough Council’s Licensing and Planning Policy Committee (LLPC) met on the 26th of May 2022 to agree on a timetable for consultation on drafting “The Local Plan”.
A Local Plan provides Epsom and Ewell Borough Council (EEBC) with policies on development, building heights, renewable energy requirements etc. Without a Local Plan EEBC has limited ability to refuse what otherwise might be planning applications the Council and local residents might think are inappropriate. The LPPC agreed on a revised “planning framework” which will be the foundation for The Local Plan preparation.
The layers upon layers of documents and policies involved would go beyond satisfying Sir Humphrey Appleby of “Yes, Minister”. A bureaucratic labyrinth that may occupy officers for years, baffle elected representatives and endlessly confuse the public.
In 2016 the Council commenced the production of a new Local Plan but it has never got to the final stage of completion. Why the long delay? Council officers cite as reasons for the delay the intervention of Brexit, Co-Vid and new national planning policy. Those interruptions to the process meant that other sources of evidence about housing and economic needs became out-of-date. An adopted Local Plan should be based on evidence no more than three years old when examined during the preparation of The Local Plan.
Yet these excuses can be contrasted with the achievements of Epsom and Ewell’s neighbours. Mole Valley District Council submitted to the Government its Local Plan on 14th February 2022, with much of the preparatory work on it being done during the Brexit and Co-Vid years. Elmbridge Borough Council approved its draft Local Plan on 23rd March 2022. Reigate and Banstead Borough Council adopted its equivalent “Development Management Plan to 2027” in September 2019. The London Borough of Sutton’s Local Plan to 2031 was adopted in February 2018 and finally, Epsom and Ewell’s last neighbour to mention, the London Borough of Kingston-Upon-Thames has started its development of a Local Plan aiming to have it approved by central government by 2024. In April 2022 the Epsom and Ewell LPPC agreed on the following timetable for the Local Plan process:
October/November 2022 – Drafting the Local Plan commences October/November 2023 – Submission to Public Consultation December 2023 – Submission to the Secretary of State Winter 2024 – Estimated date of Adoption
If this timetable is not interrupted then nearly 8 years will pass between the 2016 start and the estimated final adoption of this vital Local Plan.
The Local Plan also is important as it plays a role in implementing objectives that are set out in EEBC’s Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) and has a key role in delivering sustainable development. One of the key objectives of the CCAP is the adoption of 2035 as the year for when EEBC itself should aim to be net carbon neutral.
The preparation of The Local Plan involves a raft of contributing policies and documents:
A Sustainability Appraisal (SA). The first stage is the preparation of an SA “scoping report”. This is a tool to appraise planning policies and spatial options for development. It is made up of objectives, indicators and targets tailored to the key sustainability issues for Epsom and Ewell Borough. Planning policies are looked at against these to understand how they will contribute to the sustainable development of the Borough. The last SA was in 2017 and is treated as out-of-date.
A duty to cooperate framework is being developed to agree to the strategic cross-boundary issues with EEBC’s DTC bodies. EEBC’s DTC bodies include neighbouring local councils and other statutory bodies.
A Land Availability Assessment (LAA) -This assesses all sites for all uses. A key part of this is to ensure EEBC has considered all sites and left no stone unturned. A Housing and Economic Development Needs Assessment (HEDNA) – The core component of this work is to provide an integrated assessment of future housing needs (including a breakdown by type, tenure, and size) the scale of future economic growth and the quantity of land and floor space required for employment development across the Borough.
A Viability Study – The role of the viability assessment is primarily at the plan-making stage. Viability assessment should not compromise sustainable development but should be used to ensure that policies are realistic and that the total cumulative cost of all relevant policies will not undermine the deliverability of the plan. A policy about policies!
A Climate Change Study (CCS) – this study is aimed at exploring how climate change objectives, both in respect of mitigation and adaptation, might most effectively be addressed through the emerging Local Plan. Epsom Town Centre Masterplan will be a key piece of evidence to inform the Council’s Local Plan by identifying development options for specific key town-centre sites and identifying how the wider town centre could be improved. This evidence will be used to inform the Local Plan spatial strategy, site allocations and policies including matters such as land uses and scale of development. EEBC has secured some £225,000 of funding from The Department for Levelling Up and the regional Local Enterprise Partnership fund. The money is earmarked to pay consultants to develop this Epsom Town Centre Master Plan, including digital community engagement plans. Next week we will report further on the preparations of this “masterplan”.
A Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) sets out who, how and when EEBC consults others about all manner of planning applications and planning policies. The latest draft SCI was approved at the 26th of May 2022 meeting and is subject to public consultation on itself, prior to a final document to be presented to the LPP’s 28th of July 2022 meeting.
The consultation has opened and closes at noon on the 4th of July 2022. Participate via this link: Epsom and Ewell register
Epsom and Ewell Times urge readers to urge the Council to use local online news services to publish its planning notices. At present, the Guidelines only provide for the use of printed newspapers of which there are none truly dedicated to serving Epsom and Ewell.
There are other documents that will feed into the creation of the Local Plan not least the National Planning Policy Framework published in July 2021 by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which requires a Local Plan to be:
Positively prepared – providing a strategy which, as a minimum, seeks to meet the area’s objectively assessed needs; is informed by agreements with other authorities, so that unmet need from neighbouring areas is accommodated where it is practical to do so and is consistent with achieving sustainable development. Justified – an appropriate strategy, taking into account the reasonable alternatives, and based on proportionate evidence. Effective – deliverable over the plan period and based on effective joint working on cross-boundary strategic matters that have been dealt with rather than deferred, as evidenced by the statement of common ground. Consistent with national policy – enabling the delivery of sustainable development in accordance with the policies in the Framework and other statements of national planning policy, where relevant.
LPPC member and Labour Councillor Kate Chinn (Court Ward) commented after the 26th May meeting: “It is vital that Epsom and Ewell Borough Council manages to meet the timescales just agreed at the LLPC committee meeting to produce the Local Plan. There has been too much dither and delay and without the plan, the Council cannot ensure that residents are consulted and enabled to remain in the Borough. The plan must meet the challenges of minimising climate change and demand that homes are built to a high standard for Borough residents to live and settle in with security of tenure. The current priority seems to be challenging the government’s target of how many homes the Borough build which is surely not the main objective. Councillors should be listening to people and looking at the number of people with housing needs who are living in expensive Borough temporary housing. Currently, families are being moved away from both their support networks and their children’s schools. The borough needs a plan that works with housing associations to provide social housing of a good standard with EV points, solar panels, insulation and where possible heat pumps.”
Julie Morris Liberal Democrat Councillor for College Ward was stark in her criticism and said after the meeting: “Epsom & Ewell’s new Local Plan has become the train to nowhere. Every time we have apparently had the human and financial resources in place to make progress, things have stalled. The ruling RA (Residents Association) group seems oblivious to the importance of the Local Plan in delivering policies designed specifically for Epsom & Ewell. It regularly chooses to blame central government rather than look inwardly to its own lack of leadership and commitment to the task.”
Epsom and Ewell Times invited the Conservative Councillor and an RA Group Councillor to comment too.
Celebrating the Jubilee from one end of the Borough to the other
15 June 2022
All over the Borough of Epsom and Ewell for the past days and weeks, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee has been celebrated by residents and businesses in Epsom & Ewell. 70 years of rule is a momentous occasion, no Monarch has ever ruled for such a long period of time, and the celebrations on display in the Borough reflected this fact.
After such a busy and energetic period, it’s important to look back and reflect on the revelries of the last days and weeks, and have a look at all the ways that the Borough celebrated the Jubilee. Some things you may have seen, some you may have heard about but missed, and some things you might have never even heard of. Epsom & Ewell Times took great notice of all the efforts from all corners of the Borough, to put on a proud display for our Queen and to entertain all who wished to celebrate. From Murals and Artwork to special musical concerts, there was something for everyone.
With beacon lightings, street parties and a huge fair in Epsom Market Square, there was no shortage of revels and festivities going on across the Borough. We were lucky enough to attend the fair and it was great fun; Sunshine, music and fun surrounded all, as people joined together to celebrate the long reign of our Queen.
Epsom & Ewell Times has collected photographs from across the Borough to showcase a number of the festivities that took place, to shine a light on all the incredible effort put into decorations and parties by local residents.
Family Fun Festival
The Family Fun Festival took place on Wednesday, with Music, games and fun for all the family. Stilt-walkers, Musicians and dancers kept us entertained and happy all day as we celebrated 70 years of our Queen. The Epsom Derby Hall of Fame was also unveiled, with roundels commemorating famous past winners, horses and jockeys are alike.
Epsom Beacon Lighting
Thursday saw the lighting of the Epsom Down’s Beacon. Hundreds of Beacons across the country were lit concurrently.
Woodlands Avenue Street Party
Also taking place on Thursday was a wonderful street party on Woodlands Avenue, at the northern tip of the borough in Worcester Park. A representative for the road told Epsom & Ewell Times: “Huge thank’s to our organisers Liz, Helen and Danielle. We had a Pimm’s stall, tombola stall, and Music (Ben did a great job compèring). BBQ, Large Jenga, best-dressed competition, plant a sunflower, and a plant sale. We were happy to raise £260 for the Bumblebee Conservation from the plant sale and £172 for Ukraine. A wonderful day had by all. Great community spirit!”
Very special thanks to Tara Lavelle who sent us these lovely photos.
Meghan Harry and The Queen made an appearance.
Liz and her son Ben (compère and best dressed male)
The Bennett’s enjoying the day
Tara winning best dressed.
87-year-old Sheila enjoying her pink gin and lemonade.
Tombola stall with lots of fab prizes donated by the street
Epsom Jazz Club – Jubilee Concert
Epsom Jazz Club celebrated the Jubilee it’s way.
Tenor sax virtuoso Vasilis Xenopoulos fronted a quartet featuring Nigel Price on guitar, Mikele Montolli on double bass and Laura Klain on drums. Laura had flown in that morning from Italy to join this truly international set. Not to avoid entirely the Jubilee celebrations several numbers played were composed 70 years ago in 1952.
A delighted audience of over 40, sitting comfortably in the cabaret setting of the acoustically perfect Oaks Room at the back of the Conservative Club in Church Street Epsom, were treated to an evening of superb professional jazz musicianship. This new jazz club bringing quality live music to the Borough continues next month on 7th July with a quartet featuring celebrated jazz vocalist Jo Harrop. See www.epsomjazzclub.com for details and tickets.
Wandgas Club Beacon Lighting
The lighting of the Cuddington RA/Wandgas Club Jubilee Beacon was a grand event, of all the beacon lightings, this one may have taken the cake. With an impromptu fireworks show to go along with the lighting.
We were lucky enough (not to mention thankful) to have photos provided by Richard Johnson, who also had this to say via Facebook…
“Yesterday evening, at 9:45 pm, numerous Jubilee beacons were lit across the Commonwealth. I went along to see the lighting of our local (KT4 postcode area) beacon at Wandgas Sports & Social Club. At 9:45 pm, Cuddington RA’s Cllr. Phil Neale stepped forward as official firestarter, setting in motion Cuddington’s salute to Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. There was also the unexpected, simultaneous bonus of fireworks.”
Station Avenue Bunting
Now, from west Ewell, in the centre of the Borough, the dedicated residents of Station Avenue sent us photos of the bunting they put up on their road. Special thanks to Abigail Kuti for sending us the photos.
GALLERY: Inside the Epsom Jubilee Family Festival!
15 June 2022
Today, Epsom held the Epsom Jubilee Family Festival, hours of fun for all the family. The festival included market stalls, face-painting, stilt-walkers, dancing and much more. Crowds packed in and out of the town centre all day to grab a piece of the fun, and Epsom & Ewell Times were there to photograph all the action!*
* Special thanks to TWM Solicitors and The Cairds Estate Agents Epsom for allowing our photographer access to their buildings to take photos from high up.
Derby Hall of Fame unveiled in Epsom Market Place
15 June 2022
Today, Epsom’s very own racing Hall of Fame was unveiled by Mayor Clive Woodbridge alongside representatives from The Jockey Club.
Starting off the Queens’ Platinum Jubilee celebrations and the Derby weekend in Epsom and Ewell, the unique Derby Hall of Fame was officially launched on Wednesday 1 June in front of an appreciative crowd enjoying the activity and attractions of the refurbished Epsom Market Place.
The Hall of Fame comprises a series of commemorative roundels, celebrating notable and record-breaking Derby winners: jockeys, horses, and trainers. The roundels are installed into the floor on Epsom Market Place, following the line of trees, beginning at the Evocation of Speed statue, and working in date order towards the Clock Tower.
This Hall of Fame is a unique landmark that recognises the borough’s long-standing connection with the Derby, one of the most famous flat races in the world and celebrates Epsom and Ewell’s rich culture and heritage.
Commemorated here are some of the most famous and recognisable names in horse racing history – including Alex Greaves, the first female jockey to compete in the Derby; Geoff Lewis, the first Epsom-based winner, as well as the legendary jockey, the late Lester Piggott who features in two plaques – as youngest winner of the Derby and as the winning rider on Nijinsky, plus many more.
The roundels have been produced by Richard Wolfströme, an award-winning creative with over 34 years’ experience, who specialises in holistic wayfinding and cultural placemaking that explores and develops unique design solutions for places, buildings, parks, and landscapes.
Together, they will sit alongside notable artworks such as The Evocation of Speed and the new Emily Davison Statue, which capture the richness and historical significance of the borough.
The informative trail was opened by the Epsom & Ewell Borough Council New Mayor, Councillor Clive Woodbridge and included appreciative clapping in memory of the late Lester Piggott. The installation of the Derby Hall of Fame marks the culmination of a significant regeneration project for Epsom and Ewell, funded as part of The Market Place Project by Epsom & Ewell Borough Council and Surrey County Council.
The Hall of Fame will continue to be added to over time, as more significant racing landmarks are reached and will provide a fascinating information trail in the heart of Epsom Market Place.
GALLERY: Each and every roundel
Epsom & Ewell Health Walks are looking for volunteers
15 June 2022
Epsom & Ewell Health Walks is a small Charity registered with HMRC No. XT 37422. The objective is to provide walks for older people who are unable to walk long distances as they could in their youth. Many women understandably do not like walking alone so one benefit of our walks is that we provide company and security. All our walks start at 10:00 am and either last for 30 minutes or 1 hour. Each walk has a leader and a backmarker.
Our shorter walks are designed for people recovering from health issues and those who feel they would like to meet other people but don’t want to walk far. These walks take place on a Monday.
The schedule for June and July is: 6 June Epsom Downs 13 June Poole Road 20 June Priest Hill 27 June Epsom Common 4 July Nork Park 11 July Nonsuch Park 18 July Ashtead Common 25 July Horton Country Park
Our longer walks take place on Sundays and Wednesdays. The schedule for June and July is:
Sunday 12 June Banstead Woods 19 June Horton Country Park 26 June Epsom Downs 3 July Ewell Court 29 10 July Chipstead Road 17 July Epsom Common 24 July Oxshott Heath 31 July Nonsuch Park
Wednesday 8 June Chipstead Road 15 June Bourne Hall 22 June Epsom Common 29 June Banstead Heath 6 July Nonsuch Park 13 July Oxshott Heath 20 July Headley Heath 27 July Ashstead Common
There is no charge to attend any of these walks. But to keep going we are looking for more volunteers to lead and back mark our walks. Full training will be provided for leaders and all volunteers will be given dayglow jackets. Details of how to get to our walks can be found on our website: www.epsomandewellhealthwalks.org.uk. We are holding our Annual General Meeting at Ewell Hall on Wednesday 15 June at 11-30am.
This is opposite St Mary the Virgin Ewell Parish Church. All walkers and those considering volunteering are welcome to attend.
Further to the sad recent death of Councillor Clive Smitheram, an election is to be held to elect one Borough Councillor for the West Ewell ward, Epsom & Ewell Borough Council. This will take place on Thursday 7 July 2022.
West Ewell ward, in the west of the borough, has three seats on the Council, at present all three are held by the Residents Association.
The formal call for candidates and notice of the election has been issued today.
Forms of nomination for the Borough Election may be obtained at the Town Hall, The Parade, Epsom, Surrey, KT18 5BY from the Returning Officer who will, at the request of an elector for any electoral area, prepare a nomination paper for signature.
Nomination papers must be delivered to the Returning Officer on any day after the date of the notice (31 May 2022), Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm but by no later than 4pm on Friday, 10th June 2022.
If the election is contested the poll will take place on Thursday, 7th July 2022.
In the event of a poll, the polling stations will be at:
Polling District EA: West Ewell Evangelical Church, 23 Lansdowne Road, West Ewell KT19 9QJ (Polling Station 1); and
Polling District EB: All Saints Church & Community Centre, Fulford Road, West Ewell KT19 9QY (Polling Stations 2 & 3)
