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News from Ockham Parish Council February 2023

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  • Ockham Parish Council are seeking two new Parish Councillors – Can you help please?The Parish Council meet 11 times a year (we don’t meet in August!) to discuss all aspects of village life including planning applications. You don’t need any special qualifications, just an interest in our community and a willingness to get involved.  If you are interested in joining us then please contact our Clerk, Alyson on clerk@ockhamparishcouncil.gov.uk 

 

  • Our third Vehicle Activated Speed Awareness sign has now been installed in Old Lane – it has been installed on the section of Old Lane heading towards the Black Swan pub from the A3 (adjacent to Hatchford End). We have planned to purchase a fourth VAS sign in our next financial year (commencing April 2023).

 

  • The M25J10/A3 works continue and we remain in regular communication with National Highways. If you have specific concerns, do let us know and also contact NH direct on m25j10@nationalhighways.co.uk

 

  • There are a number of ongoing issues with the local road network. Representatives from the Parish Council are meeting SCC Highways next month to drive them around the area pointing out all the many problems. If you want to flag a location so that we can include it on our driveabout, please let us know. In the meantime, please continue to log any concerns with potholes, flooding, crumbling road surface etc with SCC Highways direct: https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/roadworks-and-maintenance/report-a-highway-problem

 

  • We are delighted to let you know that we have installed another new village sign to mark our village. This one shows a Tyrrell racing car and is located on Long Reach.

 

  • The Coronation of King Charles III will take place in early May this year and the PC are liaising with OHRA and others to arrange a village gathering. More details to follow.

 

Please contact the Parish Clerk with enquiries

Mrs Alyson Blackwell  – email: clerk@ockhamparishcouncil.gov.uk

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Update from SCC Cabinet Member for Highways and Community Resilience on local highway issues

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Pleased to give an update from Surrey County Councils on local highway issues that have been reported by the Parish Council and Residents:

Ockham Road North

Ockham Road North was closed on Monday to facilitate the repair of potholes and clean-up of the road. This was completed by 4pm. A jetter will be returning later in the month to carry out further work.  There is a ditch along the road that needs work which us under the control of the Ministry for Food and Fisheries.  A letter has been sent to them informing them of the need for work on their ditch.

Guileshill

Highway officers are investigating the issues at Guileshill in order to determine what repairs are needed.

Old Lane

There was significant flooding by the pond which has been investigated and an obstruction in the inlet to the culvert under the road has been cleared.  This is a sunken lane in places and gets significant run off from the fields.  There are also a number of ditches in private ownership that need work.  Letters are being sent to the owners of the ditches informing them of the need for work on their ditches.

Long Reach

Work was carried out yesterday (Tuesday 31st Jan) to remove water on the carriageway to enable us to give measurements to our contractor for repairs that need to be made on the carriageway.  A gully in this area is blocked because it goes into a private ditch which needs work.  A letter has been sent to the landowner informing them of the need for work on their ditch.  The road remains closed for the time being while we get a resource in place to carry out the repairs to the carriageway

Blocked Drain defect or gully at the junction of Ockham Road North and Guileshill Lane near All Saints’ Church Ockham

Huge flood across the entrance to the road that leads up to All Saints’ Ockham Church. This comes after rain and then lingers long after the rain has gone – over several days. The gully is blocked.  Reference number: 2417685 Location: OCKHAM ROAD NORTH, OCKHAM Details: Blocked Drain – Other. SCC plan to clean this gully and other along Ockham road north on the 24 February 2023.

 

 

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News from Ockham Parish Council January 2023

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  • Flooding Issues The Parish Council have lodged multiple complaints with SCC Highways and SCC Cllr Colin Cross regarding flooding in Ockham and in particular along Long Reach and Ockham Road North where we have also expressed extreme frustration that NO ONE is working on site and that the traffic lights work intermittently. The lights have been there for over 6 weeks and nothing is happening. We will continue to push to reach resolution and have requested a meeting with SCC Highways about the terrible state of our local roads. We will keep you advised.
  • A Vehicle Activated Speed Awareness sign will go up in Old Lane some time in February. This will bring our current total of VAS signs in Ockham to three and we confirmed that a fourth VAS sign will be purchased in 2023/24 when we finalised our budget for the upcoming financial year at our parish council meeting on 10th
  • Can you help please? Ockham Parish Council are seeking two new Parish Councillors. The Parish Council meet 11 times a year (we don’t meet in August!) when we discuss all sorts of aspects of village life including planning applications. We carry out projects such as the recent work at the War Memorial and take an active interest in community life. If you are interested in joining us then please contact our Clerk, Alyson on clerk@ockhamparishcouncil.gov.uk
  • Everyone will be aware of the M25J10/A3 works currently being carried out by National Highways. We are in very regular communication with National Highways about a large number of issues that concern our community. These include a couple of Freedom of Information requests regarding the loss of the trees. If you have specific concerns about anything related to these works, do let us know or contact NH direct on m25j10@nationalhighways.co.uk
  • Please remember that there is no consent granted for any housing on any part of the FWA and if you have not yet objected to Taylor Wimpey’s application for housing on Former Wisley Airfield, it is not too late. The application number is 22/P/01175 and you will find full details of the application on the Guildford Borough Council website.

Please contact the Parish Clerk with enquiries

Mrs Alyson Blackwell – email: clerk@ockhamparishcouncil.gov.uk

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PARISH OF OCKHAM NOTICE OF VACANCY IN OFFICE OF PARISH COUNCILLOR

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Notice is hereby given pursuant to rule 5 of The Local Elections (Parishes and Communities) (England & Wales) Rules 2006, that consequent upon the resignation of Cllr Simon Waldman, a casual vacancy exists in the Office of Councillor for the said Parish.

No election can be held as a result of the six-month rule. The next scheduled elections for this Parish will be held on Thursday 4 May 2023. The vacancy may be filled by the Parish Council by co-option and the co-opted member will complete the remaining term in office.

Tom Horwood
Proper Officer

Dated: 5 January 2023

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News from Ockham Parish Council December 2022

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The Parish Council have just installed another Historic Ockham sign. This one has gone up on Long Reach and depicts the 13th century 7-stepped lancet window of All Saints’ Church. Do have a look if you are passing. More Historic Ockham signs to go up soon including one showing the village connection with Tyrrells Racing Team.
• At our December meeting the Parish Council discussed our projects for 2023/24 and these will include a further Vehicle Activated Speed Awareness sign and some enhancements to the burial ground. We will be finalising our budget arrangements for 2023/24 at our January 2023 meeting so do join us then if you would like to.
• We are looking for a new Councillor to join the Parish Council. The Parish Council meet 11 times a year (we don’t meet in August!) when we discuss all sorts of aspects of village life including planning applications. We carry out projects such as the recent work at the War Memorial and take an active interest in community life. If you are interested in joining us then please contact our Clerk, Alyson on clerk@ockhamparishcouncil.gov.uk
• You may have seen the Parish Council’s response to questions received about the Land Surrounding Bridge End Farm which was shared via OHRA mailing list. Representatives acting for the owners of this land held an in person exhibition at East Horsley Village Hall on 6th December and our Chair, Dr Malcolm Aish, attended. We will shortly be responding to this exhibition in writing and we set out how we plan to reply in the document shared (if you haven’t seen it and would like to, please contact our clerk). The Land Surrounding Bridge End Farm makes up part of Allocation A35 which also includes the Taylor Wimpey owned section of Former Wisley Airfield. The Land Surrounding Bridge End Farm is also the subject of a Request for an EIA (environmental impact assessment) Scoping Opinion which the Parish Council will be responding to in the next day or so. If you want to see the details of the Request, search for 22/S/00009 on the GBC website. Please remember that there is no consent granted for any part of the FWA.
Ockham Parish Council wish everyone a very happy festive period and all the best for 2023
Please contact the Parish Clerk with enquiries
Mrs Alyson Blackwell – email: clerk@ockhamparishcouncil.gov.uk

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Remembrance Sunday at the War Memorial Ockham Parish

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The Grade 11 listed War Memorial has been in place for 100 years. As a marker of this, Ockham Parish Council received a grant from Guildford Borough Council to support the sprucing up of the area that surrounds it to provide a safe and peaceful environment for people wanting to pay their respects.

Residents,Visitors, Police all gathered for the Remembrance Service to lay wreaths

 

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News from Ockham Parish Council November 2022

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  • If you haven’t yet objected to Taylor Wimpey’s proposal, it is not too late. Send your objection to planningenquiries@guildford.gov.uk quoting 22/P/01175. If you need help with providing good reasons why this application will impact negatively on our village let us know or contact group@gmail.com who will send you some pointers. GBC require that you include your name and address but your address will not be shown when your letter is published. Thank you to everyone who has already objected.

 

  • National Highways are underway with their upgrade work for M25J10/A3 and we are all dismayed by the huge number of trees they have felled. If you have specific observations about anything related to the work, you may want to contact National Highways on m25j10@nationalhighways.co.uk

 

  • We have asked Cllr Colin Cross, our GBC and SCC councillor, to secure an undertaking that when the National Highways work is completed, the construction compound at Nutberry Farm (on the Ockham Park roundabout) is returned to nature. This land is in the Green Belt and we want to ensure it cannot be brought forward for development in the future.

 

  • A resident alerted us of a possible Black Poplar on FWA. This is a species protected tree under English law. RHS Wisley have kindly offered to genetically identify the tree for us. We will let you know the outcome when we hear.

 

  • We have been sharing photographs of the floods all around Ockham, but particularly where the water has run off FWA, with Surrey County Council who are the Lead Flood Authority. We are encouraging them to object to the FWA planning application and the photographs help demonstrate how the higher ground of FWA leads to severe localised surface water floods.

 

  • If you spot any HGVs travelling along Old Lane and Ockham Lane, both weight restricted roads, and are able to safely take photographs, perhaps using a dashcam, please share them with Cllr Imogen Jamieson giving details of date and time. We are collating information to share with the police.

 

  • It is Remembrance Sunday this weekend, Sunday 13th This is a special year for Ockham as our War Memorial has been in place for 100 years. Our thanks to Cllr Sonjia Moran for coordinating the tidying and replanting work around the War Memorial. The Remembrance Sunday service is at 1045

 

Please contact the Parish Clerk with enquiries

Mrs Alyson Blackwell  – email: clerk@ockhamparishcouncil.gov.uk

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planningenquiries@guildford.gov.uk

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Thank you to everyone who has objected to the Taylor Wimpey planning application. We know Guildford have been overwhelmed by the number of objection letters – they have indicated to us they are in receipt of circa 2000. They are struggling to cope with the upload of these objections to their portal and have apologised for the delay. Every objection counts and if you are keeping an eye on the portal and don’t see your letter, please let Guildford know. planningenquiries@guildford.gov.uk

If you haven’t yet objected to Taylor Wimpey’s proposal but would like to, it is not too late. Send your objections to planningenquiries@guildford.gov.uk quoting 22/P/01175. If you need help with providing good reasons why this application will impact negatively on our village let us know or contact vawnt.group@gmail.com who will send you some pointers. You may find it useful to look at other objections on the Guildford site and you’ll note that some of the statutory consultees such as Heathrow Airport and RAF Northolt have objected. Surrey Police, Surrey Adult Care and others have asked for further information. We need as many objections as we can muster!

National Highways are well underway with their upgrade work for Junction 10 M25/A3. They attended our recent parish council meeting and councillors along with a number of residents vociferously expressed significant concern regarding safety issues, delays, traffic queues and the huge and devastating number of trees they are felling. We are very concerned about the local ecology and are in the process of arranging a meeting with Highways to hold them to account for their approach.  For any specific observations about anything related to the work, you may want to contact National Highways direct on m25j10@nationalhighways.co.uk

We are aware that the speed awareness sign in Ockham Road North is only working intermittently and are in the process of getting this attended to.

Please contact the Parish Clerk with enquiries

Mrs Alyson Blackwell  – email: clerk@ockhamparishcouncil.gov.uk

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Former Wisley Airfield Planning Application 22/P/01175 Initial objection submitted

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Initial objection letter has been submitted to GBC from Wisley Action Group/Ockham Parish Council

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News from Ockham Parish Council September 2022

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We have just over 2 weeks to send in our objections to Guildford Borough Council regarding the Taylor Wimpey planning application for Former Wisley Airfield (ie by midnight on 3rd October)

There are a huge number of reasons why this application will impact negatively on our village. We know that amongst your concerns, if the application is approved, are the traffic impacts (endless queues and delays are anticipated). A further significant worry is the effect the proposed development will have on access to existing medical and education services. Other points include the very great harm to the Thames Basin Heath Special Protection Area from the increase in visitor numbers from a new housing settlement, the loss of Best and Most Versatile Agricultural Land and of course the visual impacts – the development will dominate the skyline and change our rural community forever.

Together with Wisley Action Group (WAG) and Villages Against Wisley New Town (VAWNT), we are going through the 300+ documents and will shortly send out, via Ockham & Hatchford Residents Association mailing list, our suggestion of what you might want to include in your letter of objection to GBC. You will receive this soon with information on how to send it and who to. You should also receive a flyer from VAWNT through your letterbox giving additional information. Contact vawnt.group@gmail.com

Thank you to all those who have already objected. Some excellent points have been expressed.

In other news…..

  • We hope you have noticed the changes made at the War Memorial and the two fine new benches. Thank you to Cllr Sonjia Moran for all her work coordinating this initiative. The job is not quite finished but it will be ready in good time for Remembrance Sunday – the centenary of the War Memorial itself.
  • The newly purchased vehicle activated sign for speed awareness will soon go up in Old Lane – this will bring the number of these signs to slow traffic down in the village to 3.
  • The National Highways M25A3 roadworks are now underway and with Ockham Lane still closed, delays are a huge problem for our whole community. We have shared (via OHRA mailing list) our recommendation that you report ALL delays to National Highways and Surrey County Council.

Please contact the Parish Clerk with enquiries

Mrs Alyson Blackwell  – email: clerk@ockhamparishcouncil.gov.uk