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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

Remembrance Service Remembrance Service Remembrance Sunday Remembrance Service

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

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Ockham Parish Councillor vacancy – expressions of interest invited by 30th September 2022

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Ockham Parish Council currently has a vacancy for a Parish Councillor to be co- opted on to the Parish Council.

As a Councillor you can become a voice for your community and affect real change. Parish Councils are the most local part of the democratic system. We are particularly interested in hearing from you if you have an interest or experience in delivering projects and to take a lead for the Council on climate change. A group has been established working collaboratively with neighbouring Parish Councils on initiatives to review local ideas on how to address climate change. The Parish Council has supported greening initiatives by planting trees in the Parish.

To be eligible you need to be:

  • 18 years of age an elector of the parish or
  • Resided or rented in Ockham for the past 12 months or
  • Principal place of work in the parish or
  • Live within three miles of the parish boundaryThe Parish Council Meetings are held once a month normally on the first Tuesday of the month in the evening and you would have an opportunity to contribute on matters of local interest on the Agenda. You would also be expected to progress tasks and feedback.

    We would be pleased to hear from you if you are interested in becoming a Parish Councillor. Please send a brief resume outlining some background information, the skills you can offer and reason for wanting to become a Parish Councillor to clerk@ockhamparishcouncil.gov.uk

    If you would like to have a chat with someone about this voluntary role then please include your telephone number and the Chair will be in contact or you may wish to attend a Parish Meeting as an observer, the next meeting is on 11th October 2022.

    We are inviting expressions of interest by 30th September 2022.

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News from Ockham Parish Council July 2022

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News from Ockham Parish Council

July 2022

  • Cllr Sonjia Moran has set up a working party for the Memorial Garden initiative and is inviting volunteers to come forward. To join in please contact Sonjia on sonjia.moran@ockhamparishcouncil.gov.uk.
  • Taylor Wimpey has given notice in the Surrey Advertiser of a Planning Application on the Former Wisley Airfield expected in July 2022. The Parish Council resolved to use professional expertise to help defend the Village.
  • Councillor Cross is attending a meeting this week with Surrey County Council and Guildford Borough Council to look at how traffic will be controlled during the works to the M25/A3 Junction 10 due to commence in September 2022. The Parish Council plan to invite National Highways to a meeting in the autumn, further details to follow.
  • Thank you to Residents who shared with the Council their feedback on the Upton End consultation.
  • Agreed a new design for the Historic road sign to depict a racing car in recognition of the old Tyrrell’s factory in Ockham. This is the final sign on order to mark the boundary of Ockham Parish.

Next Parish meeting is on Tuesday 13th September at 8pm at All Saints’ Church. Residents are welcome to attend.

Please contact the Parish Clerk with enquiries

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