Archive for category: News

• We have pleasure in welcoming Councillor Becky Neish to Ockham Parish Council.

 

• Wisley Action Group (WAG) together with Ockham Parish Council have been accepted as a Rule 6 party for the Taylor Wimpey Appeal (more on this below). This will ensure that we will see all the Appeal documents and information and will have an opportunity to participate productively in the Appeal process.

 

• The Former Wisley Airfield is not a sustainable site and fails to meet planning law in multiple ways. Taylor Wimpey’s application 22/P/01175 for 1700+ homes on an area of natural greenspace (90% green), will have a negative impact on local ecology, local roads, flood risk, local services (schools, education, sewage provision).  Please write to the Planning Inspectorate:  salter@planninginspectorate.gov.uk using reference: APP/Y3615/W/23/3320175 advising of your objection to their proposal. Email vawnt.group@gmail.com if you would like some pointers for your objection letter.

VAWNT Meeting at East Horsley Village Hall – Thursday 15^th June at 7 pm

Villages Against Wisley New Town will be updating the local community on the latest news regarding Former Wisley Airfield (FWA) in light of the Appeal Taylor Wimpey have put forward against non determination of application 22/P/01175 by Guildford Borough Council.  Please do attend if you can.

 

• Please continue to report 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 If you experience any problems as a result of the A3/M25 National Highways roadworks – traffic queues, delays etc, please report these to info@nationalhighways.co.uk noting in the subject of your email that your complaint relates to M25J10A3 works.

 

• Please be aware that if you have a ditch close to your home, you may be responsible for maintaining it. For details on riparian responsibility https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/roadworks-and-maintenance/report-a-highway-problem/drainage-and-flooding/living-next-to-a-watercourse-your-rights-and-responsibilities Maintenance of local ditches by those responsible does ease local flooding so please check the link above.  If you are experiencing issues with flooding of your property, please log them here: https://www9.surreycc.gov.uk/HighwayIssue/WhatIsTheIssue.aspx?Code=FBD

 

Please contact the Parish Clerk with enquiries

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

• There is an application for construction of up to 70 houses in an area of land that abuts the Former Wisley Airfield, known as Hallam Land. The application number is 23/P/00417. The Parish Council are reading the documents and will revert via Ockham & Hatchford Residents Association mailing list with an update.

• If you put in an objection to the Taylor Wimpey application for Former Wisley Airfield 22/P/01175, you will have received notification from GBC that there are some new documents about the application. With the support of VAWNT (Villages Against Wisley New Town), we are reading these documents now and as above, we will revert via OHRA mailing list soon. The deadline for response to GBC for both this consultation and the Hallam land is 7^th May 2023.

• Road Issues: The Parish Council remain in daily communication with SCC Highways to flag issues on our local road network. 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  If you experience any problems as a result of the A3/M25 National Highways roadworks – traffic queues, delays etc, please report these to info@nationalhighways.co.uk noting in the subject of your email that your complaint relates to M25J10A3 works.  The Parish Council are also carrying out a survey. You can complete this as many times as you like about any aspect of the road network in and around Ockham (including A3) https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/78QG9CC

• The Coronation of King Charles III is coming up and together with OHRA and All Saints’ Church, the PC are arranging a village ‘litter pick’ 10 – 12, followed by a ‘bring your own picnic’ gathering at Ockham Cricket Club from 12 – 4 on Monday 8^th May. Everyone welcome!

• Flooding of Property Issues: Please be aware that if you have a ditch close to your home, you may be responsible for maintaining it. For details on riparian responsibility https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/roadworks-and-maintenance/report-a-highway-problem/drainage-and-flooding/living-next-to-a-watercourse-your-rights-and-responsibilitiesMaintenance of local ditches by those responsible does ease local flooding so please check the link above.  If you are experiencing issues with flooding of your property, please log them here: https://www9.surreycc.gov.uk/HighwayIssue/WhatIsTheIssue.aspx?Code=FBD

Please contact the Parish Clerk with enquiries

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

• 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

• 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

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