Commercial to Residential in Horsell

Close on the heels of the closure of White Knight laundry on Horsell Moor came the end of the line for Cable Electric in Well Lane.  It is sad to lose two local businesses within a few months but the demise of these remaining commercial properties in residential areas was not unexpected.  It is  good to see that we do have flourishing small businesses in the High Street with the recent arrival of a new pet shop, the fishmonger and fruit and vegetable shop.

The developers who bought the laundry site held a consultation event on their plans for this location at the end of May.  They plan a development of 33 'apartments' aimed at older residents.  This seems a reasonable use of the site but as I set out in an earlier post the 5 storey height that this development is suggested to reach at its highest point is out of proportion with the surrounding area.

I had heard a suggestion that the Cable Electric site may be a location for more flats but I see that an application for 2 houses has been submitted. The plans are for a 4 bedroom and 3 bedroom house, both with garages.  The application is PLAN/2015/0808 and full details can be viewed on the Woking Council web site.

The representations of the proposed houses seem to fit in well with the existing streetscape.

Horsell Civic Space saga now a blame game and safety risk

The latest twist in the saga of Horsell Civic space came last week when a Planning Inspector ruled against Woking Council's request for a footpath diversion order. The Council had wanted to divert the footpath which runs between the side of the Village Hall and the rear of the Bowls club.  A diversion would have taken the path across the top of the gardens and then between the bowling green and the edge of Queen Elizabeth Gardens.

Waiting for a decision on the request to divert the footpath has been the Council's reasoning for not removing the infamous mound and finishing the landscaping in the area.

The Council's press release on the outcome of the footpath diversion application referred to a resident's challenge leading to the refusal of the order. The press took this further putting the blame on the resident in their article.

What the Council failed to mention in their press release was that the diversion order was refused because it did not meet the criteria required under the relevant order.  The Planning Inspector pointed out that for the order to be successful the diversion had to be necessary for the planned work (in this case the new scout hut and an extension to the Village Hall).  The Council did not show this and so the order had to be refused by the Inspector.

Safety Risk
Once the order was refused the Council seem to have removed the fencing that cordoned off the 'mound'.  This is rather puzzling as the barrier was there in the first place as a safety measure.  I was concerned when I saw this had happened last week but my concern grew when I was given the photographs below, taken after local schools let out today.

Is the mound stable?

This picture show young children playing on the mound. Is is stable enough to allow this to happen?

Could a child fall into
the drainage ditch

The next picture shows a drainage ditch, created to stop run off water from the mound going into neighbouring gardens. A child could easily fall from the mound into this ditch.

Exposed drainage
pipes

The final picture shows exposed pipework in the drainage ditch.  This could hurt a child who falls in or trips in the ditch.

I have emailed the Council's Chief Executive raising my concerns about this tonight.

Update
Apparently contractors removed some of the wrong pieces of barrier and left some of the wrong pieces.  The Council is now putting this right.

5 storeys high on Horsell Moor?

As I highlighted here a couple of weeks ago the laundry site in Horsell Moor is closing and and a developer wants to put retirement apartments on the site. Pegasus Life is the developer and Lexington Communications are managing the consultation process.

I attended the exhibition for the proposals today and learn that 33 apartments with a day time concierge and 34 parking spaces is being suggested.  The development would be a mix of 1 and 2 bedroom flats and plans show a pleasant central garden area. 

The building will be a reasonable 2 storeys high closest to homes on Horsell Moor but this will be stepped up to a massive 5 storeys facing the cricket green. This is explained as fitting in with other industrial units nearby.  

Well here is Jewsons next door. Nowhere near 5 storeys high.

Then there is LA Fitness. Again nowhere close to 5 storeys high.

You have go up to Victoria Way and look at Century Court, the flats facing the town centre, to find a 5 storey high development.

Five storeys will be vastly out of keeping with the houses and other buildings nearby.  Allowing a developer to build so high could create a precedent for future developments in Horsell.

Proposals for Retirement Apartments on Horsell Moor

White Knight laundry in Horsell Moor -
proposed site for Retirement Apartments

PegasusLife want to build retirement apartments on the site of the White Knight laundry on Horsell Moor. The laundry plans to close this summer and move its work to another White Knight site.

PegasusLife has yet to submit a planning application to Woking Borough Council but Horsell already features on the PegasusLife web site and local residents have just had notices about a consultation event through their doors.

The consultation on the proposals is being run by a London based PR company Lexington Communications.

A consultation event is planned for Tuesday 26 May at The Lightbox from 2pm to 7.30pm.

This is the day after Bank Holiday Monday and during the school half term.  I have written to Lexington pointing out that a number of people who may be interested in PegasusLife's plans may well be away on family breaks or visiting family at this time.  I will advise of their response when I receive it.

Update - reply received from Lexington Communications
I received the following reply in response to my email to Lexington Communications querying the date of the consultation event:

"Thank you for getting in contact about our consultation for the proposed retirement homes on Horsell Moor. Our consultation process shall continue after the exhibition event taking place on 26 May and we will be more than happy to issue the information exhibited via email or post to anybody that is unable to attend, so that they can view and comment upon the plans at their own convenience."

The email address for Lexington Communications is whiteknight@lexcomm.co.uk

Lord backs development at Horsell Common

Interesting to see in the local press that Woking's MP Jonathan Lord has given his support to McLaren's latest expansion plans at Horsell Common.  McLaren has applied to almost double its current footprint on land designated for public access.

The company wants to build a new research facility to include a wind tunnel, workshops, meeting, teaching and training rooms.  I blogged here with the details of the application which is expected to go before Woking Council's planning committee this month.

I'm a little surprised that our MP appears to have fully supported McLaren's plans without considering the impact on residents or the natural habitat. 

Existing Planning Permission

This application follows a successful 2012 application for land across the A320 from the existing site.  It seems there are too many issues with the site that already has planning permission so McLaren have decided on a new application next to the existing site.  The company say they would sign an agreement not to go ahead with the currently approved plans if the new application is accepted

Questions and Concerns

Whilst welcoming the employment and innovation that McLaren bring to Woking I have a number of questions and concerns over  this planning application.

McLaren have permission to build across the road.  Having put local residents and the Council through all the work of dealing with and responding to that application what are the real reasons for starting again in a new location?

McLaren say the new development plans replace the permission they were given for the other side of the A320 and that there would be  legal agreement on this. Would this be a watertight agreement or could further development happen anyway?  We are still yet to see a visitor centre, agreed in the first development on Horsell Common.

Why did McLaren not inform Horsell Common Preservation Society, who own the freehold of some of the land, of their plans until the application was being submitted.

The application involves land covenanted for public use when McLaren was first given permission to develop in the green belt back in 1996.  A public footpath will have to be re-routed, we are told temporarily, but given it cuts right across the proposed new site would access ever be returned?

The application says that more parking is needed on site.  This suggests that McLaren may not be within its agreed level of traffic movements.  Surely if the company is looking for a sustainable future and to provide local employment they should already have been promoting other forms of personal or public transport rather than increasing traffic to the site.

Surrey Tops the Table ... of pothole claims

Surrey paid out quarter of a million on
pothole compensation last year

Being top is not always best and that is certainly the case when it comes to Surrey County Council and potholes.  
Our local highways authority tops the table for 

• The number of compensation claims made as a result of potholes on local roads; and 
• The money paid out in compensation as a results of these damaged road surfaces.

Surrey had 4000 claims last year, way ahead of the next authority in the table with 1500 fewer at 2500.

Surrey paid out a quarter of a million in compensation claims to 842 of those who made a claim.  That is £300 per successful claimant.

Across other authorities in the top 5 for claims on damage from potholes the average number of claims is a little over 2000.  That is only half the level of claims in Surrey.

What is Surrey doing with our money if it isn't fixing our roads?

Apologies for more roadworks but it is dangerous

Damaged road around drain cover

With apologies for causing yet more roadworks on Woking roads I reported this damage around a drain cover to Thames Water in the week.

As you can see in the picture the tarmac around the drain cover is cracking up badly.

There is a real risk of broken pieces of tarmac flying up and hitting a road user and a particular danger to those on two wheels as the holes around the cover grow.

Sadly Thames Water haven't done anything to fix the road yet but they have put some barriers around the damage to keep road users safe.

Boundary Commission chops chunks out of Horsell

Disappointing news from the Boundary Commission.  The national body, which reviewed Woking's borough ward boundaries, has announced its final decision. The Commission has ignored public opinion and chopped chunks out of Horsell.

The new Horsell ward boundaries from 2016

I blogged back in July about the Commission's proposals for Horsell.  I set them out again below.  Sadly the proposals are now the final decision and will be our new boundaries from 2016.  

The only change from what was proposed in the summer is that The Grove, Ferndale Road, parts of Chobham and Brewery Road (including the WWF Living Planet Centre and The Lightbox) and the Broomhalls will go to a new ward whose name is now Canalside rather than Sheerwater

Boundary Commission proposals for The Grove, Ferndale Road, Chobham Road, Brewery Road and Broomhalls 

The Boundary Commission proposes that part of the eastern edge of Horsell West ward and a little of the west of Horsell East ward move out of Horsell to a new Sheerwater ward.  The area involved (shown below) is the beginning of Chobham Road, from Victoria Way (including The Lightbox), The Grove and Ferndale Road, Kingswood and Alwyne Court on Brewery Road, Brewery Road car park and the WWF Living Planet Centre, Broomhall Road, Broomhall Drive and Broomhall Lane, the Wheatsheaf Pub and several houses to the north of the pub.

The Commission has confirmed its decision to move Merrivale Gardens and Hedgerley Court to Goldsworth Park.

Boundary Commission proposals for Merrivale Gardens and Hedgerley Court
Another proposed loss from Horsell is Merrivale Gardens and Hedgerley Court. The commission wants to move this area to Goldsworth Park ward.

The new Horsell ward, as of 2016, will be a combination of the current Horsell West ward (less the areas to the Eastern boundary listed above) and the Horsell East part of the current Horsell East and Woodham ward less The Grove, Ferndale and part of Chobham Road.

There is also the loss of part of Carthouse Lane to Knaphill.  The first I heard of this was in the final decision.  I think this move may revert back to the situation prior to the 2000 electoral review.  However other roads, beyond Carthouse Lane, remain in Horsell.

With the Conservative decision to have 30 councillors over 10 wards the numbers just did not work out to keep Horsell and Woodham together.  But, chopping out parts of Horsell is simply illogical and totally ignores local community.

You can read the Boundary Commission's report in full here or see a summary here, where you can also view the ward maps and input your own postcode to check your ward.

Could the Horsell Splash finally be over? - Update

UPDATE
Not such good news on the Horsell Splash. It seems Surrey County Council has abandoned the installation of a drain as they found an electricity cable where it was planned to put the drain.  As an alternative an additional soakaway is being dug on the other side of the road.

Surrey doesn't have a great record on keeping these soakaways clear so it may be hopes of a puddle free road were premature.


I am delighted to see that the Horsell Splash may finally be over.

I began work in 2012 to get Surrey County Council to fix the flooding that occurs around the entrance to Brewery Road car park, Kingswood Court and the pedestrian crossing to Footpath 19a.

My blog post from back in April 2013 summarises my efforts to that date on this and other flooding issues in Horsell.  

Last year there was some concerted work by Surrey (funnily enough at around the same time of year) and a blockage was identified which stopped water flowing away.  I blogged about it at the time. 

Surrey have finally got around to clearing the blockage and adding a new drainage channel on Brewery Road.

What a relief it will be not to have to run the risk of an unwelcome shower after heavy rain in this area. 

McLaren to expand on current site?

McLaren's current footprint on Horsell Common

I learnt today that McLaren has submitted a new planning application (PLAN/2013/1297) for an 'Applied Technology Centre" as an extension to its existing 'Production Centre'.  

It seems this application is intended to replace the outline planning permission received for development of an 'Applied Technology Centre' back in 2012 (PLAN/2011/0823).

The description for the new application (see below) indicates development on the current site, that is to the west of the A320.

"Development of an applied technology centre of 57,000sq m (G.E.A.) as an extension to the McLaren Production Centre, to include an aerodynamic research facility, workshops, research and development space, offices, meeting rooms, teaching and training space, vehicle preparation and assembly spaces, together with terraced car parking and two car park decks, cycle parking, a replacement helipad, and service areas. Associated earthworks and re-contouring of the open parkland, hard and soft landscape and infrastructure works, including an electrical substation and foul water pumping station."

The previous outline planning permission was granted to allow building on the opposite side of the A320 (to the east) and to connect the two sites with a tunnel.  Description for that application below.

"Outline planning application for a new applied technology centre of up to 60,000sqm floorspace, together with hard and soft landscape proposals, earthworks including creation of new lakes, a new vehicular access, an underground circulation tunnel, vehicular and cycle parking, service areas, and associated infrastructure and works including a foul water pumping station and electricity substations. | Land East Of The A320 Chertsey Road"

Questions

I am puzzled that the application was received by Woking Council on Friday 14 November and was then validated on the following day - a Saturday.  I know workload is heavy in Planning but I hadn't realised staff worked on Saturdays.

Notification to neighbours of this validated application only went out this week, on Tuesday 9 December. Responses are due back by Tuesday 6 January.  Why so long to let residents know about a validated application?

As of today, Friday 12 December there are no details of the application, other than the summary description on the planning portal.

With the previous, approved, application McLaren ran consultation events at The Lighbox.  Will they do the same this time around?

Could McLaren possibly have timed this application for the busy Christmas period when residents and other interested parties may have other things on their minds?

Vodafone try again on Horsell Way mast

Schools are breaking up for the summer holidays so it must be time for a planning application to add to the Horsell Way phone mast.  Sure enough a new application for the Vodafone mast in this peaceful Horsell street has been registered with Woking Council.

It is Planning Application 2014/0805 which was received by the council on 11 July.  The application seeks to increase the height of the existing phone mast, add 2 extra cabinets at ground level and move the mast within the area.  In the process mature trees will be removed.

This is just the latest of many applications relating to this mast.  A number of the applications have been submitted with more than one coinciding with summer holiday periods.

Horsell Way where Vodafone want a
new larger mast

Strangely the planning application only shows one previous application for the site.  A very similar application was made in November last year and refused by Woking Council.  The application was rejected because information was not supplied on the effect of installing a new mast the many trees on the green are

The original application for a mast at this site was refused in September 2006 but allowed on appeal in February 2008.  in July 2010 Vodafone wanted to extend the mast to share with another operator.  I blogged at the time that applying to extend the mast at this site was ignoring an agreed site on Horsell Common land, disguised by trees and away from homes and schools.  i was delighted to be able to report just a month later that no further application for Horsell Way had been received from Vodafone and that they were exploring the Horsell Common site.

Unfortunately, as far as  I know,  there has been progress on the Horsell Common site and Vodafone came back first last year and now again this year with an application.

If you are concerned about this application please do email, comment on line or write to Woking Council about these plans.

Closing Commerical Way to vehicles

Very pleased to see Woking Council is consulting on closing the lower part of Commercial Way to vehicles.

Currently traffic is allowed along the section of the pedestrianised street between Chapel Street and Cawsey Way before 10.30 am and after 4pm.

It has always surprised me that this traffic free environment becomes a cut through and parking area at certain times of day and particularly on Sundays.  I was unpleasantly surprised one late afternoon several years ago when walking with one of my daughters.  She was just a toddler at the time and riding a small scooter when a car appeared behind us.  it gave me quite a fright because I wasn't aware that traffic was allowed on the street at all.

The area becomes a chaotic free car park on Sundays and it really detracts from the area.

Artistic impression of Commercial Way in future 

I hope this change does go through and the pedestrianised area becomes truly traffic free.  With Commercial Way being revamped and new restaurants opening along there it will be nice to have outdoor seating and people able to walk or cycle safely along.

If you would like to comment you can find the consultation here. Responses are required by 5pm on 1 August.

I hope in due course attention will be given to the other end of Commercial Way, between what will be the new Tante Marie and Carluccio site and the Big Apple.  Vehicle access is needed here to reach car parks behind the shops but this area will really stand out and look even worse when work on the rest of the street is completed.

Proposed new Horsell Boundaries

The move towards Woking's new borough boundaries has reached the latest stage.   Following initial proposals and a consultation by the borough council a revised set of proposals was sent to the Local Government Boundary Commission (LGBCE).  The commission has now come back with its proposals, based on what the council and others submitted and its own view.

I am disappointed with the proposals for the Horsell ward that are being made by the LGBCE.

As there will only be 30 rather than 36 councillors representing Woking each ward will be larger than before.  Every ward will have 3 councillors and roughly the same number of voters (within a 10% margin).

Current Situation

Horsell currently has two wards - Horsell West and Horsell East and Woodham.  

Horsell West is broadly bounded by Chobham Road in the east, Horsell Rise in the north and the canal and Lockfield Drive to the south and runs along Brewery Road to the end of the village plus to Carthouse Lane and a few roads in Chobham.  

Horsell East covers the area of Horsell east of Chobham Road and north of Horsell Rise and stretches out to all of Woodham that is part of Woking borough - essentially to the Sheerwater roundabout on Woodham Lane.

Earlier Proposals

Woking borough initially proposed a new Horsell ward that was essentially Horsell East and West but without Woodham.

Following the council's own consultation Woodham was added back into the Horsell seat but this meant various parts of Horsell had to be chopped off to get the voter numbers right.  I objected to areas such as Merrivale Gardens and Hedgerley Court being taken out of Horsell but this was supported by your Conservative councillors.  I hoped the Boundary Commission would redress this when the council plans were put to them. 

The Boundary Commission Proposals

Proposals from the commission take Woodham out again, making the new Horsell ward a more manageable size, but also remove two other areas which I would argue are very much part of Horsell.  Set out below are the key changes proposed by the commission.

Boundary Commission proposals for The Grove, Ferndale Road, Chobham Road, Brewery Road and Broomhalls 

The Boundary Commission proposes that part of the eastern edge of Horsell West ward and a little of the west of Horsell East ward move out of Horsell to a new Sheerwater ward.  The area involved (shown below) is the beginning of Chobham Road, from Victoria Way (including The Lightbox), The Grove and Ferndale Road, Kingswood and Alwyne Court on Brewery Road, Brewery Road car park and the WWF Living Planet Centre, Broomhall Road, Broomhall Drive and Broomhall Lane, the Wheatsheaf Pub and several houses to the north of the pub.

Roads,  flats, Wheatsheaf Pub, Trinity Methodist Church, WWF, Brewery Road Car Park and The Lightbox move to Sheerwater ward

Boundary Commission proposals for Merrivale Gardens and Hedgerley Court

Another proposed loss from Horsell is Merrivale Gardens and Hedgerley Court. The commission wants to move this area to Goldsworth Park ward.

Merrivale Gardens and Hedgerley Court move to Goldsworth Park ward

Boundary Commission proposals for Claydon Road, Tresta Walk and Darvel Close and Kestrel Way

There had been suggestion that this area could move back to Goldsworth Park but it has been retained in Horsell by the commission.

Claydon Road, Tresta Walk and Darvel Close plus the Goldsworth Park / Kestrel Way Trading Estate stay in Horsell

Boundary Commission proposals for McLaren, Anthonys and the Recycling site

Anthonys residential area, the McLaren site and Surrey County Council's recycling centre stay in Horsell.

McLaren, Anthonys and the Recycling Site stay in Horsell

What you can do

The commission is now consulting on these plans until 6 October.  Go to the main commission pages for Woking to understand the whole process and take a look at the maps for Horsell and Woking.  You can zoom in and look at any part of the map in detail.

Any individual or group can comment to either support or disagree with the commission's plans or to draw new boundaries.

I would also be interested to hear your views on annmarie.barker@gmail.com

What's Happening in and around Horsell

A selection of happenings in and around Horsell in the week ahead.  This is by no means a comprehensive events listing, rather a snapshot of what catches my attention.

Monday 30 June

Open Mic night at Phoenix Cultural Centre, 27 Goldsworth Road, Woking - 7pm to 10pm. A pleasant evening at Woking 's newest venue for live music and arts.  Mondays offer a chance to "play, listen, practise new songs, make some up, do whatever".  All welcome. No entry fee but a donation to running costs appreciated.

Thursday 3 July

Horsell Police Panel - 7.30pm at St Mary's Church on Church Hill (not usual venue as Village Hall closed for building works)
All residents and businesses are welcome at the panel meeting to raise issues of concern with the local policing team.

Saturday 5 July

Party in the Park - 12 to 7pm in Woking Park
Returning for a 3rd year with something for all the family.  Party in the Park features music, dance. food, sport, art and crafts.  There are events to watch in 
the park such as Dance Woking and events further afield such as the Wimbledon Woman's Singles Final and the start of the Tour de France on a big screen.  Have a dance, listen to music, watch Punch and Judy or experience all the fun of the fair.  It's all happening at the Party in the Park.

Horsell Splash - finally some progress

Huge puddle on Brewery Road
pedestrian crossing 

I took the opportunity of Woking's Joint Committee this week to ask for an update on Horsell Splash.  I have been asking the county council to tackle the huge puddle that appears between the Brewery Road car park entrance and the pedestrian crossing to Footpath 19a for almost 2 years now.  An answer was not available on the night but I got a written reply by email on Friday.

It seems the county may finally be making real progress in tackling this major annoyance and inconvenience for everyone who walks or cycles along this route.

The Problem

As regular users of this route will have noticed there are two elements to this situation.  The initial problem was around the car park entrance.  The road dips at this point. It is my view (though this has not been confirmed) that this was caused by a combination of road resurfacing prior to work beginning on the WWF building and a succession of heavy vehicles going into the building site.

The secondary issue is the spreading of the flooding beyond the car park entrance, across the pedestrian crossing and towards the entrance to Kingswood Court.  This happens when the drain can't cope during heavy or sustained rainfall.

Resolution

Following CCTV investigation in the drain between Brewery Road and the canal the problem was identified as an issue for Thames Water.  Surrey now tell me the drainage was "compromised by the development of the WWF site".  This explains the second part of the problem described above.  Thames Water has been spotted on site investigating the situation but no timescale for remedying the problem has been given.

Huge puddle at entrance to
Brewery Road car park

Once Thames Water has dealt with the drainage problem Surrey plan to install a new gully to drain away the water at the car park entrance.

More Questions

I have gone back and asked if Surrey will be seeking recompense from Wilmott Dixon for the impact work on the WWF site has had on the drainage system and for the likely timing of the blockade being cleared and the new gully installed.

We have progress but we are not there yet.

Getting Answers on Well Lane

Well Lane closed whilst the sewer
was repaired

I took the opportunity of the first meeting of the Surrey County / Woking Borough Joint Committee this week to seek some answers on the chaotic and disruptive programme of road resurfacing in Well Lane.

I got some answers but the response I received also raised many more questions.

Well Lane resurfacing work was originally scheduled to last for 10 working days.  At the last count it has been running for almost 3 months and is yet to be completed.

The collapse of a deep, major sewer did lead to long delays but the project was well over-time before this became a problem.  Could this issue have been anticipated given there had been problems before.

Assessing the site before work began

I had previously been told that site assessment had taken place before the resurfacing work began but in response to my question at the committee it appears that little or no assessment took place:

"There were unique local ground conditions that presented themselves on Well Lane that did cause issues. Such issues/ risks occur so rarely that the level of resources necessary to undertake the site testing, to pre-empt a possible problem, would not be viable for every scheme. It would add months onto the design process on something that may only happen in 1 in 100 or more. This would in turn reduce the amount of schemes we complete county wide considerably."

The response went on to say:

"The largest delay on the site has been associated with a sewer failure/ collapse, which was 3m deep and not identified until the existing surface layers had been removed. Thames Water have since been working on site for several weeks to rectify an historical issue and have now completed works."

Public questions are limited to a single question and a follow up so I couldn't explore this further but I would expect a risk assessment on each job to determine the level of site testing required.  There had been issues on this road before. Shouldn't that have rung warning bells?

Managing Contractors

I made a visit to Well Lane late at night 2 days into the project.  I heard from various sources around 10.30pm that contractors had arrived on site and started work half an hour earlier.  Contractors told me they were "getting ahead" ready for the next day and that their work was authorised.  The out of hours highways office couldn't tell me if this was the case but next morning I confirmed late night working WAS NOT authorised.  Highways told the contractors this wasn't to happen again - but it did - the very next night.  I was straight on to Highways and thankfully this time the work was stopped.

All this is brushed off in the response I received this week.

"In regards to the start of the works on Well Lane there were definite teething issues with the contractor on the first 2 days and these were immediately rectified, however the longer lasting disruption is due to site conditions not contractor quality.

The night works described was the lowering of man hole covers, this operation needed to be carried out as close to the main works as possible, and was delayed due to works elsewhere. Consequently the sub contractors operatives carrying out the work decided to work on to catch up without approval, and as soon as this was discovered the situation was resolved. We must apologise for this, even though it was carried out with the best intention of those involved."

The whole project raises issues about who controls those working on our roads.  Surrey has a contract with May Gurney for highways works.  May Gurney in turn give work to a wide range of sub-contractors.  The late night working is an excellent example of the difficulties in controlling these contractors.

After Easter, when there had been broken drains and a major water leak the county councillor got involved.  He lives just down the road and, to give his his due, worked very hard and spent a lot of time in Well Lane talking to those working on the road and to residents.  Reading his updates it seems he took on a project co-ordination role.  Now it's all very well for a councillor to get so involved but surely the role he took on should be done by either by county officers or May Gurney employees.  Otherwise why does so much of our Council Tax go to pay these people?

As I write on Friday night it seems the last section of the road is being resurfaced, but again, there is late night work.  My response at the meeting indicated work might take place on Friday evening, but 10pm is not the time to resurface a road in a residential area.  

Informing Residents

Residents first started telling me about issues with these works when they were trapped in their homes, unable to get out to work, business, school or other appointments.  This issue affected the roads off Well Lane such as Holyoake Avenue and Crescent, Well Close, Well Path and Gregory Close.  I was assured at the time that all of Well Lane and all neighbouring roads had been advised of the works.  A Conservative borough councillor at the Joint Committee appeared to admit that communication had been an issue and that these road WERE NOT advised about the resurfacing.

Compensation

I asked about compensation for both residents and businesses affected by the Well Lane works.  I had already raised this point back in May.  This week I was told:

"We have been in discussion with the local councillor and Woking Borough Council in regards to an appropriate compensation process for this scheme, and we will action as necessary."

An unsurfaced Well Lane and the
remains of leaks

Not giving anything away there but further exploration of this point at the meeting, particularly in relation to the impact on the business of Horsell Fish and Chips suggested the county are still looking at this.  I do hope, that for the sake of residents and businesses who have suffered so much over this lengthy saga that compensation is found

Give us back our public space

It is almost a year since local residents began to grow horrified at the decimation of flat, open space in Queen Elizabeth Gardens, Horsell.  I blogged at the time about the huge piles of sand being piled by the side of the bowling green and rendering an area used for children's play and dog walking unusable.  If you follow the sequence of blogs you will learn that a petition raised by local residents led to action by the Council who agreed the mound should not stay.

Agreement was reached with petitioners in October and the plan was to remove the sand (much of it has gone) and then landscape and re-seed the area with grass in the spring.  Spring has come and gone.  There is less sand but still no grass and no access to the area.

I raised this matter regularly with the Chief Executive of Woking Council whilst I was a councillor.  The last update I had, just a couple of months ago, was that the new footpath planned for the edge of the site still had to be resolved.  Since then I have heard nothing.

I have now written to the Chief Executive asking when Horsell will get its public space back.

How online is Woking?

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) has recently published figures on the proportion of census returns made online across the country.  I completed my census online so I was interested to see how many other Woking residents had done likewise.

Fewer than a quarter of Woking residents (23.1%) completed an online census form.  The great majority (76.9%) filled in a paper form.  This figure places Woking borough as the English local authority 39th in level of online completion.

Online completion rates vary across Woking from 15.2% to 32.7% with lowest levels of online completion recorded in parts of Byfleet and Maybury and Sheerwater whilst there were higher levels of completion in parts of Maybury and Sheerwater, Mount Hermon West and Horsell West

Most neighbouring boroughs have a lower level of online census completion than Woking .  Elmbridge was at 22.1, 10 places below Woking, Guildford at 21.9, 17 places below Woking and Runnymede was at 21, 27 places below Woking.  Surrey Heath has a higher level of completion than Woking.  At 24.1% it is 16 places above Woking.

The highest level of online completion across English authorities was in the London borough of Tower Hamlets (30.9%). London authorities took the top 5 places in the table of online completion and overall London topped regional completion figures at 24.2%, followed by the South East at 19.9%.

Lowest level of online completion came in the district of Eden in Cumbria at just 11.7%.  The average level of online completion across all local authorities was 18.4%.

It appears that Woking is an online borough that is ahead of many neighbouring boroughs and above the south east average.

New Vision Homes - Satisfaction and Performance Update

UPDATE Wednesday 25 June

Following the Conservative group forcing through plans for a constitutional change - giving themselves chair of Overview and Scrutiny - the committee settled down to review the report on New Vision Homes. 

Given that this report was first requested in February, was potentially to come to an April meeting but was delayed until June in order to complete all the necessary research I was very shocked that the first act of new committee chair Cllr Hussain was to suggest deferring the item another month.  Thankfully common sense prevailed and the report was reviewed.


When tonight's Woking Council Overview and Scrutiny meeting takes place (see here for how it will be delayed by Conservative plans for constitutional change) there is a key paper on New Vision Homes.

Several months ago councillors asked for a review of New Vision Homes (NVH) performance on maintenance and repairs.  This was promised for after the election period.  Councillors duly submitted issues their residents had experienced in the last six months.

The report before the committee tonight - you can read it here - covers a satisfaction survey run by an independent company.  It seems clear from this report that whilst NVH performs well in some areas - tackling anti-social behaviour for example - there are issues on repairs and maintenance. Feedback on the reports that councillors were asked to supply doesn't appear to be there.

I hope the Overview and Scrutiny committee fully explores the report before them tonight and continues its work to get a better repairs and maintenance service for tenants and leaseholders in future.

The meeting can be viewed online, either live from 8pm tonight or in a recorded form after tonight.