Council Planning Site finally moves beyond Internet Explorer

Woking's Updated Public Access for Planning System

After a wait of more than 3 years Woking Council finally has a planning access system that works on modern browsers.

For the last few years we have been stuck with  a system that only worked on older versions of Internet Explorer.  Residents wanting to view the documents of a planning application had to revert from browsers such as Chrome and Firefox to the older browser.  



I first raised the incompatibility issue back at the end of 2010 after residents highlighted a problem.  My research at the time informed me that the supplier of the system used by Woking would be upgrading.  I was then told that the upgrade wasn't to happen for over a year.  A ridiculously long time to wait.

Worse was to come.  A long way towards the promised upgrade data, the supplier announced there was to be no upgrade.  A new supplier was required, and this was actioned by the incoming new Head of Planning.

It has all taken much longer than it should have done but I am pleased that we now have a system that makes planning application documents accessible to the public.

Open for Business in Well Lane

As the endless, chaotic programme of road resurfacing drags on in Well Lane local businesses are suffering.  It looks like there may well be another two weeks of disruption before the work is finished.

Access to businesses is open but it's not surprising that many are put off by the scene of devastation.

Horsell Fish and Chip Shop has continued to trade throughout the works.  Business has been particularly affected at lunch times.

I have been along to Well Lane a number of times to see the effect on businesses and residents and have spoken with Brian, the owner of the chip shop.  With the work entering its 5th weekend the family and I supported this great local business and treated ourselves to chips for tea on Saturday evening.

If you would like some great fish and chips and want to support a local business do try and drop into Horsell Fish and Chips in the next week.

Green Gunge Going ...

Canal covered in green gunge

After many months of the Basingstoke Canal being covered in green gunge it is finally being cleared.

Since last summer the canal has been covered in a green carpet.  I highlighted the issues in a Council meeting last year, asking Woking Council to write to the Basingstoke Canal Authority to get clearing work done.

Some of the weed required a new weedcutter as the small size of the weed meant it was not picked up by usual equipment.

Post-storm work on the canal, picking up many fallen trees, delayed the clearing of the gunge but staff and volunteers are now hard at work clearing the canal.

Gunge free canal

In discussion with the canal authority I learnt that there are two types of weed afflicting the canal.  The good news is that neither type is damaging to wildlife.

Lesser duckweed does not generally affect animals or the plant life of the canal. However oxygen levels for fish can be affected if there is a large quantity of this weed.

Floating pennywort is a fast growing plant. It can grow by 20cm a day.  The new weedcutter is now tackling this plant. Floating pennywort is particularly difficult to control because it can re-grown from the tiniest fragment.  The canal authority is asking boat users to check their weed boxes to help clear out this invasive species.

Some of the area of the canal between Sheerwater and St Johns has already been cleared and the rest should soon be cleared.

More on Well Lane Chaos

AND THERE'S MORE

Residents of Well Lane continue to suffer as road resurfacing work drags on.  

Whilst the work is yet to finish it has now been decided to recycle the materials off-site and to resurface the road in sections.  This has meant some of the heavy machinery has been moved off the road.  Some small respite for the embattled residents and businesses.

Part of the road remains closed because of a damaged sewer which Thames Water will be tackling.  Residents have advised there have been issues with this part of the sewer in the past.  The question is why was this not picked up on the site survey carried out before work began?

And of course, even once this is over, residents have yet more disruption to come when new speed humps are installed at a later date.



UPDATE - More Well Lane Chaos

With a road resembling a war zone and news that resurfacing works will run over into next week Well Lane residents were surely already suffering enough.





Unbelievably things got worse when the Easter Holidays were greeted by a triple disaster cocktail of sewage leak, water leak and gas main leak.  

The sewage leak was fixed promptly on Thursday afternoon.  Repairs to the water leak, which cut off water supply to homes, were delayed until the gas main damage was fixed but was restored that evening.

A separate small water leak is still affecting the Well Lane / Gregory Close junction this weekend but worse another sewage leak happened on Saturday afternoon.  Sewage poured down the road and residents suffered a horrible stench.


Well Lane residents have suffered a catalogue of chaos in the last week as contractors have been working to resurface the road.  Poor communication has left residents trapped, they have been disturbed by unauthorised late night work and given a new water fountain courtesy of the contractors.

Residents have very much welcomed the resurfacing, which was much needed on this road, but they did not ask for the chaos the work has caused and are concerned that speed calming measures will not be put back in place immediately during this phase of work.

Residents do not recall receiving notice of the works and a number of residents found their way blocked when they tried to leave homes in Well Lane, Holyoake Avenue and Crescent and Well Close.

Residents were disturbed by work on site that started at 10.30 pm.  One resident called the police thinking that no legitimate work would go on at that time if night and that drain covers were being stolen.  I had to start making phone calls at 11.30pm on a Thursday  evening to get this work stopped.  It took until Friday to confirm that overnight work was not authorised.  Despite this the contractors still tried to work on Friday night and I again had to make late night phone calls to get the work stopped.

Speed humps will not go back as part of the current programme of work as the style of humps used in Well Lane is now outdated.  Surrey has failed to design the scheme for new humps or to do the required consultation with residents.  Contractors will have to return to the road to install speed humps at a later date.

This catalogue of chaos is a failure of communication, a failure of contractor control and a failure in works planning.  To add insult to injury the contractors hit the water main yesterday and treated residents to a spectacular new water fountain.

I have asked the county council how they plan to improve future communications about roadworks, what sanctions will be brought to bear on the contractors who caused serious disruption to residents by working late at night without permission and chaos by hitting a water main; and when the traffic calming will be reinstated.