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