Portmore Park & District Residents Association

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The future shape of Weybridge: have your say on 27 August

The Government says Elmbridge must find space for around 9,400 new homes in the borough over the next fifteen years.  EBC has now put together five Local Plan options, from intensive high rise building in our towns to building on some of the Green Belt.

UPDATE: Consultation is open until 30 September – read more and submit your views at https://consult.elmbridge.gov.uk/consult.ti/LPOC/consultationHome?

Residents interested in the future development of Weybridge can learn more and have their say at an Elmbridge Local Plan consultation meeting in Esher on 27 August, 7-9pm. You need to book a place in advance, and can also submit panel questions in advance.

Elmbridge Borough Council currently has no preferred option — it is going to make a decision after the public consultation, so your views really do matter!

The options include things that will be unwelcome for residents in some areas. A 2016 consultation proposed building on 3% of Green Belt, and was vocally opposed by residents potentially affected by building on Green Belt, for example two areas of Cobham. This has increased pressure for higher density high rise building in larger towns (Walton and Weybridge).

It is important that residents in each part of Elmbridge have a fair say.  To find out more about the options:

  • View our PPDRA Local Plan Special Newsletter here
  • Download the draft Local Plan options paper from the EBC website.

Here is what Elmbridge Borough Council says about the consultation:

On 24 July, Elmbridge Borough Council’s Cabinet met to discuss the upcoming Local Plan consultation and agreed on the options to be presented to Elmbridge residents from 19 August – 30 September 2019. They also agreed to a series of six public meetings to discuss the options with residents and to hear the views of our residents.

The meetings will each have a different area focus, they will all take place at the Civic Centre off the High Street in Esher and they will all be webcast, allowing residents to watch all the meetings from the comfort of their homes.

The meeting dates and area focus are as follows:

  • Tuesday 27 August, 7-9pm – Weybridge
  • Wednesday 28 August, 7-9pm – Walton-on-Thames and Hersham
  • Thursday 29 August, 7-9pm – Molesey
  • Monday 2 September, 7-9pm – Cobham, Oxshott and Stoke d’Abernon
  • Tuesday 3 September, 7-9pm – The Dittons and Hinchley Wood
  • Thursday 5 September, 7-9pm – Esher and Claygate

Residents should book to attend a meeting and we would request that residents attend one meeting only in person, to allow as many as people as possible to take part in the consultation. The webcast is also available to all and there will be a webcast replay service.

The format of the public meetings will be as follows:

7pm – Presentation on the Local Plan options

On the panel:

  • Ray Lee, Strategic Director, Elmbridge Borough Council
  • Kim Tagliarini, Head of Planning Services, Elmbridge Borough Council,
  • Rachael Thorold, Local Plan Manager, Elmbridge Borough Council

7.30pm – Questions and answers session

  • Questions should be submitted in advance.
  • Following registration, residents will be sent an email with the opportunity to submit a question for the panel.

Councillor Karen Randolph, Portfolio Holder for Planning Services, would like to encourage residents to get involved in the upcoming consultation:

“The Local Plan is vitally important for the future of Elmbridge and we want to ensure that our residents are fully aware of the options, which is why I would encourage our residents to come along to the relevant public meeting or watch it through the webcast. Please book online to attend and send us your question in advance to ensure we can provide you with a full response.”

 

 

Portmore Community Meeting and AGM 2019 – Report

What can residents do to influence development of our part of Weybridge, in the face of pressure for much higher housing density? That was the primary focus of the Portmore Park & District community meeting on 26 June. Other topics included green spaces and paths, flooding, and the parking review. Wall displays covered overviews of local issues, topics and developments, to inform and stimulate thinking. Forty four local residents participated, including three Weybridge Riverside Elmbridge councillors. County cllr Tim Oliver was unable to attend but sent a written update.  There was some lively, constructive and positive discussion throughout the event.

Elmbridge Local Plan, and where to put new homes

The meeting drew lessons from the high-density development proposals for Beales Lane (141 local objections, refused) and Bridge House in the High Street (19 objections, consent imminent). Residents at our meeting hope for a less massive, less dominant development in Beales Lane, preferably of houses, certainly something more in keeping with the surroundings.

Government demands mean the planning authority is under pressure to squeeze in higher density developments: the forthcoming Elmbridge Local Plan must find space for 9,480 new homes in the next fifteen years. There will be difficult choices: either much higher density in towns or allowing development on some Green Belt land, or both. The question is where non-damaging high density might be achieved, with adequate infrastructure.

This is already a live issue in other parts of Elmbridge, where residents have become highly mobilised following the 2017 Elmbridge Green Belt review consultations – they want increased density to be elsewhere, and their target towns seem to be Walton and Weybridge.

What can people do locally? Actions discussed were: Take part in the public consultation on Elmbridge Local Plan options, which will run for six weeks from August. Get involved, raise awareness. Work towards constructive answers. Form a neighbourhood forum. Consider a neighbourhood plan.

The importance of green spaces

Other topics at the PPDRA meeting included positive news on local green spaces and paths.

There was strong appreciation of Broadwater Path – used by most participants since being made an accessible public footpath with a two metre wide crushed stone surface – and its role in enabling an application (with Elmbridge support) for national funding to conserve Broadwater lake. Making Footpath 36 (Grenside Road to the Thames) more accessible would also be welcome.

The meeting welcomed the retention of the whole of Churchfields Allotments, and heard about community efforts to enhance the maintenance of the allotment site. There was no support for building a car park on the Churchfields Recreation Ground bowling green.

Roundabout care

A resident raised the very poor state of the roundabout by Morrisons. Participants compared this with the excellent condition of some roundabouts in adjacent boroughs, where garden centres sponsor roundabout landscape maintenance in exchange for discreet advertising signs. There was strong support for Elmbridge to adopt this.

Flooding

There has been little news on further progress with the £700,000,000 River Thames Scheme for flood diversion measures between Datchet and Teddington, which is still seeking to fill a £350,000,000 funding shortfall. But there has been a rehearsal of temporary flood barrier use to protect Walton Lane and Dorney Grove.
The meeting heard of years of active local resident liaison with the Environment Agency, over River Thames Scheme proposals — a major flood diversion channel would discharge opposite the canoe club — and flood modelling. This included PPDRA lobbying to reverse plans (happily subsequently changed) to cut into the south bank on the Desborough Channel, which would have meant relocating the Thames Path closer to the Walton Lane road. Work on the River Thames Scheme recently seems to have gone rather quiet, with some EA personnel moved to other work.

Walton Lane residents have been in continuing contact over local temporary flood response measures. In October 2018 there was a successful Environment Agency rehearsal of putting up a temporary flood barrier from Weybridge Point to the first Desborough Bridge.

Parking Review

The meeting included a discussion on parking, and contrasted the 2009 and 2019 Elmbridge Parking reviews.

A decade ago, in 2009, Surrey County Council proposed a large Controlled Parking Zone west of Thames Street, a north Weybridge CPZ.  The proposals proved very unpopular. They were rejected by local residents for multiple reasons, including loss of capacity leaving some residents unable to park near their homes, a parking ban along Portmore Park Road opening the way to more and faster rat run traffic, and serious displacement issues along the CPZ’s eastern boundaries.

The 2019 review in contrast sets out more localised changes. The proposals aim to: increase safety; make it easier for residents to park close to their homes in Dorchester & Gascoigne Roads; maintain on-street parking capacity; avoid displacement; and create space for daytime two hour waiting by shoppers. These are all aims which are in line with principles long supported by PPDRA and by many residents.

Several participants felt more CPZ space should be allocated for joint use, to permit shopper/visitor two hour waiting as well as long stay residents’ parking.

Grenside Road & St George’s Junior School

Parking problems persist in Grenside Road, and there was disappointment that nothing has been done in the parking review to improve this, beyond the useful addition of double yellows lines on the Grenside Road junction with Grotto Road to help improve safety.

It was noted that St George’s Junior School on-site staff parking is limited, resulting in many staff vehicles having to park on-street. PPDRA understands that the school was advised by an Elmbridge planning officer that a potential application for car parking space on their newly acquired land at the end of Grenside Road would be unlikely to succeed.  PPDRA has suggested that the school might consider seeking consent to put a staff car park on their new land immediately next to the Bannatyne Health Club car park, as the least damaging location.

Thames Street warehouse

A resident raised the continuing issue of concern around inadequate asbestos management on the Thames Street warehouse site. It was agreed that the issue might usefully be given additional publicity in the Weybridge Society newsletter, and PPDRA will follow that up.

Collaboration with the Weybridge Society

It was suggested that closer collaboration with the Weybridge Society would be sensible on major issues affecting our town.  It was agreed that collaboration is a good thing, and the committee would again follow this up.

PPDRA Committee 2019-20

The meeting thanked members of the committee for their contribution over the past year, with particular thanks to two committee members who were standing down: Doug Myers of Walton Lane, and Ian Bonnett of The Willows, who has served as Treasurer for many years.

Members of the Association were delighted to welcome Michael Freeman back onto the committee (in the role of Treasurer), following his term as Elmbridge Borough Councillor, and to welcome onto the committee Lester Gange of Walton Lane. We are still seeking a new committee member from the Dorchester Road/Thames Street area.

The committee elected for 2019-20 comprises:
– Miles Macleod (Chair), Clinton Close
– Michael Freeman (Treasurer), The Swansway, PPR
– Jane Heard (Secretary), Portmore Park Road
– Eleanor Butler, Church Walk
– Lester Gange, Walton Lane
– Pippa Graeme, Elmgrove Road
– Sarah Jane Groves, Grenside Road
– Barbara Molony-Oates, Greenlands Road
– Pauline O’Sullivan, Wey Road
– Diane Phillips, Portmore Park Road
– William Rutherford, Mount Pleasant

Portmore Community Meeting & PPDRA AGM – Weds 26 June

Residents of north Weybridge are invited to our Portmore Park & District community meeting and PPDRA AGM on Wednesday 26th June, gathering from 7:30 pm (for 8pm) in the Parish Hall, Portmore Way, Weybridge KT13 8JD.

  • Meet fellow residents and local councillors
  • Find out about things that affect our local community
  • Share your views

Our theme this year is how residents can help shape the future of our part of Weybridge. Topics include:

  • Beales Lane 2019/0386 St Catherine’s planning application update
    • how community response can influence proposals; appeal readiness
  • How we can get input into the Elmbridge BC Local Plan
    • impact on future town planning decisions
  • Town centre development and community facilities
    • views from local businesses, residents and councillors
  • Importance of green spaces and riversides
    • recreation ground, allotments, local parks, paths & open spaces
  • Elmbridge Parking Review 2019
    • Residents parking for Dorchester & Gascoigne Roads
  • Positive community activities
    • linking in with other community groups and initiatives

Local Councillors will be there to participate and listen to views.

Schedule:

  • 7:30 Chat and light refreshments
  • 8:00 Community update and group discussion
  • 9:15 Brief AGM formalities, followed by opportunities for individual discussion
  • 9:45 Close

We hope to see you there!

Is there a local matter you would like us to include?
Please do let us know: email contactus @ portmore.org.uk

Download our June 2019 PPDRA Newsletter here

Latest Newsletter

AVAILABLE NOW !

We are currently distributing our latest Portmore Park & District Residents Association newsletter and membership form.   PPDRA volunteers are delivering 1200 copies,  to households in the roads we cover.

If you want to have an electronic copy — in lovely colour — you can download our

  • 2018 Summer PPDRA Newsletter (pdf  996KB)
  • 2018 PPDRA membership form (pdf  341KB)

Why join PPDRA?

YOUR MEMBERSHIP CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

We help residents have a voice on local matters

We are a non-political, voluntary association of residents in north Weybridge who care about local quality of life, community and heritage. Open to all local residents.

PPDRA originated in the 1960s . We have a very positive record of making a difference on a range of major issues that affect our part of Weybridge:

  • Campaigning against dangerous rat run traffic in our residential roads, helped get traffic calming measures and a 20 MPH zone (which many residents want extended east of Thames Street)
  • Helped prevent a huge twin loop junction at Walton Bridge, which would have taken away public riverside land and sent more traffic along Walton Lane and Thames Street and through Portmore Park
  • Worked to overcome obstacles to Broadwater Path — which gives public access to Broadwater, opening the way for public funding to save the lake from silting up
  • Years of liaising with the Environment Agency on riverside amenities and flood planning
  • Informed comment on local planning applications
  • Conducting traffic surveys to monitor local flows
  • Working with St George’s Junior School on community relations and school traffic
  • Helping residents communicate with Surrey and Elmbridge Councils on local issues
  • Newsletters, community meetings, website, and more!

We request an annual subscription to help cover costs, of £3 per member; £5 per household (or another sum if you wish)

Update on planning future health services for Weybridge

weybridge-hospital-PHOENIX-2

Residents who signed up to participate in consultation about future health services for Weybridge following the Community Hospital fire have received the update below.

Note that the NW Surrey Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) website has been updated with NW Surrey CCG’s informative reports of the two community meetings held on 17 October in St James’ Church, Weybridge.

PPDRA aims to contribute to the consultation in liaison with members who wish to particpate in the engagement process. If you are strongly interested in the shape of our future health services in Weybridge, please let us know.

(See also our PPDRA report of the October meetings and concerns expressed )

 


FROM:         Comms (NHS NORTH WEST SURREY CCG)
DATE:           Wed 15/11/2017 13:30
SUBJECT:   Engaging the local community in planning future health services for Weybridge

Thank you very much for expressing an interest in joining a smaller working group/s to consider future health services for Weybridge.

We have set out our draft engagement plans below, and it would be really helpful if you could let us know which group/s you might be interested in participating in:

  1. Engaging local people across North West Surrey on our urgent care strategyAs we described at the public meetings in Weybridge on 17 October, we are starting to think about how we plan and improve access to urgent care services across North West Surrey.  This will include services in Weybridge so it makes sense to start thinking about the wider picture first before we focus on the detail for a new healthcare facility in Weybridge.To start this engagement, we are planning to hold a wider engagement event (possibly end November/beginning of December) with up to around 50 people from across North West Surrey to start thinking about the best way to provide urgent care, on the day services for local people.  This is likely to be a daytime event and we will also be inviting people from other parts of North West Surrey.  This would include some facilitated table discussion.
  1. A smaller working group to look at our developing urgent care strategyFollowing the event above, we would look to create a smaller working group that might meet every 2-4 weeks for a period of several months while we work through options and move towards public consultation.
  2. Weybridge Hospital Patient Advisory GroupOnce we have clearer plans for urgent care access across North West Surrey, we would like to create a dedicated patient group to consider services + the look and feel/design for a new health facility in Weybridge.  We anticipate a working group of up to around 20 people.  This is not likely to meet until well into the New Year.  This group is likely to meet approx. once a month for the duration of our planning for the new build (which could be up to around 2 years depending on how the planning moves forward).

As we indicated at the meetings in Weybridge, engaging the local community is a key part of our planning;  we will continue to keep people updated via our website, the local press and other methods as appropriate and there will also be opportunities for more people to get involved during public consultation where we will also have further public meetings.  During that wider consultation period we would also be very happy to come out and talk to local groups as much as possible.

In the meantime, we would be very grateful if you could indicate which of the above you would be interested in participating in;  these are not mutually exclusive so you could opt for more than one if you wish.

All up to date information on Weybridge Community Hospital is now on our website and can be found here.

Communications and Engagement Team
NHS North West Surrey Clinical Commissioning Group
58 Church Street, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 8DP

Web: www.nwsurreyccg.nhs.uk
Follow us on Twitter @NWSurreyCCG

Community Event and PPDRA AGM – 5 Oct 2016

Portmore Park & District Residents Association

Portmore Park & District Residents Association

Local residents are invited to our Portmore Park & District community event on 5 October, from 7:30 pm in the St Charles Borromeo School Hall, Portmore Way.

Keep in touch with what’s happening locally

  • Meet fellow residents and local councillors
  • Find out about things that affect our local community
  • Share your views

The evening will have ample opportunity for asking questions and raising concerns.  It will incorporate (briefly) the PPDRA AGM.

County Councillor Ramon Gray, and Elmbridge Borough Councillors Andrew Davis, Michael Freeman and Andy Muddyman plan to be there.

There will be opportunities to learn more about — and give your views on — topics including

  • Broadwater Path update
  • Weybridge Parking Review
  • River Thames Scheme flood relief
  • Community Resilience
  • Weybridge Point riverside consultation
  • Weybridge town centre
  • town planning and
  • other local matters.

Is there a local topic you would like us to include?
Please do let us know: email contactus @ portmore.org.uk

Provisional Programme

7:30    Chat and light refreshments
8:00   Hear about and discuss local matters as a whole group
9:00   Brief AGM formalities, followed by
discussion in smaller groups of topics of most interest to people
9:45    Close

We hope to see you there!

Survey 2015: What do you want for Weybridge?

PPDRA is conducting a survey of local residents’ concerns and wishes for Weybridge, to help us continue to reflect local views.

Our Survey 2015 covers:

  • Weybridge Town Centre – how to make it more attractive to visit.
  • Parking – on-street and off-street provision.
  • Traffic through residential areas – volume and speed, and how to manage it.
  • Public riversides, green spaces and footpaths – appreciation, concerns and wishes.
  • Other local concerns.

Survey forms are being distributed with our October 2015 PPDRA Newsletter.
You can also download copy of PPDRA Survey 2015 here.

Portmore Park & District Annual Residents Meeting – 3 Nov 2015

Residents of north Weybridge are invited to share views at our
Portmore Park & District Residents Annual Meeting
Meet other residents and local councillors
Tuesday 3 November, 7:30 for 8:00 pm
St Charles Borromeo School Hall, Christ The Prince Of Peace (Portmore Way)
7:30 – Chat and light refreshments
8:00 – Hear about and discuss local matters which affect our community
We will also briefly conduct the formal business of the PPDRA AGM

Elmbridge Borough Councillors for Weybridge North, Andrew Davis and Ramon Gray, plan to be at our meeting to listen to and speak with residents. This year Ramon Gray was also elected as Surrey County Councillor for Weybridge (his predecessor Christian Mahne was at last year’s meeting).
We hope also to have a guest to speak about the parking review.
Note that PPDRA and our AGM are always careful not to be party political.

Download our October 2015 PPDRA Newsletter (pdf, 1334KB) here.

You can also download copy of PPDRA Survey 2015 (pdf, 508KB) here.

Morrisons feature at 2014 PP&DRA AGM

apple-touch-icon-152x152The big new Morrisons store in Weybridge — the largest retail development the town centre has seen — provoked lively discussion at the 2014 Portmore Park & District RA AGM on 13 November.  The manager of the new store, Gary Hunt, took part in a very useful Q&A session, and provided some reassurance about how the store would respond to issues that may arise.  The meeting was attended by over 50 local residents, some with strong concerns  about the impact on local parking and traffic, given the relatively modest size of the car park and the lack of provision for staff parking, and the issue of abandoned trolleys.

Local councillors for Weybridge,  Surrey County Councillor Christian Mahne, and Elmbridge Borough Councillor Andrew Davis (Weybridge North) also attended the meeting, and answered questions on matters  that are the responsibility of the Councils.

Other topics covered on the AGM agenda included findings from local traffic flow surveys conducted by PP&DRA.

A new committee for 2015 was elected.

[More to follow]

Annual Meeting – 13 November 2014 – Portmore Park & District Residents

Share your views at our AGM.  Meet other residents and local councillors.

7:30 for 8pm, Thursday 13 November at St Charles Borromeo School,  Christ The Prince Of Peace (Portmore Way).

There will be light refreshments on arrival and, if any left, afterwards!

7:30 – Chat and light refreshments.
8:00 – Hear about and discuss local matters which affect our community.

Morrisons Weybridge – Meet the New Store Manager

With the new Morrisons store due to open before Christmas, our AGM will give you a chance to ask questions about plans and arrangements.

We are happy to say that the manager of the new store, Gary Hunt, has agreed to be at our meeting to tell us about what Morrisons are doing and to answer your questions.

Get Elmbridge news and views from our Local Councillors

Elmbridge Borough Councillors Andrew Davis and Ramon Gray have said they plan to be at our AGM.

There is a long and valued tradition of local councillors attending the PP&DRA AGM. The meeting is not in any way party political (and our councillors represent different parties). Together, they listen to the things that matter to the people here, tell us about plans, and answer questions.

Surrey County Council topics

We have also invited the Surrey County Councillor for Weybridge, Christian Mahne. If he is unable to attend we can pass questions on to him. In July he met the PP&DRA committee and discussed a range of local issues.

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Elmbridge Local Plan 2019 Consultation – PPDRA Submission (30 September -pdf)

LOCAL PLAN SPECIAL NEWSLETTER  (August 2019 – pdf)

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