News

WeyBetterWeybridge – Public Exhibition of Plans 20 May

On Friday 20 May residents will at last get an opportunity to view and discuss plans for Weybridge Hospital replacement, 2pm – 7pm at St James, following years of behind the scenes work by the WeyBetterWeybridge programme. Community facilities and road improvements are also on the agenda.

NHS, Surrey County Council and Elmbridge Borough Council representatives will be on hand to answer questions and listen to residents’ views, as will our local MP.

Surrey County Council announced the event on their website on 11 May. Here is the full text of their announcement:

WeyBetter Weybridge public exhibition to update on plans to create a state-of-the-art community and health and wellbeing hub for local people

POSTED BY SCC ⋅ MAY 11, 2022
FILED UNDER LEADER OF SURREY COUNTY COUNCIL, TIM OLIVER

On Friday 20 May, Surrey County Council, North West Surrey Alliance, NHS Surrey Heartlands Clinical Commissioning Group and Elmbridge Borough Council are hosting a public exhibition in St James Church, Weybridge. Dr Ben Spencer, MP for Runnymede and Weybridge will also be in attendance to speak to residents.

The event is to share the work to date that has been undertaken on the re-development of community and health services in the area, along with a series of planned road improvements.

The town centre development includes plans to build a brand new health campus, and a planned redevelopment of the library to create a modern, purpose-built space that will be a vibrant hub for the local community for generations to come.

Residents of Weybridge and the surrounding area are invited to come along between 2-7pm to hear an update and get an idea of how the site could look, find out about the type of services that could be provided, have the opportunity to speak to key decision-makers and share their initial feedback.

Leader of Surrey County Council, Tim Oliver, said, “I’m delighted we’re able to host this event and present plans to local people for the renewal of their town and facilities. The WeyBetter Weybridge programme is a unique opportunity to deliver modern facilities across a range of services to meet the needs of residents now and into the future, ensuring no one is left behind.”

Jack Wagstaff, Place Leader for North West Surrey Health and Care Alliance said: “This event gives us the opportunity to update local people on the work that has been happening in collaboration with our partners to develop and modernise services in Weybridge.

“This is an exciting opportunity to deliver a brand new, first-class, health facility as part of a much wider vibrant community hub for local people and our staff.” The event will be held in the church from 2-7pm and people can visit at any time. If people are unable to attend the event itself, the information will be located in the library until the end of May and available online after the event <insert link>.

Local leaders will be at the event to talk to local people and hear their views. Leaders include:

Tim Oliver, Leader of Surrey County Council
Dr Ben Spencer, MP for Runnymede and Weybridge
Marie Snelling, Executive Director for Customer and Communities, Surrey County Council
Ian Smith, Designate Chair for the Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board
Jack Wagstaff, Place Leader, North West Surrey Alliance

This event is an opportunity for us to share our progress to date on the planned transformation of the site and our early ideas on how the space could work and look. As the WeyBetter Weybridge programme develops, there will be plenty of opportunity for local people and partners to have their say to ensure the proposals meet the needs of local people and local communities.

<END>

POSTPONED to 4th Sept: Midsummer Madness community event at Churchfields

The June 26th Midsummer Madness community event at Churchfields has been postponed to 4th September, because national Covid restrictions have not yet been fully lifted. But we understand that the Monument Green market is likely to go ahead on 26th June with social distancing, subject to Elmbridge approval.

The new date for the Churchfields community event activities of 4th September is expected to include the Brooklands Museum car display, St James bell tower tours and cream teas, all community stalls, live music and performances, and picnic-in-the-park at Churchfields recreation grounds. On Saturday September 4th it is hoped residents and local organisations can finally gather for a post-lockdown family fun day and town-wide social event!

Please note however that Weybridge’s market fayre at Monument Green will likely take place as scheduled on June 26th, with market stalls, live acts and DJ music from Brooklands Radio. Ruth Langford will be on hand to open the festivities and shopping at noon. All activity in this area will be properly socially distanced and manned in accordance with current regulations. It is waiting for the final go-ahead from Elmbridge Borough Council and will update soon.

Weybridge residents are invited to continue to support our local businesses and keep up community spirit as we move our way out of lockdown and to make a note of the new September 4th date in their diaries.

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

St Catherine’s Beales Lane refusal confirmed

Refusal has now been confirmed of plans for a huge block on the St Catherine’s site, Beales Lane (2019/0386), but with two changes to the reasons. The plans were initially refused by Elmbridge Planning Sub-committee on 20 May because of the harmful impact of height and massing on the character of the area, access and manoeuvring issues, and loss of trees and soft landscaping.

The application was referred back to the Sub-committee to consider an additional pre-identified issue, missing legal agreement for affordable housing. At the 17 June meeting, that new reason was added, but the access and manoeuvring issues were removed as a reason following new advice from Surrey Highways.

Residents are disappointed that Surrey had no objection to the traffic and parking issues the plans would have created, with lack of adequate turning space on site, and delivery vehicles having to reverse out of Beales Lane into Thames Street. However there was great relief that Elmbridge recognised the unacceptably oppressive impact of such a massive building close to the the road, where at present the low building is set back and softened by grass and trees.

Here is the 17th June decision:

Elmbridge Borough Council Meeting of South Area Planning Sub-Committee, Monday, 17th June, 2019

2019/0386 – St Catherines, Thames Street, Weybridge

Minutes:

One late letter of objection had been received.

The Sub-Committee Members resolved to refuse the application at the meeting held on 20 May 2019 for three reasons. Whilst the legal agreement securing the affordable housing contribution had not been received, the reasons for refusal had not included the lack of the affordable housing contribution as one of them.

Accordingly, during the introduction of the application, the Special Projects Officer advised the Sub-Committee that as the legal agreement had not been received, an additional reason for refusal needed to be included. The Sub-Committee agreed to add this reason for refusal.

Furthermore, the Special Projects Officer provided an update on the verbal advice received from the Highways Authority regarding the layout of the access and parking area on the development site, which had been included in the original reasons for refusal of this application at the Sub-Committee meeting on 20 May 2019. Given that there were concerns as to whether this reason was sufficiently robust, the Special Projects Officer sought a formal view from the Sub-Committee as to whether it wished to continue with this reason for refusal. In light of the update and having considered the information provided by the Special Projects Officer, the Sub-Committee were supportive of the removal of this reason for refusal. Accordingly, the Sub-Committee resolved to

Refuse permission, contrary to the Officer’s recommendation, for the following reasons

Confirm Reason from the Sub-Committee decision 20 May 2019

Due to its height and massing, the proposed development would be out of keeping with the character of the surrounding area. The proposal is therefore contrary to the requirements of Policy CS17 of the Elmbridge Core Strategy 2011 and Policy DM2 of the Elmbridge Development Management Plan 2015.

Confirm Reason from the Sub-Committee decision 20 May 2019

Due to the loss of trees and green spaces around the building, which are considered to provide high landscape contribution towards the character of the area, the proposal fails to enhance and integrate into its surroundings. As such, the proposal is contrary to Policy DM6 of the Elmbridge Development Management Plan 2015.

[Previously listed as Reason 3. of the decision of the Sub-Committee made on 20 May 2019.]

Add Refusal Reason

In the absence of a completed legal agreement, the proposed development fails to secure the necessary affordable housing provision contrary to the requirements of Policy CS21 of the Elmbridge Core Strategy 2011and the Developer Contributions Supplementary Planning Document 2012.

Remove Reason

The layout of the access and parking area would result in hazardous manoeuvring due to the lack of turning point within the proposed rear parking area which would result in a need to reverse from the parking spaces to the under-croft access road in order to leave the site in forward gear. As such, the proposal is contrary to the requirements of Policy DM7 of the Elmbridge Development Management Plan 2015.

[Previously listed as Reason 2. of the decision of the Sub-Committee made on 20 May 2019.]

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)

Weybridge Point scheme making progress

Plans for improving Weybridge Point took a step forward on 7th December, at a meeting between the Thames Landscape Strategy (TLS), Weybridge residents groups, Weybridge Ladies ARC and local councillors.

The Weybridge Point Scheme was initiated by TLS and the Weybridge Society, and obtained CIL funding after it incorporated some adjustments to meet local needs better (proposed by PPDRA, Weybridge Ladies ARC and other local groups).

Work is soon to start. On 7th December, plans developed from previous meetings — for landscaping the car park and enhancing the ability to view the river and weir — were adjusted so that all parties were happy with the proposals.

Weybridge Point overlooks the confluence of the Thames and Wey, and is valued in many ways: as a riverside car park; as the entrance to our local stretch of the Thames Path; as part of national Cycle Route 4; as a convenient place for mooring visiting boats; and as a place with a picturesque view towards Shepperton Weir.

The Weybridge Point scheme aims to enhance its use for all of those purposes.

The draft TLS plan with a diagonal path was a significant improvement on the very first plans, but it was agreed that it needed some adjustments to avoid reducing riverside parking, to moderate cycle speed past the entrance to the WLARC boathouse, where boats are often carried across the path, and to keep the emergency vehicle access clear. PPDRA suggested some modifications.

The annotated plan on the left illustrates the agreed amendments.

Putting a dogleg in the desire line path enables maximum parking with a riverside view, slows cycles at the key point, and prevents obstruction of the path and emergency access. A low safety barrier railing will separate the parking from the riverside edge, without obstructing views.

Making the viewing platform a suitable and practical size was high on the agenda. The ground beyond the edge of the car park is fairly level before it drops away. Decking over the relatively level part would be far more affordable than decking needing a tall engineered structure for support.

There was also much discussion of how to limit litter being left outside bins. This has been an increasingly troublesome issue, since the moorings were upgraded and enlarged.

Suggestions at the meeting were for a large (commercial sized) wheeled bin with lid, for boat rubbish, plus normal bins for use by pedestrians and other visitors to the riverside. The best location for the boat bin is still under discussion, as it depends on easy access for emptying.

Overall the meeting was very positive, and all parties look forward to work starting as soon as possible, so the results can be enjoyed this summer — if at all possible, in time for the Weybridge ladies ARC Regatta on 10th June.

PPDRA has found a picture of Weybridge Point on a postcard sent from Weybridge in 1909.

It shows a view of the weir, with working horses and a small moored boat in the foreground.

Weybridge Point is a place residents and visitors alike appreciate, and true asset for our community. We look forward to it regaining some of its picturesque charm.

Meeting with Surrey County Councillor Tim Oliver, 20 Sept 2017

COUCNILLOR-LIAISON-SURREY-303l

Issues that matter for Weybridge residents were the topic of a useful meeting between local residents’ groups and the Surrey County Councillor for Weybridge, on 20 September.

Clr Tim Oliver met with representatives of local residents groups in Weybridge, including the Weybridge Society, Portmore Park & District RA and Triangle Residents.

In advance of the meeting, PPDRA circulated a list of Surrey-related things that concern residents of our part of north Weybridge. Most of these were covered constructively in the meeting.

Below we list the PPDRA issues, plus Tim Oliver’s agenda. Summary of some key points covered in discussion to follow.

Summary of PPDRA issues/questions for Weybridge Surrey County Councillor – September 2017

1/ Parking concerns in north Weybridge

Need for effective strategic planning and action on parking (Weybridge-wide, recognising the specific issues of Portmore Park & district, including residents of our increasingly densely populated residential roads near the High Street where most households have no off-street parking, plus shoppers and workers and school runs)
Local reactions to the recent Parking Review, especially Dorchester & Gascoigne Road issues, and lack of action on Grenside Road following our meeting with Margaret Hicks

2/ Traffic flows and speeds in north Weybridge

Keeping speeds low in residential roads
Extending the 20mph limit to the east of Thames Street: Grotto Road, Monument Road etc (region of St James’ School & surrounding residential roads; additional traffic calming, particularly for Grotto & Greenlands Roads?)
Preventing Portmore Park Road / Thames St / Walton Lane becoming a faster & more heavily used rat run
Positive visibility of roundels in existing 20 zone (a few more needed, CIL funding possibility? likewise interactive signs?)
Request for up-to-date figures on traffic flows in Walton Lane/Thames Street and PPR

3/ Any SCC plans to reduce the overall negative impact of traffic on Weybridge?

4/ Safer cycle routes

SCC plans for improving safety of cycling Weybridge (given big spend in other places, and statements of previous Weybridge councillors)?
Particular issue cycling between PPR and Station/Heathside School at Balfour Road and Church Street.

5/ Pavements

Progress of town centre pavement / pedestrian area plans?
Dangerous unevenness on pavements and gradients on drop kerbs (and no way of reporting gradients online)
Continuing issue of missing pavement on one side of Grotto Road, approaching the junction of Thames Street (a crossover of two school runs, with many pedestrians; blind corner for traffic exiting Grotto Road)

6/ Public Footpaths

Excellent to have Broadwater Path FP40!
Gradients/difficult access to parts of FP36 (Grenside Road to River Thames)
Dual use of FP20 (PPR to Minorca) ?
Issues of horse riders on Desborough Island, including churning its unsurfaced perimeter footpath

7/ Road surfaces / potholes

Status of resurfacing vs patching?
Issues of recurrent break-up at high use turning areas (e.g. Elmgrove Road outside Waitrose car park) and bends (e.g. PPR either side ode of traffic islands)
Recurrent dangerous break-up & subsidence around drains (where cyclists have to ride – e.g. in Thames Street))

8/ Impacted gullies causing recurrent road flooding

g. the end of PPR by Balfour Road; Walton Lane (or is that an EBC culvert issue by the canoe club?)

9/ Weybridge Community Hospital

Transport to temporary Walton location (new enhanced bus timetables – is SCC monitoring need /demand/ take–up?)
Rebuilding plans (essential not to lose the local community facility!!!)
Medium term plans?

10/ Town centre improvement initiatives

Weybridge Library building – current plans?
Status of thinking on part-pedestrianisation, e.g. weekend/market day closures at end of Baker Street?
Other positive SCC thinking?

11/ Future housing plans – SCC involvement?

What is the SCC role in the consultation on future housing needs (e.g. in matching plans to infrastructure & community character; some local concerns about the impact of building multiple flats – with transient rentals – on the character of a family residential area)

12/ Possibilities for SCC supporting community & voluntary involvement?

Helping residents take pride in our locality, e.g. through supporting voluntary minor clearing work along public footpaths.

Happily, the PPDRA issues overlapped considerably with the agenda suggested by Tim Oliver:

AGENDA

Introductions

Purpose of the meeting

Library proposals/ walk in centre
Parking review
Park & ride/ Traffic congestion
Streetscape/ High street regeneration
Brooklands business park accessibility
Baker street
War memorial lighting
Road closures information
Road surfaces
Road safety

Future meetings

Broadwater Path taking shape at last

Broadwater Path – Weybridge Public Footpath 40

Broadwater Path — a picturesque walk along the edge of Broadwater lake — is at long last becoming a properly surfaced reality. The path runs through the tranquil Green Belt countryside between Grenside Road, Weybridge and Cowey Sale (Walton Bridge). Work to lay the crushed stone surface started this month, and should be completed by mid September.

At the time of writing, nearly half the length has already been surfaced, and it looks superb — a good solid surface where before there was tangled undergrowth and mud. It will be a wonderful lasting asset for our community.

Broadwater Path surfacing in progress July 2017

The surfacing is possible thanks to Community Infrastructure Levy funding secured from Elmbridge Borough Council.

The formal dedication of the public footpath by Surrey County Council was complete by the start of this year, after over 15 years of local effort to make it happen.

Broadwater Path is more than a walk though beautiful scenery — the dedication of the public footpath opens the way for public funding to help conserve the historic Broadwater lake, which has been silting up badly in recent years. We can now look forward with greater confidence to this priceless local feature being enjoyed by future generations.

The final agreed official route of Broadwater Path

Weybridge Parking Review – delays and action

DorchesterRdParking2017-sc The long awaited Weybridge Parking Review decision seems to have been delayed again, and there is no reliable information available about when Surrey County Council will complete the review. But there is now a parallel local initiative to look at the problem.

Residents will recall that the draft SCC Weybridge Parking Review proposals caused a lot of concern locally, so much so that they were sent back for further work. SCC received hundreds of comments, and it seems to be taking a very long time to consider these. We hear that a Surrey County Council meeting to discuss local roads this month was cancelled at short notice. No reason was given, but it coincides with a dire financial position (£120 million shortfall) and budget uncertainty. There are concerns locally that the SCC Weybridge Strategic Parking Review may be cut back or put on hold indefinitely.

Meanwhile the Weybridgetown Business Group and Weybridge Society are collaborating to take a much needed longer term strategic look at Weybridge parking needs and possibilities. You can download a press release announcing the Weybridge Parking Project 2017_18 here.

As part of that voluntary local activity, they are seeking the views of local residents groups.

PPDRA input submitted in January 2016 to the SCC Weybridge Strategic Parking Review is shown below.

Do you think that the comments below are a relevant and fair reflection of Weybridge parking needs in 2017? If you live, work or shop in Weybridge, or are a concerned visitor, please let us know your thoughts.

PPDRA submission to SCC Weybridge Parking Review

January 2016

Portmore Park & District Residents Association (PPDRA) recognises that Weybridge needs adequate parking for residents, shoppers, visitors and workers, if our town is to thrive. We also know that this is a difficult balance to achieve.

The PPDRA committee broadly welcomes the principle of reducing parking restrictions to help increase capacity, where that is possible and desirable, so long as

a good balance of priorities is achieved (especially the balance between parking for residents, shoppers and workers)
safety is kept as a prime consideration.

We welcome the principle of consulting residents of individual roads about the specific needs of their road, especially where residents are being displaced from limited parking spaces in their own road.

PPDRA believes there is a very strong need for more public off-street parking, priced more affordably, and convenient for Weybridge town centre. This is a view which has been widely expressed by local residents in our community meetings and surveys. Cheap or free short stay parking in particular could help the town centre thrive. Affordable long stay off-street parking is also much needed, within reasonable walking distance.

We recognise that allowing on-street parking can have positive outcomes beyond a simple increase in parking capacity, especially in potential rat runs. Traffic speeds in our local residential roads are a major issue. Parked cars can be a positive natural form of traffic calming: for example, Portmore Park Road and Thames Street are unclassified residential roads which without parked cars might become high speed rat runs for through traffic.

Thames Street and Portmore Park Road include schools and a church, which have different parking needs and impacts on the community, meriting additional thought about how best to enable the required mainly short stay parking nearby. PPDRA has met with St George’s Junior School 3 times a year since 2002, liaising on issues including how best to manage school run drop off and pick up parking. We have also discussed parking issues with representatives of Christ The Prince of Peace church and other local groups. We note that Thames Street has recently faced issues of excessive obstruction caused by inconsiderate parking at the upper end between the junction with Grotto Road and Monument Green.

The most serious parking issues locally arise close to Weybridge High Street. The Portmore Park and District area of north Weybridge has a fair density of mainly Victorian homes with no off-street parking. The lack of private off-street parking is a particular issue in roads adjacent to the High Street, where shoppers and town centre workers look to park their cars. The result has been that residents of these roads, returning from a school run or shopping journey, risk finding nowhere to park within walking distance of their home. Hence many living in these roads favour residents’ parking schemes.

PPDRA has long supported the principle that Surrey County Council should consult residents of individual roads about specific residents’ parking schemes for their road.

The PPDRA committee also recognises the need to permit short term shopper and visitor parking in such roads, with a good level of churn, so long as it allows for the needed level of daytime residents’ parking. It is not good to see ‘residents only’ parking zones with few parked cars in daytime, when shoppers can find nowhere to park and when local shops are in need of footfall.

Further from the High Street, many homes in Portmore Park & District have private off-street parking. For roads where there is no issue of residents being displaced from essential on-street parking, as a general principle the majority of the PPDRA committee would favour only minimal restrictions, simply where safety issues demand double yellow lines on dangerous corners. However, we appreciate that there is concern among residents in some roads (particularly Wey Road and Round Oak Road) about potential displacement of parking into their roads if CPZs are introduced elsewhere, and we feel this issue needs careful consideration by Surrey.

We are aware of specific issues in Radnor and Glencoe Roads where there is a very high density of houses and almost no off-street parking, and Church Walk which has very limited parking. Some residents of these and other roads rely on their parking being able to overflow into on-street parking in Portmore Park Road.

PPDRA would be happy to contribute further on any way possible to help support Surrey County Council (and Elmbridge Borough Council) in finding ways to achieve adequate parking for Weybridge residents, shoppers, visitors and workers.

Additional PPDRA comments to Councillors in July 2016, following the release of draft recommendations

POSITIVE POINTS

The review tries to address some important parking issues, and includes consultation with residents of the most immediately affected roads – particularly those close to the High Street, with limited private off-street parking, such as Dorchester Road (where residents rely on being able to park on-street).
It proposes CPZ changes/extension based on the responses of residents of those roads.
It proposes something to help control early evening on-street parking near the town centre (by extending restrictions to 8pm).
It tries to do something to increase daytime short-stay shopper parking (by allowing it in some sections of CPZ roads).
It seeks to address known safety issues around various junctions.

STRATEGIC CONCERNS

The review fails to take a strategic view of Weybridge parking needs, and on-street vs off-street capacity.
It particularly fails to address the issue of public off-street parking shortage in Weybridge.

IMMEDIATE ISSUES

The review ignores roads east of Thames Street (e.g. Grenside Rd, Grotto Road, West Palace Gardens, Old Palace Road), and in particular does not address the issues of Grenside Road parking. (Note that St George’s Junior School staff park 30 or more cars on local roads on school days).
It does not assess the impact of displacement parking from CPZs. Some residents are concerned about displacement parking from new CPZs. PPDRA is aware of considerable disquiet from Round Oak Road & Wey Road, although PPDRA is particularly concerned about displacement into roads where there is limited private off-street parking, where displacement parking leaves residents nowhere to park.
It is not effective enough in increasing short-stay shopper daytime parking capacity (e.g. Oakdale Road daytime spaces count), and such spaces are poorly signed.
It does nothing at all to assist affordable long-stay worker parking.

Thames Lock – new gates and tour

Thames Lock in the Wey Navigation has a new pair of lock gates, and residents were give a rare opportunity to inspect them from inside the lock at the end of November, on completion of the work. Large numbers of interested visitors were treated to tours by guides with a deep knowledge of the Wey Navigation history, construction and maintenance.

The wooden lock gates last about twenty years, and this year it was the turn of the lower gates to be renewed. Temporary barriers were installed immediately upstream and downstream of the lock, and the water pumped out. The huge gates are held in their hinges by gravity, so changing the gates was a matter of hoisting out the old and lowering the new custom-built gates into place.

This empty lock gave a rare chance to view the parts of Thames Lock that are normally under water. The upper gates are smaller, as they sit on top of the step to the higher level of the navigation.

The floor of the lock was originally wood — which is preserved by being under water with very little access to oxygen — but was replaced by concrete some time ago. The step beneath the upper gates is still made of wood, and includes original Elm baulks which have survived hundreds of years since the navigation was constructed.

Lock gates suffer decay because they are exposed to air and water. The effects can be seen in the old lower gates, pictured here waiting to be taken away by barge. One can only wonder how many boats have those gates have helped pass up and down the Wey Navigation.