Riverside

Elmbridge disposal of public open space at Dorney Gardens

Elmbridge Borough Council posted the following formal notice on 26th May 2023. The deadline to object was 9th June 2023.

We hope this simply relates to renewing/updating the lease arrangements between the Council and the Tennis and Sailing Clubs, but have seen nothing announced locally. It does not seem to have received much publicity, and we only became aware of it at the end of August. We are seeking further information.

ELMBRIDGE BOROUGH COUNCIL
NOTICE OF DISPOSAL OF OPEN SPACE

LAND AT: Dorney Gardens, Walton Lane, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 8LU.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN in accordance with Section 123(2A) Local Government Act 1972, that Elmbridge Borough Council (“The Council”) intends to dispose of an area of public open space.

The proposed disposal is two leases of open space land having a total approximate area of 11,400 square metres at Dorney Gardens, Walton Lane, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 8LU (the “Property”).

A plan showing the extent of the Properties to be so disposed of may be inspected at the Civic Centre, High Street, Esher, Surrey, KT10 9SD on Monday to Friday each week (public holidays excepted) until 9th June 2023.

The Council will consider any objections to the proposed disposals as may be made to it.

Any person objecting to the above proposal should write to: Property Portfolio Manager, Elmbridge Borough Council, Civic Centre, High Street, Esher, Surrey, KT10 9SD no later than 16th June 2023, giving full particulars of the grounds of his or her objection.

Dated: 26/05/2023

From: https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/notices/Statutory/Walton-Lane—Notice-Of-Disposal-Of-Open-Space/646dd7874bda3c001abf0ca3

Walton Lane Open Space designated a Local Green Space

We are delighted that Elmbridge Borough Council has now recognised Walton Lane Open Space as a designated ‘Local Green Space’ in its 2023 Draft Local Plan, submitted to the Planning Inspectorate.

This follows a PPDRA objection to the omission of this space from the 2022 EBC Draft Local Plan list of Local Green Spaces , an objection we submitted as part of the formal Regulation 19 Consultation.

The Local Green Space designation should help give lasting extra protection against any building development on this significant and much used local green open space.

Extract from Elmbridge Draft Local Plan SA Addendum 2023

M4.2 ENV3 46 Additional Local Green Spaces to be designated:

Stoke D’Abernon Memorial Park; Walton Lane Open Space; Kingston Grammar School Playing Fields/ Ditton Field, Thames Ditton

To improve accuracy and ensure soundness and compliance with NPPF para. 101 and 102.

No- these additional sites do not affect the SA of the policy.

New Proposals for Weybridge Business Park – Exhibition 14+17 June 2023

Bridge Industrial are preparing a new planning application to redevelop Weybridge Business Park.

UPDATE 14-06-23: view new Weybridge Business Park proposals (pdf 3MB)

A new architect and design team have been appointed to redesign the scheme taking on board feedback from the local community following the resounding refusal of the application for a massive Amazon-style distribution centre next to the historic Wey Navigation — plans which received hundreds of local objections and objections from public bodies such as the National Trust.

The previous refused scheme was described as “just crazy” by local residents interviewed by the press, because of its impact on local quality of life and on traffic flows through neighbouring communities.

Public Consultation

Bridge Industrial want to hear your comments on the new proposals, and are staging a public exhibition, to be held in Building 6, Weybridge Business Park, KT15 2UP on Wednesday 14 June, 4pm – 8pm and Saturday 17 June, 10am – 2pm.

This will be an opportunity to meet the Bridge Industrial team, view the proposals, ask any questions you have and provide your feedback.

We note that Bridge Industrial describe the adjacent site as “Industrial”, whereas it houses the Waterside Trading Estate with commercial suppliers such as Screwfix, Toolstation, Easy Bathrooms, Wilson Electrical, Brewers Decorator Centre etc. There are adjacent residential properties, and the overall atmosphere is tranquil and far from industrial, with a charming riverside walk, moorings and waterside pub.

How to contact the developers

If you have any questions or would like more information then please get in touch with the developers:
Phone: 0800 092 0426
Email: weybridgebusinesspark@londoncommunications.co.uk

Reactions to previous application

Runnymede Borough Council refused that previous planning application for the following reasons:

Refusal Reasons for Planning Application – RU.22/0776

Application Number: RU.22/0776
Site Address: Weybridge Business Park Addlestone Road Addlestone Surrey KT15 2UP
Property Address: Weybridge Business Park, Addlestone Road, Addlestone, Surrey

Reasons 1

The proposed ‘Building 100’ by reason of its position, form, scale, mass and significant bulk would result in an overtly prominent, dominant and visually overbearing form of development which would have a detrimental impact to the character and appearance of the area. This is contrary to Policy EE1 of the Runnymede 2030 Local Plan (2020), Runnymede Design Guide (2021), the National Planning Policy Framework (2021) and the National Design Guide (2019).

Reasons 2

The proposed use would result in a loss of residential amenity to surrounding residential properties. This loss of amenity would be due to due noise and disturbance from both the on-site operations as well as disturbance from the likely significant numbers of comings and goings of large goods vehicles that the proposed uses would attract, particularly at anti-social hours of the day and night. This is contrary to Policy EE2 of the Runnymede 2030 Local Plan (2020), the National Planning Policy Framework (2021) and the associated National Planning Policy Guidance relating to Noise and disturbance.

Reasons 3

In the absence of a completed legal agreement the proposed development has failed to secure the provision of the necessary infrastructure needed to make this development acceptable in planning terms. The proposed development is therefore contrary to policies SD3, SD4, SD5 and EE9 of the Runnymede 2030 Local Plan (2020) and the National Planning Policy Framework (2021) and its associated guidance.

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

Conserving Broadwater Lake

Broadwater Path opens the way to funding

Weybridge residents and visitors alike are enjoying lakeside walks along Broadwater Path, between Grenside Road and Cowey Sale. Its dedication as a public footpath and its new crushed stone surface give year round access to the lakeside – a beautful, tranquil, historic local feature, rich with wildlife.

What many don’t know is that the path is essential for the future of the lake itself. Without formal public access, the lake would not qualify for the public funding needed to stop it silting up. Broadwater is a centuries old man made lake, which requires maintenance.

Without dredging, the lake silts and becomes marshland, growing rushes then self-seeded trees. In the 14 years that residents (including PPDRA) pressed for the path, silting got worse at the Greenlands Road end. The middle length also silted badly, until residents raised funds to dredge.

Last year Elmbridge BC contributed a CIL grant, which helped fund some urgent dredging. The Broadwater Conservation Society is now seeking public funding from national sources, and wider local support.

This historic lake is an important part of local heritage. So PPDRA proposes to become affiliated to the Broadwater Conservation Society. To be voted on at our AGM on 13 September.

Broadwater Lake and Path, August 2018

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.

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

RTS Walton Lane flood meeting update

Flood prevention was the main topic of an informative meeting on 19 December in Walton Lane, Weybridge, between representatives of the Environment Agency River Thames Scheme and local residents. We learned more about the status of work to model flood flows and levels, and the latest thinking on options for carrying excess water around Desborough Island.

The current preferred option is to widen Desborough Channel by cutting back the north bank (the Desborough Island side of the channel), which would avoid displacing the nationally important amenity of the Thames Path, which runs along the south bank.

The north bank is overgrown with self-seeded trees, a number of which which are reaching the end of their natural life, and in recent years several have been blown down in storms, sometimes partly obstructing the channel. (UPDATE March 2017: The picture below shows a recently blown down poplar, and scrubby trees growing into the channel.)

Widening the north bank would enable this edge of Desborough island, which has been prone to fly tipping, to be made into an appealing riverside nature amenity. It seems there is a balance to be struck in the decision however, with a few residents of Spelthorne wanting the south bank cut back.

Some Walton Lane residents meanwhile are pressing for the excess river flows to be diverted around the Spelthorne side of Desborough Island, by relocating the direction of the proposed Flood Channel 3 discharge, and dredging around the north of Desborough Island.

The current plans are to discharge the water back into the Thames by D’Oyly Carte Island, reentering the Thames more or less at right angles to the flow of the main river. Miles Macleod asked if the effects of the momentum of this 150 cubic metres per second flow entering the main stream at right angles had been taken into account (as the momentum of this flow would logically push up the water level against the south bank just before the narrow first Desborough bridge). It seems this has not yet been looked at in the 1D modelling, but the more detailed 2D flow and level modelling will seek to incorporate it.

Headlines from the meeting:

Bottom line of the RTS is that it should cause no increase in risk anywhere
At the top of Desborough current modelling shows a 0.04 to 0.11 metre reduction in flood levels
Modelling has been calibrated using data from six real flood events
Calibration of the model includes past flows from all sources (fluvial and groundwater)
Target accuracy is +/- 0.15 metres (i.e. it might not actually reduce levels at Desborough…)
The river bed beneath the Desborough bridges will be lowered by around 2 metres to accommodate extra flow
Current preferred option for increasing flow around Desborough is to cut back the north bank of the Cut

We had a number of questions for which immediate answers were not available, and the EA team have very helpfully now supplied these. Some key points are that:

The total volume of water occupying the floodplain in a 1 in 20 year flood is equivalent to about six hours flow of the Thames
Extra total flow downstream of the RTS relief channels caused by that water draining from the floodplain is modelled at about 5-10 cubic metres per second (cumecs) in a total river flow of 500 cumecs
More water currently flows around the north of Desborough Island around the old river loop than flows down Desborough Cut; this position will be reversed by the changes proposed in the RTS
The width of the channel under the first Desborough bridge below water level is 23.2 metres (and this will not be increased); the modelling takes this into account

Once again, we are extremely grateful to the River Thames Scheme team for the time and effort they are putting into keeping our local community consulted and informed.

UPDATE: North bank of the Desborough Cut, viewed from the Thames Path on the south bank in February 2017. Note the poplar blown over in a recent storm, and various trees growing out into the channel obstructing flow.

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.

TLC needed for Weybridge Thames riverside

Wouldn’t it be lovely to have a riverside we can be proud of? Many Weybridge residents recall how attractive our local stretch of Thames riverside was, up until autumn 2009 (see our main picture). A well-tended riverbank where people could sit on the grass in the sunshine or in the shade of a tree, and enjoy fine views and tranquility.

Then the Environment Agency cut down the trees and fenced off this prime stretch, between Weybridge Ladies ARC and the foot ferry, in the course of works to install concrete moorings. They left the temporary fence in place and the riverbank untended for five years, despite local protests. It looked like this in 2014.

PPDRA along with local residents pressed for access to the riverbank to be restored and the brambles removed…

…and the mesh fence was eventually removed, and the brambles that had grown up behind it were strimmed.

But the riverbank has subsequently been left untended, and has again become an unattractive bramble patch. Below is a photo of the same stretch of riverside as in our main picture, showing how it looks in September 2016: overgrown, with brambles and scrubby growth obstructing access and views.

This is the first length of riverside seen by people joining the Thames Path at Weybridge. It is a significant local amenity. Surely it deserves some TLC?

We want to see this important piece of riverside getting the care it deserves, with a proper mowing regime to maintain it as a grassy riverbank people can enjoy. Together with the Weybridge Society, we are lobbying councillors to bring back regular mowing of the grass along this prime stretch of riverbank, to give residents something they can be proud of once more.

LINKS:

Read about the history of the riverbank work here

Read about the ‘Thames Gate-Wey’ moorings scheme here