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.

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

AGENDA

Introductions

Purpose of the meeting

1. Library proposals/ walk in centre
2. Parking review
3. Park & ride/ Traffic congestion
4. Streetscape/ High street regeneration
5. Brooklands business park accessibility
6. Baker street
7. War memorial lighting
8. Road closures information
9. Road surfaces
10. Road safety

Future meetings