We want the truth, not propaganda.

In today's edition of the Leatherhead Advertiser on page 19 ("Engaging with the majority"), Mr Vigors, Director of Lonsghot Cherkley Ltd, states that he and his company stand by every word printed in the latest edition of Cherkley Express. Yet on this Blog, on 21st November, "Civic Trust member", in a post titled "Is it Obsessional to look for the truth ?", pointed out several of the misrepresentations appearing in that news-sheet.

In view of this, it is perhaps not surprising that Mr Vigors, without one iota of evidence, refers to those who support Longshot as the "majority" and dismisses opponents as "an increasingly small and isolated group" in a manner reminiscent of the use of bolshevik (majority) and menshevik (minority) in  the propaganda of early 20th century Russian communists. In this light I find the appeal to "due democratic process" worrying.

It is difficult to see how having the support of a botanist and a recorder for the British Isles, and leading figures from Friends of Box Hill and the Surrey Hills AONB Board, as well as several senior members of the CPRE inter alia makes one isolated. Nor do I understand how Cherkley Campaign Ltd can be said to be "increasingly small" when in fact its membership is increasing. One cannot help but recall the double-speak of George Orwell's 1984.

It is, therefore, no surprise in this letter, that does not let facts get in the way of propaganda, that we are told objectors are "primarily motivated by self-interest." But by what, pray, is Mr Vigors motivated? Not, perhaps, by his own self-interest as a director of Lonsghot Cherkley Ltd?

As for the alleged self-interest of objectors, I fail to see what the self-interest is for those whom I mentioned in the 3rd paragraph above. I fail to see what self-interest I have as I live several miles from Cherkley Court and will not personally be affected by what happens there. I fail to see what self-interest motivates many other opponents of the Longshot application.

The reasons why the LRA opposed the application were clearly set out in the Association's Spring Newsletter. I fail to understand how these can be construed as self-interest.

No, Mr Vigors, we are not motivated by self-interest but by an interest in Leatherhead and its environs, i.e. to protect the rural character of the chalk grassland on Leatherhead Downs in the Surrey Hills Area of Great Landscape Value from development as a golf course, for which no need has been established.

Yes, Mr Vigors, we are obsessed – but not by Longshot's plans. We are obsessed, as "Civic Trust member" said, by seeking the truth.

I and many others consider that the so-called "due democratic process" was flawed and call for complete openness and transparency.

Time for openness and truth.

How many of you noticed the article "Conduct complaints 'were not malicious'" tucked away on page 6 of yesterday's edition of the Leatherhead Advertiser?

According to the article, MVDC stated that: "the independent report into the complaints made against Councillor Rosemary Dickson does not say that those allegations were malicious – this is the view of the Conservative Association as set out in a press release issued by them."

It is also, in fact, misleading to say that the independent report clears Cllr Dickson of all allegations; it does not and, given the limitations of the inquiry, it could not. As "Civic Trust member" wrote on this Blog on the 22nd November: "The report does not clear Cllr Dickson of the seven complaints; it merely states the legal officer did not find clear evidence that Cllr Dickson had contravened the MVDC Code of Conduct."

According to the Advertiser article, "Mole Valley Conservative Association political agent Andrew Barrand conceded that the release may have been misleading."

Sorry, Mr Barrand, it was misleading. The repetition of this misleading statement in the recent edition of the so-called Cherkley Express, together with a photograpoh of the councillor concerned, can only make one wonder how closely the Conservative Association is involved with Cratus. Maybe I am reading more into things than I should. But I wonder.

Mr Barrand is quoted as saying: "It sounded, to people looking at it, that the complainants were being vindictive when that wasn't the case. It was us saying it, not the council or the report."

I do not know all the complainants, but I do know some. In every case that I know of, the complaints were not made for any personal reasons, but on a point of principle because the complainant felt the democratic process had been subverted.

Personally, I feel it is very regrettable that things have become personalized; and in view of Mr Barrand's statement above, I have to ask where the personalization has come from. It is my own view that certain parties are intent upon personalizing the issue both in order to discredit those who have valid misgivings about the Longshot application and to deflect attention from the shortcomings, that some perceive, in the way the application was eventually approved. In other words, it is my view that personalization has been an effort to descredit those concerned with the proper working of democracy.

Why am I writing this? Though not a complainant, I was asked by the independent investigator to give evidence. I did so in good faith and told the truth as I perceived it. Yet I have it on very good authority that in the independent report Cllr Dickson implies that I and another fabricated evidence and lied.

In view of Cllr Dickson's misleading statement about the report, first given in the Advertiser and repeated in the Cherkley Express, she has forfeited the protection of confidentiality. For the sake of openness and transparancy, I urge that the report be put into the public domain so that people can judge for themselves whether the claims - still being perpetuated, it seems, by the "Conservative Association" -are valid or not. I have nothing to hide.

Christmas Social Event - 3rd December 2012

The Christmas Social Event will take place after the December Open Meeting.  This should be around 8:15pm.

The venue will be at the Letherhead Institute.

Agenda: Open Committee Christmas Meeting, 3rd December 7.30 – 8.15 p.m.

LRA  Open Committee Christmas Meeting,  3rd  December 7.30 – 8.15 p.m.

(8.15 – 9.15 p.m.  Xmas Social)

Agenda

1. Apologies for absence

2. Minutes.

3. Matters  Arising

4. Correspondence & members' concerns * will be noted for future follow up and action.

5.  Sub group Reports (circulated) :   

        ·         Planning

        ·         Environment

        ·         Publicity  - (Cherkley Express 2)  

6.  Activity Report (to be Circulated) November and future meetings    

November

   1^st - Highways Road Show 

   7^th - MVDC Development Control Committee

   8^th - ARA/MVDC - "localism" 

   14^th - Leatherhead & District Forum/LAP AGM 

   15^th - Election of PCC  -

   17^th - Inside Out Concert. Town Xmas Festival.

   21^st  - Bookham Transition

December:  LAP,  SEEFA (housing in SE Surrey)

7. AOB., 

• Epsom Hospital  - up date.  (copy of the overheads from the Transition meeting held at Epsom Hospital will be available for inspection.) 

 8. Date of the next meeting 7^th January 2013 

*  8.15pm   A list of members' concerns will be noted for future follow up and action, with possible discussion during the social activity.

Is it Obsessional to look for the truth ?

In the November issue of 'The Cherkley Express' Mary Graham shows familiarity with the LRA Code of Conduct, but not with much else.  She will find from proper reading of the Association's minutes that “leading members of the Cherkley Campaign” did declare their interests and did not vote on the decision to oppose the Longshot application.

It was explained in the the LRA Spring Newsletter of this year why the decision was taken and made clear that the Committee had not been unduly lobbied by just one side.  The decision was taken on planning grounds as a result of a report prepared by the LRA Planning Subcommittee whose members had each spent several hours poring over the voluminous documented submitted for this complex application.  This examination of the proposal and the subsequent report was made before anyone from the Cherkley Campaign was known to the Committee.

As for the complaint made by the LRA Planning Subcommittee about Cllr Dickson, this was about meetings of the LRA on July 4^th and September 5^th 2011 and of the Leatherhead & District Forum on July 13^th 2011.  All these meetings took place well before any Cherkley Campaign member was involved in  the LRA. 

Ms Graham claims that the plans were “debated in minute detail, not once but twice, by the Development Control Committee.”  That was not our perception of the debates.  The Council Officers had indeed examined the plans in minute detail and had recommended their rejection.  Ms Graham fails to mention that when they were debated the first time by the  Development Control Committee (DCC), the Officers' recommendation was rejected by just one vote, and that included the vote of the Chair who declared which way she intended to vote before the members of the DCC cast their votes, i.e. without the Chair's vote there would have been a tie.  One would have expected in that situation that the Officers' recommendation would have been accepted and that the Longshot proposals would go to appeal.

The second meeting of the DCC had no option after this first vote but to decide the conditions which would be attached to approval of the plans.

Ms Graham states, incorrectly, that “[a]  A long serving and popular Councillor has been independently investigated by a highly qualified and experienced legal officer and found to be entirely innocent of all allegations.”  As the legal officer's report is confidential, one wonders how she can state this so authoritatively.   This incorrect information is repeated at greater length on page 2.  The report does not clear Cllr Dickson  of the seven complaints; it merely states the legal officer did not find clear evidence that Cllr Dickson had contravened the MVDC Code of Conduct.

It is our opinion that in view of the repeated misrepresentation of the report, both by Cllr Dickson herself and by The Cherkley Express, that the report should be put into the public domain so that people can judge the truth of these claims themselves.

The claim from an unnamed local resident that “officers at MVDC have spent hours responding to a mountain of correspondence from the seven individuals who lodged the original complaints” is laughable.  We know this not to be true.

Page 3 reminds us that our MP, Sir Paul Beresford intervened to ask the Secretary of State not to call in the application.  Once again an opportunity for this contentious plan to be decided by an independent outside party was rejected.  If the Longshot proposals are really so wonderful, why are their supporters so desperate to see that the decision remains in Mole Valley?

Then page 4 gives us the final insult.  We have a 'before' and 'after' picture.  The golf course has not been constructed; there can be no 'after' other than an artist's impression, for what it is worth.   Do those responsible for The Cherkley Express really expect people to believe that the countryside will still look the same after a golf course is constructed?

Civic Trust member. 

Agenda: Open Committee Meeting, Mon 5th November

LRA  Open Committee Meeting,  Mon 5th November, Letherhead Institute  7.30 p.m.

Agenda

1. Apolgies for absence

 2. Minutes of 1st October

 3. Matters arising from Minutes not covered below 

     Help Shop

 4. Correspondence:  

     Webmaster - re garden grabbing

     Caremark  midsurrey

 5. Members  Concerns

 6.   8 p.m. Guest Speaker  Headmaster Martin Collier

       from St John's School

 7. To receive  brief  reports from:   

• Planning
• Environment
• Publicity & Membership

 8.  Previous Meetings/ Events 

         SEPTEMBER

     29^th   - AGM Community Gardens            :

    OCTOBER

      9^th CPRE - Water

    15^th - Norbury Park Liason Group

    16^th - Mid Surrey LINks (future of Epsom Hospital)

    17^th - AGM Mary Frances Trust (Clubhouse)

    17^th - Transition Bookham

    20^th - De-clutter workshop

    26th - BLeAF

    29^th – SEEFA

    31^st _ Police Crime Commissioner Candidates at Fetcham Park House

    31^st – Halloween

 9.  Notice of future Meetings & Events other members will be attending before the December  meeting:  

NOVEMBER

1^st - Highways Road Show 10 - 4  Entrance of Swan Centre

     7^th - MVDC Development Control Committee

8^th - LAP  The Leatherhead Institute

8^th - ARA/MVDC - "localism" at Ashead Peace Memorial Hall.

    14^th - Leatherhead & District Forum/LAP AGM ParkHouse

    15^th - Election of PCC 

    17^th - Fundraising Concert.

    Any other Business  (None received so far)

Charity Concert 17th November 2012

Charity Concert with Fish & Chip or Chicken & Chip Supper

Come and listen or dance to the music of Glen Miller, Joe Loss and Big Band arrangements of more up to date numbers from the band

INSIDE OUT

at the Letherhead Institute 

on Saturday  17^th November 7.30 pm – 10.15 pm

Tickets  £10  from Barton’s Book Shop

    

      (Bring your own drinks and glasses.)

Raffle

 Proceeds in aid of the Leatherhead Festivities, Teazle Wood and the Community Garden)

Music On Thursdays - 18th October 2012

Lunchtime Concerts @ Leatherhead Parish Church.

The next concert in the series will be on 18th October 2012 at 12:30pm.

The feature artist will be Philip Bishop (trumpet) with Graham Davies (organ & piano).

Admission is free, however there is a retiring collection to cover cost, Vecchia Trattoria sell sandwiches & cakes at the end of the concert.

http://www.musiconthursdays.org/18th-october-2012---1230pm.html

De-clutter workshop: Saturday 20th October, 2pm - 5pm

 De-clutter workshop ` Too much stuff? Find out how to lighten your life! 

By popular demand Transition Ashtead, Transition Bookham and the LRA environment sub-commitee, are hosting an afternoon workshop which aims to encourage and inspire us to de-clutter. This is a subject that many of us moan about, and one which is very much a product of modern life when so many things seem so cheap and easy to buy, plus we often inherit lots of stuff from parents or children!  It will be a fun afternoon with professional de-clutterers on hand to help you make a 'clutter clearing' plan and inspire you to sort out your stuff and maybe find a "Clutter clearing buddy"!   Learn where and how to donate, sell and re-cycle your unwanted items and get great ideas for reusing & up-cycling. Refreshments will be served, so we can share tips and ideas over tea & cakes!

Saturday 20^th October, 2pm - 5pm

Abraham Dixon Hall, The Leatherhead Institute, Surrey Kt22 8AH

Tickets are £5.00 in advance (plus donations for teas - proceeds to Friends of Teazle Wood) available from Bartons Bookshop, Leatherhead; Damsel Dress Agency, The Street, Ashtead; and Patchwork Cabin, Bookham.

For further information please call Flip 01372 383468 email:declutter@thecargills.org

Teazle Wood: More Support

 LEATHERHEAD’S LOCAL WOOD 

On 31st July 2012 Teazle Wood was purchased by the ‘Friends of Teazle Wood’. The purchase was only made possible by the generosity of many people, businesses and organisations who care about saving the wood for the future generations and ecology to enjoy.

WE NEED TO RAISE £100,000

to repay loans and for a management fund PLEASE HELP by donating to the ‘Friends of Teazle Wood’ fund.

Contact:
Lucy Quinnell at the Fire & Iron Gallery,
Oxshott Road,
Leatherhead, 
Surrey KT22 0EN.

Phone: 01372 386453
Thank you and enjoy the wood!

Local childcare service faces possible closure ...

Residents of Leatherhead and Ashtead are angered at plans by SCC to terminate the lease agreement with Ashtead Kids Club (AKC). AKC leases the Ashtead Youth Centre from SCC. Ofsted approved AKC provides before, after and holiday childcare for Leatherhead and Ashtead Schools. AKC has not been able to locate another suitable premises to continue it's service. This service is used by over 200 families.

An on line petition has been started to allow residents to show their support:

http://petitions.surreycc.gov.uk/AshteadKidsclub1/

New Membership Form Available

A new membership form is now available to download.  There are links from the blog & the website.

Open Committee MeetingMonday, 1st October 2012Letherhead Institute at 7.30 pm

1. Apologies  for absence
  2. Minutes of 3rd September
  3. Matters arising from Minutes not covered below
  4. Correspondence
  5. Members  Concerns
  6. To receive reports from:

  * Planning
  * Environment
  * Publicity & Membership

  7. Previous Meetings:

  * MVDC Council meeting and Police Report
  * Leatherhead & District Forum
  * Highways

  8. Future Meetings & Events other members will be attending:

  * Town Festivities
  * De-cluttering workshop
  * Inside Out Fund raiser.

Any other Business

More Roadworks - Kingston Road

KINGSTON ROAD, LEATHERHEAD
From 25 September 2012 to 08 October 2012
Organisation:	SUTTON AND EAST SURREY WATER
Scale of works:	STANDARD
Site location:	at junc. Aperdele road
Location:	KINGSTON ROAD
Description	dig out road crossing and lay 125mm pe pipe accross road with under pressure tee for major project
Traffic management	TWO-WAY SIGNALS

Council Tax Support Consultation

Dear all,

 

On Friday 7 September, the Council launched a consultation (both online and hardcopy) further to the Government's announcement that, from 1 April 2013,
Council Tax Benefit will be replaced by a localised support scheme.

As such, all councils have been tasked with developing their own local schemes called 'Council Tax Support' for all working age customers.

 

This consultation provides our residents the opportunity to tell us what they think of the proposed new local scheme for Mole Valley, and will run from 7 September ‐ 30 November.

If you would be willing to display some of the attached posters in your local area we would be very grateful. Please reply to my colleague Sally sally.horsburgh@molevalley.gov.uk if you would like some hardcopies.

 

The consultation can be completed online at www.molevalley.gov.uk and hardcopies can not only be downloaded from the website, but can also be collected from the Council's offices at Pippbrook and at the Leatherhead HelpShop. An accompanying information booklet can also be downloaded from the website.

 

Thank you.

 

Regards,

 

Matt Blake

Communications & Marketing Officer

Mole Valley District Council

Tel: 01306 870624

www.molevalley.gov.uk

 

Follow us on Twitter @molevalleydc

 

Become a Friend of Dorking Halls for £25 per year: receive 4 complimentary cinema tickets and discounted tickets to live shows. For more details visit www.dorkinghalls.co.uk

Parish Church: Music On Thursdays

Cellist James Douglas has now confirmed his programme for next Thursday's 12.30 lunchtime concert. James will be playing Britten's Cello Suite No 2, and the Second Suite in D minor from Bach's Suites for Unaccompanied Cello. James is a student of the Royal Academy of Music and an interesting musician whose talents encompass several musical genres. You may like to take a look at his biographical notes on this webpage.

 

Also next week, on Tuesday evening in Stoke d'Abernon, Wednesday in St Andrews Church Cobham, and Thursday in St Michael & All Angels, Bedford Park, Chiswick, the Maiastra concert series continues with performances of String Quartets by Mozart, Walton and Dvorak. Akiko Ono, a tutor of the Yehudi Menuhin School, leads players from the Royal College of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Full details of times, venues and programme will be found on this link.

 

Music on Thursdays and Maiastra concerts are given free of admission, with a retiring collection to help cover costs.

 

Tour of Britain

Dear All

As many of you will be aware, hot on the heels of the Olympic Road Cycling comes another major cycling event - Tour of Britain. Starting on Sunday 9 September, the Tour reaches Surrey on the eighth and final stage of the race on Sunday 16 September. Hopefully this will be of interest to residents, particularly as it is the first time that a stage has ever been held in Surrey. I am therefore hoping that you would be willing to share this information with your contacts please.

The Tour will pass through Mole Valley twice - firstly on its route from Reigate towards Shere and Guidlford, and again as it travels from the direction of Send through Leith Hill and Ockley on its way to Cranleigh. There will be two sprint sections in our District - Dorking High Street (at approx. 12.30) and Ockley (at approx 14.10).

The Tour is dfferent to the Olympic Road Cycling Road Races because it involves rolling, rather than full, road closures (with the exception of West Street, Dorking which will be closed from approximately 10.30am to 1pm to allow competitors and the race convoy to travel against the normal one-way direction). The Tour in Surrey is being managed by Surrey County Council and information regarding the race can be found on the Go Surrey website at www.gosurrey.info/tour-of-britain or you can call the County Council team on 0300 200 1003 or email them at tourofbritain@surreycc.gov.uk

Further information can also be found at the Tour of Britain website:

http://www.tourofbritain.com

I have received a number of A4 posters and some A5 flyers from the County Council which I would be happy to send through to you for noticeboards, meeting rooms etc... If you wish to receive any, please contact me as soon as possible.

Kind regards

Louise

Louise Bircher
Customer Service and Communications Manager
Mole Valley District Council
Tel: 01306 879155
www.molevalley.gov.uk
Follow us on Twitter @molevalleydc

Extension to the Council's kerbside collection service

I am very pleased to confirm an extension to the Council's kerbside collection service.

From this week, residents will be invited to place textiles and small electrical items out for collection next to their wheeled bins. Textiles will be collected on recycling week, electrical items on refuse week. The items should be placed in a carrier bag, tied up tightly and placed beside the appropriate bin. Both materials are taken back to our Dorking depot and then sent onwards for processing and recycling.

Also from this week, we can accept additional plastic items in the recycling wheeled bin. In addition to plastic bottles, we can now accept plastic food trays, pots and tubs. These can be placed directly into recycling bins (or sacks for properties using sacks) along with the existing mix of recycling (glass bottles/ jars, paper, card and metal tins and cans).

I'm sure you will agree that this is a positive and welcome step towards increasing our recycling rate and protecting the environment. Thanks to our residents, Mole Valley District Council is currently recycling almost 60% of our waste.

We have produced the attached newsletter-style leaflet with additional information on these new recycling services. I'd be grateful if you could send this electronic version to any of your residents and groups that might find it interesting. If you would like hard copies, please let me know how many you would like and I shall arrange that for you. Additional information is available on the Council website. We are also preparing press releases and bin hangers will be distributed shortly. So do key an eye out!

http://www.leatherheadresidents.org.uk/Resources/Posters/MVDC%20New%20Recycling%20Services%20August%202012-1.pdf

Kind regards and happy recycling!

Josh Lambe

Environment and Sustainability Officer

Mole Valley District Council

01306 879118 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            01306 879118      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

www.molevalley.gov.uk/greener

Open Committee MeetingMonday, 3rd September 2012Letherhead Institute at 7.30 pm

Agenda

1. Apologies for absence

2. Minutes of 6th August

3. Matters arising from Minutes which are not covered below

4. Correspondence

5. To receive reports from:

• the Environment Sub-committee
• the Planning Sub-committee
• the Publicity & Membership Sub-committee
• BLeAF meeting on 24th August
• Social Concerns (Hilary Porter)

6. Notice of meetings other members will be attending:

• Leatherhead & District Forum - 19th September
• Open meeting in Epsom Town Hall on Wednesday 12 September to discuss the future of Epsom Hospital
• Leatherhead Lottery (Date?)
• Christmas Festivities (Date?)
• Any other Meetings

7. Any Other Business

 
There will be a meeting of the South Leatherhead Police Panel prior to this meeting from 6.45 pm till 7.15 pm.
I know of no dates for a North Leatherhead Police Panel meeting; street meetings arranged by the North Leatherhead team can be found on www.surrey.police.uk/my-neighbourhood/mole-valley/mvnl

Leatherhead Tip Delays

The Leatherhead Community Recycling Centre at Randalls Road in Leatherhead was closed from 9 January by Surrey County Council for improvement works. Following delays the work is now not expected to be complete until November. The nearest alternative tip is at Blenheim Road in Epsom.

More details..

http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/environment-housing-and-planning/waste-and-recycling/where-to-take-your-waste-and-recycling/community-recycling-centres/leatherhead-community-recycling-centre-and-transfer-station

Music on Thursdays

Music on Thursdays

12.30 lunchtime
Leatherhead Parish Church

 

Dear Friend, 

 

Our Summer Cabaret Lunch takes place this Thursday August 9th, at the Trattoria in Leatherhead High Street. Our friends of the Brook String Duo will serenade us through lunch, from 12.15 to 1.45, with a range of light gyspy-style music. Please book your ticket with the Trattoria (01372 383 290). The price is £10 for a starter and a main, or for a main and a dessert - and of course, music while we eat.
 

Next Thursday - 16th August - 12.30 lunchtime - violin & piano - Leatherhead Parish Church

We last heard David Smith's violin-playing at the end of June, in a Brook String Trio concert with Eloise Prouse and Jacqueline Phillips. Next Thursday David, who trained at the Yehudi Menuhin School, will be joined by pianist Ruth Hahn. Do keep an eye on the webpage where we will add their programme as soon as it comes in.

 

 

And for the coming weeks:

23 August - Francisco Correa, classical guitar

30 August - Brook String Ensemble

6 September - Timothy Penrose, counter-tenor, with Graham Davies, organ

 

The Trattoria sells sandwiches and cakes at the end of each Music on Thursdays concert, so do stay and chat. There is free admission to Music on Thursdays lunchtime concerts in the church, with a retiring collection to cover costs.

These short concerts are a good way to introduce someone to classical concerts. Could you bring along someone new this summer?

If you know someone who would like to be added to our mailing list do please forward this newsletter to them and invite them to send their request to musiconthursdays@gmail.com

We look forward to welcoming you to these local concerts.

Peter Steadman
Music on Thursdays
Leatherhead Parish Church

Road Information and Bus services

Road Information

• Due to major works by Southern Gas Networks replacing the gas main, from 6th August to 10th October there will be traffic management in Randalls Road with multi-way signals; see SCC website.
• Also in order that essential gas mains work to replace at risk iron pipe work, in Kingston Road from 6th August to 18th September, the road will be CLOSED from the junction of Dilston Road to the junction of Barnet Wood Lane in carriageway and footway, including the section over the rail bridge.
  Access to and from Cleeve Road will be unaffected.
  • The road will be closed in a northerly direction from Barnett Wood Lane (heading towards B & Q and Tesco) with a diversion signed using the A243.
  • The road will remain open in a southerly direction.
  • It is intended to maintain access to the industrial units to the south of the rail bridge from the A245 Kingston Road during the period of the one way system.

Note: I have been given three different dates for the completion of the Kingston Road works; the one above is that given on the SCC website.
 
Bus Information

• At present I have been unable to find out how this will affect the bus services between Kingston Road and the Town.
• There is a new timetable for the 479 bus service; from 2nd September there will be a new evening service and Sunday two hourly service.

Open Committee MeetingMonday, 6th August 2012Leatherhead Institute at 7.30 - 9.00 pm

Agenda
1. Apologies for absence
2. Minutes of 9th July
3. Matters arising from Minutes (not covered below)
4. Correspondence
5. To receive reports from:

• Environment Subcommittee
• Planning Subcommittee
• Publicity Subcommittee
• Highways Subcommittee (Awaiting report)
   
• Leatherhead Area Partnership, 25th July

6. Notice of meetings other members will be attending:

• Leatherhead & District Forum (Waiting for confirmation of Date)
• Open meeting in Epsom Town Hall on Wednesday 12 September to discuss the future of Epsom Hospital
• Any other Meetings

7. Any Other Business

Teazle Wood

Dear All

With the help and generosity of many philanthropic, forward-thinking people, we have today completed the purchase of BOTH parts of Teazle Wood.

Please keep fund-raising - several people have lent money to make this once seemingly impossible task a reality, and we must work hard to pay them back.

Enjoy the attached snapshots, taken just a few minutes ago - it has been a particularly good year for teazles in Teazle Wood! 

Thank you, and we will be in touch with news of fund-raising events, specific "thank you"s, next steps, etc.

Best wishes

Lucy Quinnell

on behalf of the Friends of Teazle Wood

Olympics: Ladies Road Race

First Lap of Box Hill

Olympics: Mens Road Race

10am Already Packed at Givons Grove

11:45am The crowd goes wild as the Pelaton races through

Edmund Tylney 20% Discount offer

Attached to the Summer Newsletter, members will have found the special offer of 10% discount from 27th July until 12th August and various business listed.  I am pleased to inform members that Gregory Giles, the new manager of the the Edmund Tylney (the Wetherspoon's pub on the High Street), has emailed the chair of our Publicity & Membership Subcommittee the following:

---------------------------------------------------------

I am not sure what was previously agreed by the departing manager of our business but as the new manager I would like to offer all Leatherhead Residents' Association members 20% discount on all food bills excluding those deals which already include a free drink as part of their promotion.

 As responsible retailers we are unable to offer targeted discounts on drinks purchases. The 20% discount on food is available to all your members with immediate effect on production of appropriate identification of membership to our staff and will continue until you or I request otherwise. This will extend to any single member who has up to three non-member guests in their party, so family and friends of our local association are not excluded!
----------------------------------------------------------

Teazle Wood Update from Lucy Quinnell

Hi everyone

Just to let you know that the campaign is going very well indeed. The support from the local residential and business community (and indeed from further afield - a donation was made yesterday from Australia) has been a wonderful thing to experience. Thanks are owed to many (you know who you are), and I look forward to sharing the whole story further down the line.

I'm also writing to tell you that the Woodland Trust has been incredibly supportive this week, and Teazle Wood has become one of their WOODWATCH featured woodlands. Many thanks to Alice Farr and her colleagues at the Woodland Trust for their help and hard work. Take a look:

http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/en/campaigning/woodwatch/woodwatchers/Pages/teazle-wood.aspx#.UAmW6GGJc49

Do share this if you can - it will help raise awareness not just of Teazle Wood but of woodland in general. The following comment is from the Woodland Trust's website:

Why woods matter

Woods, and the trees that make up a vital component of them, are essential to life. They have a myriad of different benefits for both wildlife and people.

They stabilise the soil, generate oxygen, store carbon, play host to a spectacular variety of wildlife, provide us with raw materials and shelter, inspire our imaginations and our creativity.

The almost magical, mystical quality of woods makes them a great place for relaxation and recreation. A walk in the woods can give anyone a feeling of peace and tranquility. Most of us have fond childhood memories of playing on or around trees.

A world without trees and woods would be barren and bare.

Have a good weekend.

All the best

Lucy

Olympic Cycling: Final Newsletter for Residents

The final newsletter for residents who live within 100m of the Olympic road cycling routes that will be distributed from tomorrow.

Please see our website: gosurrey.info, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for more information about the events.

Many thanks,


Surrey 2012 Team¦ Surrey County Council¦ Penrhyn Road¦ Kingston upon Thames¦ KT1 2DN¦ www.gosurrey.info¦ olympic.cycling@surreycc.gov.uk¦

Surrey - Host County - Be part of it 

Olympic Travel in London

The final preparatory works on the Olympic Route Network (ORN) are underway this weekend, so London’s road network will look and feel very different by Monday morning. The ORN and Games Lanes restrictions will be apply from 0600 Wednesday 25 July. To watch a short video explaining how the ORN and Games Lanes work, please click here Olympic Route Network (ORN) explained The ORN is a road network linking Games venues and other key sites. Normal traffic can use most of the ORN, although there will be temporary changes such as suspended turns, stopping and loading restrictions and changes to traffic signal timings. Stopping or parking on the ORN will result in a £130 penalty charge and your vehicle may be towed away. Games Lanes Some lanes on ORN roads will be reserved as Games Lanes and are for use by athletes, officials and the world’s media. The vast majority of Games Lanes are in outside lanes. In these cases, normal traffic can use the adjacent lane(s). Driving in a Games Lane will result in a £130 penalty charge. When you can use Games Lanes Games Lanes will be very busy. They will be for the use of Games vehicles only from 0600–midnight. If Games Lanes are less busy, they will be switched off and electronic signs will indicate that normal traffic can use them. Olympic Torch Relay The Olympic Flame will be visiting every Borough in London this week. Roads will be temporarily closed before it arrives and will be exceptionally busy, particularly on Thursday 26 July. Please do not drive to see the Torch and consider watching in your local area or close to your place of work. For more information, please visit getaheadofthegames.com

Yours sincerely,

Vernon Everitt Managing Director, Marketing and Communications

Blood Donation in Leatherhead - 18th July 2012

Next sessions in Leatherhead :

MAIN HALL

ST. MARY & ST. NICHOLAS CHURCH
CHURCH ROAD
LEATHERHEAD
SURREY
KT22 8AY

Wednesday 18 Jul 2012
  13:30 to 16:00
  17:00 to 19:30

http://www.blood.co.uk/SessionSearcher/ShowAjaxResults.aspx

Please Help Save Teazle Wood

As many will know, contracts have been signed. Grateful thanks to all Friends of Teazle Wood who have generously donated or pledged.

Whilst the largest piece of land is secure, £90,000 is still needed for the smaller piece of the wood. (If most of the people of Leatherhead donated £9, this amount would be met!) We have until July 31st to secure this.

All donations welcome. Could you please pass this on to anyone who may be able to help.

Why save Teazle Wood?:

• Last sizable block of woodland in Leatherhead teaming with wildlife • It forms a wildlife corridor between Bookham and Ashtead • Is a well loved green space for people of Leatherhead • Is a proven educational resource for local people and schools

• Has therapeutic value for Combat Stress and Queen Elizabeth's Foundation • it has historical and archaeological significance • it is the home of many rare and endangered species • After being neglected for years it deserves the gentle management that numerous

groups would love to give it

Please send cheques now payable to: "Friends of Teazle Wood" to Lucy Quinnell, Rowhurst Forge, Oxshott Rd, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 0EN.

Please include name: address, telephone number, e- mail, & whether you would like to remain anonymous or whether you are happy to be named (amounts will not be disclosed unless you'd like. Receipts will be given) To follow on facebook: Friends of Teazle Wood

lucyquinnell@aol.com

Trains for Olympic Cycling

Revised timetables:

http://www.southernrailway.com/your-journey/games-travel/trains-to-box-hill-and-westhumble/

Closure Kingston Rd Possible

Kingston Road closure due to replacement of gas mains - there will be possible closures of Kingston Road at the railway bridge so that essential gas main replacement can be carried out from 2nd August to 4th September. Diversions will be in place but there will be inevitable disruption and delays

News Digest

Community groups are able to bid for a grant from a fund of £350,000. The Community Improvement Fund aims to help local organizations and bids between £10,000 and £50,000 can be made up to 28th September. See www.surreycc.gov.uk/communityimprovementfund for information

  

Mole Valley has come in 38th place out of 324 local authority districts as the best place to live in England & Wales

  

Wildlife Aid Foundation in Randalls Road has re-scheduled its open day to 4th August.

It is also seeking volunteers to add to its 300 strong volunteer workforce; only a few hours a week would be welcomed to meet and greet, take calls, etc. Call 01372 377332 or email becky@wildlifeaid.org.uk for more information

Leatherhead's choral society will hold its next performance on 14th July at St Mary & St Nicholas Church. Tickets are £12 adult, £6 children under 13 from Barton's Bookshop or Heather on 020 8337 3809

  

The famous Duck Race which took place on the River Mole on Sunday 24th June raised over £2000 for the Festival Committee and will provide valuable funds for the Christmas celebrations in the town.

Leatherhead Library is closed temporarily for maintenance and improvements until 14th July