Council budget driven by ideology and politics? - more charges to rise24September 2008
The Conservative politicians who run Elmbridge Borough Council raised car parking charges last year by up to a whopping 40%. So income from council-owned car parks has dropped and more cars are parked on the street. Now they want to hike car park charges again, along with charges for other services. A year or so ago they hired consultants at substantial cost to us taxpayers to examine the possible sell-off of community-owned assets. They have recommended, inter alia, selling off the public Southbank car park behind Tiger Joe's just off Portsmouth Road, presumably to developers. The inadequacies of a tame and generalised consultancy report adrift from community needs have prompted Residents' and other councillors to urge more sensible public consultation.
The administration has stealthily raised charges for several services notably those to the more vulnerable members of our community and the bereaved during the past two years. It is now heading for further hikes in charges along with a substantial increase in Council Tax next year, although Residents' Group leader Chris Sadler (Walton Central, Walton Society) underlines that he has seen no justification for this in the figures. We had predicted that the Conservatives would raise council tax in this 'window of opportunity' (see below). Council leader Cll. Taylor (Oatlands Park, Conservative) is cited in the Esher News and Mail of 24 September as rejecting 'suggestions that the increase in tax would not have been considered if there had been borough elections scheduled for 2009.' The intelligent electorate in Elmbridge will draw their own conclusions. Meanwhile, applying the same principle, we now predict that, having hit residents' pockets in 2009, the Conservatives will again trumpet that they have "held Council Tax at the same level" when the next borough elections come round in 2010. Let's see.
Residents argue for an independent, pragmatic and community-minded approach to local administration, free from politicking and economic ideology.
School crossing at Station Rd TD24September 2008
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The Surrey County Council Local Area Committee for Elmbridge met on 22 September. They approved recommendations on making the school crossing near Thames Ditton station safer, including better signage and a red tarmac top to the crossing. Our Cllr. Peter Hickman will fund the improvements from his council allocation, as SCC won't make funds available from the relevant budgets. The campaign to get better safety at the crossing has taken a year, with a substantial petition and persistent pressure organised by resident Melisa Byatt helping greatly to shift SCC's Transport, Highways, and school safety staff on the issue. We must now keep up pressure to get the work scheduled. The safest practicable solution remains the reinstatement of a lollipop person. If there is any suitable person who would be prepared to take on this pat-time salaried function, please apply to the Infants' School. |
| A worried Nathan Byatt with the school crossing petition |
Foul dogs, foul owners, foul pavements22 - 24September 2008
For some years villagers seemed to have got the message about clearing up their dogs' faeces from the pavement and verges. But the situation is deteriorating again. Particular 'brown spots' are Ash Path and Church Walk, both used heavily by mothers with small children. A few months ago we overheard two six-year olds saying: "Let's race along Dog Poo Alley.' They had a point. Other pleasant spots, such as the grassy bank along Albany Reach where people like to sit and watch the river, are marred by dogshit.
Mothers and householders are quite rightly asking what can be done about it. It is illegal as well as filthy and inconsiderate to allow your dog to foul the footway. It's time to get a grip on this again. We ask residents to be scrupulous about clearing up after their pets. Our councillors will press the Elmbridge enforcement team to be more active in Thames Ditton. Now that many residents have cameras in their mobile phones the chances of photographing individuals and their dogs fouling the footway are higher: please send photos in and we will consider publishing them.
Update 24 September: RA Cllr. Karen Randolph has taken the matter up with Elmbridge's Environmental Care department. Previous experience suggests that the problem may often be caused by just one or two people allowing their dogs to foul in the same area every night.
Action: Ash Path and the top of Basingfield Road will be mechanically swept, imminently. The Church Walk area will be inspected and swept over the next few days. If necessary these areas will be cleaned with Jeyes Fluid to help deter other dogs from fouling in the same place. Extra aluminium notices will be put up within a week or two on school fences and elsewhere if practicable. If there are any areas where people think a notice would be particularly appropriate perhaps they could let Karen know (see contacts page).
Background: Occasionally, individuals object to notices being put up near their house. At a meeting of the full council some years ago when this issue was discussed it was agreed that bins for dog poo would only be put up in recreational areas (not so much because of cost but because nobody wants to have dog poo bins outside their house). Lastly, some of the faeces are from foxes - the Council will take no action against foxes.
Local Area Committee for Elmbridge / school crossing TD15 September 2008
Surrey County Council's Local area Committee for Elmbridge is meeting in Weybridge on 22 September: 16.00 to 19.00 at Christ the Prince of Peace Church Hall, Portmore Way, Weybridge. The committee monitors county services locally, hears reports from working partners and also deals with community safety issues in close co-operation with other local organisations. All Elmbridge residents are welcome to attend the meetings which are open to the public and held regularly. County and borough councillors on the committee make decisions together on highways, rights of way and transportation issues.
This meeting will consider a report and recommendations (you can read them here) by Highways officials concerning safety improvements at the school crossing by Thames Ditton Station. Better markings and a red tarmac top are recommended. This follows sustained pressure from our County Councillor Peter Hickman (and this website) in support of parents who presented a substantial petition earlier this year, led by Melisa Byatt. SCC won't fund it from the budget, so Peter has set aside some funds from his small council allocation, to buy red tarmac.
You are encouraged to attend the meeting. The last one was an astonishing shambles so they can be more entertaining than some committee meetings! For more info, contact SCC's Committee Manager: Katie Mills
on 01372 832606
Borough's Tories to hike council tax next year; coincidentally, no elections loom12 September 2008
The Leader of Elmbridge Borough Council Roy Taylor (Conservative) has said that his administration will raise Council Tax in the coming year.
During the past two years, in which council tax has been held while revenue has been raised more stealthily by increasing charges for Council services beyond inflation rates, there have been Borough Council elections with Conservatives pushing for an absolute majority. They now have that majority. There are no borough elections scheduled for 2009. We predicted earlier in the year that they would use this window to hit residents, whose personal finances are already suffering from many other hits, in the pocket by raising tax. No doubt they will blame 'the Government.'
Residents' Group leader Chris Sadler noted to the Esher News and Mail that to him, the council’s budget looked relatively robust, with an underspend of almost £150,000 this year to date. There was less income from car parks following the Conservatives' decision to hike car parking charges by 43% last year.
The planned income from the carpark hike almost exactly matched the substantial increase in their own emoluments that Conservative Councillors voted through last year. (Residents' Councillors Sadler and Janet Turner, as leaders of their groups, also received a similar increase although Residents' councillors had voted against it: they donated theirs to charity).
"We cannot control the world," Cllr. Taylor admitted in a revealing comment to the News and Mail..
It isn't cricket12 September 2008
William Bray got to first base
A Surrey lawyer, William Bray, made the earliest known manuscript reference to playing baseball on Easter Monday, 31 March 1755. His diary was found in a shed near Guildford by local historian Tricia St John Barry.
There are earlier references to the game but these are in fictional books: a book written by John Newbery in 1744 called 'A Little Pretty Pocket-Book' contains a short rhymed description of a game called base-ball and this was the first appearance of the term in print. Julian Pooley, the manager of Surrey History Centre, an expert on Bray, verified the diary's authenticity. He has worked closely with American Major League Baseball on the production of a film tracing the origins of the game which will be shown at the third annual Baseball Film Festival on 20 September. Surrey History Centre and an inquisitive local historian have now provided the earliest manuscript proof that the game the Americans gave to the world came from England, well, Surrey actually.
A digital copy of the manuscript that refers to baseball will be on display at Surrey History Centre in Woking on Heritage Open Day on Saturday 13 September, along with documents containing some of the earliest references to cricket.
Background:
Major League Baseball’s website has details about William Bray, the baseball manuscript, Tricia St John Barry and the background to the discovery.
In 1905, the Mills Commission was appointed to determine the origins of baseball. Albert G Spalding, one of the game’s pioneers, called for the formation of the committee, following an article by Henry Chadwick, a famous baseball writer, who said that the sport evolved from the English game of rounders. The committee's final report, on December 30, 1907, stated, in part, that “the first scheme for playing baseball, according to the best evidence obtainable to date, was devised by Abner Doubleday at Cooperstown, N.Y. in 1839”. That was one reason why the National Baseball Hall of Fame was located in Cooperstown.
Other accounts on the origins of the game are available. In 1845, Alexander Cartwright wanted to formalise a list of rules by which all teams could play. The first recorded baseball contest took place in 1846. Cartwright and his Knickerbocker Base Ball Club of New York City lost to the New York Baseball Club in a game at the Elysian Fields, in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Major League Baseball hires and maintains the sport’s umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing and television contracts. The 2008 Major League Baseball season began on March 25, 2008 in Tokyo. The 2007 World Series champions are Boston Red Sox. The league includes 30 teams across America and Canada.
Meanwhile the first reference to cricket comes in the Guildford Court Book (Surrey History Centre reference BR/OC/1/2) where, in evidence dated 1598, the earliest manuscript reference anywhere, John Derrick, 59, recalled that when he was a scholar at the Royal Grammar School 50 years earlier “hee and diverse of his fellows did runne and play there at Creckett and other Plaies”. The second reference has been found in the Wanborough Manor court roll for 1616 (Surrey History Centre reference1272/1/3) where Nicholas Hockley was fined three shillings and four pence for hitting Robert Hewett “with a certain sticke called in English a crickett staffe” of the value one penny and drawing blood.
So now you know. Our thanks to Peter Hickman for making the information immediately available from SCC's Press Release.
Waitrose tokens!11 September 2008
This month, the Guide Hut in Thames Ditton is one of the three charities among which Waitrose Esher will share £1,000 as part of their continuing 'community matters' programme. This is a national scheme. If you shop at any branch of Waitrose you will be given a plastic token at checkout. You can then put them in the container for 'Thames Ditton Guides' in the Esher branch of Waitrose. Please!
The charities chosen will differ each month. Other community charitable projects may wish to be aware of this scheme for October onwards.
Potboiler-a miscellany of developments that don't warrant separate items. 11 September 2008
Miscellaneous doings:The sale of the Home of Compassion (see news item below) to Caring Homes has now been signed and matters there can move ahead.
No through road for Fiesta driver8 September 2008
 The aftermath not vandals this time |
Residents of Church Walk and Ashley Road witnessed a mind-boggling scene this morning when at around 09.30 a middle-aged woman drove her Ford Fiesta quickly down Ashley Road and, narrowly missing two pedestrians and a pushchair, smashed past a cast-iron street bollard and into the front gardens of numbers 16 and 14, Church Walk. Residents who saw the immediate aftermath report that the driver, who was apparently not seriously hurt, was seen to remove a number of miniature bottles of spirits from the car and tossed them into the garden from where police took them away them in several bags when they arrived on the spot shortly afterwards. The woman, who is known locally, was breathalysed, and also removed in a police van.
Somewhat miraculously, nobody was reported hurt but it must have been a close-run thing. A car parked further up this well-known cul-de-sac was also damaged, thought to be in the same incident. |
 The car stopped short of the house wall - mobile phone pic from resident |
Olympic silver medallist wins Women's race in Harry Hawkes Eight7 September 2008
Sunday saw runners of all standards in the Harry Hawkes 8, Surrey's favourite charity run, well established as part of the running calendar. Starting at Giggs Hill Green, home of the organisers, Thames Ditton Cricket Club, the run follows the the Thames along the Queen's Promenade to Kingston, crossing at Kingston Bridge, then along the towpath by Home Park to Hampton Court Bridge and back to Giggs Hill Green. The fast, flat, accurately measured and timed course is enjoyed as much by fun runners of all ages as it is by serious club runners. Next year will see the 25th anniversary of this popular event.
With conditions around the course a little challenging due to the recent rain the overall course record of 39 minutes and 22 seconds was not likely to be broken, but an excellent run from event newcomer Ben Hope of Woodford Green running club saw him first over the line in 42 minutes 13 seconds a full 2 minutes ahead of his nearest challenger James Brown of the Metropolitan Police ( 44 minutes and 32 seconds). Toby Pearson of the Thames Hare and Hounds finished in third place (44 minutes and 56 seconds). Along with a number of other newcomers the race organisers were very pleased to welcome Sonia O'Sullivan to the event for the first time. Local resident Sonia was World 5000m champion in 1995 and won a silver medal for Ireland at the Sydney Olympic games in 2000 at that distance. Naturally Sonia was the first woman home in 47 minutes and 8 seconds - a course record for women (and eleventh place overall).
The men's over 60's race was won by Ronald Halls of Portsmouth Joggers (54 minutes 59 seconds) with Bernie Mulvany winning the 50 - 59 age range (49 minutes 20 seconds). Andy Weir of Thames Hare and Hounds, a past winner of the event, came home first in the 40 - 49 age bracket (45 minutes and 15 seconds). For the Ladies, Jane Davies of Epsom & Ewell Harriers won the over 55 age group in 56 minutes 34 seconds with Dee Smale of Stragglers winning the 45 - 54 age range (54 minutes 27 seconds). Sonia O'Sullivan carried off the trophy in the 35 - 44 age bracket.
Younger runners were also given the opportunity to show their talents with over 40 youngsters, significantly more than last year, entering the 1 mile event held on Giggs Hill Green whilst the main event was in progress. Ethan Payne and Helen Davies who were first home in the junior male and female categories.
Some photos appear on this website. Many more, and much better, ones were taken by our wizard professional Thames Ditton Today photographer, Scott Hortop. They can be seen here. Scott is happy for race participants who may appear in the photos to download them for their own personal use, but for any other use especially publication, please contact him. There are also good photos linked from the HH8 website.
Hey, big spenders!4 September 2008
In December 2006, at a time when the Labour Government was inexplicably promoting the building of more casinos across the nation, Conservative-controlled Elmbridge Council passed a resolution to keep Elmbridge free of casinos.
But now the Council has granted permission to Mr. Jonathan Dunne, the owner of the George in Esher High Street, to turn the basement of his bar into a casino in the heart of Esher's conservation area. Mr. Dunne, who happens to be chairman of the Esher Business Guild, will require a gambling licence. We have not asked the bookies what the odds are that the Council will grant it. Amateur students of form predict better than ten to one on.
(Make of these things what you will).
Nice weather for ducks1 September 2008
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Yellow steward ducks monitor the entrants Top secret design specs revealed (right) |
Lousy weather yesterday, the last Sunday in August, failed to dampen spirits of the quarter of a million plastic ducks that raced down the Thames from Molesey lock for charity. It was not the chill that turned them blue, but the ingenuity of the organisers who excluded cheats by providing blue plastic ducks. After all, for an entry fee of £2 per duck you had a 1:250,000 chance of winning the top prize of £10,000 for the first duck to make the Sherrif Boat Club on Albany Reach.
Proceeds for charity are expected to top £100,000 this year.
Friday night episode23 - 28 August 2008
On Friday 22 August at around 18.00 a cordon was thrown around the High Street from the George and Dragon to Stuart Lane's hairdressers, and a heavyweight police vehicle was parked there. Residents report that activity appeared to centre on the flat above the pharmacy. Our local police confirmed that this was not an incident that need cause public concern, and promise further information when circumstances allow.
Follow-up: Police confirm that their action followed initial information of a serious nature, and thank residents for their co-operation. Their prompt deployment and subsequent investigations enabled them to resolve the matter satisfactorily. It is categorized as an isolated incident that does not affect public safety.
Congratulations to Esher College and its students14 August 2008
It's a delight to report that Esher College is the third school in Thames Ditton and Weston Green to gain an outstanding Ofsted report this year. The inspectors in May awarded top grade in every category: "outstanding teaching and learning.....leadership and management are outstanding....." And so, again, is added value: "Students’ success rates are very high and most students make very good progress compared with their starting points on entry." A few subjects such as drama, geology and IT were judged to be in need of improvement.
In A-Level results announced today the College has done well again, with a 99.1% pass rate at A level (51.2% A and B grades), and 100% passes in the Applied A levels. The AS level pass rate is 94.1% (47.9% A and B grades). All these results were significantly higher than the national average. Two Esher College students were placed in the top 10 in the country for their individual performances in Economics and Applied Art and Design, whilst another student came in the top five for Applied Leisure and Sport Studies.
3000 sign petition against proposed development at Jolly Boatman13 August 2008
Henry VIII would have handled things differently - but was there in spirit
You can read HCRC's letter to EBC Planning of 8 August 2008, with well-argued and definitive reasons to object here. Or download as a pdf file (2.3MB) here, with better rendition of the drawings in the appendices.
Molesey Conservation Area Advisory Committee have also strongly criticised the proposed overdevelopment. Text of letter of 11 August may be seen (p.31) among letters of representation downloaded from EBC Planning Services. pdf file of 1.6MB.
Planning Application reference number is 2008/1600.
Update 6 September: the application has been withdrawn, for the moment.
End of the road for The Harrow23 July - 3 August 2008
The Harrow - to be a hole in the ground
The property has been sold on to Newville Homes Ltd., Optimal House 49 Station Road Gerrards Cross Buckinghamshire who made a new application on 30 May 2008, declared valid from 11 July and notified to earlier objectors in a letter dated 16 July that was delivered 23 July. The application is for six detached houses with integral garages and plans were put online only on 28 July although the closing date for comments online is as soon as 6 August. Please put your views. A letter from Graham Cooke on behalf of the Residents' Association has been sent to Martin Parker, Elmbridge's Head of Town Planning. It notes:
"The proposed design would appear to be quite out of character with the locale. The artist’s drawings of the proposed dwellings give an image of four prison blocks with two more ‘wedged’ in at the northern end of the site."
See the Elmbridge Borough Council web site - application reference number is 2008/1742- Planning Services. If you miss the online deadline please write to EBC - they usually take written submissions into account up to the date of the planning meeting, and in view of the tardiness with which the online service has operated in this case, they are likely to do so again.
A brief history of the pub is here.
Footnote on the Reuben brothers, whose Wellington Pub Company also owns the Red Lion in the High Street: the Financial Times of 30 July 2008 reports that the Reuben brothers have contributed nearly £200,000 to the Conservative party. That excellent and impartial newspaper notes that there have been six large donations to the Tories via 'obscure corporate entities' controlled by the Reubens. "These include £25,000 from Wellington Pub Company and Criterion Asset Management in March 2008," observes the FT. Each individual amount is "under the radar" of the £50,000 limit on donations which David Cameron ostensibly wants. But the total figure exceeds that limit fourfold.....
Caught!20 July 2008
Richie Richardson with Alan Weston |
West Indies cricketing legend Richie Richardson visited Thames Ditton High Street on Saturday morning, at the invitation of friend Alan Weston - our village 'Fish Man.'
Richie, looking cool in a characteristic hat, chatted with shoppers as they took advantage of Alan's haul of fresh seafood from Cornwall - crabs still waving their claws menacingly despite their metabolism being slowed down by ice.
Meanwhile Thames Ditton Cricket Club celebrated its 175th anniversary - business as usual with a league match on the Green - they lost, alas - followed by the Ball (on which we await reporting...) |
League match 19 July |
Does this float your boat?17 July 2008
Residents have lately found in their letterboxes issue no.4 of the "Hampton Court Station Residents Newsletter." On the reverse the headline is: "Residents back redevelopment." This is not, as the title may imply to the unwary, in any way associated with our counterpart Residents' Associations in Molesey or elsewhere. It is a publication produced and delivered to 9000 homes in the area by a public relations and political lobbying company, Lexington Communications, on behalf of the developers of the Jolly Boatman site. Lexcomm is a firm "...specialising in providing an issues-based approach to political or media challenges a business may face...." Lexcomm's PR philosophy
The pamphlet maintains that "over 750 people have submitted comments to Elmbridge Borough Council calling for the redevelopment of the area round Hampton Court Station to go ahead." Recipients are invited to tick a box for whichever of the two proposed development schemes they support.
That drafting needs very careful analysis. A substantial number of people, including many residents and their Association, the MRA, have objected to the proposals in direct comments to Elmbridge's Planning service as opposed to a survey carried out by a firm paid to project the developers' commercial interests. Especially for that part of the site that fronts on the River Thames and overlooks Hampton Court Palace - a beautiful and immensely historic situation. Do you want something looking like the above 'artist's impression' to front onto it? The Palace authorities say no: they have formally objected to the proposed planning application scheme, urging Elmbridge planners to refuse consent for the development.
In a detailed 8-page letter to Elmbridge Borough Council Planners, which you may read here, the Palace's Conservation and Learning Director clearly laid out HRP’s many objections to the controversial scheme. He stated: "As guardians of Hampton Court Palace, we have very serious concerns regarding the proposed development of this site and its potential impact on the setting of the palace, its gardens and park, and the surrounding area."
And the real Residents' Association? The one that holds all the Molesey ward seats on Elmbridge Council after elections this year? Molesey Residents' Association's newsletter of June 2008 states:
"MRA is completely against what we see as a total overdevelopment of this sensitive site. We shall look for a more reasonable outcome."
Presumably to make this enterprise more palatable to planners, the developers are including space for 'affordable housing' and a Star and Garter Home. Opponents of the scheme will doubtless again be accused of standing in the way of these worthy aims. Those parts of the proposed development are to be in the area behind the station and are not the main focus of objection. The real issue is not the station area but the frontage: whatever is built upon the Jolly Boatman site will be in prime view long after those who pocket the proceeds have spent the money. Rather than returning the developers' PR pamphlet with its faux choice of two schemes of dubious merit, to record your views properly you may wish to visit the Elmbridge Borough Council Planning Service online and under planning reference 2008/1600, submit them today or tomorrow. If you miss that deadline, then write to the Planning Officer Ann Briggs at EBC. Written comments are usually included in the consideration after the online deadline has passed.
We shall report on what the ruling Council does with this application.
The developer is Gladedale. The Times Rich List 2008 reports that:
"Gladedale is worth £350m. Italian-born Remo Dipre and his family own it all."
Dereliction13 July 2008
Peter Hickman wants SCC to meet grass-cutting obligations
Our two councils, ruled absolutely by a coterie accustomed to power, are incapable of keeping the grass and weeds down. Will they blame the Government, as they do with other questions of proper Highways management? As usual, there are fine PR statements about intentions. We read, for example, on Surrey's official website that:
"Grass cutting within urban areas is carried out to a higher standard than rural areas. For highway safety reasons the County Council aims to keep grass shorter than 15cm (6") in these areas. The number of cuts may vary locally."
The 'number of cuts' appears to be a closely-guarded secret. To ascertain the grass-cutting schedule, our councillor Peter Hickman is now having to resort to a question under the Freedom of Information Act! The photo shows him up to his neck in overgrowth along Watts Road by Thames Ditton Hall, where Surrey County Council's Estates office has failed to respond to several requests for action.
Weeds around TD Hall give sense of dereliction
Indeed, he's up to his neck in ragwort - a notifiably dangerous weed under the Weeds Act 1959 and the Ragwort Control Act 2003. This places an expectation on local authorities to implement a ragwort control policy for land they manage.
Meanwhile pupils of Hinchley Wood School have been observed jumping from the grassy bank of this overgrown patch of Surrey, on to the bonnets of cars parked in the car park, for 'fun.'
Elmbridge Borough Council seems little better: the front and side of Thames Ditton Hall is festooned with weeds. In recent years the Hall was rescued from Surrey County Council, who wanted to sell it to developers: thanks to Residents' Association action to retain it for community use, it is now owned by Elmbridge.
Conservative Surrey Council assets supremo has track record of suspensions for influencing planning decisions11 July 2008
Tony Dunn
As Councillor, Mr. Dunn chaired the Planning Committee in Marlow for four years and was deputy Mayor for two of them. But three weeks ago, Mr Dunn was disqualified from public (political) office for a year. The Standards Board for England concluded that Mr. Dunn sought to influence the council’s decisions on planning applications made by a company of which he was secretary. Mr Dunn’s brother was also acting as a consultant on the applications.
The ethical standards officer also "noted with concern" that these breaches of the Code of Conduct came after Cllr. Dunn was suspended in December 2006 for similar conduct. Sir Anthony Holland, Chair of the Standards Board for England, said: "By attempting to influence planning applications to the advantage of his associates, Councillor Dunn failed to act with the honesty and integrity that the general public have every right to expect from their local representatives." Full text of Standards Board statement here
Cllr Dunn's case was referred to the Standards Board in August 2007. He resigned from his Wycombe post on 4 October that year. He was then put in charge of Surrey's - your - assets. Assets that totalled over £1 billion last year.
Also for consideration and reflection:
Surrey County Council's Anti-Fraud and Anti-Corruption Strategy section 3.7 states: "A key measure in the prevention of fraud and corruption is to take effective steps at the recruitment stage to establish, as far as possible, the previous record of potential employees in terms of their propriety and integrity."
The Conservatives have been the dominant party in Surrey for the Council's entire existence and are currently in their eleventh year of ruling it with an absolute majority.
Council officers are legally required to be politically neutral, and for senior employees this is enforced through the political restrictions of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.
This article has been compiled from source material in the local Guardian, 10 July 2008; the websites of the Standards Board of England, Surrey County Council, the Wycombe Conservatives and the Bucks Free Press, and a response from SCC to a request for information via email.
Surrey Primary Care Trust links sexual diseases to tango23 June 2008
You will be pleased to note that having resolved questions of hospital beds, 'care closer to home', MRSA and other matters by the simple expedient of issuing glossy brochures, our PCT is now canvassing your views on sexual health services in a survey catchingly entitled "It takes you to tango."
Cases of STD in Surrey are reportedly running at around 3600 a year, of which half are chlamydia, many no doubt acquired while walking the dog on Esher or other Commons in Surrey*. We have no reports from readers of any cases in Surrey attributable to tango, however.
If you want to participate in the survey, here's the link. You will be greeted by a logo of two computer mice lovingly entwined.....under the heading ' Feeling Great in Surrey!' (wonder who made that one up?!). "Nothing gathered here is traceable to you and individuals cannot be identified in any way," you are assured, but .. "Please supply your contact details at the bottom of the questionnaire to be entered for the draw" for two cinema tickets. Extraordinary!
If you are more interested in Tango Argentino, we recommend the Tango Club just off St Martin's Lane in London, or Flavio at the Stoke in Guildford on Tuesdays. But only after you have been cleared by your doctor, please.
* We urge curious readers on no account to search Google for 'Esher dogging'. What is the world coming to?
29-31 Ember Lane: development allowed on appeal, with conditions23 June 2008
We regret to report that contrary to hopes and expectations, the Planning Inspector allowed the developer's appeal concerning the development of 29 - 31 Ember Lane to provide 12 flats. This had been turned down by the EBC planning process (and not, as erroneoulsy reported in the current issue of Thames Ditton Today, on appeal - editorial error regretted) . The Inspector attached certain extra conditions: obscure glazing on ground floor kitchen windows, additional landscaping, and conditions to meet some concerns of the Environmental Agency.
Comment: It was disappointing that on this occasion the Inspector's decision ran counter to agreed local planning guidelines in Elmbridge. There is considerable pressure from central Government to encourage higher density housing even when out of keeping with the area.
Surrey Highways and Transport continues in shambles18 June 2008
The headline speaks for itself. Failings in the county Conservatives' administration of our roads and transport continues. Last year they failed to keep our weeds down. This year they have carried out one dose of weedkilling, but failed to keep the grass verges cut in our wards and those in Molesey and Long Ditton. We are trying to discover what exactly their mowing schedule is. Residents' Councillor Peter Hickman has been exerting pressure on officals and last week some mowing was done, leaving verges looking like hayfields. The grass along Hampton Court Way was cut because of an imminent drive-by of HM The Queen!
In a shambolic and acrimonious meeting of the Local Area Committee on 16 June, attended by borough and county councillors and members of the public, EBC Leader Roy Taylor (Conservative) who also enjoys a second salary as a county councillor, and several other Conservatives on EBC attacked their Conservative colleagues on the County Council in an unedifying display (where words like 'poppycock' were bandied, forsooth!). It resulted in the Chair adjourning the meeting so that she could 'cool off.' Cllr. Taylor and cohort effectively blocked adoption of SCC proposals for spending on transport, and plans will now be in abeyance until the next meeting of the Committee in late July. We recall that Cllr Taylor challenged his colleague Nick Skellet for leadership of the county council some eighteen months ago, and was roundly beaten. Mr. Skellet, leader of the SCC Executive, has just been awarded the CBE.
Somewhat belatedly, the Conservative EBC administration has adopted the thrust of Residents' policy to try to get some control of highways and transport maintenance back from SCC, who seem quite incapable of managing it effectively. But the EBC administration seems short of perfection too: the weeds outside Thames Ditton Hall and Library car-park are their responsibility: that remains undischarged.
Astonishing budget swings - about two-thirds of the budget for Elmbridge transport schemes has been arbitrarily cut by the ruling county administration - have also meant that the parking scheme for Thames Ditton has been deferred until 2010 / 2011. After so much work on the consultation, one of the two senior transport officers dealing with it has left and moved to Croydon, while the other has been reassigned to Walton's parking scheme. Many of our readers will be frustrated by this. An equal number, who had been increasingly uneasy about the trend of proposals, may be relieved. For our part, we shall keep patiently lobbying for a sensible scheme that helps our local shops and meets with majority support in the village.
Suspicion of murder18 June 2008
Police cordoned off 33 Embercourt Road yesterday evening following the arrest of Martin Hale, a fruit and veg wholesaler, whose wife Maureen disappeared in 1999. The local police guard was tight-lipped about events, which are being handled by the Metropolitan police (not Surrey), but it seems likely that they are about to start digging on the premises. A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “Detectives investigating the sudden disappearance of Maureen Hale from Thames Ditton, in June 1999, have today arrested a 51-year-old man on suspicion of murder. He has also been arrested on suspicion of mortgage fraud.”
Maureen Hale was reported to have left house, family and husband on 22 June, 1999. Mr Hale reportedly told police she simply walked out that night. Marital relations are believed to have declined to the point where she was contemplating divorce. Police investigating the case believed it entirely out of character that she had not since contacted any of her children.
Martin Hale was formally charged with murder in Kingston Crown Court on 19 June and remanded in custody. Trial booked at the Old Bailey for 25 September.
Nice Plaice You've Got There!10 June 2008
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| Sole trader: Alan Weston gets near the bone |
Residents in Thames Ditton's crowded High Street on Saturday were delighted to see a fresh fish vendor outside the Secret Garden. Claygate resident Alan Weston drives to Billingsgate every morning for his supplies. He tells us that he's registered with the local Council, fully insured, and seeking accreditation with the Marine Stewardship Council that monitors sustainability and traceability of fish supplies.
Alan will take orders by telephone and deliver to you any weekday, or try to get you the fish you want that morning if you're coming to the High Street Thursdays 13.30 - 15.30 or Saturdays 09.00 - 12.00, when you'll find his van there.
Call 01372 461 741 ( web site here).
We bought a nice piece of salmon and it was very good. Alan's venture can only help to keep retail shopping in the village thriving and we welcome The Fishman.
Giggle Hill Green9 June 2008
David Harries' new book, "Men in White on Giggs Hill Green" (see imminent issue of Thames Ditton Today) cites research into the origins of the Green's name. Though flat enough to play high-quality cricket on in more recent times, it is thought that the Green used to have a hillock that may have been dug down to maintain roads in the 16th - 18thC days when roads in Surrey were notorious for bad maintenance (my, how times have changed haha!). This grassy knoll is alleged to have been named for the giglets, or whores in old English slang, who may have offered easement there to the hard pressed male population of this parish.
These days the phrase "Out middle stump" refers to cricket - the main subject of Mr. Harries' book. But if readers happen to know of any recent or current local shenanigans that might be the cause of merry chuckles in centuries to come, do let us know: Strict Confidentiality Guaranteed.
Hospital Friends provide ECG machine for local NHS patients13 May 2008
This year the Friends of Thames Ditton Hospital have funded over £60,000 worth of new ultrasound and ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) equipment for the consultant clinics at Giggs Hill Surgery run by MEDICS – the new GP-based NHS medical service for patients in the Molesey, Claygate, Esher and Dittons area. At their AGM on 20 May the Friends will add new state-of-the-art ECG equipment for the new cardiology clinics. The recent performance of Cinderella at the Vera Fletcher Hall raised a significant contribution to the funds required for this latest equipment.
Councillor Karen Randolph, Chairman of the Friends, notes that now MEDICS are providing patients in the Claygate, Esher, Molesey and Dittons area with consultant services such as ultrasound locally instead of their having to use acute hospitals at Kingston or Tooting, and within 2 weeks instead of patients having to wait up to 12 weeks for appointments. "W're very grateful to local residents and businesses for their magnificent support in raising these substantial sums," she adds. The Friends remain determined to continue pressure on the Surrey Primary Care Trust to open the much needed 14 intermediate care NHS beds at Emberbrook to build on the improvement in health care in the local area which these new ultrasound, ENT and cardiology services will provide.
New Junior School playground7 May 2008
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| Peter Hickman opens the new play area at Thames Ditton Junior School |
On 7 May our County Councillor for the Dittons and Weston Green, Peter Hickman, cut the tape to open the new play area at Thames Ditton Junior School.
The ably-organised Friends of the School succeeded in raising around £15,000 through quiz nights, entertainments and fairground activities over the past year or so, and Peter was able to secure £3,500 from Surrey CC coffers to make up the £18,500 needed for the play area.
(We do have photos of Peter playing on these facilities but they are not for the faint-hearted!)
Local election results1 May 2008
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Many thanks to residents for turning out and voting. Turnout was higher than last year and Weston Green had the highest turnout in Elmbridge at 46.2%. Thames Ditton 40.1%.
In Thames Ditton, Ruth Lyon was re-elected with 1345 votes. The Conservative polled 335 and Labour 107.
In Weston Green, Lorraine Sharp was elected with 800 votes. Bucking a trend that saw a swing of 5-6% to the Conservatives nationally, nearer 12% in Elmbridge, the Conservative polled less than last year at 429 on a higher turnout. There were no other candidates.
Well done, everyone: back to work now.
Elsewhere in Elmbridge the Conservatives took 3 seats from Residents and Independents and 1 from the LibDems to give them an absolute majority of 32 out of the 60 Borough seats. The implications of this will become apparent over the coming year. We congratulate them and will aim to work with them pragmatically.
Full results in Elmbridge
Esher News article on results
Hampton Court Way pedestrian crossing fixed24 April 2008
The malfunctioning pedestrian crossing lights across Hampton Court Way near the school have finally been fixed Not for the first time, and certainly it won't be for the last time, the County authorities prevaricated and delayed action, and it is for these among other reasons that Residents need their own representatives on the Council. Residents' Association County councillor Peter Hickman put in a good deal of effort in harmony with mothers of children at St. Paul's school (in particular Yvonne Glennon) and contractors finally fixed the lights on 22 April.
Surrey to tackle under 6% of urgent road repairs this year.17 April 2008
You know how bad many of Surrey's roads are. Following a bureaucratic exercise to identify roads within the County that are in urgent need of repair and resurfacing, we understand Surrey County Council have identified 611 such roads for "priority attention". And priority means...?
In the coming year they propose to tackle no less than....36 of them. At that rate it will take nearly seventeen years to do what needs to be done, even if other roads do not meanwhile deteriorate to the point where they also become priorities.
Surrey's PR statements and glossy brochures are somewhat more actively maintained than our road surfaces. The County Executive Member for Highways, David Munro (Conservative, Farnham South), has stated that "Overall the highways service is getting better and better."
Carillion subsidiary among companies accused of bidding malpractice by the Office of Fair Trading17 April 2008
Following one of the largest ever Competition Act investigations, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has issued a formal Statement of Objections against 112 firms in the construction sector in England. It maintains that these firms have engaged in bid rigging activities. Under the Competition Act 1998 and Article 81 of the EC Treaty, cartels are prohibited. The OFT has issued a note as to the action that might be taken by local authorities and other procuring entities as a consequence of the OFT's actions, and in particular the potential for exclusion of the companies under investigation from future tender lists. "It is important to note that no assumption should be made by procuring entities at this stage that there has been an infringement of competition law," cautions the OFT. The accused firms now have an opportunity to respond. The OFT's final decision is likely to be published next year.
One of the companies concerned is Carillion JM, a construction subsidiary of Carillion PLC that is responsible for the state of our highways. Nearly two years ago an undercover investigation by Surrey County Council showed that Carillion employees were goofing off during the 'working' day we were paying for. Surrey's report also heavily criticised Carillion for overcharging on road work. In one instance, repair to one and a half square metres of road surface, estimated to cost £200, ended up being billed in the sum of £2,782.50.
Carillion continues to hold the contract for road maintenance with Conservative-controlled Surrey County Council.
More freedom for motorists to speed?10 April 2008
A paper just published by the Conservative Way Forward in defence of motorists' freedoms argues that there is nothing unprecedented about recent global temperatures or rates of change and that there have been many fluctuations in temperature since the end of the last ice age. Among several policy recommendations in favour of the motor car are that bus lanes and cycle lanes should be removed or reduced in urban areas, that there should be no more traffic-calming measures, that speed limits should be raised and the 40mph and 50mph speed limits applying to heavy goods vehicles on rural single and dual carriageway roads should be scrapped. The paper urges abolition of speed cameras and that enforcement of speed limits should be restricted to situations where the driver is stopped at the time of an alleged offence.
On local considerations the proposals envisage that financial regulations should be tightened to prevent local authorities using parking charges to subsidise their other services
The full paper may be read here and we should welcome your views on it - there are some things in it that may appeal, others not.
Snow - yay!6 April 2008
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Local children awoke to an inch and a half of snow this morning, and on a Sunday, too! Their parents were almost as excited. Here are the Relfe-Daceys of Thorkill Road with a fine snowman built by 09.30 on Giggs Hill Green. Click photo for larger version. They weren't the only ones! More snow-pix. |
Police 5 - or Police 9.7?4 April 2008
Surrey Police Authority are holding out for a 9.7% increase in their Council Tax precept. Our Police envisage a 6% growth in their budget overall, followed by two years of under four percent during which their Council Tax take would rise at 4.9% p.a.
The Government has established that rises in the police share of Council Tax will be capped at 5% if they exceed that figure.
Surrey is one of seven police authorities in England that face such capping. Lincolnshire demanded an increase of 80% (!). Lobbying of ministers is taking place over the next three weeks, accompanied by the expected manoeuvering to get better deals.
The new Conservative Shadow Minister for Local Government, Bob Neill, said council tax was now probably the most unpopular tax in the country and that despite the caps there would still be an extra £53 a year on the bills of band D householders.
Council tax in England will rise by an average of 4% in the coming year against a rate of inflation of 2.5%. Surrey's county administration has voted for an increase of 4.9% - just below the level at which capping overall would have been imposed. Officials did present lower options: Residents councillors voted for a lower option.
A policeman's lot - comment.
China comes to Thames Ditton3 April 2008
Intrigued by the sight of half a dozen smartly-dressed Chinese business people carefully examining and photographing Thames Ditton High Street this morning? (The Ironing Board was observed to draw their special attention, by a resident who tipped off our reporting staff).
We can reveal that this was a delegation from the Chinese Ministry of Communications Rescue and Salvage Bureau in Beijing on a mission to increase international co-operation, and mutual business. They were here to meet and talk to MARINT Offshore Services.
One of the many things about this quirky Thames Ditton that we love is the wealth of top quality things that go on here. Now, who would expect that in what the press have described as 'this chocolate-box village' quite far from the sea, there would be a leading independent agency for Towage and Salvage throughout the world? But there is! Contributing to the valuable and vibrant office economy of our community, from its offices in Stag's Court MARINT tracks daily the position of every tug and supply vessel on the world's seas so that shipowners with vessels in trouble can find the nearest one, quickly and independently of any particular company's salvage claims.
Stag's Court, formerly the village slaughterhouse, may well be the oldest building in Thames Ditton after St Nicholas' Church. But now it houses a very modern concern. This is no 'cottage industry.' The visiting interpreter was quick to point out that MARINT are very big in the World, to which our Chinese salvage colleagues nodded vigorously. We welcomed them warmly to Thames Ditton, which, they noted, is very pretty.
New High Street Deli opens22 March 2008
If you saw lights on in the new deli at three o'clock on the morning of 22 March, it was Sharon scrambling to put the finishing touches before opening the Lime Tree for business later that Saturday. Your reporting staff - and we should say in advance that they paid for everything themselves to ensure reporting credibility and freedom - were delighted to see some gorgeous and succulent foodie items being served by equally gorgeous damsels of the locality, clad in clean and simple black and white to go with the bright, scrubbed decor.
We did not have occasion to try everything, but can report that Lime Tree has excellent Finnuchiona salami, Brie and Stinking Bishop cheeses along with other enticing cheese and sausage; terrific figgy balls that were a new delight to palates jaded by years of dining in exotic foreign restaurants; and - yes! - the Best Lime Pickle In The World and other top Indie sauces and pickles, made by Anila of Walton on Thames who is justly getting a cracking good planetary reputation.
Let's hope this becomes a success story among our local retail shops that work hard to make the most of thinnish trading circumstances. We wish Sharon and her cheerful team good luck.