Summer 2008 issue

News from the Residents' Association

Elmbridge Borough Council Elections

Our thanks to residents for turning out and voting for your Association. Turnout was higher than last year. Weston Green had the highest turnout in Elmbridge at 46.2%, with Thames Ditton at 40.1%. In Thames Ditton, Ruth Lyon was re-elected with 1345 votes, 75% of the poll. The Conservative polled 335 and Labour 107.

In Weston Green, your new candidate Lorraine Sharp was elected with 800 votes, 65% of the poll. Bucking a trend that saw a big national swing to the Conservatives, 12% in Elmbridge, the Conservative candidate campaigned negatively against the Association and polled a few votes less than last year (429) even though turnout was higher. There were no other candidates.

Particular thanks to the many who made this success possible through their work - the manifesto deliverers, the tellers, those who put up posters and our agent, Peter Hickman. Unlike the political parties, we have no paid agents or staff and rely entirely on your voluntary support. Elsewhere in Elmbridge the Conservatives took 3 seats from Residents and Independents in Walton and Hersham and 1 from the Liberal Democrats in Long Ditton, to give them an absolute majority of 32 out of the 60 Borough seats. The implications of this will become apparent over the next two years.

Esher Station flooding solved

The last issue reported our councillors' continuing efforts to get all culverts in the system cleaned out thoroughly. There was progress over the past year but it was not until SCC and Network Rail tackled the 10-point February action plan, and in particular when SCC finally cleared the under-road culvert where fish had been recorded, that things finally dried out. Heavy rains during April enabled us to verify that this ninety-year-old trouble spot under Esher station bridge was now dry as a bone. So - thanks to all concerned, especially our indefatigable Councillor Tannia Shipley who has driven this issue along. It will now be important to persuade those responsible to carry out regular maintenance to prevent floods happening again.

Island rubbish

The Island was suffering worsening problems in getting their rubbish collected by Veolia, the Elmbridge refuse contractors. Bags were collected from each house on the island and ferried across to the slipway next to the Swan. When the river was dangerously in spate the bags were still collected from each house, and carried across the bridge. After requests from many Islanders, recycling bins were introduced on the mainland slipway. This seems to be where the problems started. Without any formal consultation, the collection of rubbish bags from the houses on the Island was withdrawn and council contractors provided bins both for general rubbish and recycling on the slipway. The bins were heavily used although parked cars sometimes blocked access by the collectors and there were problems with vandalism.

Discussions with Council officials left Islanders with the view that the Council and Veolia were seeking to 'opt out' from collecting refuse from the Island. Veolia attempted to justify their reduced service on 'Health and Safety' grounds - e.g. the 'risky' ferry, even though their own staff were not directly involved with its loading and unloading!Islanders raised concerns at our February Open Meeting.

Residents' councillors Ruth Lyon and Karen Randolph together with Martin Steel from the Island then made a démarche to council officials, who have since intervened positively when there have been problems. Collections by Veolia have improved (with a few glitches). Meanwhile ferry providers Taggs Boatyard consulted Health'n'Safety experts from Surrey County Council who stated that the only 'risk' in the waterborne process was from their staff not wearing life jackets. Soon remedied.

Attempts by contractors and the Council to shave services in many small ways, which we are experiencing in more than one area (Church Walk is another), may result from the primary aim of the current Elmbridge administration to save money. A laudable aim: but whittling down essential services such as rubbish collection, particularly on an inequitable basis, is not the way to do it.

High Street shops

Among the shops remaining in Thames Ditton High Street we have seven or eight that attract regular shoppers each day and they are a key focus for village life. We were therefore worried that Five Rivers Deli was closing down, but delighted to see the new LimeTree delicatessen that has taken its place. And deservedly well frequented it is proving to be. With good reason: they have some really nice things to eat in there! Your Editor is hooked on those figgy balls and sublime Gorgonzola. Sharon's delightful staff also serve tasty lunches and snacks. Most retail businesses here need more than one leg to stand on, and LimeTree will do bespoke dishes at your home or business too. So along with the Village Bakery, we still have a couple of congenial places to go coffee-housing.

Worryingly for local imbibers the Wine Rack premises are sporting a "Lease For Sale" sign. We understand that Threshers are 'rationalising' across the country and Thames Ditton is not their most productive outlet. Moreover there have been recurrent problems with thievery and vandalism there over the past few years. We gather there's no buyer in the offing yet but if anyone wants an off-license / wine shop now's your chance.

The message is: if you don't want to lose an essential part of village character, support your local shops. We wouldn't ask you to do this if they weren't any good. But they are good! So come on, get your bread, fresh fruit and veg, flowers, small groceries, scrumptious deli items, great cakes, hooch and gifts locally and chat with other villagers while you're at it.

School Ofsteds

February's Ofsted inspection of Thames Ditton Infants School confirmed that it remains a truly remarkable school. It scored top grading (outstanding) in every category. The report notes: "One parent described this as 'a fantastic school' and that is exactly what it is." A tribute to Head Janet Espley and her staff, all the parents who offer terrific support, and to the children themselves who love the school. There was another glowing Ofsted report for St Paul's Catholic Primary School in Weston Green: "This is an outstanding school," wrote the Inspector after March's evaluation. St. Paul's scored top marks in every category bar one, where minor improvement was needed. Esher College regularly gets a superb rating from Ofsted too. The community is very proud that we have such fine schools here in the state and voluntary aided sectors.

Less happy is the situation that parents find themselves in when applying for school places, where the County authorities can seem overly complacent while we think as many as 20 local infants and juniors are allotted places miles from where they live. Our county councillor Peter Hickman is lobbying for more realistic forward planning as the population profile, and density, changes.

Planning

◊   5 Riversdale Road, Thames Ditton: an appeal to build a large extension was turned down as out of keeping with the form, design and general appearances of the run of houses. The Inspector judged that the extension would have an "oppressive, un-neighbourly and overwhelming impact." The details of this decision are a good precedent relevant to other cases.

◊   27/31 Ember Lane: on 20 May the proposal to build twelve flats with accommodation in the roof space, underground gymnasium, swimming pool, and parking for 13 cars, plus 5 more cars at ground level was turned down (and will go to appeal). Both our Weston Green Councillors, plus Cllr Ruth Lyon and Maureen Sheldrick attended the hearing and there was an excellent turnout of local residents.

◊   3 Harvest Lane: an application to fell the OakHolm Oak was rejected. The tree, one of two Holm Oaks seen from the High Street (the other is at the beginning of Watts Road), is an evergreen part of the scenery and subject to a Tree Preservation Order. Many residents spoke up for it. The Planning Officer judged that its loss would be detrimental to the character and appearance of the area, and there was insufficient justification for its removal. One longstanding resident told us that keepers from London Zoo used to visit to gather its leaves as a delicacy for their giraffes.

Crime and policing

Until recently the crime rate remained relatively low, with Thames Ditton recording three quarters of crime in the two wards. Of 41 crimes in March and April 6 were violent, 10 burglaries, 7 car theft or theft from cars and there were 14 cases of criminal damage. A number of burglaries here and in nearby wards saw windows forced or outbuildings entered. At teatime on 13 March police rushed to the scene of an armed robbery at Ladbrokes bookmakers on Hampton Court Way at Weston Green. They arrived minutes too late to catch the villains. Although a handgun was brandished the branch manager succeeded in locking himself behind a door, nobody was hurt and the robbers - two white males - failed to steal any money.

A gang of hooded youths, some white and some Asian in appearance, robbed the off-licence in Thames Ditton High Street of drink and cigarettes early in the evening of 25 February. Over a dozen youths were seen walking rowdily along the High Street, and four or five burst into the shop to help themselves. They then proceeded to Thames Ditton railway station where a group of about thirty of them was reported, some brandishing knives. In early May prompt action by the burly manager of the off-licence resulted in another attempt being frustrated and a youth being arrested by police who were nearby. Other vandalism by a small group of yobs along Church Walk on two nights in March resulted in damage to garden lights and furniture.

There have been serious sprees of criminal damage to cars parked on the streets and in driveways. In early May about six cars on High St and Station Road Thames Ditton had windscreens or rear windows smashed , and overnight on Monday 19th May over 30 cars (possibly as many as 50) were damaged in Weston Green Road, Thistledene, Parkwood Road and Alma Road. This is believed to have happened around 23.30 but apparently with little noise or rowdiness accompanying. Police are tracking down those responsible.

Residents sometimes do not tell police of isolated criminal incidents, perhaps because they do not wish to engage in paperwork. But it is important that our local police have a full picture. Even if you do not need a crime reference number, you can always phone or email them with details - their contact particulars are on our website and in their newsletters.

Meanwhile, on 14 April a Longmead man admitted lying on benefit forms to defraud the Council of over £13,000 and was given a suspended sentence of six months' prison, and a curfew. An antisocial nuisance who according to Paul Yearwood, Neighbourhood Inspector for Elmbridge, had "blighted the lives of residents in Esher and Weston Green for some time" was convicted on 2 April of assaulting another 17-year -old and tagged, ordered to complete 20 hours of specified activities, put under a curfew from 11pm to 7am and given an Asbo.

Highways, sighways

Apart from the overdue but now successful cleaning of culverts around Esher station, alas there is little good news to report on this front. Thistledene residents were outraged in March when, with 48 hours' notice over a weekend and no consultation, contractors laid a thin covering of cheap black slurry over their prized warm red tarmac pavements. Weeds are already breaking through it.

Surrey Highways have also left residents shaking their heads when attending potholes. They will fill them only if they are more than a defined number of centimetres deep and have straight sides, ignoring neighbouring potholes in the same stretch of road while they are there. When the latter worsen to the dimensions of an actionable pothole, the process of inspecting and attending starts again. Taxpayers hoping for comprehensive rehabilitation of bad roads will be reassured to know that SCC have identified 611 roads in the county for 'priority attention' and will tackle 36 of them this year. A calculation on the back of an envelope suggests that it will take 17 years to do them all.

Parking

The lines have gone dead. The two Highways officials who had been supervising the process of consultation and planning for Thames Ditton have moved on to other things and officials' attention has been centred elsewhere (Croydon, Walton). We still await the promised second questionnaire on the area around Thames Ditton Station. However, much work has been done; and led by Peter Hickman we will keep lobbying patiently for a sensible scheme that will gain majority support in the village.

Cover photo

There are so many timeless scenes of village life in Weston Green and Thames Ditton that it is hard to believe we are no more than half an hour from the centre of London or from Heathrow. On the cover of this issue we have Scott Hortop's delightful late-afternoon photograph of the Old Red House across Marney's Pond. This handsome house dating from the early 18th century changed hands not long ago, having been on the market a short while for just under £2.5 million.