One of the strongest and longest-established Residents' Associations in England. If you have recently arrived in either the Thames Ditton or Weston Green wards, we offer you a warm welcome and invite you to view or print off our welcome letter. Please Subscribe - it's only £5 and helps to keep this going as well as the community magazine. Click here to learn more about us.

Our next OPEN MEETING (via Zoom) is on Tuesday 22nd Sep 2020 - 8pm . All who live or work in Thames Ditton and Weston Green are welcome. Click here for our Open meeting dates

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News Highlights

Coronavirus hotspot close to home

Spelthorne now on Government's Covid Watch List    Spelthorne District, just across the Thames from Elmbridge, has seen a continued rise in Coronavirus cases, and is now classified as an 'area of concern'.  Although a lockdown has not yet been imposed, it is now more likely that it will be.  Will Elmbridge soon follow? For more information on Spelthorne's status, see the GetSurrey article.

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Planning rules carve-up?

GOVERNMENT AIMS TO OVERRIDE LOCAL PLANNING CONTROLS Do you like leafy Thames Ditton - Weston Green just as it is? Do you think developers are already starting to degrade it? Well, it's going to get a lot worse if the Government has its way.   In August the Government published two consultations: the White Paper, Planning for the Future - a consultation running until 29 October, prior to submittal for legislation;  and  Changes to the Current Planning System, a separate...

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Elmbridge leads with reusable face masks

ELMBRIDGE LEADS THE WAY WITH REUSABLE FACE MASKS Covid-19 has triggered the use of 129 billion ‘disposable’ face masks globally every month. The majority of these, including the ubiquitous blue and white masks which look like paper, are made from single-use plastic which is leading to an environmental catastrophe.Single-use plastic masks, considered medical waste, cannot be recycled and routinely end up in landfill, being incinerated (which contributes to climate change) or make their way into ...

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Surrey's Borough Councils to be abolished

Surrey County Council's Proposal for a Surrey Unitary Authority   Conservative-led Surrey County Council (SCC) is proposing to abolish the county's eleven Borough Councils, merging their responsibilities with those of the County Council into a Unitary Authority. This is in response to a Government White Paper (due to be published later this year) which will promote this structure for local government. The main driver for this appears to be economic. The state of many Councils' fina...

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Virtual Open Meeting - Tue 22 September

Join our Virtual Open Meeting to discuss the future of our local area Tuesday, 22 September 2020, 8:00pm   By joining Zoom:  ID  776 810 2640 on your computer or smartphone (www.zoom.us/join) or By telephone:  0203 481 5240 and meeting ID  776 810 2640 All Thames Ditton and Weston Green residents are welcome   AGENDA  1. Welcome and apologies for absence 2. Minutes of previous Open Meeting on 23 June 2020 (available to download one hou...

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RA supports High Street vitality

Application to part-convert former Stitchery site to residential is opposed by the Residents' Association. The RA has written to Elmbridge Borough Council to object to to the proposal to drastically reduce the retail space of this site - see below.     Ditton Cottage   Giggs Hill Road   Thames Ditton   Surrey KT7 0BT    Planning ServicesElmbridge Borough CouncilCivic CentreHigh StreetEsher KT10 9SD 9 August 2020    &nbs...

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Merrywood development opposed by RA

The RA has submitted a letter of objection (below) regarding Planning Application 2020/1795 to develop the Merrywood site in Weston Green.   Ditton CottageGiggs Hill RoadThames DittonSurrey KT7 0BT Planning ServicesElmbridge Borough CouncilCivic CentreHigh StreetEsher KT10 9SD 22 August 2020 Dear Sir/Madam, Objection: 2020/1795 - Merrywood, Weston Green, Thames Ditton, Surrey, KT7 0JZ I write on behalf of Thames Ditton & Weston Green Residents' Association to...

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TD Farmers' Market is back!

Thames Ditton Farmers' Market returns Saturday 29 August The Thames Ditton Farmers’ Market returns in its new, temporary venue on Saturday 29 August, 9am-1pm. This is:  Mercer Close Car Park (opposite The DIttons Library), KT7 0BS. Thereafter it will be on the fourth Saturday of every month:        26 September       24 October       28 November until December, when it will be held on:        Sunday 20 Dec...

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Recent local scams - be aware!

Two recent scams that have been discovered by the Elmbridge Citizens Advice, July 2020 M is 45 years old and self-employed. He received a payment from the Self-Employed Income Scheme in May. At the same time he received a letter with the HM Revenue & Customs logo entitled “Notice under Tax Evasion and Avoidance for 2015 to 2019”, saying that he owed tax of £1745 plus fees of £2400. The letter went on to say that the fees were refundable once he had paid all monies to them as they ...

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Dittons Library to reopen 3rd August

More libraries to open  Surrey County Council have advised the following :- From 3rd August, a further 12 libraries will start offering a click and collect door service allowing customers to return their items and collect Ready Reads and reserved books. These libraries are Ash, Banstead, Bookham, Caterham Hill, Chertsey, Dittons, Ewell, Hersham, Knaphill, Leatherhead, Reigate, and Walton. However, the public will not be allowed into the buildings for the time being.  The Dittons cl...

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Free TDBB face masks/coverings

Free Thames Ditton Boomerang Bag Face Masks/Coverings  It is now mandatory to wear face coverings/masks on public transport, in Ubers and NHS hospitals, and it is likely to become obligatory to wear them in shops. Government guidance also recommends that people should wear a face covering in enclosed public spaces where social distancing isn’t possible. The Thames Ditton Boomerang Bag sewing bees are now making reusable, washable face coverings/masks for residents and staff in our local c...

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Surrey libraries to reopen in July

Surrey Libraries have advised the following:- Surrey plans to start gradually reopening libraries across the county from 6 July, in line with Government guidance. The county's libraries closed on 20 March due to the coronavirus lockdown and the Council is now planning how to reopen services in a safe way with guidelines in place for social distancing. Planning for opening library buildings again is already well underway as it will be part of the third step in the Government's national recov...

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We welcome your support - The Residents' Association is for all residents and those who work in the borough wards of Thames Ditton and Weston Green regardless of party or creed. If you wish to contribute your skills and experience to support the Association in some capacity; if you have articles or photographs that you would like to submit for publication here or in our magazine; or if you would simply like to subscribe to our non profit-making Association, please contact us.

Please vote for Residents' Association candidates in local elections - We should be delighted to receive your support at election times. If you want us to bat for you, you must put us in!  Click here to find out more about why you should consider voting for us.