Tag Archives: SCC Waverley Local Committee

Haslemere Independent County Councillor Update

Here is an update of my activities as Haslemere’s independent Surrey County Councillor over the past few weeks:

Meetings attended since my last update
Meetings attended at County Hall, Kingston

Mar 15, 2016 Full Council (Agenda, minutes and webcast here)

April 21, 2016 Economic Prosperity, Environment and Transport Board (Agenda and minutes here)

May 9, 2016 Haslemere Station Travel Plan finalising meeting with SCC Sustainable Transport team (link to final STP document)

May 10, 2016 Residents Association/Independents group meeting

May 17, 2016 Full Council (Agenda, minutes and webcast here)

June 9. 2016 Economic Prosperity, Transport and Environment Board (Agenda and draft minutes here)

July 5, 2016 Residents Association/Independent Group meeting

July 12, 2016 Full Council (Agenda here)

Waverley Local Area Committee meetings attended

Mar 16, 2016 SCC Highways Merrow, with Planning team to discuss PIC/SIO6 developer funding available for Haslemere highways schemes

Mar 18, Waverley LAC (Agenda and minutes here)

May 31, 2016 Waverley Youth Task Group, Godalming: presentations by Future Steps providing 1:1 Early Help, and Eikon outreach work as part of Waverley Local Prevention Framework.

Waverley youth task group - Eikon Bus

Waverley youth task group – Eikon Bus

June 17, 2016 Waverley Local Area Committee, Haslemere Hall (Agenda and draft here) See 2 paragraphs below:

Highways Budget 2016/17: Revenue Maintenance £237,173, Capital Maintenance £457, 242
Haslemere and Western Villages Task Group will receive approximately £120,000- to be divided equally. Of these funds 70% has to be spent on highway maintenance. I have been working with the Highways team on the list of priorities- to be finalised mid-July.  To include – drainage and highway surface improvement Sturt Railway Bridge and section of Sturt Road; sections of Kings Road, High Lane and Lower Street (at junction with Sandrock) resurfacing,
Project Horizon resurfacing: Blackdown Lane completed spring 2016, however Liphook Road-Sturt Road has been placed on a reserve list.  I am challenging this decision.

There is wide spread concern among councillors about the lack of information for members about Project Horizon, roads dropped from the list, little if any information about future plans.
Project Horizon 5 year Pavement Maintenance Programme – a new £21m scheme, an attempt to address an unacceptable level of deterioration of pavements.  Waverley LAC members raised their concerns that only one pavement scheme is planned in Waverley 2016/17 (a long stretch in Cranleigh) and that decisions over priorities were not based on local member knowledge.
I was re-nominated as the Waverley LAC committee representative on the SCC Friends and Family Committee

June 21, 2016 Waverley Local Area Committee private informal meeting, Farnham Town Hall

Haslemere Town Council meetings

Mar 17, May 12, June 30 2016 Haslemere Town Council – SCC Highways update and
Haslemere Railway station major works. Minutes/agenda here:

Meeting with HTC and SCC 17Mar16 – Minutes

Meeting with HTC and SCC 12May16 – Minutes

Meeting with HTC and SCC 10JUN15 – Agenda

South West trains are carrying out major improvements, a new cycle hub for 190 spaces is being built, works to improve the forecourt have just started and an additional deck on the station car park will commence in late August 2016.

Agreeing a forecourt design has involved many meetings, and numerous partners – including SWT, Network Rail, SCC Highways and Passenger Transport with input from Station Travel Plan survey findings.

The challenge is how to meet the needs of all station users, when there is such limited physical space – the station built in the 1850s was never intended to cope with 1.7 million passenger journeys/year.  Forecasts indicate passenger numbers will continue to increase, the large housing developments planned for Dunsfold, Bordon, Fernhurst and Midhurst will add further pressure on Haslemere station and the surrounding roads.  Building an additional deck on the carpark will provide an additional approx. 110 spaces, a temporary solution to the need for further parking capacity. I believe we need innovative, creative planning to cope with future demand, while maintaining the character of Haslemere as a small market town.
Disruption during the car park works, while challenging offers potential opportunities for travellers to find new ways of getting to the station- an on-line survey to www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/haslemerestationaccess to see if there is demand for a Hoppa trial for commuters to the surrounding villages.  Passengers can also check out SCC Travel Smart website www.travelsmartsurrey.info for travel information to the station. For more information, read an earlier blog post here.

On June 14, 2016 a SCC/SWT communications event was held at the railway station: SCC Sustainable Travel Team ran Personalised Travel Planning training to passengers, SWT displayed forecourt and car park plans followed by an open community evening event at Georgian House Hotel.  (Link to recent plans).

SCC Sustainable Travel Team ran Personalised Travel Planning training to passengers

SCC Sustainable Travel Team ran Personalised Travel Planning training to passengers

SWT Travel event at the station

SWT Travel event at the station

Station Information Event

Station Information Event

Haslemere Station Community Rail Partnership

Mar 15, 2016 South West Trains stakeholder conference, SWT Basingstoke campus – SWT franchise ends June 2017, they plan to work with community on their franchise bid notably via the Community Rail Partnerships.

Mar 22, April 27, May 25, 2016 Haslemere Community Rail Partnership- established to promote Haslemere railway station as a “gateway” for visitors both to the town and the surrounding countryside, for the benefit of the businesses and town community. Improving the aesthetics and signage at the station forecourt and approaches is also a key goal.  The partnership has now been formally registered with ACorP- the national Association of Community Rail Partnerships.  Benefits include match funding for station forecourt improvements from SWT, with statutory agreement for future franchise holders to continue this funding support.  The previously vacant station shop has now been refurbished as a community information hub.
Haslemere Highways site visits and key issues.

Local Highways Issues

I have organised regular site meetings with residents, and SCC Highways and parking teams. Issues addressed include Critchmere – property flooding issues, Hindhead – pedestrian crossing, St Bartholomew’s Church and Tanners Lane – parking and concerns over pedestrian safety, Woolmer Hill – parking/bus blocking,

Three Gates Lane, traffic speed reduction ITS scheme is still incomplete: SCC Road Safety Working Group has explained that this is due to a back log of VAS (Vehicle Activated Signs) installations and the need for traffic management during the works, the 2 funded new VAS on the approaches to Three Gates Lane have unfortunately been delayed for over a year.  Currently planned for July/August, 2016.

Shepherds Hill/Lower Street highways works to improve pedestrian safety, completed May 2016.

Weyhill zebra crossing, works started late June, 2016 – currently the footway has been left purposely unfinished to allow the electricity board and Skanska to go in and supply the columns. Snagging to the unfinished section has been carried out, Keir have been asked to make some changes to improve it. It is hoped the electricity board will be going in very soon to carry out the works.

Bunch Lane, additional wooden posts to prevent verge parking to be installed.

Lower Street/Shepherds Hill pocket park – Town Council have asked to take ownership from SCC, still awaiting confirmation of the legal costs involved.

Some of the local events attended:

Mar 17, 2016 Woolmer Hill School music concert – contributed £680 funding from my members allocation

Left to Right for photograph Susan Stathers (Chair of Governors), Toby U (Yr7), Clare Talbot (Headteacher), Matthew Nash (Head of Music), Mille B (Yr 9), Nikki Barton, County Councillor, Eloise H (Yr 7)

Left to Right for photograph
Susan Stathers (Chair of Governors), Toby U (Yr7), Clare Talbot (Headteacher), Matthew Nash (Head of Music), Mille B (Yr 9), Nikki Barton, County Councillor, Eloise H (Yr 7)

April 19, 2016 Haslemere churches meeting to support local councillors, Camelsdale Vicarage

April 23, 2016 HM Queen Elizabeth II 90th birthday parade, Haslemere (more here)

April 24, 2016 St Georges Parade, Beacon Hill – all local scouting groups

May 2, 2016- Haslemere Charter Fair, judged the Town Crier competition (more here)

May 17, 2016 Brexit Debate – Haslemere Hall, Paddy Ashdown and Lord Forsyth lively debate in a very packed Hall

Paddy Ashdown (Remain) and Lord Forsyth (Leave) with compere in middle of picture

Paddy Ashdown (Remain) and Lord Forsyth (Leave) with compere in middle of picture

May 19, 2016 Mayor making, Sahran Abeysundara confirmed as new Mayor for Haslemere, Town Hall and July 10, Mayors Civic Ceremony, Haslemere Hall

June 16, 2016 Eagle Radio interview on station works and Station Travel Plan

June 29, 2016 Haslemere Vision Community Land Trust meeting, Haslemere Museum

Surrey County Council Members Allocation 2016/17

Haslemere Waverley Skatepark Open Day, August 11, 2016: Provided £500 grant towards the £2,000 costs of the event. The all-day event of workshops and competitions will be open to all skateboarders and bmx riders ages 7-16 years.

Any Haslemere community group is invited to contact me to apply for a grant, please see previous update (here and here) for a list of grants awarded previously.

Surrey CC Post Brexit

Rising demand for essential services while government funding is falling, SCC is being squeezed from both ends and this is set to continue.   Despite plans to save more than £80 million from the SCC budget this year, the increasing demand and cost pressures on SCC services will wipe these savings out.
The increase in demand for social care services account for the vast majority of this, with pressure set to continue.  By 2020 there will be an additional 6,500 Surrey residents over the age of 80 – many of them needing our support.  As the population of the county grows, SCC is also expected to provide thousands of additional school places, as well as improve the road network and dispose of Surrey’s waste.
Surrey is a significant net contributor to the national exchequer, yet receives one of the lowest financial settlements from the government in return.

Haslemere County Councillor Update

Here is an update of some of my county councillor activities for Haslemere for the past few weeks. Update also includes some SCC announcements.

HIGHWAYS UPDATE

  • Tanners Lane, met with St Bart’s parents, carers and children to discuss concerns about road safety when crossing near Chestnut Ave car park. Arranged SCC highways team site visit, and agreed to take forward a request for a pedestrian crossing and alterations to Lower Street, Tanners Lane junction to reduce turning traffic speeds.
  • Wey Hill, Tesco lights met with SCC highways to discuss safety following tragic fatality. Further meetings with safety audit team to look at lights and crossing planned. Agreed yellow hatching at Lion Lane/Wey Hill required.
  • Vicarage Lane re-surfacing complete.
  • Damaged railings under Fosters Bridge to be replaced with the work beginning this week.
  • Footpath (604) Map Notice of Modification Order. This Order, made on 4 November 2015, if confirmed, as made, will modify the Definitive Map and Statement for the area by adding a footpath from Lower Street/ Petworth Road beside Lloyds Bank, Haslemere (Grid ref SU 904328) in a south-westerly direction for 52 metres to College Hill (grid ref SU 904327).
  • Old Haslemere Road/Park Road posts to be installed to prevent verge damage
  • WBC/SCC partnership work to resolve bank slippage, drainage and highway damage on Sunbrow Ave has been started.
  • Lower Street: Concerned residents’ request for safer crossing from bus stop to station will be addressed in the station forecourt re-design (see below). A request for a zebra crossing here has been declined as there is no funding available
  • High Street de-clutter completed, posts all painted black, West Street- several obstructive posts with ‘no loading’ signs removed, signs attached to property frontage or existing posts to reduce West Street street clutter.
  • High Street, referred concern to highways team re poor utilities surface with black tar over cobbled surface. Thames Water have been asked by SCC to replace the cobbles.
  • Sandrock, agreed installation of lighting columns- to be installed before year end.
  • West Street, negotiating with SCC to replace existing lights with conservation lighting columns.
  • Weysprings, drainage issues resolved by installation of French drains
  • ‘Gateway’ scheme, Shepherds Hill/Courts Hill Road/Hill Road junction complete- requested traffic speed data to assess impact of traffic calming scheme. Further measures to be pressed for if speed reduction not significant.
  • ‘Pocket park’ at Shepherds Hill/Lower Street junction, plans for ramp access to create accessible green space unfortunately to be dropped as health and safety regs would require railings around the top of the existing small wall so not feasible.
  • Haslemere train station forecourt, meetings with SWT and SCC to discuss improvements, with specific focus on improving pedestrian access to bus stop on north side of station next to The Sewing Room.
  • Waverley Parking Review 2015 now out for consultation. See which roads are covered and have your say.

NOTE: The council now has a new online reporting system for any rights of way problems, which SCC is encouraging everybody to use.  This way both the reporter and the receiver can keep track of the issue(s) they have logged.  I have attached a link to it for you if you would like to use it in the future. https://rightsofway.surreycc.gov.uk/

COMMUNITY VISITS

  • Shottermill Junior School visit with head to see the work of the school.
  • St Bartholomew’s Primary School, talked to year 6 about democracy and the political system.
  • Attended the town’s memorial service and laid a wreath on behalf of SCC.
Remembrance Service November 2015 Haslemere

Remembrance Service November 2015 Haslemere

HASLEMERE STATION TRAVEL PLAN: PARTNERSHIP SCC, SWT and HASLEMERE VISION

Tender process under way for station travel plan.  The aim: to research how and why people travel to station using different transport modes. The goal: to improve station access and identify practical ways to increase pedestrian, cycle and public transport use.

SCC MEETINGS

Submission by: Cllr Nikki Barton 

  • At a recent meeting of the Waverley Local Committee it was reported that there are some highway improvement schemes that have been sitting in pricing with Kier since June 2015, some of which have been carried over from last year. It was reported that this was widespread across the county. I would like to ask the board for some more information regarding this issue. In particular I would like to understand what is causing this log jam within Kier, and the steps that are being taken to resolve these issues. I understand that Kier’s pricing schedules are highly complex and that the costing is high relative to other counties. I would like to request a full explanation of Kier’s pricing rates for highways schemes, and how these compare/benchmark with other county councils. Furthermore I understand that Kier, unable to deliver the schemes with their own workforce is subcontracting work out, with significant cost implications for the county. I would also like to request a full breakdown of both how much work Kier is contracting out annually (in terms of manpower and costs) and the marginal increase in costs added to any highways scheme as a result of this subcontracting.

 Response: 

  • In response to this question, attached is a report detailing performance and progress of this years ITS programme. This provides an overview of works to date of the £4m 15/16 ITS programme, and confirms good progress with over 54% of schemes already constructed. However, it also identifies areas for improvement including how schemes are commissioned and delivered and improving efficiency within the Transport Infrastructure team.
  • The report also provides details of Kier’s resources and pricing. In summary all of the ITS programme is delivered via a range of ten specialist sub-contractors and there are currently no issues with resource availability. Sub-contracting is the normal practice for ITS works, as it requires a degree of specialism and the resource requirement varies from month to month.  To ensure value for money, the majority of schemes are priced using a fixed “Price List” The price list was tendered on the open market and Kier proved to be best value when compared to their national competitors. The fixed “price list” must be used by all of Kier’s specialist supply chain and can only be adjusted each year by inflation, with no additional cost permitted. We are currently undertaking a detailed value for money exercise of the Kier contract, which will be reported to the December EPEH Board, however, if you have any concerns about scheme costs please share with the Area Highway Manager and we will include this cost data with our own value for money exercises. 
  • We recognise that the delivery of ITS schemes remains an area of concern with members, and would be keen to work with the Local Committee Chairs to see how these can be delivered more effectively in the future.

Haslemere and Western Villages Task Group, November 13th, Highways budget forecast and discussion of prioritisation of ITS (Integrated Transport Schemes) for next financial year. Speed reduction and road safety improvements will be our priorities for Haslemere going forward although significant highways budget cuts are expected 2016/17 that will have a negative impact.

SWT stakeholder conference: Basingstoke campus, October 13, 2015 

Discussions on challenges facing the network, ridership increasing, train overcrowding, old track infrastructure is a significant limiting factor.  The points outside Woking present a pinch point in the system, limiting the number of trains per hour that can run to Haslemere, a future multimillion £ investment will be needed to overcome this issue. South west trains franchise is up for renewal 2017.

SOME SCC NEWS UPDATES

Plastics Recycling Campaign                                                    

A county-wide campaign launched on Monday (2 November) to encourage Surrey residents to recycle more plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays. Everyone in Surrey can recycle plastics from each room in the house. That  includes yoghurt pots, margarine tubs, fruit or vegetable trays and every type of plastic bottle. Once recycled they could be reborn as new items like furniture, children’s toys, a football shirt or even another bottle.

Recycling of plastics is important for the Surrey Waste Partnership as only 27% of household plastics are currently recycled in the county.

If every adult in Surrey recycled one more plastic bottle a week it would taxpayers more than £218,000 a year. To find out more, visit the Recycle Surrey

SCC recycling

NHS Health Checks Campaign Continues

Over 17,000 people in Surrey have now had their free NHS Health Check so we’re  looking to build on that success with further communications activity throughout November. Residents aged 40-74 with no history of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke or kidney disease will be reminded that they are eligible for a free NHS Health Check.

Check at a nearby GP surgery or pharmacy. As people get older, their risk of developing these problems increases, but an NHS Health Check will pick up early signs. This allows them to take action to improve their health.

Please encourage residents in your area to visit the Healthy Surrey website to find out how to book an NHS Health Check.

Healthcheck

Surrey Alliance Homeless News: Surrey Alliance Oct 15 news

Latest News from Stagecoach: see link here

Crossrail: Crossrail public consultation

Letters from Police and Crime Commissioner’s office 

Minutes of the September 2015 Waverley Local Committee

The minutes for Waverley Local Committee, Friday, 25 September 2015, 1.30 pm have been published.

To see the publicly available information, follow the link: Minutes details on public web site

The following items are included in the minutes:

No. Item
28/15 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
29/15 MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
30/15 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
31/15 PETITIONS
32/15 FORMAL PUBLIC QUESTIONS
33/15 MEMBER QUESTIONS
34/15 ALLEGED PUBLIC FOOTPATH BETWEEN PETWORTH ROAD/LOWER STREET AND COLLEGE HILL, HASLEMERE (OTHER COUNTY COUNCIL FUNCTIONS)
35/15 HIGHWAYS UPDATE (EXECUTIVE FUNCTION)
36/15 VARIOUS ROADS IN WAVERLEY: SPEED LIMIT ASSESSMENT (EXECUTIVE FUNCTION)
37/15 LOCAL COMMITTEE FORWARD PROGRAMME (SERVICE MONITORING AND ISSUES OF LOCAL CONCERN)
38/15 CHANGES TO THE COMMUNITY YOUTH WORK SERVICE IN WAVERLEY (EXECUTIVE FUNCTION)
39/15 ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT FROM SERVICES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE (SERVICE MONITORING AND ISSUES OF LOCAL CONCERN)
40/15 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SAFER WAVERLEY PARTNERSHIP (SERVICE MONITORING AND ISSUES OF LOCAL CONCERN)
41/15 PROMOTING RESILIENCE TO FLOODING (SERVICE MONITORING AND ISSUES OF LOCAL CONCERN) (TO FOLLOW)