Limpsfield Parish Matters
Chairman's Report
Minutes of our meetings are published and available from the website. Each heading is followed by a monthly update of developments so you may follow progress. Your comments are very welcome, please email clerk@limpsfield.org.
SCC is Surrey County Council
TDC is Tandridge District Council
Headings
The Council
Planning
Chart Playground
Diamond Jubilee Celebrations
Fuller's Village of the Year prize money
Grant Applications
Heritage Board
Highways
Limpsfield Common Local Committee
Limpsfield in Bloom
Marie Curie Development (now known as Radcliffe)
Neighbourhood Plan
Oxted Health Centre
Parish Clerk
Parish Property
Parish Records
Parking in Limpsfield and Oxted
Refuse and Recycling Collection
Rights of Way
Sussex Community Rail Partnership
May 2012. The first meeting of the new council year was held at St Peter’s Church Hall on 14th May.
Our nine councillors are:
Thomas Byrne (TB)
Jackie Carson (JC)
Jamie Davies (JD)
Tom Elliot (TE)
David Gray (DG)
Bob Harvey (RH)
Sarah Paxton (SP)
Anthony Turner (AT)
Mark Wilson (MW)
At this meeting Anthony Turner was elected Chairman for the year and Sarah Paxton Vice Chairman. Appreciation was shown to Tom Elliot and Jamie Davies the previous Chairman and Vice Chairman.
The responsibilities of each councillor were agreed as follows:
Finance – Mark Wilson and Jackie Carson
Planning – Jamie Davies & Thomas Byrne
Highways – David Gray (Anthony Turner)
Playground – Bob Harvey
Parish Property – Tom Elliott
Rights of Way – Sarah Paxton
Limpsfield in Bloom – Sarah Paxton
Publicity – Mark Wilson
Minerals – Jamie Davies & Thomas Byrne
In common with all other Parish Councils LPC plays a role in the planning process. TDC invites LPC for comment and takes note should we object to a particular application. Any applications can either be viewed online on the TDC website. Only those schemes of particular interest will be reviewed in these pages.
The chart playground is a wonderful asset which is well used and Bob Harvey keeps a watchful eye on it to ensure all is well. The main issues seem to revolve around parking and litter. The bins are emptied twice a week by TDC.
January 2013. RH referred to correspondence from Came & Company advising that it is best practice and their recommendation that playground equipment should be inspected on a weekly basis. Members agreed that since the playground opened, there has been no vandalism and the equipment is robust and in good condition. In these circumstances it was agreed that the member in charge of the playground (currently RH) should carry out a monthly inspection and report to the Parish Council meeting accordingly.
June 2012. RH confirmed that the celebrations on the Chart had gone very well. AT confirmed that the Village street party had been a resounding success with over 800 people attending. MW felt that this was in part due to a second leaflet drop. In addition, the paintings and flowers at the Church were excellent.
August 2012. AT confirmed that the surplus for the Village street party sub-committee was £955.37 and it had been agreed that donations would be made to the main supporters as follows:
St Peter's Church - £250, Women's Institute - £100, Flower Society - £100 and Panda Club - £100.
The balance of approximately £400 would be put towards the proposed new heritage map and information board for which a possible suitable location had been identified near the Parish Council garden (see Heritage Board).
RH confirmed that the Chart street party sub-committee surplus was approximately £800 and that the intention was to put it towards something for the benefit of the residents of the Chart. RH had suggested a bench although other options were also being considered.
Fuller's Village of the Year prize money
September 2011. Limpsfield Parish won the large village award and was second overall. In making the award the judges commented that they were very impressed with the community spirit and cohesiveness of all the village groups and particularly the Memorial Store and the Community Orchard. Congratulations are due to Ann Osborn who was the driving force behind entering and presenting the case for the Village. The Award comes with a prize of £250 in the form of a cheque to LPC.
July 2012. AT advised that having explored numerous options over many months the current proposal was for a kissing gate to replace the broken stile on FP78 (Detillens Lane). SP said that the Ramblers Association had offered to provide the manual labour to install the gate.
October 2012. SP advised that the new kissing gate had been installed at the end of the Glebe Field where the footpath meets Detillens Lane although sadly it had been damaged by cattle. However, repairs had been carried out and it was hoped that there would not be any further damage.
August 2012. LPC give limited grants to local organisation with close links to our community, this year the Parish granted £150 to Age Concern Limpsfield, £150 to the Citizens Advise Bureau, £150 to CrimeStoppers and £100 to the Bluehouse Festival. In October we granted £150 to the Link Porter Trust.
A subcommittee consisting of Tony Stoughton-Harris, Sarah Paxton and Anthony Turner are working on this project using the surplus of approx £400 from the Jubilee street party.
December 2012. SP has obtained a quote for a lectern style board with 3D type illustrations and confirmed that if the full proposal were adopted it would cost circa £3000. There is a possibility that the lectern would be donated but even so the cost would still amount to about £2000. It was agreed that other cheaper options should be explored and MR was asked to provide details of the company who provided the boards on the Common near the bomb shelters. JD queried whether local illustrator Marlene Keeble would be willing to illustrate a version of the local plan and whether she might have some alternative suggestions. SP will investigate and report back to the next Meeting.
January 2013. AT confirmed that his daughter, Tania (a graphic design student) has offered to do the artwork and overall design required for the heritage board as her final project and without charge. Marlene Keeble may also be able to offer some assistance on the artwork. It is hoped that further progress will have been made by about mid-April and AT/SP will report back. JD agreed that it would be sensible to check whether planning permission would be required when the board is nearer completion.
June 2012. SP raised a question she had received from a resident regarding the possibility of including Stanhopes in the snow clearance plan for Limpsfield. After discussion it was agreed that this was a matter for Surrey Highways.
July 2012. AT advised that the school had raised the issue of speeding outside Limpsfield School with SCC. It had been reported that the VAS sign on Pebble Hill coming up to the school had been activated 64,000 times when last checked and that the batteries regularly needed changing because so many drivers are exceeding the 40mph speed limit. AO had further commented that Limpsfield School was the only school in the district with a 40mph speed limit outside. AT said that he was hoping to meet with NS before the end of term so that they could get an idea of the traffic speeds etc.
August 2012. RH confirmed that he had attended the M25 Road Widening Exhibition and had circulated a report by email to Councillors prior to the meeting. In summary, the proposal is to use the hard shoulder as a permanent fourth lane with emergency refuge areas being provided and a number of traffic information boards will also be installed.
October 2012. Prior to the meeting the Clerk had circulated an email from SCC about a new 'Road Repair Hit List' of those roads most in need of repair which would then be "overhauled as part of a five year blitz on tackling the root cause of potholes". JD suggested that Water Lane be included but LD advised that this was already on a list of major works due to be attended to before the end of December. It was noted that the edges along Tally Road need attention. Any other suggestions can be emailed direct to SCC at improvemyroad@surreycc.gov.uk.
November 2012. AT advised that he had attended a meeting at LimpsfieldSchool and that District Councillor Nick Skellett (NS) had put forward a proposal for a 20mph speed limit outside the school during drop off and pick up times which would be highlighted with proper flashing 20mph signs. NS was also looking at the feasibility of a reduction of the speed limit to 30mph along a section of the A25 as mentioned previously.
January 2013. AT referred to the email from Mr Ellis regarding the possibility of a footpath from Pollards Wood Hill to Wolf's Row which was passed to Nick Skellett for action. Mr Skellett has dealt with this query and no further action is required. DG also referred to correspondence from Pauline Wells of Ridlands Rise regarding parking problems in the road. DG will visit in the daylight to establish the exact nature of the problem and report back at the next meeting.
MW commented that traders in Limpsfield High Street have indicated that they feel they are losing trade due to parking difficulties. The issue of controlled parking was discussed e.g. the use of yellow lines but it was felt that such restrictions would not be popular with residents and it is difficult to know to what extent parking problems are actually responsible for falling trade in the High Street. However, it was felt that if some residents' cars could be moved off the High Street it would help to improve the position for shoppers. AT suggested that the Limpsfield Traders Association would be the appropriate vehicle to raise specific comments on this issue. In addition DG offered to give some thought to the possibility of creating some parking places and whether the discreet use of yellow and/or white lines might be appropriate.
February 2013. In response to a complaint from a local resident JD produced a plan of the street lights in Detillens Lane which showed them to be fairly evenly placed. The lighting was felt to be similar to that in other local roads such as Park Road and Granville Road and to be appropriate for a rural area.
DG has visited Ridlands Rise in order to look into the parking problems referred to at last month's meeting. The area concerned is actually a small cul-de-sac off Ridlands Rise and the matter has been referred to Surrey County Council.
DG has looked at Limpsfield High Street and concluded that the use of yellow lines to resolve parking issues would be too heavy handed. However, white lines can be used to discourage parking at particular points and DG will pursue this matter at the Highways meeting with Surrey County Council.
Limpsfield Common Local Committee
We receive monthly reports from Mark Richards (MR) updating us on any issues that have occurred on the common.
July 2012. MR commented that the sightlines on all the junctions on the Chart were bad due to overgrowth of the verges and that he wasn't satisfied with SCC's reasons for not having attended to them as other areas have been attended to and the NT's own contractors had been able to cut verges etc. in spite of the weather. AT asked what areas are the responsibility of SCC and the NT and MR indicated that SCC usually cut the first 3ft (or approximately a mower width) of verges at junctions.
September 2012. MR said that he had attended a meeting with the Police, TDC and the Terence Higgins Trust to try and address the problem of unsocial behaviour in the car park at Moorhouse and the layby on the A25. The Police are being more active in the area and have installed signs indicating that there are CCTV cameras in situ to try and deter unsociable behaviour and fly tipping.
November 2012. MR introduced Eleanor Yoxall (EY) who has been the Ranger for Limpsfield Common for the last year or so. EY, who was previously based in Reigate and Banstead, is based in Outwood and is also responsible for the Harewood Estate. MR advised that the NT were presently reviewing the provision of staff accommodation across the country, potentially affecting 450 staff. MR said that there could be disadvantages if the accommodation is no longer offered to staff as, for example, EY only visits Limpsfield Common once or twice a week, whereas he lives in an NT house on the Common and is therefore able to respond to any issues much more quickly, especially when emergency situations arise. There was also huge value on having a member of staff living and working in the community. TE said that he felt it would be a huge disadvantage to not have a member of NT staff on the Common and proposed that the Parish Council write to express their objection to the proposals and the rest of the Parish Council unanimously agreed.
MR also mentioned that there had been a problem with drug users/sellers on West Heath. The Police have attended and found evidence of drug dealing and are keen to catch the offenders. MR asked that if anyone saw any suspicious activity to pass, if possible, vehicle registration numbers to him and he will pass them onto the Police for further investigation.
February 2013. There is an ongoing issue in Ridlands Lane where a local farmer deposits large amounts of mud on the road when exiting his field and is making no attempt to clear it up. This results in the road becoming very slippery and the drain becoming blocked which in turn can lead to flooding. AT felt this should be referred to Nick Skellett.
March 2012. Sarah Paxton organised a work party to prepare the garden by the Memorial Store.
October 2012. SP was pleased to advise that the Parish Council garden won a Level 5 award in the South East in Bloom competition. The judges had also given some recommendations as to what could be done to improve the garden for next year which included planting late spring flowering bulbs and corms to further enhance the area and cutting back some of the plants which are becoming over dominant.
January 2013. SP is meeting with a parishioner who wishes to help with the garden, and with Ann Osborn and Ann Hollingwood regarding the redesign and replanting of the garden. This year is seen as being a period of transition, the aim being to enter the Britain in Bloom competition next year.
February 2013. SP confirmed that she will attend the committee meeting on 26th February on behalf of the parish council. She also reported that there is likely to be a fund raising event in the Autumn as substantial funds will be needed to prepare for Britain in Bloom.
Marie Curie – Development of Trevereux Hill site now known as Radcliffe
July 2012. Paul Dickinson (PD), Planning Consultant and David Chandler (DC), Senior Land Manager from Millgate Homes were welcomed to the meeting to outline their revised plans for the development of this site. JD gave a brief overview of the changes which was that there was no longer a house on Plot 9 as there was some disagreement over whether the car park at this location could be considered developed land. PD advised that the other changes included the removal of the wings of the main building which had been included in the previous submission but would be replaced with two new detached houses in the current proposals. In addition the house on plot 1 had been remodelled and redesigned with a flat roof and, on the advice of planning officers, remained of a contemporary design which had been simplified so that it sits better with the existing trees which would remain along the back. DC confirmed that there would be six flats in the main building which would have underground parking. There had been an overall reduction in the number of buildings of approximately 10% and also a reduction in the amount of hard standing. JD asked whether there would be any restrictions on the amount of external lighting as this was a dark area looking up from the south and PD indicated that a lighting scheme will need to be submitted as part of any approval.
RH commented that some residents had expressed concern about the house on Plot 1 being a contemporary design and not in keeping with the existing and other proposed new buildings. PD advised that the case officer dealing with the application at TDC indicated that the contemporary design was what they wanted and as far as he was aware the residents were happy with it and to his
knowledge none of them had objected to the revised application. In summary PD felt that the new application had addressed the main concerns raised by the Parish Council in their original objection.
April 2012. Tom Byrne has looked at the recently published National Planning Policy Framework and comments that the TDC local plan seems to offer us safeguards for the Green Belt and the Conservation Area. It is doubtful if writing our own plan would actually provide us with benefit at this time.
July 2012. SP and TB confirmed that they had attended the session run by TDC on Neighbourhood Planning. TB felt that there would be little support from TDC if Parish Council’s were to commission Neighbourhood Plans as they believe that the Local Plan already addresses those areas that might be of concern. TDC asked that Parish Councils to think of any areas where the Local Plan may not cover anything that they might want protected. SP and TB conclusion was to propose that the Parish Council did not proceed with a Neighbourhood Plan at this stage.
The health centre is a very important asset within our community having over 16,000 patients on its books but with no room to expand on its present site. It is under increasing pressure because of further demands on its services as a result of new building within the area.
September 2012. It was generally acknowledged that Oxted Health Centre is under considerable strain and that the Parish Council would like to try and work with them to identify ways in which they might be able to assist with identifying some solutions and ways to help with the problems they are experiencing which is, for example, resulting in many residents having to wait some time for non-urgent appointments.
October 2012. An email had been sent to Dr Hill who had advised that there was a Patient Participation Group who also help to address some of the issues raised. AT said that he would like to ensure that the Parish Council does not become a conduit for complaints about the Health Centre but rather that the Parish Council offers assistance in finding suitable premises etc. to try to help the Health Centre run to its best ability. MW asked LD whether this had been raised at District level and LD advised that she was aware that discussions were in progress regarding a possible satellite surgery. LD commented that Oxted Health Centre indicate that they have spare capacity and SP said that she understood that the number of visits from the patients had doubled over 4 years.
November 2012. AT advised that he had just received some communication from Dr Hill and had been advised that they had obtained planning approval for a satellite surgery in Hurst Green. AT and Dr Hill had discussed the various ideas put forward by the Parish Council regarding increasing the size of the Health Centre and extending hours, both of which had been previously considered and presented a number of complications. As the Health Centre is open until 7:30pm to cater for commuters there were no plans for Saturday surgeries at present. Dr Hill said that if any of the Councillors would be interested in joining their patient representative group they would be very welcome.
January 2013. It was agreed that RH will attend the next patient representative group. JC confirmed that the online appointments system is also still unavailable. Several members commented on continuing problems at the Health Centre particularly with regard to its appointment systems, and its communications with hospitals in terms of sending out letters and passing on notes. MW mentioned that the Health Centre currently has around 16,700 patients and that is without taking into account the proposed new housing in Hurst Green. The developer has offered to contribute the sum of £50,000 through the CIL to assist with the problem but it is understood that a new surgery in Hurst Green would be likely to cost in the region of £1,500,000.
February 2013. RH confirmed that he had attended a meeting of the Patient Participation Group (PPG) at Oxted Health Centre on Tuesday 5th February. Full details can be found in the minutes.
It was with great regret that we accepted the resignation of our clerk Tracy McCormack in October 2012 - she had served us extremely well for a number of years. We were delighted to welcome Ros Munday as our new Clerk in December.
May 2012. TE confirmed that he had obtained three estimates for repairs to the bus shelters in Detillens Lane and Tally Road, for repairs to the water trough and the installation of a replacement bench opposite The Carpenters Arms. TE confirmed that all three companies seemed professional and had satisfactory public liability insurance and, as all the estimates were well within budget, suggested using CIM for one element of the works and, if their workmanship proved to be satisfactory, they be instructed to carry out the other works.
July 2012. TE confirmed that the works to the bus shelter near the Carpenter’s Arms had been satisfactorily completed and that he had instructed the contractor to carry out the works to the bus shelter in Detillens Lane. He advised that he had ordered the replacement bench for opposite the Carpenter’s Arms although it will be some weeks before it is delivered. He further advised that he had now started to put the new name plates on the various items of Parish property.
September 2012. The works to the bus shelter in Detillens Lane had been completed. TE had also indicated that the cost of installing the replacement bench would be in the region of £175 and suggested that the works should perhaps be delayed until the spring. The Parish Council agreed that as the Chart was well used it would be preferable to proceed with the installation as soon as possible.
November 2012. TE confirmed that the new bench had been installed on the Chart although unfortunately he had been unable to recover the plaque from the old one.
We were advised in June that the ownership of Soper Hall (where we stored the parish archives) had been transferred from TDC and that we would need to find a new home for these records.
November 2012. AT confirmed that the cupboard had now been moved to the Parish Office. As some of the items were of historical interest that a permanent home would need to be found for them. Clerk mentioned that there was the option to store the documents at the Surrey History Centre although, whilst the documents would be available for inspection, they could not be removed once deposited there. TE commented that the old minutes used to be properly bound and that it would be a sensible idea to do the same with the more recent minutes to preserve them
December 2012. JD had obtained a quote for binding the past minutes and advised that the cost would be £45 per bind. After some discussion it was agreed to store the records at the Surrey History Centre at Woking .
January 2013. JD produced an old volume of bound minutes for members to look at as the intention is to produce similar volumes in due course. With regard to storage, the Clerk referred to a letter from Margaret Griffiths of the Surrey History Centre, a copy of which will be circulated to members. Mrs Griffiths confirmed that past minutes can be stored at the Centre free of charge and that they would be inspected by conservation staff, packaged in acid-free materials and stored in secure, fire proof strongrooms with appropriate temperature and humidity levels. Items can be withdrawn if necessary with written authorisation from the Parish Council.
We were advised in June that the ownership of Soper Hall (where we stored the parish archives) had been transferred from TDC and that we would need to find a new home for these records.
November 2012. AT confirmed that the cupboard had now been moved to the Parish Office. As some of the items were of historical interest that a permanent home would need to be found for them. Clerk mentioned that there was the option to store the documents at the Surrey History Centre although, whilst the documents would be available for inspection, they could not be removed once deposited there. TE commented that the old minutes used to be properly bound and that it would be a sensible idea to do the same with the more recent minutes to preserve them
December 2012. JD had obtained a quote for binding the past minutes and advised that the cost would be £45 per bind. After some discussion it was agreed to store the records at the Surrey History Centre at Woking.
January 2013. JD produced an old volume of bound minutes for members to look at as the intention is to produce similar volumes in due course. With regard to storage, the Clerk referred to a letter from Margaret Griffiths of the Surrey History Centre, a copy of which will be circulated to members. Mrs Griffiths confirmed that past minutes can be stored at the Centre free of charge and that they would be inspected by conservation staff, packaged in acid-free materials and stored in secure, fire proof strongrooms with appropriate temperature and humidity levels. Items can be withdrawn if necessary with written authorisation from the Parish Council.
Parking in Limpsfield and Oxted
April 2012. Mr Nick Skellett (SCC Councillor) attended our meeting and explained the various options that have been suggested by SCC for their consultation with residents in May 2012. Considerable effort has been made to accommodate the conflicting requirements of all.
August 2012. AT advised that he had spoken to NS about the parking consultation for Detillens Lane and expressed the concern that many residents did not want to see any changes being implemented apart from the double yellow lines at junctions. They had discussed various options including putting double yellow lines at the junctions only and phasing the introduction of other restrictions. Perhaps they would start with only part of the road starting from the A25 end to see what effect that would have before introducing further restrictions. MW suggested that yellow lines alone might be sufficient.
October 2012. Martin Hogbin (MH) was welcomed to the meeting and had asked to address the Parish Council regarding the consultation. MH confirmed that he had attended the Tandridge Local
Committee Meeting and it was his understanding that the recommendation was for curfew parking at the western (A25) end of Detillens Lane with no parking except on Sundays. MH expressed his view that the reasons for coming to this decision were not valid – they included improving road safety, improving access for emergency vehicles, improving access for refuse vehicles, easing traffic congestion at the western end and to manage parking demand. MH said he felt that the restrictions were likely to result in problems although JD indicated that there were similar restrictions in Park Road and that they had not this effect. After further discussion the Parish Council felt that as the decision had already been made there was little that could be done at this stage and that it was unfortunate that many of those who had objected to the proposals had only done so at the last minute. MH said that he may push for a judicial review of the decision.
Refuse and Recycling Collection
November 2012. Lindsay Dunbar said that there had been a fantastic response to the new recycling service and that since its introduction the highest level of recycling across the District had been 57% waste. Currently the recycling rate is 53% with around 245 tonnes of food waste being kept out of landfill. LD mentioned that there had been some discussion about cleaning out the food waste bins and that Biffa had been advised to tap the bottoms of the bins and not to put their hands in to remove waste from the bottom. LD asked that if any residents were experiencing problems with the new service to contact TDC so that they could try to address them. LD further advised that SCC are currently reviewing collection schemes for medical waste, nappies etc. to try and standardise services across the county.
June 2012. SP confirmed that formal notice of the Order in respect of FP55 and FP56 had been issued by SCC and that she had spoken to some of the neighbours who had all indicated that they would be objecting. SP commented that it was interesting that new evidence was also coming to light. She confirmed that Robert Donovan had sent her a copy of his letter of objection to SCC as had The Ramblers Assocation. SP also mentioned that the British Horse Society recommended an ideal gradient of 1 in12 whereas part of the footpath at present has a 1 in 4 gradient. SP advised that the footpath was completely under water at present and was generally not used in winter for that reason. A letter from the Parish council was sent in July which was acknowledged with a comment that it could be late 2012 or early 2013 before the resources would be available to move onto the next stage.
January 2013. DG commented that Footpath 82 between Stanhopes and Grub Street is almost impassable as it is knee deep in mud. SP agreed and the Clerk was asked to contact the Footpaths Officer at Surrey County Council to find out if any funding is available to improve the condition of the footpath with duckboards.
Sussex Community Rail Partnership – Annual Stakeholders meeting
October 2012. Ron Bristow (RB) advised that he had attended the Sussex Community Rail Partnership meeting held at TDC’s offices on 26th September. RB was asked if he knew why there were still some two carriage trains in use whilst during the Olympics six carriage trains were in operation. RB said that it was his understanding that the extra carriages had been borrowed for the Olympics. RB also advised that the Government has refused to allow any further diesel trains to be built so until the line is electrified the service will continue as it is as diesel and electric carriages are not interchangeable.
