CRANLEIGH HIGH STREET IMPROVEMENTS – and PLANTING TREES & WILD FLOWERS –
Surrey CC has some money to spend on our High Street so which improvements appeal to you most?
It’s what they call Community Infrastructure Levy money – some may be also Section 106 money – click here to understand this tax on building developers –
Our Surrey County Councillor Andrew Povey holds meetings about Cranleigh High Street Improvements project and this article is taken from his notes. He has the job of asking the public for their ideas about all these questions, and a priority list, as the money available at this time will not cover all of them. Every project must be genuinely costed out before it can be bid for.
Can Cranleigh High Street be improved? can changes encourage people to shop and relax in and around it?
Do you agree that the High Street has real purpose going into the future –
1) to enable traffic to flow freely through;
2) to provide a vibrant shopping and eating experience.
3) to enable people to socialize and access help and support.;
4) to enjoy a safe and attractive environment
5) to access footpaths, cycleways, which are well signed;
6) Do you have any other concerns and suggestions for improvements?
TREES and WILD FLOWERS
In addition Surrey CC is looking for public places where trees can be planted as part of its tree planting project to tackle climate change.
Cranleigh Civic Society is urging Surrey CC to stop trees being cut down! But we also think a few trees could be added to the High Street.
One suggestion is re-wilding areas, such as wild flowers under the trees all along the common? (the part from the pond to the war memorial).
EXPANDING ON THESE IDEAS –
TRAFFIC –
- traffic to be kept moving but slowly;. maintaining safety for cyclists, pedestrians and users of public transport. These help with our high priority of tackling the Climate Emergency as adopted by Surrey County Council and Waverley Borough Council.
- The number and position of cycle parking stands could be reviewed, some are not suitable for small bikes or bikes with trailers.
- Some covered cycle parking might be really helpful
- Is there an attractive consistent design style that we all prefer that could be included in the palette of materials.
- Charging points for electric bicycles maybe required.
- It should be safe to cycle or use a mobility buggy to go from one end of the High Street to the other.
PEDESTRIANS –
- Road Safety – Making it Safer; Council Officers have suggested that rumble strips/tables could be placed at the two sets of bollards in the centre of the village where people often cross the road. In addition, raised road tables would stop the slopes getting clogged with leaves and puddles; (table = like the one at the top of Knowle Lane)
- Making it better for pedestrians- the pavements need improving to reduce trip hazards – they need to be made safer for pedestrians and for making it easier for those with mobility issues and other issues such as poor sight. Footfall can be increased by encouraging all groups to use the High Street. The slow shopping project is a good example. This provides dedicated shopping times for those that find going shopping a challenge.
EATING, DRINKING AND SERVICES –
- Some of the central pedestrian areas need resurfacing – for example in a paving block rather than tarmac – this would enhance the feel and look of the principal shopping area. The landlords who own the shops are responsible for around 50% of their frontage whilst Surrey CC is only responsible for the part from the road inwards. Might the property owners contribute to the cost of improvement?
- The number of seats could be increased (Cranleigh in Bloom already adding some).
- Enhancing the Visual Appeal – A design statement or palette of approved material should be agreed for the road/pavement surfaces, bollards, signage etc.
- Litterbins and recycling bins need to look very different to each other
- The bollards need repainting; an ongoing maintenance plan would be beneficial.
- Cranleigh in Bloom has done a fantastic job with the existing greenery/flowers, can more trees and flowers be added?
FOOTPATHS, CYCLEWAYS, AND SIGNS –
- The Downs Link surface would benefit from improvement to make it better for walking, cycling and other wheels, because of the extra homes all along it. Several of the new developments around Cranleigh have cycle routes into the village centre.
- There needs to be a coherent plan to encourage the use of these, some additional signage may be useful.
- Some cyclists prefer to park and shop, others prefer to take their bicycle from shop to shop.
OTHER IDEAS –
- A WiFI hotspot be useful in the centre because the different networks have intermittent coverage;
- What is the current air quality – are there enough monitoring points?
- Is there a need for more public toilets in the centre of the village ?
- Should the village aim to be free of single use plastic?
- Would we benefit from Bus stops with WiFi notices of when the next bus is due?
Over to you folks – please contribute and share
Can we not pedestrianise the high street at weekends or even parts of it? High Street is overloaded with cars all week.
Stockland Square is an eyesore – lots of investment needed
thanks for the comment Greg, published!
The ‘Cranleigh in Bloom’ has done an incredible job to try to enhance Stocklund Square which is such an eyesore. The whole area could be converted into a piazza – a pleasant outdoor eating place with subtle lighting, potted planters with small trees, a water feature, attractive outdoor heaters, umbrellas such as you would find in an Italian market place, to allow the public to eat outdoors whatever the weather and time of day. It would encourage more pedestrians into the village to shop locally and add a really feel good factor. It would provide a shady area to sit during the heat of the summer months when it is too hot to sit outside on the other side of the street. Cranleigh seems to be a stopping off place for cyclists so maybe more cycle racks here too. Instead of the ugly walkway, a veranda could be constructed round the sides of the square over the shop fronts. This would soften the aspect and generally enhance the space.
Permanently close service road to all traffic from the Dog Groomers on corner with Rowland Road & High Street to other end after Onslow Arms, except for deliveries.
Have pedestrian footpath from “Sainsbury’s Car Park” to High Street near Curry Inn restaurant. This could help prevent cars parking on the High Street and on The Common.
the village could do without the kerbside parking along the high street, especially by the bollards outside Smiths, but also along the High street going towards Shamley Green.
This would help the flow of traffic through the village especially with the very large lorries we have now.
Great idea to have more trees – I have always thought the north side of the High Street (I know the pavement is rather narrow here) needs some trees planted.
I walked along the High Street today after the torrential rain and found Cranleigh was unnecessarily very wet. Many of the drains are proud of the surface of the road and take no water at all, huge puddles exist in many places, even at the crossing by the Post Office. There is a particularly large puddle outside the Village Hall.This needs to be remedied and all drains need clearing and re-positioning. I agree that the pavement on the eastern side needs relaying as suggested with paving, not tarmac. Shop owners should also be encouraged to improve their areas adjacent to the pavement.
Jeremy Watts writes – With regard to the Surrey CC proposals for the High Street, I would suggest that the whole area of Fountain Square be turned into what was originally designed – a wholly pedestrian area with some additional trees and flower beds. This would make the centre of the village much more attractive and would create a social centre where people could safely mix and talk. This, in itself, would be very likely to increase the desire to do some shopping. Although it would remove 7/8 parking spaces, there is always room in the 2 car parks.
Whilst on the subject of carparks, one significant way of increasing the use of the High Street (and thus the economy of the village) would be to make the first hour of car parking free of charge.
The pavement on the Common side of the High Street is little used and could either be removed altogether thus improving the safety of the High Street OR (and preferably) it could be turned into a cycle path. Cyclists using this part of the High Street are at considerable risk as the road is both narrow and has very poor road surfacing.
Jeremy Watts
Stopping parking on the High Street would improve traffic flow but must be accompanied by free first hour parking in the car parks. Otherwise people will just park on the yellow lines! They might anyway – some shoppers don’t like to walk very far nowadays.
Safety improvements at the junction of Knowle Lane and High Street including prevention of parking on Knowle Lane and use of the road as a forecourt by the tyre garage.
Repair of pavements.
Improvement of road surface (it’s been dug up so many times) and drainage. There are several places where pedestrians get seriously splashed by motorists on wet days.
Proper refurbishment of Stocklund Square to make it a pleasant place to sit and relax.
Could part of the Common from the roundabout access to the Stocklund Square car park to the roundabout by Jewsons be used as a cycle way allowing the existing pavement on that side of the road to be incorporated into the road and improve traffic flow? This could allow parking to continue along that stretch of the High Street for the benefit of the shops there.
Let more of the native wild flowers grow. If the grass verges were only cut two or three times a year the wild flowers already there could flower and support wildlife. Similarly next to the library where ‘ladies smock’ were unfortunately mown down last year. The area next to the stream, around the pond behind the leisure centre . Less frequent mowing would encourage a natural rewilding and save costs.
Encourage residents to leave a wild patch somewhere in their gardens and show it to be a positive step not a sign of neglect.
We are new to the area three months now and what a stunning village we have, it would be fabulous to see Stocklund Square upgraded to be accessible for all , perhaps converting some of the empty shops into lovely eateries, would bring new people to our area , just look at the number of cyclists looking for a place to rest along the Down Link .
If it could be covered it would be unbelievable and a great waiting area for the busses.
Proud resident of Cranleigh
To remove the parking spaces and little road in front of the post office is not a good idea.
It’s a Godsend for so many people, the elderly and disabled, those who want to just send a parcel or post a letter or get a pint of milk etc etc. I certainly wouldn’t use the post office if it was going to cost me 80p in parking.
I understand the need to improve the flow of traffic but these proposals will simply take business away. The little shops, which are becoming more and more rare, depend on people “popping in” for this and that and Cranleigh currently is one of the few villages where you can do that.
For the village to thrive you need to provide more parking for the hundreds if not thousands more in the new houses. Cranleigh needs a short stay car park at say 50p and another larger one.
Very little positive of these proposals-it smacks of money being thrown at ideas which are ill-thought, when it could be used to promote businesses in the High St by ? reducing rates.
1. Traffic congestion will always be present, unless it is diverted to nearby country roads causing congestion there. Not helped by excessive building.
2. Flooding on roads -drainage needs improvement and new building needs to be curtailed, as we are high water table anyway!
3. Cycle paths ok but not possible down the whole length of High St, otherwise more traffic congestion.
4. Plants and trees ample unless you want to block views and compartmentalise areas off-plants and shrubs etc need maintenance!
5. There are enough outdoor eating and drinking venues[ summer], and not applicable for 4-5 months in the winter.
6. If pavements are widened, the road would be further narrowed, parking spaces reduced[ eg. disabled], further increasing congestion–see Farnham.
7. If no bus laybys, traffic would be held up. If no free parking or parking unavailable for “pop-ins”, local businesses would be affected, thereby impacting retailers. Shoppers will not pay parking fees for casual , quick items.
Suggestions-
1. Improve EXISTING pavements, but not expand them
2. More cycle stands [ no need for sheds].
3. Work on filling empty units in High St to keep it alive
ALL at a fraction of the cost.
Comment-
1. I would contest the percentage parking capacities’ quotes-what time of day were they assessed? and what happens when the new Leisure Centre is built?
2. Interested to see the research saying that 65% of population happy with these plans!!!