Cranleigh’s Horsham Road Works Again

Roadworks again, Horsham Road, Cranleigh

21 August to 10 October! 

Thames Water have informed householders in Horsham Road that they are replacing water supply pipes – so there will be temporary traffic lights in place.  They will operate between 07:30 – 18:30 and no road closures are anticipated.

Good social meeting tonight

Hi, and thanks to all who joined in tonight at The Three Horseshoes Pub for social, information sharing (and dinner).

Planning applications

Topics covered – several  planning applications including Knowle Lane and behind Pets Pantry, the Parish council outlined problems with these at their planning meeting;  Speculation about infilling between Ewhurst Road and Seltops Close;

Using fossil fuels

UKOG nearby and under Dunsfold – drilling plans for natural gas -have you seen Councillor Follows on the BBC about this  – click here ?  and see the interview here with UKOG boss.

Thames Water

Thames Water’s plans to bring in further water supplies – but where do the pipes have to go?  for example along the top of the Showground, Bookhurst hill, Alderbrook, Amletts, Smithwood,   TW is taking ages to replace asbestos cement pipes bit by bit around the village, but we are very glad it is happening.  Sewage outflows – there are 4 measuring stations in Cranleigh – all clear at the moment but often not.

Welcome newcomers to Cranleigh

Some people have only been in Cranleigh for 3 or 4 years, and say it’s been difficult to find out what is happening, and to integrate.  They really would like more information about Cranleigh and its surroundings to be available!!!  We encourage joining Cranleigh Society.

GP surgery

Some people report very good help from the doctors’ surgery – can’t fault them, which is great.  Others get rather confused with all the changes. There is a new Patient Participation Group which has had a second meeting and seems to have some useful outcomes so far.

Cranleigh village hospital

The topic of Cranleigh Hospital was reviewed and we spoke fondly of the passing of Jill Wood. Jill actively contributed to committee meetings about the future of the cottage at Cranleigh Village Hospital. Also the possibility of Royal Surrey paying for extra services here in Cranleigh.  She was a nurse at the hospital, an active member of the league of friends and of St Nicolas Church, Cranleigh. Rest In Peace

The new Charity, Cranleigh Heritage Trust, is working with Cranleigh hospital league of friends about how the unused Grade II listed cottage might be restored and used by our community.  It will attract visitors from around the world – as it is a very special building – built around 1446 and with few structural changes. Strange to consider those ancient times – not long after the Battle of Agincourt, for example. The cottage became a vicarage for clergy assisting the Rectors, then the first Cottage Hospital of its type in England, thanks to Dr Albert Napper’s ideas. This project is known between us as Napper Cottage.  The Trustees are making progress with applying for lottery funding. It is a long and difficult journey.  It is hoped it will then be used by our whole community for 4 main reasons:

Napper Cottage – a new lease of life?

The ethos of the cottage project is around these 4 headings – all of which are about education in various forms, including courses to help people with health and wellbeing. None of the resources and information are available at present. Like all other assets in the villages it will need partners to sign up to use the lovely premises.

  • Welcome – a wider range of people will benefit:
    • tourists – Cranleigh is an attractive village, with particularly interesting history, in the Surrey Hills;
    • newcomers – Cranleigh is increasing by one third;
    • locals’ information – find what is local and accessible;
  • Celebrate and learn about Heritage –
    • Cranleigh village and environs,
    • the cottage hospital movement which started at this cottage,
    • the architecture of timber framed buildings over 1000 years, the cottage was built around 1446;
  • Improve Health and wellbeing –
    • Information about help available nearby or at the cottage especially patients of the nearby GP practice and day hospital;
    • Services new to Cranleigh will be attracted in by the cottage project, providing new services to those in need;
    • interest groups such as History society;
    • therapies such as practitioners offering one to one help and advice;
    • social groups such as u3a smaller groups;
  • Education –
    • schools,
    • colleges,
    • student careers (medicine, surgery, caring)

Thanks for reading this far – we will be chatting with the Rt Hon Anne Milton soon to see if she has some great ideas to help with Napper Cottage.

Our next meetings and socials – Wednesday 22nd March. June 28th, August 23rd – possibly, 27 September, 25th October; AND 

Our extra meetings with interesting social events will be on April 26th, 26th July and 22nd November – but in the Band room. 

Bye for now,

the team

 

Thames Water Consultation

Thames Water and all Water Companies have multiple problems and they want our ideas!

At tonight’s Parish council meeting our Parish councillors are getting their heads around what TW is trying to do and achieve.  The agenda shows a link to TW consultation –

https://thames-wrmp.co.uk/     Our first question is 

What is a megalitre?  Turns out it means one million litres.  What is ML/d? – megalitres per day! 

‘Our draft plan sets out how much we need to invest to ensure we have a secure and sustainable water supply for future generations. It includes ambitious targets to tackle leaks and reduce demand for water in our area. These actions contribute over half the investment that is needed by 2050. But these measures won’t be enough and we also need to plan and develop new water sources. A summary of the draft plan can be read here.’

Water supply solutions – These range from traditional techniques to more innovative approaches, and include turning seawater into drinking water (desalination), recycling water, transferring water from other regions and building a large storage reservoir. We’ve assessed every option for cost; water output; the time to deliver the scheme and make the water available; potential impact on the environment; carbon budget; and ability to cope with a changing future.’

and so it goes on – have a look at the web site please – we may as well try to understand and make comments – don’t you agree?

Meanwhile the water companies are all guilty of failure to stop the increases in storm water with diluted untreated sewage outflowing into rivers and streams. They even have maps showing where this issue is monitored – truly horrid.  What solutions would you suggest?  look at the link here https://www.thameswater.co.uk/edm-map

 

What is concerning you here in Cranleigh? come and chat?

What is concerning you here in Cranleigh? come and chat?

Come along! Wednesday 25th January from 6pm

Cranleigh Society invites you to The Three Horseshoes pub – Wednesday 25 January – for a meet up to talk through concerns and actions we can take to improve lives in Cranleigh.

Do come along.  The pub food is good too so we have our evening meal there.

Issues we are following and trying to influence for the better –

Planning applications, High Street, Thames Water, Cycling routes, GP surgery, further medical services, conservation of our Heritage – Cranleigh Cottage Hospital, water quality in our streams,

 

Meet Thames Water – 28 Nov 7pm Cranleigh Village Hall

Meet Thames Water – 28 Nov 7pm Cranleigh Village Hall

Thames Water  and our Parish, Borough and County councillor Liz Townsend BEM  invite you to bring your real stories and questions to us now.

Cranleigh Village Hall on Monday 28th November at 7pm. All welcome.  Thames will come armed with answers to your questions we hope!!! 

Reporting flooding:- click here to see links for emergency help

To report severe flooding in your area contact the Environment Agency on 24 hour service telephone line: 0345 988 1188. You can also use Type talk on 0345 602 6340.

You can use SURREY COUNTY COUNCIL’S online reporting forms to report minor flooding or report drains that are blocked or report drains that are broken. Please see our flooding advice pages for flood warnings and practical advice on what to do before, during and after a flood.

Our worries about flooding, drought, sewage in homes, sewage in waterways, water supply, burst water mains, replacement (asbestos cement) water pipes continue

It’s hard to believe flooding has come back, what with the drought and the desiccated gardens in the summer. Can anything be done by Thames Water to process sewage more efficiently, even when rain waters enter their system?

Surrey County Council have a Community Resilience Team and one of their jobs is to find answers to residents’ questions about what to do about flooding. They inform and attend Flood Forums and try to help but there are several agencies with different jobs and responsibilities.  This makes it difficult for us residents. Recently we attended a meeting called Surrey Flood Action Groups Forum with several other Flood forums in Surrey and found out how they have managed to get improvements in their areas.  Some of their stories are hard to listen to as you might imagine, but not worse than Cranleigh’s.

Cranleigh village hall 28th November 2022 7pm agenda

  1. Welcome
  2. Introductions
  3. Report on interruptions in water supply
  4. Delays in compensation payments and underpayments
  5. Update on leaks in local network
  6. Local network replacement programme and timeline
  7. Investment in wider network and timeline
  8. Sewage discharge into local watercourses
  9. Upgrades to sewage treatment works
  10. Any Other Business

Please send in your questions as soon as you can so that Thames Water’s staff can find some answers and be forewarned of issues we have.

The Government report on our rivers January 2022 can be found here

It is shocking and much of it was researched by volunteers over years.