A247
Another accident at the A3 slip road has been reported. It seems to have involved 3 vehicles but no injuries have been reported to the PC. Our Surrey County Councillor says that the safety work on this junction is still scheduled for December.
The road was closed (again) just south of Meadowlands for 4 days for an emergency watermain repair. The main in question was at the verge of the southbound carriageway and it is hard to understand why the contractor was not using traffic lights and alternate line working. A second disruption using traffic lights was scheduled to allow the connection of water for the two new houses to be built opposite Summers. This could not go ahead because the contractor discovered that the watermain was near the middle of the road and therefore the road would have to be closed. Presumably permission for this is now being sought.
Several members of the PC met the new SCC Highways engineer for our area to brief him on the various issues raised by residents and to make sure that he is aware of the nature of the road and its problems.
Garlick’s Arch
The site is now home to numerous diggers and portakabins and the line of the road connecting Portsmouth Rd. and the A247 seems to have been excavated. Presumably, this road and the roundabouts at each end will need to be completed before any houses are occupied. Considerable work has been done on the site of the SANG (Tithebarns Lane).
Planning
Two residents made representations at the meeting in support of an application to build a house on a paddock at Highcotts Lane. The PC decided that it would write to GBC objecting to the application on the grounds that it did not appear to be in the settlement area and therefore the idea of “infilling” was not relevant, that it did not accord with the Neighbourhood Plan and that it would impact on the openness of the village at that point. The PC is very mindful of what has happened in villages that have been removed from the green belt (for example West Horsley) because they were considered to be insufficiently “open”.
Other Business
The bus shelter at the Beech Woods is in very poor shape. Not long ago, the PC obtained costs for rebuilding the shelter at Glebe Cottages. These were considerably and the PC decided to simply repair it. The Beech Woods shelter is in much poorer condition and probably beyond economic repair. As it does not appear to be linked to a service, the PC decided that the shelter should be demolished and not replaced.
Next Meeting
The next meeting of the Parish Council will be on Wednesday 14th December at 8:00 pm in the Village Hall. As ever, residents are very welcome to attend.
