Diary dates this week
There are four meetings of significance for Surbiton Hill this week.
On Tuesday 9th there are two:-
- RBK Executive will determine the street names issue at the Guildhall. It will also decide whether to put another £600,000 a year into the Rose Theatre.
- The PCT will host a meeting to discuss the future of the Surbiton Hospital site following a report by McKinsey’s. Your ward councillors have only just been invited to contribute and the Lib Dem MP has apparently been promising people in Berrylands that there will be a new primary school on the site.
On Wednesday 10th Surbiton Neighbourhood Committee meets at Dysart School 190 Ewell Road at 7.15 p.m.
On Saturday 13th Surbiton Hill councillors hold their monthly ‘surgery’ at School Lane Community Centre from 10.30 to 12.
Every leaf counts in School Lane
Paul with School Lane's neighbourly gardeners
Last evening Paul Johnston and Nick Kilby both attended the School Lane Resident’s’ Association Committee meeting. The meeting was open to all residents and was also attended by Housing officers and the Police Safer Neighbourhood team.
For Nick and Paul the high point of the evening was the presentation of awards in the residents’ own gardening tournament ‘Every Leaf Counts’. There were numerous categories of entry from flower beds to window boxes. Newcomers to the field (so to speak) had an award of their own as did residents in the sheltered block. One point of the exercise was to encourage neighbouly spirit and the picture shows Paul presenting the award to the group judged to have shown the best example of this.
This year was the first in which the Association has mounted the event and Paul expressed the hope that, as this had been such a successful year, residents would make it an annual event involving ever more people on the estate.
Thanks and congratulations to everyone who took part!
Arlington Road resurfacing
The following is an extract from a letter despatched today to Arlington Road residents:-
I am pleased to inform you that the Council will be resurfacing Arlington Road as part of the agreed maintenance work in your area.
This work is due to start on Wednesday 3rd December 2008 and should be completed in one day. This work will be carried out between 8am and 5pm. If these dates change the Contractor (Bardon Tel: 01474 333186) will let you know by placing signs in the road.
While these works are being carried out, we will need to close the road for a short period. Access to houses within the area of the works will be maintained as far as is possible, but will be subject to the Contractor’s traffic control. Emergency access will not be affected.
The road markings will be replaced at a later date, but probably within two weeks of the end of the resurfacing work.
Mrs. Sheila Billingham RIP
We heard today with great sadness of the passing of Mrs. Sheila Billingham. Mrs. Billingham was a long time resident of School Lane and stalwart member and officer of School Lane Residents’ Association. For many years she worked closely with Paul Johnston on the Housing Consultative Committee of RBK. A few years ago she moved to Alpha Road estate and became involved in the residents’ association there.
She will be missed by her family and many friends. May she rest in peace.
Tesco at Tolworth – new plans
There’s a good report on the Surrey Comet website about the new proposals by Tesco to develop the Toby Jug site south of Tolworth roundabout.
Earlier, very controversial plans were withdrawn two years ago and Tesco claim to have been much more attentive to public opinion this time around. Nick and Paul have both seen a presentation about the development and public meetings are being held as well.
Please feel free to let us know what you think. As is usual with planning matters we will read very carefully what you say but not comment on it in advance of a planning meeting.
What’s in Tolworth? II
We are glad to report that the word ‘Surbiton’ has reappeared on the Ditton Road sign opposite the ‘Maypole’ pub. However the problem seems to be spreading. We have now had a complaint from a resident in Egmont Avenue about the same problem. They feel that they bought their house a few years ago as a property in Surbiton, which the estate agent told them it was. They had no knowledge of a decision taken by the Executive over six years ago (but not then acted upon) on the suggestion of a defunct neighbourhood committee and can’t see why they should be affected by it now. Neither can we.
Let us hope that common sense will prevail, though Cllr. Liz Green, who was a member of the Executive at the time, seemed unenthusiastic at the last Neighbourhood Committee meeting.
Surbiton Forum 