Happy to support Paul Follows. If elected he will be able to serve the people of our community with skill and care.
Farncombe Hill footway improvement is now under way :-)
I’m really happy to announce that the Farncombe Hill footway improvement scheme has started and will be finished in time for Christmas.
This is the only Surrey County Council road work being carried out during 2017-18 in Godalming North. Forecast expenditure on our area for 2017-18 was £119,000 but due to Conservative cuts the budget was set at only £10,000! I have been able to negotiate a further £3,775 to deliver these essential repairs for our community. I am so sad that, due to these harsh cuts, the Council has not prioritised the other schemes:
– Pram ramps in various locations
– Charterhouse Road bridge sign upgrades
– Charterhouse Road / Twycross Road roundabout enhancement
– Wharf Street ramps
– Warramill Road drainage repairs
Boarden Bridge in Borough Road was also not prioritised by Surrey, but I have worked extensively with the Countryside Team, and especially our Godalming Town Clerk, to facilitate a complete rebuild thanks to the very generous gift from the Caudle Memorial Fund.
Surrey County Council’s new chief executive enjoyed lavish meals with disgraced peer at taxpayers’ expense while she was England’s highest paid civil servant
http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/surrey-county-councils-new-chief-13912521
No more Plans for Godalming Town Council
I was a Godalming Town Councillor for 16 years and for all of those years I was a member of the Planning Committee (as were all Town Councillors). Reporters from the Surrey Advertiser and other local papers would attend and often Godalming Freeman, John Young, representing the Godalming Trust would listen to our deliberations and contribute his wisdom. Residents would also sit in the Public Gallery. Plans and their effect on neighbours and the street scene were always scrutinised with care and in public.
The Town Council was not empowered to make planning decisions but it was a key part of the consultation process and Waverley Borough Council would duly take note.
In the 2016-2017 Annual Report, it notes that the Planning Committee made comments on 385 planning applications. Planning matters!
Planning is one of the roles and functions of Town and Parish councils and they must be notified about all planning applications in their area. The Government recently strengthened the powers of Local Councils with the Localism Act. Local views matter!
Yet, Godalming Town Council has voted to discontinue Planning. Do they not care how our town grows and develops? Where are the local checks and balances?
It would seem that their decision was based on the premise that many Godalming Town Councillors are also Borough Councillors. Sometimes they are, and sometimes they are not. But, the effect is that Godalming Town Councillors do not express any view on local planning applications. What is the point of the Town Council?
This week Godalming Town Council will not offer a view about the change of use and development of The Anchor Pub, or 11 new dwellings in Filmer Grove or 99 new dwellings at Westbrook Mills, Borough Road. In what respect does Godalming Town Council speak, or rather, not speak for you?
Bollard works
Surrey County Council has repaired the bollard to ensure a car-free High Street on Saturdays. This will improve our shopping experience, especially as we head towards Christmas 🙂
Partners Relief & Development UK
Earlier in October, Mark Rowland, an inspirational resident of Farncombe and Chair of Partners Relief and Development UK, invited me to an event he organised at the House of Lords hosted by Lord Alton of Liverpool with guest speaker, Steve Gumaer, President and founder of Partners Relief & Development worldwide. Steve spoke about Partners’ fast expanding and innovative work with children and families in the refugee camps and in conflict affected areas of Myanmar.
Please read more at www.partners.ngo/uk
It’s fair to say that the crisis that has unfolded in western Myanmar since August 2017 is overwhelming. With over 600,000 Rohingya forced to flee brutal attacks on their villages by the Myanmar Army and local vigilantes, this massive displacement of people in such a short space of time has created the world’s fastest growing humanitarian crisis.
These words are from a young father and businessman who just arrived in Bangladesh with his family. “Yesterday, I was a successful businessman. Today, I have to beg to feed my family. Last week, I was concerned about my employees showing up on time and having enough stock on hand to keep my customers satisfied. Today, I have no idea how I will care for my family. My family and I have fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh. We just arrived with only what we could carry.“
Petitioning Sainsbury’s on behalf of the Fairtrade Foundation
Godalming is a Fairtrade Town.
Sadly Sainsbury
‘s has started to sell its own brand tea under a new “Fairly Traded” label which has sparked a backlash from the well-established Fairtrade Foundation.
So, Mary, Jo, David, Edouard and I delivered letters and petitions on behalf of the local Fairtrade group to the Godalming store requesting a change of heart.
http://www.indepen
dent.co.uk/news/business/news/sainsburys-fairly-traded-tea-own-brand-fairtrade-foundation-farmers-producers-a7753561.html
What is happening to the Boarden Bridge?
Residents of Godalming have contacted me to ask what is happening to the Boarden Bridge, the closed wooden footbridge over the River Wey near the parish church of St Peter and St Paul.
This is a time when County Council funds are being heavily cut and at times it has seemed that to restore this bridge would be impossible. However, I am pleased to report that, by working with the Surrey Countryside Team and with Godalming Town Council, we are closer to the time when this historic footbridge will be restored and, once again, open for townspeople to enjoy.
Details are being finalised and I hope soon to be able to publicise when restoration works will start.
What would Watts have done?
Congratulations to Claire Marshall
Congratulations to Claire Marshall for being awarded the:
Neighbour Award (Eagle Radio’s Local Heroes 2017)
It was Claire Marshall who won this award for all the hard work and effort she has pumped into her local community in Farncombe.
She set up an action group to combat anti-social behaviour on the Northbourne Estate, as well as numerous local events, family days and community clean ups.
On top of this, she also runs a weekly youth club and volunteers with the GoGodalming youth canoe club.
https://youtu.be/7WOCQnZ8d0Q