Local residents have expressed growing concerns about the impact of delivery moped riders on safety and the community.
In response, a motion was presented by Councillor Steven McCormick at the recent Epsom & Ewell Borough Council meeting to address these pressing issues. The Motion read:
The Council notes that home delivery via motorcycles and pedal cycles from takeaway outlets is increasingly popular. This trend responds to customer demand, contributes to the local economy, and provides employment opportunities for delivery drivers. However, it has also led to some unintended consequences that need to be addressed to ensure the benefits of delivery services are balanced with the need for community safety including:
Parking Issues: Delivery drivers frequently resort to inconsiderate, dangerous, and illegal parking on pavements, which endangers pedestrians and disrupts shoppers.
Pavement Riding: Instances of motorcycles being ridden on and across pavements have been reported, causing safety concerns.
The key actions agreed by the Council were:
Planning for the Future:
The Epsom & Ewell Local Planning Authority (LPA) consider the requirements for motorcycle parking in new retail developments and changes of use applications
Develop necessary policies and supplementary planning documents to support this requirement.
Engaging Delivery Companies:
Write to delivery companies such as Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and Just Eat to highlight the issues caused by pavement parking and riding.
Convene a round-table meeting with delivery companies to discuss best practice guidelines for delivery riders operating in Epsom & Ewell.
Enforcement and Collaboration:
Work closely with partners, including the Police and Surrey County Council, to enforce current parking restrictions and identify measures to discourage motorised vehicles from accessing footways.
Parking Solutions:
Identify and highlight current parking areas that can be accessed and used by delivery riders.
Explore the potential for new alternative parking areas to support responsible rider behaviour. All the actions will involve collaboration with stakeholders, including residents, businesses, and delivery riders, to develop fair and effective policies. If you would like to contribute your thoughts or report issues related to delivery mopeds, please email smccormick@epsom-ewell.gov.uk.
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Epsom & Ewell Borough Council at a meeting on 10 December approved the Proposed Submission Local Plan (2022-2040) which will be available for public consultation from 20 December 2024 to 5 February 2024.
It can be found here together with guidance on how to respond.
This is known as the Regulation 19 Consultation is the final opportunity for residents, visitors and local businesses to feedback on the plan and comment on whether it is legally compliant and sound in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework.
Commenting after the meeting, Councillor Peter O’Donovan, Chair of the Licensing and Planning Policy, said “The Proposed Submission Local Plan provides a vision for our borough that strikes a balance between providing much needed homes including affordable housing, infrastructure, and support for local businesses whilst ensuring enhanced protection for biodiversity and our borough’s green spaces, and protecting the valuable local heritage and character of our borough’s towns and villages. It is challenging to find a path that meets the many different needs of all our communities, and not everyone may agree with every aspect of this plan. However, having listened to all the feedback, and examined the comprehensive evidence base, we feel strongly that this plan ensures that everyone in our borough, both now and in the future, is given the chance to thrive in Epsom & Ewell.”
Many of you will be aware of the campaign led by the Epsom Green Belt Group not to release any Green Belt land for housebuilding. Frankly this campaign group’s case was never tenable in the face of the new Government’s resolve to increase local house building targets and make these mandatory.
The Plan proposes 4,700 additional homes over the Local Plan period 2022-2040 including the strategic release of four green belt sites within the Horton area to provide 2,175 new homes. This should be compared to the Government’s target against which this will be judged of 10,242 dwellings over the same period. Recent experience from Elmbridge Borough Council demonstrates the risks of preparing a Local Plan being based on a brownfield only approach to housing delivery resulting in a significant shortfall of housing. The Elmbridge Plan was required to be withdrawn by the Government appointed Planning Inspector in order that a number of Green Belt sites could be incorporated to help address the shortfall.
The Residents Association-led Council has taken a sensible, pragmatic decision to designate some Green Belt sites in the Horton area of the Borough for residential development on the basis that this will reduce the risk of the Epsom and Ewell Local Plan being found unsound by the Government Inspector. It also reduces the need for even higher density and high-rise development in and around Epsom town centre and elsewhere to make up the housing numbers. Nobody wants this Borough to lose its market town character and end up looking like Sutton or Croydon.
An up-to-date Local Plan should help protect Epsom and Ewell Borough from ad hoc and inappropriate development and ensure responsibility for future planning decisions remains with the borough and its communities. It provides a framework for where in the borough new development should go and where should be protected. Importantly, it will also help to tackle the housing crisis and deliver more homes that are deemed ‘affordable’ for our children and grand-children.
Meanwhile one aspect of the plan that WERS would be grateful for local residents views on is whether there any local green spaces areas that you particularly cherish and would wish to see protected through ‘Local Green Space’ designation? These spaces need to be: a) in reasonably close proximity to the community it serves; b) demonstrably special to a local community and holds a particular local significance, for example because of its beauty, historic significance, recreational value (including as a playing field), tranquillity or richness of its wildlife; c) local in character and is not an extensive tract of land.
WERS is keen to identify any more such areas in addition to the 2 already proposed for Woodcote & Langley Vale ward (Millennium Green, Woodcote Green Road and Abelea Green) in order that they also may be included in the Local Plan. Local Green Space is afforded the same protection as Green Belt and should thereby prevent unwelcome development.
The potentially bad news is that the Government has recently published a revised National Planning Policy Framework which increases this Borough’s housing target from 10,242 dwellings to 16,002 dwellings for the period 2022-2040. This increased level of housebuilding will be expected to be incorporated in a future Local Plan for the Borough. The consequences of this and other Government announcements on possible Local Government re-organisation will be the subject of future bulletins.
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40 Residents were at the Langley Vale Hall for the update on progress with the arrangements for the 2025 Derby Festival. Epsom & Ewell Borough Councillors Steven McCormick and Bernice Froud led the meeting. We were also joined by Helen Maguire, our MP and Jim Allen, the new General Manager at Epsom Racecourse. The Borough Police Commander was unable to attend the meeting and had sent her apologies.
From January there will be monthly meetings leading up to Derby Week itself and Councillor McCormick is hopeful that the Borough Police Commander will attend all these meetings.
Most of the meeting was spent reporting progress on actions agreed in July.
Key points to note are:
Epsom & Ewell Borough Council has a consultation on a proposed Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO). It is open until 5 January 2025 and all residents are encouraged to respond to the consultation. If implemented the PSPO would remove the need for a temporary dispersal order for Derby Week. The consultation is here.
The Police have confirmed to Epsom Racecourse that Langley Vale will form part of their security plan for Derby Week in 2025.
The Racecourse General Manager and Steven McCormick have a meeting planned with representatives of the travelling community to discuss arrangements for Derby Week and build a shared understanding of the impact of recent incidents on Langley Vale Residents.
Further actions agreed included:
Borough Councillors exploring with Epsom Racecourse/Jockey Club responsibility for damage caused to residents’ property by members of the public attending the Derby.
The Residents Society liaising with other Residents Associations bordering the Downs in Reigate & Banstead borough to share intelligence/lessons learned and coordinate reporting.
Clarifying with the Police exactly what actions they were actually going to take to improve reporting of incidents (in particular involving firearms) and how they were going to provide better protection for residents and their properties in Derby week.
Ensuring coordination between the different Police forces in Surrey which support the Derby event.
Building relationships between the Police, the travelling community and Langley Vale Village.
Re-building relationships between the Police and Langley Vale residents
It was recognized that if the Derby is considered a World Class Event it required World Class support and resourcing.
Under AOB residents were encouraged to take part in Christmas Jumper Day on 21 December which will see many of the racing community, riders and trainers, getting in the Christmas spirit and wearing Christmas Jumpers and festive decorations.
Councillor McCormick also updated on roadworks scheduled to Langley Vale Road and ongoing discussions with Falcon Buses about improving the frequency of the E5 bus (including introduction of a Sunday service). He also agreed to look into the possibility of a scheme similar to Digital Demand Responsive Transport (DDRT) which has been implemented elsewhere in Surrey.
The meeting was arranged and coordinated by the Woodcote Residents’ Society (WERS) with great support from Langley Vale Village Hall, Sean, Tom, and many others. Thank you.
DERBY 2025 – Langley Vale Residents 1st meeting – 12 JULY 2024 at 7pm.
Langley Vale Village Hall was full on Friday evening for a meeting with Inspector Clifton-Sinclair Borough Police Commander and Tom Sammes, General Manager at Epsom Racecourse about the serious public order incidents which occurred ahead of the 2024 Debry Festival and the arrangements for the 2025 event.
The meeting had been convened by the Woodcote (Epsom) Residents Society and the three Woodcote and Langley Vale Ward Councillors who are also members of the Epsom & Walton Downs Conservators – Bernice Froud, Liz Frost and Steven McCormick. The 5 of them were joined on the panel at the meeting by Helen Maguire, our new MP and Shanice Gladman, Nonsuch RA Councillor who is also Chair of the Crime and Disorder Committee.
The Borough Police Commander and Mr Sammes spent an hour and a half answering questions about what the residents’ saw as the failings of the police response to the serious incidents that took place and the security arrangements more generally for the 2024 Derby. A question was also asked about what action the Conservators could take under the Act of Parliament to mitigate the risks to the local residents of the travellers encampment. A number of suggestions were made about how the security arrangements could be tightened up and extended and everyone agreed that communication with the village needed to improve.
The Police, the Racecourse and the Epsom & Downs Conservators all committed to take account in their review of the 2024 Festival of the very real concerns of residents had about their safety and their requests for changes to the arrangements for 2025.
It was agreed there would be a further meeting with residents before the end of the year to consult on the proposed plans for 2025 before the arrangements were finalised and again in March/April 2025 ahead of the festival.
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Consultation on the draft Surrey Rights of Way Improvement Plan has now begun.
Surrey County Council’s Rights of Way Improvement Plan helps the council to make sure the public rights of way network will meet the needs of the public, now and in the future. It sets out priorities for public rights of way for the next ten years.
We have now received the following update from Network Rail on the bridge replacement. We will be following-up to find out if the contract has now been awarded and ask for more information re key dates.
“The designs have been received and signed off by all respective parties and engineers. These will form the base of our communications for the tender build up for construction which was issued last week for tendering by our new framework contractors. By end of November, we hope to have submissions and have awarded the contract.
We are currently looking at early 2025 to put in the new bridge. We know this is a public right of way, so we are committed to carrying out the work as quickly as possible. We are aiming to fully replace the structure and re-open the bridge and we are working hard to accelerate this as much as possible.
Once we have a firm program, we’ll be writing to neighbours with further information, I would like to thank you for your continued patience, and we are sorry for the inconvenience caused while we sort this, and the work is taking place.”
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Epsom & Ewell Borough Council are undertaking a new review of polling districts and places in the borough of Epsom & Ewell. This is being done ready for the new County Council electoral Divisions that are coming into force for the May elections 2025.
The purpose of the review is to ensure that:
-All electors have reasonable access to voting facilities -Polling places are accessible to all electors including those with disabilities
The Council is keen to hear from electors, those involved in local democracy such as political parties and candidates as well as from persons or bodies with expertise in relation to access to premises or facilities for persons with any form of disability.
The review starts on Thursday, 21 November 2024 and the deadline to make representations on this review is no later than 5pm, 2 January 2025.
W(E)RS objected to both the original 6-unit scheme (23/00577/FUL) which was recently dismissed on appeal (Details here) and have now submitted a further objection to a revised 5-unit scheme submitted to supposedly address the reasons for refusal relating to the earlier application.
W(E)RS objected to this latest scheme on the grounds that the vehicular and pedestrian risks associated with the site access road had still not been adequately addressed and would be dangerous to pedestrians with inadequate space available within the access road to safely accommodate both pedestrian and vehicular movements. In addition, it was considered that there would be inadequate space to provide a ‘passing space’ for vehicles utilising the access road to allow oncoming vehicles from Whitehorse Drive to pass safely, resulting in the potential for vehicles to have to reverse out onto the highway in an area of high pedestrian activity, especially at school arrival or departure times.
W(E)RS have now made further representations against the proposal in the light of the appellant’s Statement of Case which fails to mention the recent appeal dismissal of the 6-unit scheme on grounds that supported the objections raised by our Society.
It is W(E)RS’s view that the Inspector’s reasons for dismissing the 6-unit scheme should equally apply to the 5-unit scheme.
The details and our response to the latest scheme can be found here:
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Conversion of existing stable blocks into 6 residential 1-bedroom units for affordable accommodation for people working in the equine industry.
W(E)RS objected to this planning application 24/01223/FUL on the grounds that:
1.The loss of the stables would adversely impact on the racehorse training industry in Epsom.
2.The application is contrary to Policy DM24 as it represents a loss of employment floorspace and Policy DM26 because it would fail to maintain a successful race-horse industry and the re-use of existing buildings for stabling, tack rooms, feed stores or other ancillary equestrian uses.
3. The accommodation would not provide a satisfactory standard of accommodation with 5 of the 6 units below nationally prescribed minimum space standards if the units were to be occupied by 2 people. We assume this to be the case as the floor plan shows a double bed and the Planning Statement refers to the units being ideal for ‘young individuals and couples. We therefore consider it reasonable to apply the minimum space standards of 50sqm for a 1 bed/2 person unit. In addition there is no provision for private external amenity space for the occupants. The proposal would therefore be contrary to Policy DM12 (Housing Standards)
We are sympathetic to the need for additional affordable housing for people working in the local horse racing industry but this must meet housing standards and should not be achieved at the loss of the very stabling space that helps underpin the industry.
LATEST – Planning Application Refused
The following 9 grounds of objection were cited which included support for the reasons W(E)RS objected to the stable conversion.
1.Inappropriate Development in the Green Belt 2. Loss of Employment Floor Space 3. Substandard Amenity Provision 4.Harm to the Character of the Area 5. Harm to Neighbour Amenity 6. Harm to Protected Species 7. Loss of Employment Floorspace 8. Inappropriate Dwelling Mix T 9. Lack of Affordable Housing
Come and find out why the Common is such a special place, and how you can help us preserve it.
An exhibition to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Epsom Common Association will be at The Horton, Haven Way, Epsom, KT19 8NP from 19th to 30th November.
The Association was started by a group of residents concerned about abuses, such as driving cars on the Common.
Nowadays we run a range of volunteer activities every year, including: habitat management tasks; making around three hundred bags of charcoal; checking the grazing cattle four days each week; as well as walks, talks and newsletters.
Our achievements include: the restoration of Great Pond; two more recent pond projects; publication of the “Epsom Common” booklet; and several Epsom Common Days.
We work in partnership with Epsom & Ewell Borough Council, which owns and manages the Common, a Local Nature Reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest.
For more information about the ECA visit: www.epsomcommon.org.uk or email: info@epsomcommon.org.uk
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Surrey County Council has said it will write to companies about the pavement parking on Epsom High Street by Mopeds in response to a motion submitted by Councillor Steven McCormick.
Councillor McCormick will be progressing a parking ban on the pavements as part of the current parking review and several other actions which came out of a recent all-stakeholder meeting including looking for additional parking spaces.
He has also just received an email from the external affairs officer at Deliveroo seeking a meeting in response to the motion he submitted to the meeting of the SCC Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee on 15 October.
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Annual membership costs just £5 per household from 1 January each year. A larger donation would of course be very welcome and would go towards improving our communications with residents.
Paying your subscription is very simple to arrange. You can either pay:
-by bank transfer
Account Name: Woodcote (Epsom) Residents Society
Account Details: Sort Code 23-05-80 Account Number 18192567
Reference – Your postcode and house number
-by setting up a standing order or direct debit
-by cash or cheque to one of our Councillors or Committee Members. We can collect payments from you if you email us on info@woodcoteepsomresidentssociety.org.
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