Please find information for the resurfacing work on Blackdown Lane & The Common, Haslemere. Residents’ letters are due to be delivered 5th May 2016.
The works are scheduled to start on 19th May 2016. Sometimes the council’s plans have to change, often due to bad weather or problems on other works in the Horizon Programme which can have a knock on effect.
Today was Haslemere’s Charter Fair. The Charter Fair is organised by a group of volunteers from Haslemere and surrounding villages and has been running every 2 years since it was reinstated in 1984.
I was asked by Christian Ashdown, Haslemere’s Town Crier, to be one of the judges for the 2016 Town Crier Competition. Town Criers competed for the ‘Tennyson Trophy’, which is a dramatic bronze statue of a 17th Lancer of the Light Brigade – a famous military action immortalised in Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’.
Haslemere’s Town Crier, Christian Ashdown – @haslemeretowncr
The competition had two rounds: Home Cry & Military Blunders. It was held in the grounds of Haslemere Museum. The beautiful topiary planters on the stage will soon be adorning Wey Hill, as part of the Wey Hill in Bloom scheme,
Here are some pictures of the competition:
Winner – Best Dressed Town Crier – @rbwmtowncrier
Best Dressed Consort Presentation
Presentation to the 2016 winner – Lichfield’s Town Crier
Notice from Surrey County Council’s Local Highways Services team.
I write to inform you of the above temporary prohibition, the effect of which will be to temporarily prohibit vehicles from entering or proceeding in that length of (D5524) Haste Hill, Haslemere that extends from (D5527) Blackdown Lane to its junction with the northern leg of (D5524) Scotland Lane.
This Order is required to enable Optimise (Water) LLP to repair a leak in the nearby reservoir and shall come into operation on 4th April 2016 for a period of six months. These works are anticipated to be carried out from 4th April 2016 to 15th June 2016 during the hours of 07.30hrs and 17.00hrs on weekdays and 08.00hrs and 13.00hrs on Saturdays. The closure will stay in force for 24 hours and will not be lifted however advanced warning signs will be displayed and the temporary closure will only operate when the relevant traffic signs are displayed.
Access will be maintained for pedestrians only. Access will be maintained for emergency vehicles, residents and businesses via the signed diversion route however no sole means of property access will be affected by this temporary road closure.
Vehicular traffic will be diverted via Haste Hill, Petworth Road, Lower Street, Shepherds Hill, Midhurst Road and Scotland Lane or this route in reverse order.
Yesterday, I updated residents via my Facebook page saying I was working on new signage for HGV diversions away from residential roads. I also shared the update that Technics Group, a Surrey ground radar specialist, would be on site for the survey tomorrow.
This morning, I met with the contractors on site. Here is a positive update relating to the repair of Shepherds Hill:
The ground penetrating radar investigation was carried out this morning.
The void is estimated to be 6 cubic metres. This means SCC has a full picture of the extent of the void and will go ahead and repair the hole. A foam cement filler for the hole is planned for tomorrow, Friday 25th February. Please note, foam cement takes 24 hours to harden. I have requested that SCC highways re-tarmac over the weekend as a matter of urgency in order to get Shepherds Hill open.
New additional HGV diversion signage was installed at key junctions this morning.
Once again, thank you to residents for both your patience and feedback during this process.
Here is an update for you on the Shepherds Hill road closure in Haslemere. Please also look at my Facebook page where I have been posting interim updates here and via my twitter feed here.
Thank you to everybody who has emailed me regarding the Shepherds Hill closure. I can only say that I share your collective frustration that Shepherds Hill is still closed and we still await a full diagnosis of the extent of the void.
I have been in constant contact with SCC and Thames Water for updates and progress reports since the hole was discovered. Initially, it was presumed responsibility for the sink hole lay with Thames Water. From a surface view the hole looked like a wash out hole linked to the loss of soil/substrate by water. The weekend work that Thames Water promised failed to materialise, apparently the team was diverted to a pollution issue that took precedence. Eventually Thames Water did come on site, sent CCTV cameras into their sewers and drains and having spotted a couple of leaks, carried out the necessary repairs.
SCC Highways then took over the site, sent CCTV cameras down the hole with the expectation of pouring foam concrete down the hole. However, during last week, it became apparent that the void was more substantial than expected – rather a series of mini caves. Subsequent investigations in the sink hole have revealed remains of brick walls suggesting the basement or foundations of an earlier building – old maps show an old building at this position. There may be a link with the bunker under the grassed area by the zebra crossing.
SCC plan to send a ground radar camera into the sink hole, however, 2 electric cables belonging to SSE have been seen hanging in the void and the SCC team is unable to work without the SSE team onsite. I understand the SSE team did not attend the site as expected at the end of last week or yesterday so the SCC Highways team have had to be called off the site each time. SCC Highways have found that the highway is cracking at some distance from the sink hole mouth.
A key priority is the safety of both the SCC workman carrying out the work and the public. The scale of the void combined with the presence of electricity cables has further complicated the issue and means that the problem will not be resolved as quickly as hoped, or anticipated when the sink hole was first discovered. Unfortunately the utility companies are under no legal obligation to attend the site if other higher priority issues arise. I hope this information is helpful. I am speaking with the highways team every day for updates and will of course continue to let you know when I have more news.
I advise of some impending utility works on Hindhead Road, at the Junctions with Tilford Road, Portsmouth Road, London Road Hindhead.
The works are using off peak multi-way temporary signals
These works are being carried out by BT and are to gain safe access to underground BT footway and carriageway boxes for fibre cabling and jointing work in existing duct. This is required for a new customer connection.
These works are due to take place from for the 28/01/16 for approximately 1 day.
Please note a temporary road closure, the effect of which will be to temporarily prohibit traffic from entering or proceeding along that length of (D5516) High Lane, Haslemere, between its junction with Derby Road and its junction with Chatsworth Avenue.
This Temporary Traffic Order is required to enable The Clancy Group to repair a broken main in the carriageway. These works are anticipated to commence on the 4th January 2016 for two days between the hours of 07.00hrs and 19.00hrs within the three-month period of operation of this Temporary Traffic Order that commences on 4th January 2016. It is anticipated that this length of High Lane will remain closed at all times during this work.
Advanced warning signs will be displayed and the temporary closures will only operate when the relevant traffic signs are displayed. Access will be maintained for pedestrians, residents and emergency vehicles at all times.
The Haslemere dustcart service for general waste at Wey Hill car park ended last month.
SCC is mandated to reduce spending across the board due to central government funding cuts. Currently the waste management team is facing £1.8 million cuts.
Ending the Haslemere service will save Surrey taxpayers up to £60,000 a year, money that can be used to support essential services like schools, social care and roads. It will also boost recycling as 78 per cent of waste taken to the dustcart could be recycled through existing services but instead it was ending up in landfill.
Since the dustcart was introduced, there have been improvements to household recycling collections, bring banks and local recycling centres. This has meant use of the dustcart has dropped by 42 per cent in the last four years.
Due to the improvements, 45 per cent of waste collected from Waverley homes is now recycled, as well as 65 per cent of waste taken to Surrey’s recycling centres.
Recycling Services continuing at Wey Hill car park
The garden waste cart run by Waverley Borough Council (WBC) will still be available on Saturdays from 8am.
The recycling banks take cans, aerosols, cardboard, cartons, small electrical items, foil, paper, plastic bottles, shoes and textiles.
Alternative ways to recycle and dispose of waste
Blue Bin Roadside Collection. Your blue bin is key to help reducing landfill and creating a more sustainable Waverley. Cardboard, paper (white & coloured), shredded paper (inside a box or envelope), glass bottles/jars, tins, cans, aerosols, Tetrapaks, foil, food waste and plastic bottles, pots, tubs, trays and bottle tops are all collected from your home by WBC. Waverley Borough Council collects mixed recyclable items from your blue recycling bin every two weeks. WBC will provide an additional roadside blue bin free of charge. Telephone:01483 523524Visit:http://www.waverley.gov.uk/envenquiryform
The nearest Community Recycling Centres (CRCs) to Haslemere are in Witley, Farnham and Cranleigh.
Please remember that the junk shop (formerly Basix) on Wey Hill will take in many household goods. Also, Cooper Brothers of Hindhead will accept single items cleared to complete house clearance. http://www.cooperbrothershindhead.co.uk/
Charity Shops: Haslemere has a range of charity shops that will take in good quality items for sale.
Transition Haslemere will re-sell second hand books. Also, as part of Surrey County Council’s waste reduction programme, they collect unwanted textiles for recycling at their stall in the Farmers Market in Haslemere (first Sunday of the month). Unlike most other textile recyling collections they will even take items that are ‘worn or torn’, so they don’t have to be of wearable quality. Just bring your unwanted textile items along to their stall on the day and we’ll make sure they are put to good use.
The Midhurst Community Website offers Haslemere residents a free listing to sell unwanted items. See here.
SRN is a charity and social enterprise that represents and supports community based furniture and appliance reuse & recycling organisations in Surrey. It works to encourage collaborative working between SRN members, other charities, social enterprises, local authorities and commercial businesses.
The main aim being to develop and deliver co-ordinated, efficient, high quality and financially sustainable reuse, recycling, repair, employment, volunteering and training services; that have a positive impact on local communities and the environment.
Each Surrey County Councillor receives a members’ allocation of £10,600 per year. This year’s must be allocated by the end of February, 2016. Funding applications must meet the following criteria:
projects must benefit the community and be inclusive and accessible to all
meet the Council’s agreed policies or priorities
one off projects
supported by the local County Councillor
Excluded or restricted projects:
political organisations
delivery of the national curriculum
on going revenue costs
statutory obligations of other authorities
retrospective bids are discouraged
Please contact me if you would be interested in applying for funding for a community project at nikki.barton@surreycc.gov.uk. The application process has been simplified and is now a straightforward process. Once an application has been agreed, funding is transferred to the applicant within 2 weeks.
