| DECEMBER 2024 |
In this issue: New pedestrian crossing at the Chase Purpose of recent traffic monitoring in village New cameras at Dennis Roundabout Change of access to Wisley Bin collection calendars Asian hornet nests Hedges New information about Recycling on OVRA website Guildford station foot bridge New Guildford Station Quarter North Street Development University Solar Farm How to report issues and gain information regarding local roads |
The Chase pedestrian crossing – take care and contact Angela Goodwin if you experience or witness an incident There have been a number of minor accidents and ‘near misses’ on the new pedestrian crossing on The Chase close to Queen Eleanor’s Road. Please be very careful when using the crossing. Angela Goodwin, our local Surrey County Councillor has alerted the relevant people at the council but she would be keen to hear from anyone who has had a dangerous experience at the crossing or who has witnessed one. Email her at angela.goodwin@guildford.gov.uk |
Recent traffic monitoring cameras in Onslow Village The cameras that were recently mounted on lamp posts around the village were monitoring numbers of pedestrians, cyclists, and motor vehicles of different categories using the local roads. The surveys were commissioned by National Highways as part of the A3 Air Quality Management project. They are collecting data to inform the design of alternative routes for cyclists and pedestrians to be implemented before they close the path alongside the A3. |
| New traffic enforcement cameras at the Dennis roundabout (roundabout under the A3 next to the Cathedral Business Park) Beware! The new cameras which are set to enforce the rules regarding the yellow box junction at the Dennis Roundabout seem to be rather overzealous at the moment. Several people have received penalty charges simply because their front wheels were over the white line level with the traffic lights when the lights turned red. This is several metres away from the yellow box markings and yet they have still been issued with £30 fines. Whilst people are challenging these fines so things might change in the future, you need to be very careful at the moment! |
New access arrangements for RHS Wisley If you haven’t visited Wisely Garden for a while you may be rather disappointed to discover that you can no longer access it simply by turning left off the A3. With the new road layout this exit no longer exists. The official route is now to drive past Wisley and go around the Junction 10 roundabout to approach it on the Southbound carriageway of the A3 where the exit to use will be clearly signposted. |
Bin Collection Calendars You have not received the calendars due to budget cuts. The Liberal Democrats have printed 20,000 calendars and they are looking for volunteers to help deliver them to as many residents as possible. If you could help with delivery in Onslow Village please could you email office@guildfordlibdems.org.uk OVRA have offered to help and will be asking those delivering the next issue of The Village Voice, due out at the beginning of January, if they would be happy to deliver the new bin calendars at the same time. This is a non-political gesture, it is simply offering a service to our local community. Please reference this website for collections over the festive period. https://www.guildford.gov.uk/Christmasbincollectiontimes |
Asian Hornet Nests It’s easier to spot yellow legged Asian hornet nest now leaves have fallen. This link gives more information about what to look for. Please be vigilant and report any viewings of suspected nests or Asian hornets to Gillie on 07966 182171. |
Hedges Thank you to everyone who has been doing some serious work on their hedges, particularly down Curling Vale. It is greatly appreciated! Remember, this winter period while the hedges are effectively hibernating, is the time to do any major cutbacks. |
New Recycling section on the OVRA website A new section has just been added to the OVRA website under Local Initiatives>Environmental Projects. In addition to the recycling opportunities at All Saints Church already listed, we now have a section about recycling opportunities in Guildford Town Centre. Many of the shops offer their own recycling services and this information has been collated for us by Lesley Pratt. We’re very grateful to Lesley for her hard work and hope people will find it useful. |
Guildford Station pedestrian bridge As per our last update no planning application has been raised as yet from SWR. We will monitor this for updates. In the meantime, pedestrians are welcome to use the bridge. Simply tell the person manning the barriers that you would like to cross the bridge and they will let you through. Sometimes they may ask you to take a bridge pass, but not often. |
Other planning updates which may be of interest: New Guildford Station QuarterThe development at Guildford Station involving 438 new homes, a shopping plaza with eateries and station improvements is in progress. More details can be found here: https://www.solum.co.uk/development/guildford/. North StreetIncludes 477 highly sustainable new homes, including 47 affordable homes, a wellness garden and a new town square, as well as a newly refurbished bus station. This has commenced and Woodbridge Road is closed. For further details please reference https://northstreetregeneration.co.uk/. University Solar FarmThis farm west of Blackwell Farm has been approved. https://my.surrey.ac.uk/news/university-given-green-light-build-solar-facility provides further details. |
Reporting issues on local roadsYou can do this online Surrey County Council FixMyStreet If you do not feel the issue is being dealt with you can email Angela Goodwin at angela.goodwin@guildford.gov.uk Obtaining information on planned work on Surrey Highways For roads / pavements and Utility works such as Thames Water, Virgin, BT, Gas / Electric etc please view the SCC website or their FB page. The link is Roadworks in your area – Surrey County Council and Causeway one.network will also provide information on works in the area. |
| Asian Hornets Surrey County Council ‘One Stop Shop’ 60% off offer Free HEAT (Home Energy Advice Taskforce) surveys |
| Asian Hornet Alert! A large nest of Asian Hornets was recently destroyed in Southampton suggesting that they may already be in the area or on their way. We have been asked to circulate this information by the member of Guildford Asian Hornet Alert Team who is responsible for monitoring the Onslow area. It explains why the hornets are so dangerous, how to recognise them and how to report a sighting. This information will also be available on the OVRA website under ONSLOW VILLAGE>NEWS, in case you need to refer to it in the future. If you think you have seen one please message Gillie on 07966 182171 Yellow-Legged Asian Hornets have the capacity to wreak havoc on our wildlife in the UK. One nest of hornets can consume around 11kg of insects in a year; honey bees generally make up 60% of their diet. We all know just how important pollinators are to our own health and wellbeing, and the security of our food chain. This could have huge consequences on our wider ecology and a devastating impact on song birds that rely on insects for food. Yellow-Legged Asian Hornets could pose a risk to public health too. While one hornet alone is unlikely to cause a problem, they can be aggressively defensive of their nests, which can be built high in trees but also low to the ground and in hedgerows and brambles. Do not approach a suspected nest closer than 10m. Please take time to familiarise yourself with what they look like, download the free government Asian Hornet Watch App, then report any suspected sightings. I can help verify photos. If it’s a positive, a team of government bee inspectors will come to locate and destroy the next. Contact me at gillie.muir@gmail.com for more information.   |
| Surrey County Councils ‘One Stop Shop’ for home energy efficiency goes Live, with a 60% off offer for the first 245 households to apply. Surrey’s ‘One Stop Shop’ for supporting households to become energy efficient (enabling them to lower both their bills and their impact on the environment) has just launched. To get the scheme underway their selected partners, Furbnow, are offering a 60% discount for the service to the first 245 households that apply. If you’re quick you can get an in depth Energy Survey of your home for £300, when the usual cost is £750. The survey identifies all the ways in which your home can be made more energy efficient, from stopping draughts to installing solar panels or heat pumps. It includes guideline costs for each of the measures and the expected reduction in bills and carbon emissions which should follow. Once the survey has been produced, FurbNow offer additional services (also with the 60% discount) to project manage any work you decide to do, from finding the best suppliers to managing the work and the follow up. FurbNow are completely independent, working for the best interest of the client and the environment. |
| Free HEAT survey (Home Energy Advice Taskforce) If you don’t want such an in depth survey, but would like to know where your home is losing heat and what you can easily do to cut down your bills, then you can apply for a free HEAT survey. These are offered by a partnership between Surrey County Council and Zero Carbon Guildford. Whilst there are some eligibility criteria it’s estimated that 90% of homes in the Onslow area would be eligible, so it’s definitely worth applying if you’re interested. |
| Our New Member of Parliament As you will all know, Guildford elected a new MP on the 4th July. Contact details for Zoe Franklin MP are as follows: Email: zoe@guildfordlibdems.org.uk Phone: 01483 610581 Facebook: /ZoeFranklin4Guildford Instagram: /zoefranklinforguildford X/Twitter: /ZoeFranklinLD You can also look out for Zoe as she commutes into London on the train. Your Local Focus editor got to say hello and congratulations a few days ago, as she caught the train to work |
| Guildford Electric Bike Scheme Reminder As previously reported, Surrey County Council (SCC), Guildford Borough Council (GBC) and the University of Surrey are working together to introduce an e-bike share scheme in Guildford with at least 300 bikes. SCC has been asking suggestions for cycle parking bay locations via their online map. SCC is now in a position to start installing their cycle parking bays but want to hear views on the proposed locations first. To give your feedback on the proposed locations, please complete this survey – link below. It closes on the 5th August. https://www.surreysays.co.uk/environment-and-infrastructure/guildford-e-bike-parking-bay-installations/consultation/intro/ To find out more about the e-bike share scheme visit the e-bikes website: https://www.surreysays.co.uk/environment-and-infrastructure/guildford-e-bike-parking-bay-installations/ |
| Guildford Borough Council Climate Change Planning Document Guildford Council have started a consultation on the following document with comments requested by the 9th August – Draft Climate Change, Sustainable Design, Construction and Energy Supplementary Planning Document. To find out more information and to respond to the consultations, please visit the consultation homepage at https://guildford.inconsult.uk/CCSDCE24/consultationHome. Use the ‘Online comments form’ to respond to the consultation. |
| Onslow Arboretum Tour & Volunteering Opportunities Update Our guide for the Arboretum tours has been in touch and he would like to try and build a group of volunteers to help look after and maintain the Arboretum. This is what James-Pieter Berry, Senior Trees Officer at GBC had to say: “Guildford Borough Council are looking to run some volunteer days at Onslow Arboretum to undertake maintenance tasks if we get enough interest. Could anyone that’s interested email countrysidevolunteers@guildford.gov.uk . We also have a page on our website which has a bit more info for anyone interested, www.guildford.gov.uk/Countrysidevolunteering.” If you do reach out to JP to get involved, please let us know, as we would love to promote any Arboretum work parties that get organised. Thanks. |
| Guildford Station Footbridge Access We haven’t heard anything further about the results of the trial closure of Guildford Railway Station’s footbridge, when those without train tickets were unable to use the footbridge to get into town. If we hear anything more, we will let the OVRA membership know. |
| New Guildford Station Quarter The large development at Guildford Station involving 438 new homes, a shopping plaza with eateries and station improvements is now well underway – More details can be found here: https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/property-news/grey-column-towers-over-guildford-28818466?int_source=amp_continue_reading&int_medium=amp&int_campaign=continue_reading_button#amp-readmore-targetAnd here: https://www.solum.co.uk/development/guildford/ |
| Cathedral Development The application for 124 new homes on Stag Hill was refused – More details can be found here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd117zdn5zko.amp. |
| Phyliss Tuckwell Charity Motor Show The Phyllis Tuckwell charity have a charity motor show in Churt, Surrey on the 11th August from 9.00am to 16.00pm. The event sold out in 2023, so if you want a great day out, supporting a wonderful local charity, more information can be found here: https://www.pth.org.uk/news-and-events/events/upcoming-events/motor-show/ |
| Turning from The Drive into Farnham Road Onslow Village residents will be pleased to see that the right turn from The Drive onto Farnham Road has been restored. It is still prohibited to turn left onto The Drive when travelling down the Farnham Road towards town. It’s great to see that sufficient local resident feedback and pressure can be successful in changing unpopular planning decisions. |
| Pedestrian access to the Guildford Station cross-station railway bridge The pedestrian access across the Guildford Railway Station bridge for non-ticket holders has been restored, after the trial closure that SWR requested. It seems clear that SWR want to make this a permanent thing, which would see non-ticket holding pedestrians having to walk the “long way round” along the narrow pavements of the Farnham Road railway bridge. Our local councillors are trying to find out more and will let OVRA know if they hear more. In the meantime, if you want to let SWR know what you think about this potential change, you can use this weblink: https://www.southwesternrailway.com/contact-and-help/contact-us |
| Guildford Station: Guildford Park Road entrance second part of safety works confirmed Upcoming works to finalise the installation of ‘vehicle mitigation measures’ (other half of the bollards) at the Guildford Park Road entrance to the station have been announced. The works will take two weeks from 25 May 2024 to 5 June. Traffic will be restricted to single lane flow, controlled by traffic lights during the works. Rail passengers will be have to use the main entrance and follow the diversion route as was done previously. For more information about the works, go to:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/land-adjacent-to-railway-bus-and-coach-stations-security-reducing-vulnerabilities/guidance-to-local-authorities-mitigating-security-vulnerabilities-outside-railway-bus-and-coach-stations |
| County School Pedestrian Crossing The OVRA committee had been told of rumours of a proposed pedestrian/Zebra crossing across the Farnham Road, near to County School. We have asked our local councillors about this, and they felt that this was not being considered at this time, and that they are not expecting this situation to change any time soon. |
| Guildford E-Bike Hire Scheme This scheme is still at consultation stage, and you can leave your thoughts here:https://guildfordebikes.commonplace.is/ . As shown in the scheme map, there is a proposal for an e-bike docking station outside the Onslow Village Hall. Our local councillors have hinted that, given the amount of supportive comments received to date and impetus behind the scheme, it’s highly likely that this scheme will go ahead |
| North Street regeneration update: ‘Breaking ground’ scheduled for Autumn 2024 Following the permission for the scheme being granted in December 2023, St Edward will commence work to regenerate Guildford’s North Street neighbourhood in Autumn this year. You can access more information about the scheme, along with the chance to apply for one of three apprenticeship places with St Edward (Send your CV to employmentskills@berkeleygroup.co.ukby 29th May), you can see their latest update via this weblink:https://mailchi.mp/e207876cac8b/st-edward-submits-amendments-to-north-street-regeneration-planning-application-13568974?e=6b76dca916 |
| Proposed Solar Farm at Blackwell Farm Onslow Village residents may be interested in the latest information regarding a proposal to build a solar power farm on the site of Blackwell Farm, on land owned by Surrey University. To provide you with some contrasting opinions, this is the information as supplied by Surrey University:https://www.sseenergysolutions.co.uk/university-of-surrey-strategic-energy-collaboration While this is the response to the proposals from the Guildford Society:https://www.guildfordsociety.org.uk/SolarFarmUnis.html |
| The Guildford Society: For those interested in all things planning and development in Guildford, you might be interested in visiting the Guildford Society website. For example, they have just published a proposal for a building heights policy to be adopted for Guildford:https://www.guildfordsociety.org.uk/OVRA representatives meet with The Guildford Society and other local residents’ groups at regular meetings of the Guildford Residents Association. We will pass on anything of interest to Onslow Village residents that we hear at these meetings via this Local Focus Update. |
| And finally, don’t forget that everything else “Onslow Village”, can be found on the OVRA website: www.ovra.org.uk |
| Revised Bus Timetable for route 65 Route 65 is a bus service that runs between Guildford and Alton and stops along Farnham Road. For those who live on the Farnham Road side of the village it can be a very useful alternative to the no.18 service. At the end of May it started running a new regular service on Sundays and Bank Holidays, and also added a slightly later service on Mondays-Saturdays. To celebrate the new Sunday service route 65 will be completely free to use on all Sundays in June. Click here for more information and to see the timetable. |
| Temporary Closure of Slyfield Community Recycling Centre Slyfield Community Recycling Centre (CRC) will be closed from Friday 14 June until 30 June, for essential repairs and maintenance, reopening on 1 July at 8am. During this period residents will be directed to the nearest alternative CRCs at Martyrs Lane, Woking and Petworth Road, Witley where SCC will be extending the opening time till 6pm during the closure period. Additionally, due to traffic management controls outside the entrance to Slyfield CRC, put in place by Thames Water contractors ‘BAM’, residents may experience delays on entering from 28 May until 2 August. LINK: https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/waste-and-recycling/community-recycling-centres#community Residents can also use other recycling centres at Farnham, Dorking, Leatherhead, Camberley and Cranleigh, but please be aware that you need to provide proof that you are a Surrey resident (such as by showing your driving license, a council tax bill, a recent utility bill, a Surrey bus pass or any other official documentation that shows your address). |
| Disruption to refuse collection during closure of Slyfield Starting 14th June and continuing until 30th June, GBC will be collecting food waste separately from other collections. This is a temporary measure due to the closure of Slyfield by SCC for essential refurbishment. Please put your bins out as normal, but different crews will come at different times of day to collect the different bins. While Slyfield is closed, Guildford’s refuse crews are having to drive further to dispose of the refuse they’ve collected, which means collections will take longer. However, even with this measure, some disruption to collections is inevitable so please be patient with staff as they will be doing all they can to get to everyone as quickly as possible. Street cleaning and garden waste services will also be impacted. |
Other Useful Links
Click here for the latest news on the A3/M25 Closures at the Wisley Interchange