| 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. |
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