Membership now reaching 500 –
As a result of setting up stalls at the Pyrford & Wisley Flower Show, Pyrford Cricket Club, Pyrford Judo Club, outside local shops, coffee mornings at the Church of the Good Shepherd, membership of the Pyrford Neighbourhood Forum (PNF) has now nearly reached 500. The more members we have, the greater influence we will have with Woking Borough Council.
The PNF has been busy gathering data about our community. Now we need to work on developing the Neighbourhood Plan for Pyrford.
You can read about our progress below. Martin Doyle, the Chairman of the PNF said “I am so proud of the progress our small volunteer force has made, in such a short time, but we are always looking for more assistance.
Towards a Village Design Statement –
As part of the information gathering stage, almost all the streets in Pyrford have now been surveyed by PNF members. This means we have masses of pages of notes that will need to be structured to form a final submission. It has been a wonderful chance to learn just what a heritage we have in Pyrford. It’s been hugely educational to uncover the history of the area and we now know so much more about the current state of our streets. The challenge now is to create the structure of a Village Design Statement. Our biggest problem is that we are all more-
If you have some expertise you’d like to make available to us, or if you would just like to get involved or express your views on our built environment please contact our Coordinator at iwhittle@btinternet.com
Landscape Character Assessment – Carole Gale
I joined the Forum as I was interested in the idea of local people having a voice in decisions that affect our area. I was also interested in the idea of preserving our Heritage, especially the natural environment around us. When I became coordinator for the open spaces group I wasn’t sure how it would be possible to include a concern for our open spaces into a local planning document.
I have searched through what other communities have done and came across the idea of doing a local landscape character study. I found some good examples from Hampshire and set about dividing Pyrford open spaces into six sections. With other Forum members, each section was walked, taking notes on what we saw and heard around us. I was kindly invited into areas not accessible to the public and enjoyed some interesting off-
The experience made me realise just how rich and diverse our open spaces are. I made many interesting discoveries along the way, including a field of over 300 southern marsh orchids and several bluebell woods. I was told of nationally rare insects which can be found in the area and learned the names of a variety of different trees which were encountered on our walks.
Through the Forum I have been privileged to meet many knowledgeable people who care very much about where they live and wish the special character of our area to be preserved. All the information I have received and researched has been incorporated into the Pyrford Community Landscape Character Assessment. Included in the assessment are suggestions for how our area could be improved.
There are many challenges facing us in the future. My hope is that by valuing the special character of the open spaces around us we will be able to preserve what is best about Pyrford for future generations to enjoy.
Social & Community – Geoff Geaves
Historically community spirit received a kickstart almost 100 years ago with the opening of the Pyrford Village Hall. Since then it’s been joined by the Cricket Club, the Church of the Good Shepherd, the Social Club and the Arbor Youth Club until we reach the situation today where we have a thriving community.
The 2011 census and, indeed, the recently published ‘Which?’ indices of deprivation indicate a population that is relatively wealthy and biased towards the over 65s’. There are concerns that no day care facilities are available for our elderly residents. Indeed there are concerns that facilities for the young are very limited too, as there are no recreational areas open to the general public in the heart of Pyrford.
We value the village community feel in Pyrford, the Flower Show and the green & open spaces. Our wish lists look to sustain this with more community based amenities: perhaps a coffee shop and a bigger role for the Social Club as a local watering hole?
Accordingly the Social and Community group are currently designing policies that will protect the values expressed and that can be written into the Neighbourhood Plan that is now in preparation to sustain and develop the current community over the next 10-
We do need to recognise that more housing is required. Perhaps, we need to shoulder our share of affordable housing for younger families. These will, in the future, provide the pool of volunteers to continue running all those facilities and services we value so much. This succession is I think a true mark of a sustainable and evolving community that will take us into the next 50 years. How we do this without changing the character of Pyrford is of course the big challenge for us in the Social and Community group.
Current Issues
Green Belt – Phil Wilson, Editor “The Resident”
By the time you read this newsletter, many local residents will have already heard about the Green Belt report commissioned earlier this year by Woking Borough Council. On their website WBC say that “…the review is necessary to enable the Council to identify sufficient land to meet its future housing requirement and other development needs…”. It also states that the report “…is a technical consultants report prepared to inform the Council’s Delivery Development Plan Document (DPD). It will not be subject to any form of public consultation…” and “…the Council has not made any decision about how it wishes to take forward the recommendations of the report. It will do so as part of the Delivery DPD process that will allocate specific sites for development…”.
This comes as little comfort to residents of the Three Villages (and the wider Borough) who will be very concerned by the report’s recommendations. Although WBC go on to say that there will be “…full public consultation during Winter 2014…” for many that is seen as ‘too late’. The Green Belt is under serious threat to meet government housing targets across Surrey and there are a number of campaigns already underway to resist the erosion of this precious asset, the closest being in Guildford where significant changes to green belt are being considered.
In the case of the Three Villages here is a summary of the land that WBC’s consultants suggest could be taken out of the Green Belt to meet its future housing requirement and development needs:
· Byfleet – Green Belt south of Murrays Lane, south of Parvis Road and part of the Manor Farm area –
· West Byfleet – Green Belt including part of Broadoaks and farmland and woodland north of Dodds Lane – to allow for possibly 600 houses plus a 15-
· Pyrford – Farm land to the west of Upshott Lane –
Slightly further away, Maybury may lose green belt to accommodate a further 600 houses plus a travellers site.
The report also recommends ‘tidying-
Make sure you have your say!
The Residents Association committee is encouraging residents to look at this report and consider the implications if the recommendations did go ahead. The full report along with maps can be found at www.woking.gov.uk/planning/policy and should be available in Woking library. Make your views known to your borough and county councillors. It’s very important that they understand the strength of feeling that exists in the community. Councillor contact details can be found on the WBC (www.woking.gov.uk/council) and Surrey County Council (www.surreycc.gov.uk) websites. Also get involved in your local Neighbourhood Forum –
School Expansion
Pyrford Primary School is scheduled to be rebuilt. Yet Surrey County Council (SCC) appear to have no proposals to deal with the parking or traffic handling problems. We have already witnessed a growth in the use of cars to transport pupils. There are two factors causing this growth: an increase in the size of the catchment area; and growing number of children coming from households where both parent work. The school needs to work with SCC to develop a travel policy on how to accommodate the morning and afternoon traffic peaks. If the children come from Pyrford then walking is possible. Otherwise, it means more and more cars, but SCC have so far ignored the traffic issues in their building design. Make your views known!
West Byfleet Library
The latest alarming rumour is that there is an on-
Message from Graham Chrystie, Borough Councillor
Pyrford has always been a strong and united community. People want to live here but things are changing, as communities are now being required to do more for themselves. We are lucky that we have such a desirable neighbourhood and to date the new Neighbourhood Forum has made substantial progress towards being able to register its own local plan, which will have legal effect once passed by Woking Borough Council. This is not a simple process. However, at the current rate of progress, the PNF are on track to achieve the goal of meeting all the government requirements for Plan ratification in early 2015.
The Neighbourhood Team really needs further help and support, no matter how small. So, please contact a Committee Member if you can find some time to help out. Alternatively, e-
Finally we need to know how important general local facilities are to you, especially Health, Library, Education and Transport. For example, is the Health Centre in West Byfleet easily available to you and can you suggest improvements?
Only with your support can Pyrford continue to thrive – it’s your village, have your say.
High Court challenge to neighbourhood plan fails
NEIGHBOURHOOD Forums can now be confident that their voices cannot be shouted down. Below is a report on the first serious legal challenge to a Neighbourhood Plan.
The High Court has handed down judgment in a Judicial Review brought by two national house builders against the decision of Cheshire West and Chester Council to allow the Tattenhall Neighbourhood Plan proceed to referendum. The claim has been followed with interest by the national planning press and by others involved in promoting or challenging Neighbourhood Plans. The claim raised important issues about the Strategic Environmental Assessment of Neighbourhood Plans, the rigour with which such plans should be examined and whether such examination is akin to the soundness testing of Local Plans.
In dismissing the claim, the High Court has made it plain that Neighbourhood Plans are not subject to soundness testing and that the examination process is much less rigorous than would be the case for a Local Plan. The judgment will encourage groups who are promoting Neighbourhood Plans by minimising the complexity and technicality of plan preparation and examination.
The High Court has dismissed the legal challenges brought by developers against the Tattenhall Neighbourhood Plan, clearing the way for the local planning authority Cheshire West and Chester Council to “make” it.
Barratt Homes and Wainhomes argued in court that the Cheshire plan was flawed on a number of technical grounds and questioned the impartiality of its independent examiner Nigel McGurk.
But in his judgment Mr Justice Supperstone ruled that no “fair minded and informed observer, having considered the relevant facts, would conclude that there was a real possibility that Mr McGurk was biased”.
And he found that none of the grounds cited by the developers in their challenge to the decision of Cheshire West and Chester’s Executive to approve the draft plan passed muster.
Council leader and local councillor Mike Jones said: “We welcome the judge’s findings which are undoubted endorsement of the processes employed in the creation of the Tattenhall Neighbourhood Plan.
“This decision will be greeted with delight in the village of Tattenhall by a community which worked so hard and showed such unbelievable commitment in creating the plan.”
A Call for More Helpers
Although our membership is now approaching 500, the number of active volunteers helping to pull the Neighbourhood Plan for Pyrford is actually quite small. It would be of great help to us all if you could let us know if you could spare some time, even just a few hours here and there, to help spread the workload..
For details see, www.pyrfordforum.org Enquiries to info@pyrfordforum.org
WW1 Living Memorial
The Forum, in partnership with a local landowner, have applied to the Woodland Trust for hedgerow trees to plant along Sandy lane to stand as a living memorial to the residents of Pyrford who died in the First World War.
If we are successful we will need your help to plant the hedge in November. If you are interested in coming along with a spade and helping to plant a few of the trees, or if you would like more information, please contact our Open Spaces Coordinator Carole Gale at gale.family@btinternet.com
KEEP PYRFORD PRECIOUS
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