Have your say

SCC has announced a consultation on a proposed Rights of Way Improvement Plan which closes on 10^th March 2024.
You can find the survey here.   On that page SCC say:-

“If you use public rights of way, we’d like to know about your experience and how important they are for you.
If you don’t use public rights of way, we’d like to know what prevents you and what, if anything, we can do to support you in using them.
Your feedback will help to develop the priorities and actions of the new Rights of Way Improvement Plan, which will be produced in 2024. Once the new Rights of Way Improvement Plan has been finalised and approved by the council it will be published on Surrey County Council’s website.”

A new issue has been raised recently – the number of tree removals.  The concern was the removal of existing mature trees when organisations like Woodlands Trust & CPRE are promoting tree planting because trees suck carbon from the air and store it in the ground. Their removal releases CO2 back into the atmosphere.

The Forum has a policy in its adopted Plan on trees –  OS5  – which recognises “the wooded and leafy community character of Pyrford is an important asset to the community”  The Plan also says, “There is strong support for retention of trees in the area.”  Click here for further details on the policy and its justification – pages 33 – 35.

Interestingly, tree related planning applications are 25% of the total since January 2015 and in that time the number of applications has increased from 25 in 2015 to 80 in 2021. Tree applications can include crowning, branch removal as well as complete tree removal.

What are your views on existing trees being removed?

So far, two other issues have been raised  – parking & speeding.
If you any other local issues/concerns, then why not email info@pyrfordforum.org

Thank you for the feedback on the Forum’s website on the topic of parking.  At the Meet the Beat on Tuesday 17 May outside the Co-op, another local concern was speeding traffic on various roads in the Village.

As you may be aware, speeding along the Old Woking Road was raised at the Woking Joint Committee earlier in November 2021. At the next meeting on 4^th April, an officer noted that an Average Speed Camera along Old Woking Road was noted as a priority in Woking. We will have to wait to see what happens.

One initiative, led by Cllr Gary Elson, is to set up a ‘local speed watch’ team in Pyrford. The critical mass is six people and training will be given. If you are interested, please email Gary at cllrgary.elson@woking.gov.uk

Only one individual responded to the new section HAVE YOUR SAY in January’s Newsletter.  The topic raised was parking on pavements and verges and the individual wondered if anyone else was concerned about pavement parking which seems to be common in their area. They said:-

“It is a mystery to me why many homeowners park cars fully on the pavement and verges. Access is often restricted to pedestrians with sight and mobility issues. The result of parking across the pavements and using them as a drive extension  is damaged pavements, disappearing  verges, damaged trees – huge council bills to repair pavements only for homeowners to drive across the pavement again.”

Do you agree and more importantly what is a practical solution?