Parish Council News Update – January 2026

Letter from the Chairman

Dear Villagers,

Winter snow and cold arrived with a blast this year and we have already used nearly 10 tons of grit on our local roads. As the weather intensifies around us, so too does the pace of work as we prepare budgets and array of activities for the coming year.

We continue to watch the changes around us, as Local Government Reorganisation consumes more County and District time. As these changes approach, we also say goodbye to our long-serving County Councillor, Becky Rush, who recently stepped down from her role. Many years ago, Becky also served on the Parish Council. We are grateful for all her time, energy and contributions to the community over the years and offer thanks and wish her well.

Woldingham Community Assets.

Slowed by the winter holidays, progress on assets marches slowly on. We hope that negotiations over Saxonwold will be straightforward as the land itself is protected by covenants. If lucky, this will complete at some point in February. The Green is is now progressing through Tandridge District Council decision making processes. It will be reviewed in the District council’s January meeting and if approved for transfer, it will require charity commission permission. The charity commission suffers from a backlog and long timelines so it could take six to twelve months to receive permission before the transaction could progress.

North Downs Golf Club Asset of Community Value.

At the request of the Parish Council to the District Council, the golf club has again been designated an asset of community value. This means that should it be put up for sale, the sale is paused for 6 months to give the community a chance to bid for it. The designation lasts for 5 years.

Snow and Gritting.

Please remember to keep roads as clear as possible in the event of snow or icy conditions so that the gritter has space to work and turn. Cars parked on the road and hedges encroaching on the road have prevented the gritter from completing at least one run on the roads. As a reminder, the Parish Council grits roads that Surrey Highways does not grit. If you have any issues, please let us know directly.

Determining when to grit is tricky because if it rains, it simply washes away the grit, so we try to gauge the weather to grit after rain and before a freeze. Forecasts are imperfect, so we do the best we can.

Road Safety and Speedwatch.

The Parish Council is pursuing more modern, solar powered and more extensive speed signs, known as speed indicator devices. We have ordered three signs, with more to come in the future. In addition, speedwatch continues but as ever, needs more volunteers. Please email our Clerk, Karen, at karen@woldinghamparishcouncil.gov.uk if you might be interested in volunteering.

Carols in the Church.

Carols in the Church took place on the 6th of December and was attended by roughly 150 people. Although we may sometimes miss chilly fingers grasping our mulled wine or hot chocolate, the weatherproof format means more of us are comfortable to attend. We will share this year’s date in a few months.

Planning.

The Parish Council received and commented on 62 planning applications last year. The number of planning applications roughly tracked historical averages. Enforcement issues seemed to have picked up a bit but remained a challenge when reported too late. Early reporting is critical so that if an activity requires permission that it has not received, it can be stopped.

New website and email address reminder.

Our website address is now woldinghamparishcouncil.gov.uk (the old website will forward you). And our email addresses have also changed to .gov.uk addresses. All new addresses are on the website and all end in Woldinghamparishcouncil.gov.uk.

Monthly Council meetings.

WPC meetings are at 730pm the last Wednesday of the month (except August and December), open to all and the agendas are published at least 5 days in advance (website and noticeboard). The public are welcome to speak at the start of the meeting. There are occasional ad hoc meetings, also published in advance. If you would like to speak on any topic, please advise our clerk Karen at clerk@woldinghamparishcouncil.gov.uk.