Parish Council News Update – November 2024

Letter from the Chairman

Dear Villagers,
As the cold rolls in, the season demonstrably changes. Autumn already feels like it is becoming winter. And with the short days, the rhythm of winter activities begins. And so it does at the Parish Council, as we being to prepare budgets for the new year and prepare for the Christmas season. As a reminder, November is the month in which we review the majority of grant applications and award community grants. And it is also when the Parish Council agrees the first cut of our budget for next year as well as the annual precept (tax). Our November meeting is on the last Wednesday of the month (the day of our regular monthly meeting) – the 27th of November. And the public are always welcome.

Councillor Remote Attendance.

A national consultation is taking place to consider whether Local Councillors should be allowed to attend Council meetings remotely. I note that during the pandemic years, the sitting government passed an act of Parliament allowing us to meet remotely at all levels of local government. This worked well for all of us and did not cause any issues. When this bill expired, despite much lobbying, the national government declined to extend it. In Wales however, all levels of local government have been able to attend remotely since 2021, to no detriment of the democratic process. At Tandridge District Council, Councillors may join remotely and comment, but the law still requires that to vote they must be in person.

As a Parish Council, we voted unanimously to comment in the consultation that full flexibility for remote attendance and voting should be granted We note that remote attendance would enable better participation when one must travel – whether for work or other reasons — and encourage more participation in local Councils. The consultation runs until the 19th of December and anyone may respond. If you have considered or would consider serving in local government (at any level) if remote attendance were possible, please add you voice to the consultation.

Councillor Roles.

I updated you in this column last month on Councillor roles. We have allocated the final role on the Council – Head of Safety and Security – to Councillor Peter Hutchinson. Councillor roles are as follows: Councillor Peter Holbrook – Head of Planning; Councillor Peter Hutchinson – Head of Finance and Head of Safety and Security. Head of Environment and also Head of Social Media – Councillor Cat Neave; Head of Events & Community – Councillor Carole North; Head of Speedwatch and Litter Pick – Councillor Alex Foulds; Head of Airports and Airspace – Councillors Peter Holbrook and Leanna McEwan.

Speedwatch.

Jeremy Wormington runs our Speedwatch team. Speedwatch is an effective means of reminding people to control their speed. Jeremy’s update for October follows:
“Speedwatch had a busy month in October with about a dozen sessions conducted, particularly focused on monitoring Station Road where we recorded about one in seven vehicles exceeding 35mph, with about half of those greater than 40mph as they exited the centre of the village near Southdowns Road. In one instance a vehicle was recorded doing 56mph, which leaves no margin of error should a resident on Station Road drive out from around a blind bend….They did not even slow down as they went past the Speedwatch team standing further down Station Road. In the early morning many of those caught speeding will be Woldingham residents on their commute, with a good number being tradesmen. There was also a vehicle caught exceeding 40mph twice during the same day, once after dropping off at the school and later after collecting their child. As the month progressed, we noticed a drop off of higher speeds although overall offenders were only slightly down. We are in the process of utilising more sites on Station Road so that it gets monitored from top to bottom.
Here is a summary of how Speedwatch works in case residents are wondering (summarised from the Speedwatch website). “Speedwatch, under the supervision of their local police, record details of speeding vehicles using approved detection devices. Registered keepers of vehicles exceeding the speed limit are contacted – initially with a letter explaining the potential risks and consequences of their dangerous behaviour. Repeat offenders will receive a visit from the local police. Beyond these friendly gestures, focused enforcement and criminal prosecution follow based on the collated evidence. Speedwatch activity is not about interfering with neighbours’ behaviour; it is a proactive solution to improve the safety and quality of life for everyone in their local community.”

We are grateful for the work Jeremy and all the volunteers are doing to help make Woldingham roads safer.

Carols in the Crescent, 7th of December, 6:00pm.

Every year the Parish Council run this well attended event, with the North Downs Consort and others providing choral music. Printed lyrics are handed out for all to join in. We serve mulled wine for the adults and hot chocolate (for adults and kids) and glow sticks for the kids. Rain or shine, our gazebo is up and our voices resound.

I look forward to seeing many of you at Carols in the Crescent on the 7th of December!
All the best,
Chairman Deborah Sherry

Surrey Police Briefing

On October 29, I attended a meeting at The Arc in Caterham on the Hill. It was part of a series of meetings being held over the autumn where members of the public can attend and hear first-hand from Surrey Police about their performance and to ask questions on relevant topics. Each meeting focusses on a particular borough, in this case Tandridge.

The meeting was hosted by Police and Crime Commissioner, Lisa Townsend, Deputy Chief Constable, Nev Kemp and Tandridge Borough Commander, Lyndsey Whatley. There were about 40 people attending, a mix of Parish Council representatives and members of the public.
At the equivalent meeting last year, it was recognised that public trust in the police had dropped over time and that the Surrey Police team were focussed on regaining the respect that had been lost. This year they wanted to give us an update on how they thought they were performing

They advised that Surrey is one of the safest counties in the South of England in terms of crimes committed with also one of the highest proportions of crimes solved. There is a virtuous circle there, that the better the solve rate to more criminals will tend to go elsewhere thus reducing the number of crimes in the future. Of course, this only works if the public play a role in reporting crime, and they will only do that if they feel that the police are following up on reports.

Call response times to 999 emergencies and 101 non-emergencies are some of the fastest in the country but of course there are only limited resources available to deploy and those are by necessity prioritised to the most urgent issues. However, this shouldn’t be a reason to not report as the police can only investigate things they know about.

Local communities were thanked for their support of initiatives like the Number Plate Recognition cameras, Neighbourhood Watch and Parish Council sponsored events to raise awareness of issues and how to prevent crime in the first place. The most dangerous place is the home, break ins and scam incidents- either by direct attempts in person or by phone or email. So, it is important that communities ensure that the latest tricks of the scammers are publicised so people are aware of what they might have to deal with. In this regard the most vulnerable are the elderly and special attention to this group should be part of any information communications.

Car crime and shop lifting were areas where they have been very active in targeting resource to try to reduce the number of incidents and improve conviction rates. They believe that this is beginning to have an impact, but more work needs to be done.

The police also highlighted their portal for reporting suspicious behaviour. Here members of the public can upload cctv/video footage etc of anything strange and it can then be viewed to see if there is something that can be followed up on or used as a way of mapping a pattern of behaviour. Go to the Surrey Police website and search for “Suspicious Activity Portal” you can then select the borough where the activity took place an upload any relevant footage.

Various members of the public raised specific issues, but several were about matters still under investigation, so it wasn’t possible to respond fully in a public meeting.

The question of resources came up. Surrey has to make savings in costs and therefore have to work on smarter policing rather than less policing. For example, they have been working with NHS to ensure that the right resource is deployed to a particular situation to avoid police time being taken up dealing with metal health incidents when a mental health specialist is what is actually needed.

They reported that the Reigate site was closed due RAAC. A new centre was under development and the intention was to sell off the Reigate site for redevelopment. Quizzed about the Caterham Police Station they advised that the current building wasn’t fit for purpose and would be phased out in the foreseeable future. They were however committed to retaining a presence in Caterham but just not in the current location.

The meeting lasted about 2 hrs and an update next year was suggested.
Councillor Peter Hutchinson

Greening Up for Christmas

And, just like that, the festive season is upon us! If you celebrate Christmas – and maybe even if you don’t – it is intended to be a time for family, love, hope, and joy. It’s also unfortunately a time of excess, waste, and huge environmental impact. But with a bit of thought and effort we can help make Christmas a little greener whilst still enjoying the best this time of year has to offer. You may even save some money, too…

First things first – the tree! Between 7-8 million Christmas trees are felled each year and dumped after use. Like all trees, conifers help reduce the carbon dioxide in our atmosphere and produce oxygen. However, once they die much of the CO2 they’ve absorbed is released back into the atmosphere – they also release toxic gases such as methane as they rot. So instead of killing off a tree, why not buy a potted one and re-use it each year? Or if you’d rather not hold on to it, consider hiring one! Companies such as Green Elf Trees and London Christmas Tree Rental offer free delivery/collection or local pick-ups. They have a whole range of sizes and will look after your tree for the rest of the year as it happily churns out oxygen and absorbs CO2. Artificial trees are of course a great alternative if you already have one, but they are very hard to recycle so usually end up in landfill and take their environmental toll: a 2m artificial tree produces 40kg of greenhouse gases.

When it comes to decorations, try to think sustainably. There are so many beautiful and environmentally friendly options nowadays, often made from glass or natural materials. If they must be plastic, buy quality decorations that will last. Avoid glitter unless you know it is biodegradable (normal glitter is a type of microplastic, which get literally everywhere – core samples from Arctic ice to whales’ stomachs. They’re in the rain. Humans are estimated to ingest roughly 5 grams of them every week). Check any crackers you buy to minimise single use plastics and avoid any containing filler gifts that will inevitably end up in landfill. Fortunately, most Christmas lights nowadays are LED, which use less energy and last longer – if you can remember, switch them off at night or when not needed. Cheaper AND better for the environment!

Where possible, avoid any wrapping paper or Christmas cards with non-biodegradable glitter, foil, or plastics as these cannot be recycled either. Consider reusing old wrapping paper, or using newspaper or cloth – both of which, especially when combined with real ribbons and some imagination, can look very striking. Avoid plastic ribbons and tape where possible, and save any wrapping paper, ribbons, gift bags, and cards you receive to be repurposed next year. Think about how many Christmas cards you actually need to send… can you or your children make cards instead? Or how about letting your friends and family know you’ve made a charitable donation instead of sending cards this year?

Speaking of charity donations – why not ask for donations to a charity of your choice instead of presents you won’t ever use? Or make a charitable donation in a loved one’s name? Many charities provide cards and certificates in return. Gifting an experience and a chance to make memories can be a great present option for someone who has everything – hot air ballooning, massage vouchers, plush cinema tickets, maybe? And if material presents are the way to go, try to think strategically. One thoughtful present outweighs many less relevant gifts. Research shows recipients value quality over quantity, and of course quality is not necessarily defined by cost. It’s also worth checking on second-hand forums for presents, especially for young children.

And finally… for many of us, Christmas lunch is the highlight of the day! But did you know that food production is the biggest cause of tropical deforestation, and a whopping 4.5million tonnes of food waste is generated in the UK over the Christmas period? Plan ahead for how much food you’ll actually need. Use Tupperware or old takeaway containers, and wax cloth covers instead of clingfilm (which has health implications as well as environmental ones). The livestock industry generates almost 15% of all man-made greenhouse gas emissions, so think about cooking less meat and introducing more vegetables to your festive meals, too. Where possible, buy locally and organic, and buy seasonal produce instead of those that have been flown thousands of miles to get to you.

If everyone in Woldingham put even one or two of these ideas into practice, it would make a difference. Simply planning ahead, shopping thoughtfully, avoiding plastics wherever possible, and minimising the landfill load, will help our environment and give your Christmas a greener, brighter, glow.
Councillor Cat Neave

Autumn Village Litter Pick

There was a great turn out for the Autumn litter pick, with around 60 people, of all ages, turning up at the Glebe to lend a hand. There has to be a special mention for taxi driver Craig, who had driven up from Wiltshire, and dropped into the litter pick to help us whilst waiting for his return run home. Until today Craig had no contact with Woldingham but he contacted the Glebe overnight to see if he could get involved. Thank you, Craig. That said, equally amazing are scouts, cubs and other families who regularly attend every litter pick. Between us we covered almost all the roads in the village and collected the normal large pile of rubbish. It’s an event that generated mixed emotions; everyone is brimming with positivity and smiles knowing they are really making a difference, and at the same time it’s also slightly demoralising to see how much litter and other rubbish there is out there. Still, everyone comes back to base for cakes and hot drinks, so it ends well! Special thanks to Lucia and Jill for the home-made cakes.

I would also like to say thank you to all the villagers who regularly undertake litter picks, week in week out, several of whom contact me to let me know what roads they have done. Thanks, in particular to Hazel and to Phil.

The next litter pick will be in March – look out for details.
Councillor Alex Foulds