Parish Council News Update – October 2025

Letter from the Chairman

Dear Villagers,

It is early October as I write this. After a long and lovely summer that seemed to stretch through much of September, we have finally reached true autumn. As we await the passage to winter, we also await decisions from Government on local government reorganisation and from Surrey County Council regarding the large housing development that has been proposed at the Chalkpit. While there is no news yet to report on the Chalkpit application, I can report that new planning applications dropped back to closer to the average in both August and September. That said, looking at the past year, the new monthly average appears to be 15-20% higher than historical averages.

Planning is a regular parish council activity and as a statutory consultee, it takes up much time. But, as you can see from our regular updates, the activities we engage in are wide ranging. By the time you read this it will be November. With winter approaching, we will be stocking up on grit to service all those local roads that Surrey County does not service. Should we have early ice and snowfall, let
us know if your roads have been missed or there are any other problems.

Speedwatch

In an overview of the last months on our roads, Speedwatch leader Jeremy Wormington shared: “Over the summer the Speedwatch team was less active as traffic flows through the village tend to be lower and consequently speeds drop as well. Maybe all the speeding commuters take their cars to the Continent!

Prior to the summer break we found that June and July were pretty busy with speeding rates slightly higher than recent trends, with excessive speeding also higher than usual with one in every 20 vehicles exceeding 40mph through the village. We even recorded one vehicle leaving the village by Southdown Road already exceeding 50mph. In response to this, the Speedwatch team have been
assisting in identifying ways to slow traffic as it passes through the village, so watch this space. The police have also stepped up to take a more active role and have been seen in a couple of locations prior to the summer holidays.

We get plenty of support from the majority of residents, but some of the team have been volunteering for nearly two years and would like to see others step up and fill their shoes. Whatever time you can spare would be much appreciated, so please volunteer.”

The team has also been working with the Parish Council and the Police on identifying where traffic calming measures and speed camera signs/cameras could be placed and additional Vehicle Activated Speed Signs. As Jeremy noted, we need more volunteers to help keep our roads safe. It doesn’t take a lot of time per person, especially if we have more volunteers. If you can spare a little time, please email karen@woldinghamparishcouncil.gov.uk. Jeremy works hard to improve safety on our roads, so a huge thanks to Jeremy and all the Speedwatch volunteers.

Grant Applications due by 14th November 2025

Every year the Parish Council awards grants to community organisations. While we have a limited capacity to do so throughout the year, most of the grant budget will be allocated at our 26th of November meeting. The deadline to submit applications to ensure we have them timely for the November meeting is the 14 th of November. Please ensure you share all required details, either directly on the website form, or download a form and email as directed. Go to the Grant Scheme Application page

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

The first part of the Government decision on the restructuring of our Districts, Boroughs and County into Unitary Authorities is now expected by the end of October. If not delayed, we should then hear whether local government in our County will be run by one or two large Unitary Authorities, split only by geography. As a reminder, this means that one new Unitary Authority will run all our local services, from social services, to housing, rubbish and recycling, roads, planning and everything in between. At the moment, we still appear to be on track for May 2026 election of the new ‘shadow Unitary Authority’ which will work with existing councils to get a new structure in place, going live in April 2027, when your existing Councils (District and County) will then cease to exist.

Litterpick, Saturday 8th November, 10am. Save the date!

The next village Litterpick will take place on Saturday November 8th, commencing at 10am on the Glebe. All tools needed will be provided and lovely cakes and drinks are available afterward for all volunteers. All ages welcome! We have equipment to suit all ages and sizes.

Carols in the Church, December 6th , 6pm.

The Parish Council’s new format indoor Christmas Carols ensures we can enjoy regardless of the weather. It was a smashing success last year and so once again, please join us for Christmas Carols, replete with Choirs, community voices, mince pies, mulled
wine and hot chocolate!

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.

Wishing you all the best,
Chairman Deborah Sherry

Defibrillator Training

Do you know the difference between a Cardiac Arrest and a Heart Attack? Woldingham Parish Council hosted a defibrillator training session for villagers in September at the Village Hall and now many of your neighbours do! We learnt how to use them, unlock and access them and use the additional equipment provided with them.

We have 3 permanent defibs in the village, x1 at the Village Hall, x1 at Peace Hall, x1 at the station. They are designed to be simple and easy to use but if you feel you would benefit from a training session to use one, in what would no doubt be a highly stressful situation, then please register your interest at DeFibTraining@WoldinghamParishCouncil.gov.uk and if we have enough take up we will gladly arrange a further session.

The feedback from those that attended was overwhelming positive and that they now ‘have the confidence to use one should they ever need’.

Councillor Chris Underwood

Recognising Woldingham’s Volunteers

Just a reminder that the deadline for nominating local volunteers for January’s ‘Roll of Honour’ is Friday 21st November. Nominating is easy – simply email me at cat@woldinghamparishcouncil.gov.uk with the name of the volunteer(s) and what they contribute to Woldingham.  There are no criteria beyond giving back to the village, and we are keen to extend recognition and thanks to as many of our wonderful volunteers as possible.

Councillor Cat Neave

Staying Warm – and Saving Energy

As we head into winter, i’s time to think about your home’s energy usage. An energy-efficient home uses less energy, stays warmer in winter, has lower utility bills and carbon emissions, and can even have a higher property value. Even a few small tweaks to your energy use can help generate a warmer house and lower bills!

Various home energy assessment companies will come and inspect your insulation, windows, lighting, and heating/ventilation systems, or (if you’re eligible) Surrey County Council’s Home Energy Advice Team (HEAT) can arrange a free assessment. This includes thermal imaging in winter to locate hot air leaks, and advice on how to save energy.

Alternatively, why not do it yourself? First check for air leaks by feeling for drafts around windows, doors, floorboards, and electrical outlets then seal any gaps. Check your roofing insulation and that it meets current standards. Ensure your appliances are energy efficient, use ‘eco’ modes wherever possible, and beware ‘energy vampires’ – appliances that use energy when on standby. Replace incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs, which use much less electricity. Finally, make sure your boiler, radiators, and thermostats are all set to energy-efficient levels and  consider getting older heating systems serviced.

Councillor Cat Neave