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News Alert: Gas mains replacement in Seven
Hills Road and Queens Road Weybridge
Seven Hills Road will be closed for the final
part of the gas mains work from 20 June to 29 August
2010. The road is scheduled to reopen on 30 August.
Access to residents and businesses in Seven Hills
Road will be maintained throughout and advance
warning and diversion signs will be in place.
Also there will be associated work to replace a
gas main in a section of Queens Road between the
junction with Seven Hills Road and the junction with
Pine Grove. This will involve a set of temporary
traffic lights being used in Queens Road for
approximately four weeks from 5 July. |
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Weybridge Society is an amenity society. It
has no political affiliations and does not put up
candidates for election to the Borough or County
Councils. |
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For nearly 60 years, Weybridge Society has
represented and watched over the interests of local
residents, sought to safeguard and enhance local
amenities, and conveyed members’ views to the
Borough and County Councils, and to the Member of
Parliament. |
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Town Lock
Weybridge |
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St James'
Church Weybridge |
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How does Weybridge Society do this? |
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Through Information |
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Arranging meetings on wide ranging local issues,
from planning and infrastructure to local history,
and through a regular newsletter. The newsletter is
published four times a year – Spring, Summer, Autumn
and Winter issues, and copies are delivered to
members through a network of volunteers, and for
those out of the area, by post. |
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It is available to view on the Society’s
website. The newsletter is also sent to a wide
variety of other outlets such as BBC Surrey Radio,
the local newspapers (Herald, and Weybridge News &
Mail), The Weybridge Flyer, Brooklands FM, all those
who contributed or who are mentioned in the
newsletter, Elmbridge Borough Council, and many
others, and an archive of the newsletters is
maintained at the Surrey History Centre. |
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Regular features of the newsletter include Planning
reporting on applications considered by the Planning
Panel, Business Profiles where local businesses of
all kinds have been described, and information on
other local organisations and activities – the
newsletter aims to be entertaining and informative. |
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The Society has its own web-site –
www.weybridgesociety.org.uk - this is a developing
resource, aiming to be a worthwhile information tool
for members, and for the wider world outside
Weybridge, helping to keep Weybridge in all its
aspects a vibrant and interesting place for
web-visitors to access. |
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Considering Development |
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An ever-present pressure on Weybridge, the Society
seeks to ensure that any development is of the
highest standard, and in keeping with its
surroundings. Roads, traffic, drainage, trees and
other aspects are considered when making
representations to the Borough and County councils. |
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Two Panels of the Society have specific
responsibility for these issues – the Planning Panel
and the Transport Panel – both report to the main
committee. The society arranged Town Forum to
discuss the Local Development Framework – a
far-reaching protocol which will affect Weybridge
for the next 20+ years with implications for
planning, housing, green belt, population, health,
schools, traffic, trade – in fact almost every
aspect of Weybridge life. |
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About 400 attended the forum, and the Society sent
its response to Elmbridge Borough Council. |
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Education and Health |
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From local schools to adult education, the Society supports every aspect
of learning, and campaigned for the Churchfield
adult education centre, prolonging its use, and
although no longer performing this role, |
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Churchfield House Nursery and Pre-School now
operates from this listed building, prolonging its
use as an educational facility. |
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The Society supports the Library, and promotes
interest in the two local museums, Elmbridge and
Brooklands. |
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The Society
successfully campaigned for the retention of
Weybridge Hospital when its future was under threat,
and continues this support, in particular the Sam Beare
Hospice there which has been the Society’s ‘charity’
to benefit from funds raised throughout the year,
and especially from the summer party. |
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The
Society gives two prizes to Heathside School each
year – one for history, and one for community
service, and has supported other local schools with
its Arthur Kirkpatrick legacy, administered by the
Society’s Education Panel. |
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The Society has
campaigned for safer access for students attending Heathside School through some form of joint access
with Brooklands College. |
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Conservation |
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Churchfields Recreation Ground Gates |
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The Society watches over the three Conservation
Areas in Weybridge, working to preserve and enhance
them, and has contributed to the Conservation Area
Appraisals that form part of the planning
guidelines. |
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The Society promoted the Grade
II listing of the Churchfield Centre and the gates
to the Recreation Ground, and secured the same
classification for the footbridge over the River
Wey; it worked towards the renovation of the Old Wey
Bridge, itself a listed structure, and also
contributed towards the restoration of the roof of
the Korean Presbyterian Church (formerly St Charles
Borromeo), a Grade II star listed building. |
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Public Open Spaces |
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The open spaces in Weybridge are of particular
concern to the society. From earliest times in the
society’s work when the then secretary Catherine
Toler, with others, achieved ‘Common’ status for the
Heath and cricket common, thus protecting them for
future generations, to the present day, |
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When the
question of the SOUL (Strategic Open Urban Land)
status of the old Wallop School playing field in Churchfield
Avenue is under pressure from developers, the
society seeks to be reactive in any proposals,
bearing a beneficial outcome for the wider community
of Weybridge in mind. |
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The work of the Thames Gate-Wey Panel has secured
the improvement of the riverside car park adjacent
to the Elmbridge Canoe club in Walton Lane, and the
riverside path, opening up the area. |
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Their attention
is now turned towards the car park opposite the weir
on the corner of Thames Street and Walton Lane and
it is hoped continued contact with the Environment
Agency and Elmbridge Borough Council will achieve
this. |
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Leisure |
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Churchfields
Playground |
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The Society has published a town trail, ‘Aspects of
Weybridge’, and is ever vigilant to ensure our
footpaths, parks, open spaces, common lands and
playgrounds are kept to a high standard. |
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In the last few years the society has taken part in Elmbridge’s Out and About festival, leading a walk
around Weybridge. A committee member has taken on
the role of ‘footpath champion’. |
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Communication |
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Links with the local newspapers, other organisation,
businesses and local residents’ associations are
established and maintained on a regular basis. |
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Reports on activities and events are sent to the
newspapers, and often appear in the relevant
sections. |
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The society has supported local
public events in Weybridge, like the Oatlands
Village Fayre, the 350 anniversary of the Wey
Navigation, and activities arranged by traders
(Strawberry Fair and Baker Street Christmas events,)
and the Centenary Celebrations for Elmbridge Museum. |
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Crime Reduction
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A regular attendance at the Police Neighbourhood
Panel is maintained, and reported in the newsletter.
Members are encouraged to raise issues that concern
them at these meetings, issues which it is hoped
will be the target of future policing. |
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Korean
Church Heath Road Weybridge |
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Brooklands
Clubhouse Weybridge |
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The Future |
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Weybridge Society has a track record of getting
things done. |
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Councillors and other decision makers take notice of
what the Society says – but the more members we
have, the stronger our voice. |
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Weybridge Society looks to the future, supporting
initiatives and change, if Weybridge benefits. But
when there are problems the Society takes up the
challenge from the wider residents’ perspective, and
we need your backing – join us now – How? |
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Membership |
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Membership is open to all who have an interest in
Weybridge. |
Application forms are available from:
The Secretary, Weybridge Society, PO Box 492,
Weybridge, Surrey KT13 8WX |
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E-mail:
membership@weybridgesociety.org.uk |
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Or via the Society’s
website |
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The minimum subscription is £5.00 per head per
calendar year. |
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