What do we want for Ashtead in 2015?

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.
"I don’t much care where--" said Alice.
"Then it doesn’t matter which way you go," said the Cat.
(Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Chapter 6)

The recent addition of the playground on the recreation ground has been applauded by many in Ashtead and beyond, but has caused concern to some residents who were not consulted and now find many more people parking in their road. It would be hard to deny the benefits for the residents of Ashtead of the improved playground but the consultation seems to have missed out many of the affected residents. This is actually widely the case across Mole Valley where consultations take place at times when anybody who is working would find it hard to attend even if there was an awareness of the event itself. I am hoping that over the course of the next few years we will see a more connected Ashtead, with many more of us subscribed to local groups so that we can exert our opinion more easily on local council matters.

The localism Bill will place more power in our hands to decide on the future for Ashtead with a ‘Village plan’ advised for how we would like to see Ashtead develop. Recent additions to the Village such as the Parsons Mead development and others are controversial for local residents, especially those living close to the site. There are areas of Ashtead which we can as a community identify as ripe for development and others which we can seek to protect. All of which is easier if we do so as a collective. It is easy to sit back and to think that much of this is not really of any concern, which is true for the most part. However, when the new development, road, rubbish site is located near to you it is harder to object and for your voice to be heard. Traditional Council planning activity is led by directives from central government whose whims can lead to developments which are quite out of character with an area. A local master plan for Ashtead will be essential in the coming years to ward off unwanted developments and also to encourage improvement where it is deemed appropriate. It’s going to be better if we have a plan for how we would like to see Ashtead evolve and which services we would like to be improved.

So how do we all decide together what is best for Ashtead? This is the challenge. Fortunately, the internet offers us a means to join together with those with similar interests to amplify the strength of our voices. More than ever it is important for us to seek out those who are in the same boat and to keep up to date with developments that may affect us. There is a list below of local websites which are a good source of information. Some are new groups, some have been going for a while. I urge you to join at least one, perhaps sign up to the e-mail list here and if you have half an hour, why not set up your own blog, Twitter or Facebook page for your friends in Ashtead so that we all become more connected.

www.facebook.com Ashtead Parents
http://www.meetup.com/The-Ashtead-Meetup/
www.ashteadresidents.org.uk

John Busby
Ashtead Residents' Association
Commitee Member

Have your say...

IS 20 PLENTY?

In my experience, concern has been growing in Ashtead about speeding motorists. It is clear that we are far from being alone in this regard, as evidenced for example by the increased priority being given to this subject by Surrey Police and the increasing number of local authorities across the country which have introduced 20 mph speed limits.
What could be done?

Speed Humps

Some Ashtead roads already have speed humps and more could be built, if and when funds are available.
They can help but they have several disadvantages:
• they are expensive
• Surrey County Council sets severe criteria for their installation
• some drivers seem to find them more of a challenge than a hindrance
• some residents generally dislike them and believe that they cause damage to vehicles and
• drainage problems can arise.

Community Speed Watch

As a response to widespread and increasing concern, Surrey Police has launched Community Speed Watch in which “active members of the community monitor speeds of vehicles at specific locations using speed detection devices.”To date this has not been adopted locally but recently residents of Farm Lane have expressed interest.
Some residents have expressed concerns about possible threats to their personal safety if participating in the scheme and unless it is used both extensively and over a prolonged period, its efficacy may be questionable.

Reduced Speed Limits

Has the time come to lobby for the introduction of 20mph zones or for a 20mph speed limit on some roads, perhaps especially near schools?
There seems to be increasing concern at central government level. For example, in a circular issued in December 2009 the Department for Transport said:

• We want to encourage highway authorities to introduce, over time, 20 mph zones or limits into streets which are primarily residential in nature and into town or city streets where pedestrian and cyclist movements are high, such as around schools, shops, markets, playgrounds and other areas, where these are not part of any major through route.
• We want to make it clearer that highway authorities have flexibility in the use of 20 mph zones and limits, and should apply the option best suited to the local circumstances and that brings most benefits in terms of casualty reductions and wider community benefits.

Please make sure you add your e-mail address above so that we can send you the questionnaire. Please also encourage others to share their e-mail address on this page.


Many thanks,

Paul Le Versha
Chairman ARA

The Big Society In Ashtead?

With the launch today of the Lib Con policy to promote positive social change by encouraging us all to work together with seed capital and support to create a Big Society, David Cameron has laid the groundwork for what may in fact turn out to be a Big Change in the way we interact, changing our social environment for the better.

The Ashtead Residents Association already provides a framework to maintain and improve our community, ready to provide support and assistance for Ashtead to join this initiative.

The big question is...... what do you want for Ashtead?

The more people get involved in completing short surveys on issues and questions we can work to find solutions-together.

Please e-mail or post any questions or ideas for surveys which we can begin with and please share this blog with any residents you know so we can get as many people involved as possible.


So sign up today and see what happens.


John Busby
ARA Member