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Launch of My Mole Valley

“As part of Mole Valley District Council’s (MVDC) comprehensive internal three-year Transformation Programme, I am delighted we have successfully launched My Mole Valley; an online portal enhancing digital options for our residents and businesses to enable easy self-service via our website. We appreciate of course that not everyone is digitally savvy, so My Mole Valley goes hand in hand with improvements to our Customer Services Unit. We recently ran a very well received Digital In...

New Community Volunteering Opportunities for Mole Valley in 2024!

It’s great news for those looking to help keep Mole Valley beautiful thanks to a range of new volunteering opportunities on offer in 2024. Whether getting involved in pond maintenance, putting green fingers to work in a community garden, or helping to create homes for our crucial bee population, these activities provide a great chance to meet new people, get some fresh air, and try something new!Key projects include rejuvenating Buckland Pond ( Sunday 1 September) lead by experts fro...

Surrey Highways Update

Surrey wide updates...

Planning applications in Bookham: (rolling eight weeks)

Each week MVDC publish planning applications that have been registered across the district. Click on the button below to  see an extract of the applications made in Bookham. You may comment on planning applications on the Mole Valley District Council web site. The BRA seeks to preserve the character of the Bookhams by reviewing all planning applications in the village and submitting letters of representation as appropriate. Where relevant the BRA will object to or support commerci...

Surrey Highways - road works in Mole Valley and Guildford (updated weekly)

Click on the images below for direct link to roadworks in the Mole Valley area and Guildford areas. On the SCC page scroll down for completed and utility works....

New dates announced to help shape Leatherhead’s future (Bookham - 11th September)

The Leret Partnership, a joint venture between Kier Property and Mole Valley District Council (MVDC), held events in Leatherhead over two weeks between 11th and 20th July 2024 to listen to the public’s views on its emerging proposals to develop new high-quality homes alongside a range of new commercial facilities.The upcoming drop-in events in Fetcham, Ashtead, and Bookham will be taking place between 5:30pm and 7:30pm at the following dates and locations:DateVenueMonday 19th AugustS...

479 Bus Service - 2nd September 2024 - Timetable and service frequency improvements

We are pleased to announce that from Monday 2 September 2024 we will be introducing a brand new timetable on Falcon 479 running between Guildford, Effingham, Bookham, Leatherhead and Epsom.Our new timetable will see buses running up to every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes across the full route between Guildford and Epsom.We'll also be running later journeys in the evening and a new hourly timetable on Sundays making it even easier to get around using Falcon 479.Falcon Buses also has a ti...

Latest news for Bookham Businesses

Keep up to date with the business community via the MVDC Spotlight fortnightly newsletter. ...

SEND School Application Update

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MVDC Bookham High Street Master Plan

The BRA’s aspiration for the retail/business areas in and around central BookhamThis ‘Think Piece’ is in response to Mole Valley District Council’s (MVDC) project to create a “Master Plan” for the centre of Bookham.  We understand the plan is to focus on the central retail/business area of Bookham including the Lower Shott, High Street, and Church Road – collectively referred to as “the High St”. ...

Draft Mole Valley Local Plan - Consultation Documents ED82 & ED83

The BRA submitted the letter below to the Planning Inspector following the publication of ED83 Examination Document.The Inspector had not invited comments on publication of ED83 and when we requested that the points raised should be taken in to consideration the Inspector has stated that she  is not prepared to accept the BRA response. We are disappointed that the Inspector has taken this decision on what are valid points to the Major Modifications,...

June 2024 Newsletter

The BRA June 2024 Newsletter has been published and the print version will be distributed to all households in Bookham by our team of Road Stewards. In this edition our lead articles are the Preston Farm planning application, Main Modifications to the MVDC Draft Local Plan and progress on the new Lower Road Youth & Community Centre. People ask why we produce a print version of the Newsletter. It's a very simple answer. Not everyone in the village has access to a PC, tablet or smart pho...

Supplementary submission to Planning Application MO/2024/0096: Land north of Lower Road and west of Little Bookham St.

The representation stage of this planning application has now closed. MVDC have advised that the Applicant (Thakenham Homes) has submitted additional information.The BRA Planning Team has examined this additional information in close detail and has found nothing that has led us to amend the views and statements set out in our initial Letter of Representation dated 20th March 2024, where we strongly objected to the proposed development. The BRA Planning team have yet again produced...

BRA Representation on Major Modifications to the Draft Mole Valley Local Plan

The Bookham Residents Association has strong concerns as to the soundness of MVDC’s draft Local Plan, including elements of the Main Modifications open for consultation as detailed in ED 71, ED74 and associated documents ED75 – 80. As the same topic can arise within one or more of the examination documents open for consultation, we have grouped our comments under topic headings and then referenced to the individual examination documents. The full Representation may be viewed in the PDF docum...

SCC Grass Cutting Schedule

Surrey County Council (SCC) has recently introduced an interactive map which shows the grass verge cutting schedule across the county. If you have a verge outside your residence you may zoom in on the map to see the schedule for the season. Enter your road name or postcode in the search box to go to your location and then click on the green verge on the map to show your schedule. (Note: you may need to zoom out a little to see all of your road).Please bear in mind that the dates given are estima...

Oak Processionary Moth (OPM)

Bookham is classified as being in the Established Area for OPM. As such the Forestry Commission does not offer a free tree spraying service. However if residents want to have their Oak trees sprayed and / or have nests removed in a private capacity the Forestry Commission has an approved list of pest control contractors in the South East who are trained and equipped to carry out OPM control work. ...

BRA Response to Preston Farm Planning Application Submitted

Les Huett - BRA Communications reports:On 21st March, following more than 200 hours of research, verification, and drafting, the BRA Planning Team has submitted a Letter of Representation (LoR) concerning the Preston Farm Planning Application to Mole Valley District Council. (The site is officially designated as the land north of Lower Road and west of Little Bookham Street, reference number: MO/2024/0096).The LoR is an outstanding piece of work. The thought, care and dedication shown to Bookham...

UPDATE: Preston Farm Planning Application Consultation closes on Thursday 21st March

(Site officially known as: Land north of Lower Road and west of Little Bookham Street). Application reference: MO/2024/0096In our last email, we said the BRA would be commenting on the Preston Farm planning application. Our detailed Letter of Representation is currently being finalised and will be submitted by the deadline of 21st March. We will comment on our concerns regarding:Access and trafficGreen BeltNatural drainage and flood riskSewerage and drainageTrees and heritage assetsInfrastr...

BRA Tree wardens plant five "birthday" heritage apple trees at Lower Shott

Tree Warden Frances Fancourt reports:The Bookham Tree Wardens have planted five heritage apple trees at Lower Shott. The trees were donated by Gillian Bailey which Gillian has funded in honour of her 80th birthday. The variety planted  is "Claygate Pearmain".Incidentally, in 1973 Gillian planted the big walnut tree in the High Street outside Layton's greengrocers. It grew from a big walnut tree, now lost, which grew behind what is now Tesco. In 1973 Dutch elm disease had decimated the Briti...

Preston Farm Planning Application: Consultation now live.

Application reference MO/2024/0096As expected, following the decision by Mole Valley District Council to resume HM Government's examination of the Local Plan, Thakeham Homes have submitted an outline major planning application for the parcel of land extending from the north of Lower Road to Fox Lane and west of Little Bookham Street, Little Bookham.  The application was made on 22nd January but wasn't published until 16th February by MVDC with 50 documents associated with the applicati...

Hedgerow planting at the Tithe Barn: Tree Warden news

BRA Tree Warden, Frances Fancourt reportsOn Sunday 4th February the 1st Fetcham Scouts and the 1st Fetcham Cubs joined the Bookham Tree Wardens to plant a hedgerow at the Tithe Barn in Little Bookham. A new native hedgerow was being planted to screen off a set of solar panels and to improve the biodiversity of the area. The mix of plants included hawthorn, beech, hazel and rose, all of which benefit wildlife and are suitable for the  horses in the fields alongside. The owners of the Tithe B...

Free street trees on your verge!

BRA Environment and Tree Warden - Frances Fancourt reports: It is now possible to apply for a street tree to be planted on your verge for FREE. As Surrey County Council (SCC) want to plant 1.2 million trees, they are now offering free street trees: you just have to apply and have a suitable verge.The council will check to make sure that your verge is suitable and will ask in return that you to help water the tree. You may be able to choose the type of tree too, as long as it is suitable for the ...

Village sign storm damage repaired

Following storm damage to the the village sign in January the BRA team, lead by Geoff Tranter, have leapt in to action with local contractors and the broken post supporting the village sign has been replaced and the sign is back in place.If only our request to MVDC to provide power to illuminate the sign could be implemented as quickly. (no action for three years now...)Les HuettBRA Communications...

MVDC Councillors vote to un-pause Local Plan Examination

On 25 January 2024 Mole Valley Council voted to un-pause its Local Plan and inform the HM Government Inspector to continue with the draft Local Plan examination which will include all Green Belt sites. This means a majority of Councillors voted to sacrifice the Green Belt sites in the Plan for development. An option to remove the Green Belt sites in the Plan was available, but they chose not to. You can watch a recording of the meeting online at: https://molevalley.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcas...

Is this our last chance to save our Green Belt? MVDC Local Plan - Extraordinary Council Meeting 25th January, 7.00pm.

You may recall that in December 2022 MVDC requested examination of the Local Plan by the Inspector to be paused due to changes in the Government's National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). After nearly a year, in December 2023 the Government issued new legislation.In this legislation Government has stated that Local Plans that are in the final stages of examination should continue using the previous examination legislation and the new NPPF should only be used for new Local Plans. This puts...