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BRA AGM - Michael Coughlin Presentation

At the AGM on 13th July, Michael Coughlin/Jane Last Executive Director/Head of Communities and Engagement, Surrey County Council gave a presentation on the role and responsibilities of local government and what this entails in Surrey and how they engage with District councils. In our case Mole Valley District Council.Slides from the presentation are available to download below. ...

Please Water Your Young Trees!

Frances Fancourt - BRA Tree Warden Please water your young trees through this hot spell. Saplings and young trees planted in the past 1 - 3 years are really struggling to find water in this parched soil. They are also losing moisture through their leaves at a greater rate than usual. In this heat they need watering every 1 or 2 days. Pop outside and give them a big drink of water now. The Tree Wardens gave away trees at Village Day in 2021 and these trees are particularly vulnerable right now be...

SCC issues new Transport Plan

Surrey’s ten-year Transport plan which includes measures for reducing the 41% of carbon emissions currently generated by transport, was approved by Councillors at their Full Council meeting today (12 July 2022). The plan prioritises measures to support people to get around Surrey easily and sustainably including increasing the number of walking and cycling routes, providing more charging points and parking for electric vehicles, charging for transport use and introducing car clubs, as well as ...

Surrey Police - HMIC Inspection Report

In May when I wrote to you with my quarterly Commitments update, I mentioned that we had recently been inspected by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS, or HMIC for short). The HMIC regularly inspects every Police Force in the UK, acting as an independent body to ensure that we are efficient and effective in the service we offer to our communities. These inspections are known as Police Effectiveness, Efficiency and Legitimacy (PEEL) assessments and to...

Update on MVDC Local Plan

Christine Milstead reports The Examination of the Mole Valley Local Plan is underway.  It is divided into three Stages and began with Stage 1 on the 22nd June 2022 which examined the Plan’s Legal & Procedural Requirements; has the Plan been prepared with due regard to the appropriate legislation, procedures and regulations. The Inspector, Ms R Barrett, has subsequently announced that the Examination can proceed to Stage 2, provided additional studies to assess the Plan’s impacts on the ...

Mole Valley District Council Local Government Boundary Review.

Please note: the opportunity for residents to submit comments to the consultation has now closed. This post is for information only.The Ward boundaries in all Local Government areas are reviewed as population and circumstances change. Mole Valley Ward boundaries were last reviewed in the late 90’s. The Local Government Boundary Commission (LGBC) has concluded its review of MVDC and has published its recommendations. For Bookham and Fetcham instead of the present four wards, three are now propo...

Bookham's Platinum Jubilee Litter Pick

Bookham Litter Pickers celebrating the Queen's Platinum Jubilee after collecting 17 bags of litter on Sunday 5th of June. Well done team!...

BRA Chairman - Peter Seaward receives Mole Valley Chairman's Certificate

Peter Seaward - Chairman of the Bookhams Residents' Association has been awarded the Mole Valley Chairman's Certificate for promoting Community Cohesion.  The citation reads: "Peter has been chair of the Bookham Residents Association for over fifteen years. He has led the association through the Bookham Neighbourhood Plan, the current draft local plan consultation and he has actively been involved with the Bookham Youth and Community Centre.However he is involved in so many more ways. ...

New Free Online Re-cycling Guide released by the BRA and Plastic Free Bookham

As part of the Reduce, Reuse and Recycle around Bookham initiative by Plastic Free Bookham, the Bookhams Residents' Association and Plastic Free Bookham have combined resources to develop an automated guide to local re-cycling services.  This free online service enables residents to simply enter the product they want to recycle and the guide automatically shows you if and where the product can be recycled. The guide not only includes Mole Valley District Council street collections and Commu...

Village Sign Restored

We are pleased that announce that the Village Sign has been restored to its former glory at Lower Shott. Thanks go to Peter Seaward - BRA Chairman in arranging for a new sign to be made following a mounting bracket failure of the previous one and to David Belsham and his team for erecting the new one. The next stage is to see if we can arrange for illumination of the sign.    ...

Local Plan - HM Government Inspector's Initial Questions Published.

On 6th April 2022, the HM Government's Inspectors initial questions were published by Mole Valley District Council in the Examination documents on the Future Mole Valley website with the deadline for responses by the Council by 5pm on Friday 22nd April. Residents should note the observation from HM Inspectors in paragraphs 22 on Housing and 23 on Green Belt which are a major concern to residents.  At this stage we do not know whether these questions are the normal clarification requests pos...

Do you get your prescriptions from Boots pharmacy in Bookham High Street?

Simon Edge, BRA Director, reports: The BRA has been told about Resident's concerns at the withdrawal of the "managed repeat" prescription ordering service (i.e. when your pharmacy orders repeat descriptions from your GP on your behalf without you having to do anything) by Boots the Chemist in Bookham High Street.    Also that communications between Boots and our GP Surgeries need to improve.  These issues cause difficulties for residents when trying to order and then obt...

National Trust Tree Planting in Surrey

The National Trust fights against climate change Climate Change is affecting our heritage. The National Trust manages properties and places all over the country and is taking action to fight against climate change and protect our heritage into the future. James Brown, National Trust Archaeologist for London & South-East Region, and newly elected to the Society’s Council, has also shared a link to the Historic Environment Forum where climate change and other issues are discussed. And, thanks to...

Step into Mole Valley...

...and discover over 20 incredible walks in and around the Surrey Hills....

Simplified Parking Permits to be introduced by MVDC with special traders permit for Bookham

Simplified Parking Permits Coming Soon to Mole Valley Residents Mole Valley District Council (MVDC) are introducing a new, simplified structure for off-street parking permits across the district, reducing 14 available options to 4. Residents can choose from Gold, Silver, Bronze and Concessionary permits. The new scheme is being introduced to create a transparent and equitable approach. It will remove anomalies that meant near neighbours had vastly different off-street permit prices and it will r...

SCC's Keswick Care Home to Close

Following Surrey County Council's Cabinet meeting on 22nd February a decision was taken to close the Keswick care home in Bookham along with seven others. There is a suggestion that the site could be used for new adult care facilities and a commitment that the closure would not be sudden....

MVDC Boundary Commission Review delayed

Message from Mole Valley District CouncilAs I am sure you will be aware, we had been expecting the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) to be publishing its draft recommendations for Mole Valley tomorrow (1st March). However, we have been advised that, along with a small number of other Councils, the LGBCE Board did not have sufficient time to consider the draft recommendations for Mole Valley at its February meeting and these have been deferred to March. As a result the LGB...

Draft Local Plan: Regulation 19 - BRA Response

Peter Seaward: BRA Chairman We attended the full MVDC Council meeting on 3rd February to hear the debate and observe the vote on whether the Mole Valley Local Plan now in the form of what is known as Regulation 19 should be passed and sent to the Government Planning Inspector for examination and possible approval. The debate was disappointing as it was discussed on strictly political party lines and although various Bookham Councillors made their contributions the outcome was as expected an...

Mole Valley District Council’s Local Plan approved for submission

On 3 February, the Council voted to submit its Draft Local Plan to Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. The submission will take place in the next few weeks and then a Planning Inspector will examine the plan for its legal compliance and soundness.This is the first time Mole Valley District Council (MVDC) has submitted a Local Plan in almost a quarter of a century and the first time it has submitted any planning document in a decade. The plan sets out a...

Mole Valley District Council opens applications for Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grants

Message from Mole Valley District Council (MVDC)MVDC has opened applications to the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme, providing new one-off grant payments to businesses in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors that have been affected by the impact of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.The Government-funded scheme will pay a one off grant to every eligible business that applies, based upon the Rateable Value of each businesses as follows: Rateable Value of up to £15,000: £...

Streetsafe - a new initiative from Surrey Police

Message from Surrey Police StreetSafe is a pilot service for anyone to anonymously tell us about public places where you have felt or feel unsafe, because of environmental issues, eg street lighting, abandoned buildings or vandalism and/or because of some behaviours, eg being followed or verbally abused.Please note: 'StreetSafe' is not for reporting crime or incidents.If something has happened to you or someone you know (including in public spaces online) you can call us on 101 or...

Hurrah – at Last - The Garstons Triangle Takes Shape!

Some two years ago we all feared that the triangle might be lost to development, posing a threat to Village Day and Bookham’s public outdoor events. Through the combined action of local residents, the Bookhams Residents’ Association (BRA), the Bookham Community Association (BCA), and liaising with both Surrey and Mole Valley Councils, we have now secured this area as a public space complete with benches and plantings.Just before Christmas two benches were fixed onto concrete bases, adding to...

Mole Valley Economic Spotlight - 6th Dec 2021

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Norbury Park Vision Public Engagement

Please note: The SSC Survey is now closed.Background Norbury Park is a key site in the Surrey County Council’s (SCC) owned and managed Countryside Estate. Norbury Park has been in the ownership of SCC since the early 1930s and was purchased by the Council to protect the land from being broken up for housing development. Sitting within the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), the site covers 530 hectares (1310 acres) and is a much-valued resource for recreation...

Bookham Scouts Pay Their Respects

Les Huett - BRA Communications Following the Ceremony of Remembrance at St Nicolas Church, Bookham Scouts, Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers along with their leaders, parents and supporters walked to the Friendship Tree in Eastwick Park Avenue to lay a wreath and heard about the origin of the Friendship Tree from resident, Pat Morrish.  The Friendship Tree was planted after the 1939-45 war in memory of those Canadians who were based in Great Bookham, many of whom land...