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£11.9m to Help Surrey Residents Cut their Energy Bills

People living in hard-to-heat homes and on lower incomes could receive grants between £10,000 and £25,000 to improve insulation and install renewable technology; helping to save energy, reduce emissions and combat rising energy prices. Improvement measures include loft insulation, cavity and external wall insulation, underfloor insulation and renewables, such as solar electricity panels. Funding totalling £11.9m has been awarded through central Government to Surrey County Council (SCC), leadi...

Horsley, Bookham & Leatherhead Riding for the Disabled

Horsley, Bookham & Leatherhead RDA (reg charity number 1170049) are delighted to announce the opening of our new fully accessible, all weather riding centre at Badgers Farm, Effingham. Over the past two years we have been fundraising so we could ‘Raise the Roof’ and create our new home. On the 9th August 2021 we broke ground and the first digger was on site. Over the next 8 months we watched as the amazing builders from FORMA slowly excavated the ground, dug huge foundations, poured ple...

A History of the Bookhams

A history of the Bookhams produced by Ali Kelman of the Leatherhead and District History Society....

479 Bus Service - 28th August Timetable and service update

From the day before the August 2022 Bank holiday Falcon Buses took over operating the subsidised by Surrey County Council Sunday and Bank holiday services from Stagecoach so Falcon Buses now runs the 479 every day of the week.  The new full timetable has just been published on the Surrey County Council website; please see below for a downloadable version.  Falcon Buses also has a timetable app for Apple and Android smart phones. The app can be downloaded in the Apple and Google app sto...

Local Government Boundary Commission Report

The Local Government Boundary Commission (LGBC) has published its final recommendations report for Mole Valley District Council. The full recommendations may be read in the report below. Bookham and Fetcham are covered on page 13 and 14 of the report. Both Bookhams Residents' Assocation and Fetch Residents' Association, our local Councillors and a number of residents, following the BRA's request, submitted comments to the LGBC and in the report LGBC's reponse to these are noted.  Bookham wi...

Hanging Baskets in the High Street

Peter Seaward - BRA ChairmanMany may have noticed that the hanging baskets in the High Street could be in better condition. Of course, the weather has not helped but we (BRA) had problems with the watering. We think this is now resolved thanks to many of the Traders stepping up to use the watering system we provided.  The baskets in Church Road with the planter look excellent thanks to Mrs Casselden who waters and cares for these as does the basket in Lower Shott which Mr Jefferys look...

Electric Vehicle Charging Points in Bookham Car Parks

Les Huett BRA Communications A recent enquiry has been received on the capacity of electric vehicle charging points that are due to be installed in Bookham car parks. We raised the question with Cllr Clayton Wellman, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Economy and Security, and he gave us this reply: "They will be chargers that should deliver an 80% + charge within 3 hours. The time limit on the bays will be 3 hrs (as per our standard short stay bays). An hour with what is proposed for Boo...

Noticeboard Administrator Needed

We have five noticeboards to be updated with new village notices and typically this will be weekly.  The boards are all around the village so an element of walking is required between the sites. It would suit two people working together and you can even take your dog for a walk! If you're interested, please get in touch via our contact page below or call us on 0300 030 9890....

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!...

Transform Leatherhead - MVDC appoints Keir Property as Joint Venture Partner

Press Release from Mole Valley District CouncilKier Property appointed as Joint Venture partner for Transform Leatherhead redevelopment of Bull Hill and the Swan Centre  Following the Cabinet meeting on 22 March 2022 and the subsequent expiry of the required procurement standstill period, Mole Valley District Council (MVDC) is delighted to announce Kier Property – investors and developers of sites across the UK and specialists in urban regeneration – as the 50:50 Joint Venture partner f...

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...

Great British Spring Clean 2022

Margaret Lawson BRA Litter Picking Co-Ordinator reports: 17 people assembled at Lower Shott on Sunday 3rd April as part of Bookham’s contribution to this year’s event organised by Keep Britain Tidy from 25th March to 10th April. The volunteers fanned out to various locations in Bookham in search of litter and returned with a total of 11 bags together with several larger items.  Individual “Womblers” also collect litter in their area. The Bookham group was formed in 2016 with eq...

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...