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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...

BRA Autumn 2021 Newsletter

The BRA Autumn 2021 Newsletter has been published and the print version will be distributed to all households in Bookham by our team of Road Stewards. 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 phone and we want all residents to feel included in village life. Yes, in an ideal world we would move to online only, but we are not there yet! Please note: This on line version of the Autumn 2021...

Representation to MVDC on the Draft Mole Valley Local Plan 2020-2037.

On 5th November the BRA submitted their formal representation to Mole Valley District Council Draft Local Plan - Regulation 19. The Document has been prepared on behalf of the BRA by Brian Madge Ltd - Planning Consultants.  The BRA are opposed to the development of the Green Belt as detailed in the report Executive Summary and Conclusions This representation is submitted on behalf of Bookhams Resident’s Association (BRA) and focuses upon the Draft Mole Valley Local Plan (as published for...

Local Heritage List Project - Nominations close on 14th November.

Local heritage is an important part of our historic environment and plays a key role in building and reinforcing a sense of local character and distinctiveness. Assets on local heritage lists, also known as local listing, are not protected in the same way as listed buildings but can be afforded protection through the planning system as 'non-designated heritage assets'. These lists are maintained and managed by the boroughs and districts, and can include any building, monument, site, pl...

Hospitals H1 Timetable

A new H1 bus time has been published. The route runs between Epsom and St Helier hospitals. Details below....

Future Mole Valley Draft Local Plan Regulation 19 - Representations closed on 7th November.

The BRA submitted its representation on 5th November. Read more... ...

Christmas Charity Post Closes after 35 years of service

Message from Michael Agius - Chairman After careful consideration, it is with great regret that the Christmas Charity Post [CCP] Committee have decided it is not in a position to restart it's service of delivering Christmas cards to the three villages of Fetcham, Bookham and Effingham after last year's enforced break because of the Coronavirus. Unfortunately the age and health of those who managed and volunteered to run CCP is such that it is just not practicable to continue. After 35 years of c...

Squareabout and Traffic Control During Drainage Works

Peter Seaward - BRA ChairmanThe Squareabout, Church Road and Lower Road going East from the Squareabout will be having significant repair work over a 10 week period.  The starting date should be now but there is a short delay.   This repair period will be disruptive for all of us until early December. Unfortunately this work is necessary to sort out the flooding problems from East Street to the Squareabout. The renewal of the drainage system is complex and difficult . Hence the lo...

Mid Surrey Dementia Care Trust - Now Open

Do you have memory difficulties or know someone who has? Do you need a break from the responsibilities of caring? Our relaxed and friendly social club may be able to help. The Club reopened on 4th October and will operate from Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm  We’re in the conservatory next to the Fairfield Centre in the Swan Centre, Leatherhead Call 07913-707704 for more information or visit our website midsurreydementiacare.co.uk...

Surrey Tree Wardens Newsletter - Summer 2021

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Oak Processionary Moth – Update #5 – July 2021

We have received Issue 5 – July 2021 update from the Forestry Commission on the Oak Processionary Moth  The Forestry Commission encourage you to report any OPM sightings which you can do so via their TreeAlert website....

Bookham Station – Accessible Bridge Access for All

Andrew Matthews The BRA have been working on two plans to improve the accessibility to London bound trains from platform one at Bookham Station. The first is an accessible footpath from the Bookham Common tunnel car park (read more) and for the future to improve the station itself with the possibility of a new accessible bridge with lifts.The initial idea would be to retain and preserve the existing listed footbridge, and have a new bridge positioned to the west of the station buildings.We ...

Surrey County Council approves £2.5 million funding for new Bookham Youth and Community Centre

Images above show a Computer Generated Image (CGI) of the new centre. This is not the final design and is for illustrative purposes only. At the meeting of the Surrey County Council Cabinet held on 23rd February, SCC approved the funding of £2.5M for the construction of a new shared-use building to replace the old Bookham Youth Centre on Lower Road. The new development at the Lower Road Rec has been designed to accommodate various community uses such as the Bookham Colts – yout...

Peter Seaward Receives Lavender Caterings’ “You’re Amazing Award”

Congratulations to Peter Seaward who wins Lavender Caterings’ “You’re Amazing” Award. Melanie Williams from Lavender Catering has awarded Peter Seaward, BRA Chairman, with her “You’re Amazing” award treat box this week. Melanie says “Peter and his team have worked tirelessly to ensure our village keeps going through all these lockdowns. BRA have supported our retailers, helped with grants for local businesses, flooding and environmental issues. We dropped off a ver...

The Garstons Triangle – MVDC Grants Asset of Community Value

In 2020 following a campaign by local people working in conjunction with the Bookham Community Association (BCA) and the Bookhams Residents’ Association (BRA) a joint appeal was made to Bookham residents requesting support to help safeguard the Garstons by having the parcel of land known as the Garstons Triangle as an Asset of Community Value. (Click here to read more in the 2020 Archive)We are pleased to announce that on 17th February 2021 the nomination to have the land at The Garstons ...

Free Bus Passes For Older People

Coronavirus: bus service and concessionary travel disruption Bus services may be altered or reduced due to the Coronavirus situation. Whilst known information will be published on the buses Temporary Change page, it is suggested that you contact the operator or visit their website or social media, before travelling.To assist the elderly and disabled who may be travelling by bus for an essential journey we have asked bus operators in Surrey to allow free travel for h...

Information on accessing food banks and community fridges in the district

Message from Mole Valley District Coucil Helping Families with Food Poverty in Mole ValleyMole Valley District Council (MVDC) will do all it can to prevent children from going hungry this winter.  The main MVDC website and main phone line (01306 885001) both provide information for anyone with financial difficulties who may be struggling to buy food for their family.Councillor Stephen Cooksey, Leader of Mole Valley District Council said, “We work closely with our local Foodbanks...

It’s National Tree Week and the Bookham Tree Wardens are ready to help you.

Did you watch BBC’s Countryfile on Sunday evening? And did it inspire you or your children to plant a tree? Christmas trees, holly trees, cherry blossom, autumn colour… It’s National Tree Week and the Bookham Tree Wardens are ready to help you. We can give you help and advice on the type of tree to plant, where to plant it, and we can answer your questions. We might also have a few trees to give away if you have the right place to plant them. All you need is a little bit of ...

Wild Flowers and Village Planting

Earlier this year BRA Tree Warden, Frances Fancourt, reached agreement with Openreach, the owners of the telephone exchange in Church Road, that she could “adopt” the land in front of the exchange to plant wild flowers seeds. They have started to bloom now and looking lovely. As part of the Blue Heart scheme Frances will also be planting wild flower seeds on the Lower Road and A246.In addition Frances has also planted in the bed outside of Laytons greengrocers and last year when the Boo...

Former Bookham Youth Centre to be re-purposed as a COVID-19 Food Distribution Hub

The Surrey Local Resilience Forum will be re-purposing the former Bookham Youth Centre as a food distribution hub, as part of the their response to COVID-19.The Property Services team at Surrey County Council (SCC) identified the former Bookham Youth Centre site for use as a distribution hub, a suggestion that was ratified by the Strategic Coordinating Group of the LRF on the 17th June. The building is currently having work undertaken to bring it up to specification for use as a food distri...