What we were up to in March and April

• We held a popular advice drop-in with police.
• An Advice Drop-in about trees, planning applications and public services attracted several visitors.
• A seminar about flood defences in Burpham gave us anxiety and reassurance in equal measure.
• A discussion group about going unitary showed that the idea had a lot of support in principle but also exposed worries about having enough say in local matters, and the potential disruption to business during the transition.
• We enjoyed a group walk around the stunning display of tulips at Dunsborough Park in Ripley.
• We supported several local primary children to attend an online Easter club which challenged young brains with daily puzzles.

Gosden Hill

After a long pause, Martin Grant Homes will be back soon with a revised plan which may well be open to further public consultation before it is submitted to Guildford Borough Council. Our main concerns about the previous plan were its traffic implications for Burpham, the strain on local services and the use of our residential roads during construction. We have a BCA group keeping a close eye on the plans, but we would welcome help from anyone with expertise – legal, practical, specialist – to give us advice.

Perilous pavements

Surrey County Council’s response

We have received a response to our complaints about London Road pavement. It is a point-by- point response which assures us that the issues have been inspected. Three issues turned out to be the responsibility of others e.g. Guildford Borough Council and Thames Water and were referred on.

The good news first:

• Overgrowth has been tackled. You may have noticed that hedges were cut back very quickly, and overgrown pavements will be tackled at the beginning of the next financial year.
• Potholes fared well. The investigators discovered even more of them in the. carriageway and have already started filling them. This co-incides with a government push to get potholes repaired in order to release more repair money.
• Some of the more severe problems will be tackled eg. the huge pavement puddle on the filter lane (Parkway onto London Road) and dangerous uneven surfaces.

But:

• Standing water issues were denied. (Clearly they visited on a dry day.)
• Only one example of discarded hedge cuttings will be removed. It is now routine practice to leave cuttings (eg. lopped branches) on the verge.
• Obstructive street furniture was not entirely SCC’s responsibility and will not be addressed.

As you can see, we had welcome success but some important omissions. If you spot problems on your pavement or road, you can report it to Surrey County Council on https://tellus.surreycc.gov.uk

Photo competition

We are pleased to invite you to submit photographs in our free competition. We are looking for everything from photo snaps to self-developed snaps of Life in Burpham. The competition is open to people who live, work, study or attend clubs here. We are hoping for snaps of daily life, the architecture or natural environment, but must be taken in Burpham. Entries close on 30 June and will be displayed, judged and awarded at the Village Fair on 12 July. Prizes for Up to 18 and Over 18. Find full details on our website.

Tree protection

We have begun the process of identifying important trees in Burpham and logging them (apologies for pun) with the Woodland Trust. Donna Collinson of a neighbouring residents’ association is helping us to identify trees and get them listed. We have work experience students joining us in July to measure, photograph and list the features trees deemed to be ancient, veteran or notable. Each record is studied by the Woodland Trust and give an official rating.

Donna will be joining us for an hour to run a short and informative seminar about identifying and listing trees of value for the Woodland Trust. 10-11am, Friday 13th June in the Village Hall.

Could you help us at the village fair?

Could you give an hour at the Sutherland Hall during the fair to help us with our café, our chill corner for kids, and our stalls? We need people who are willing to help collect cups, stack the dishwasher, serve, keep toys tidy, hand out treasure trail, manage a display table of treasures, and pack up afterwards. The fair takes place on Saturday 12th July between 12-3pm.

Coming up in May & June

A walk through Chantries Wood at bluebell time
Sat 3rd May | Meet 10am | Chantries Car Park | FREE

Come with us to admire Chantries Wood in Shalford at bluebell time. The initial
10 min uphill section will be broken by 2 brief talks about the history of the woods.

Annual General Meeting
Thu 22nd May | 7.30pm| Village Hall | FREE

Enjoy wine & cheese whilst reviewing the year, refreshing the executive and establishing priorities for next year. Includes a talk about protecting your property whilst you are away on holiday, and an update on local developments such as Gosden Hill.

A summer walk to Leith Hill
Sat 7th Jun | Meet 10am | FREE

Rhodedendron Car Park at RH5 6LU Friendly walk and talk near Dorking where composer Vaughan Williams was a brought up, and Charles Darwin loved to visit. We will walk around the countryside of this National Trust property. Note that there is a modest charge if you wish to look inside the house and tower. A summer walk to award-winning

Thursley Common Nature Reserve
Sat 21st June | Meet 10am | FREE

This famous long boardwalk recently won a national award. It winds through wetland, heathland and woodland, with sandy trails leading off it. Lots to come back to another day!