Rock Hill will remain closed for up to four days for emergency carriageway repairs to a water leak and the resulting pothole.

This follows injuries to cyclists in two separate incidents. Both hit the pothole descending Rock Hill in the direction of the Merry Harriers and adjacent to Hambledon Nursery School. One suffered a broken nose after being propelled over her handlebars on Friday evening and the other received facial injuries after coming off his bike at the same location yesterday morning.

Both required hospital treatment at Accident and Emergency.

Hambledon Parish Council has been in touch with Surrey County Council Highways Department and Thames Water and, yesterday evening, a barrier was erected around the leak.

This morning, engineers returned and closed the road off to begin assessing the work required. It is not the first time this leak has emerged and, as before, there seems to be some dispute over whether the water company or the highways authority is responsible for the repair.

The council has spoken to the engineers currently on site. No work was taking place and it was clear that they were awaiting further instructions. They said that repairs are likely to take three to four days and during this period the road will remain closed to vehicles, although pedestrians and bicycles can pass.

They were asked if traffic light control could be introduced to allow vehicles to pass but the answer was “no” because the road is too steep and narrow to allow safe passage.

It seems the repair, when it comes, will not address the underlying issue of why this problem reoccurs, but will involve excavation, infilling and resurfacing. It was made clear that, with so many repair issues on local roads to be attended to, this is all the village can expect.

• Rock Hill is also known colloquially as School Hill

Hambledon Road remains open from the Hydestile Crossroads to the Merry Harriers and nursery school in one direction, and from Lane End through the village to Church Lane in the other. The signposted diversion is along the Petworth Road towards Milford, turning right into Culmer Lane/Water Lane, and then Station Road to Hydestile (or the reverse of).

Drivers should be aware the Culmer and Water Lanes are narrow, steep in places, badly rutted and with a considerable amount of surface water. Motorists may prefer to taking a longer diversion through Milford.

A carriageway water leak on Rock Hill, approaching the Merry Harriers, has now developed into a large pothole. A cyclist hit this earlier today, was treated initially for his injuries at the nearby Hambledon Nursery School, and has since been taken to A&E.

Over the weekend, a cyclist hit the same pothole, went over her handlebars and suffered facial injuries including a broken nose. She was cared for by Merry Harriers staff until an ambulance arrived.

This leak has previously been reported by Hambledon Parish Council but despite repairs, the problem keeps returning. Today the council has, once again, reported the issue to Surrey Highways and also to Thames Water.

It has also been reported by the Nursery School following the accident today and staff have been told that the issue has been “escalated” by Thames Water.

Hopefully temporary repairs can be made as soon as possible and the parish council will press for a more effective permanent repair.

In the meantime, please take extra care when descending Rock Hill and we are grateful to the nursery school and to Louise at the pub for the help they have given. Also, thanks to David Edmiston for swiftly placing some warning cones by the pothole.

The new owners of Feathercombe Farm invited parish councillors to a site visit to outline plans to fence in the footpath across the fields between Hambledon Church and the woods below Hydon’s Ball.

Alice Servaes, on behalf of the Trinity Partnership which recently acquired the 240-acre farm, met with Stewart Payne, Alison Scott-Bishop and Simon Rhodes in early September to explain why it wishes to erect oak post and wire fencing across what is known as Fourteen Acre Copse.

The popular and scenic footpath 181, a public right-of-way, runs across the centre of this field from the churchyard to a kissing gate in the middle, and then continues at an angle across the second part of the field to another kissing gate where it enters woodland. Currently this path is unfenced.

Alice said that the fencing is necessary to ensure the well-being of polo ponies that will be grazing either side of the path. This is being put to high-quality grass, but was previously used for crops.

She was particularly concerned that some dog walkers allow their pets to run free in the field, and do not keep to the footpath. Evidence of dog fouling some distance away from the path was shown to councillors.

Alice said there will be no obstruction or deviation to the existing footpath and walkers will have a two-metre-wide track, with waist-height wire fencing either side. The view from the path will be unaffected. It is common practice for landowners to erect fencing beside rights-of-way to protect crops, livestock or horses, she said.

No barbed wire will be used and a grass verge will be maintained either side to keep some distance from electric fencing which will be used to keep horses away from the path.

Alice said trespass was a problem and she had also seen horse riders in the lower field area even though the path is not a bridleway.

At an earlier site meeting to discuss a proposed horse exercise track, Alice assured councillors that the owners had no intention of appealing the rejection by Waverley Borough Council for what amounted to a stable unit in the lower field. This proposal was widely opposed by Hambledon residents and the parish council earlier this year. Alice and her planning team said it would not be seeking any similar permission in this field.

The exercise track, which will require planning permission (not yet submitted) will be in a field behind the existing Feathercombe Farm buildings, accessed off Feathercombe Lane. It will not be lit, nor will it have any buildings and is unlikely to be visible from public footpaths.

Councillors asked if the footpath fencing could be wider than two metres, to allow for family groups to walk side-by-side. Alice noted the suggestion but did not give any commitment.

The parish council has confirmed that landowners have the right to fence their fields without requiring planning permission. The path is in the Green Belt and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The council sought a view from Surrey Hills AONB board, and it said it would raise no objections.

Public rights-of-way are the responsibility of county councils, and the Parish Council has also contacted Surrey County Council. At the time of writing, there has been no response.

Public consultation on the proposed closure of hundreds of railway station ticket offices across the UK ends on Wednesday July 26th.

Many Hambledon residents use the nearby stations of Milford, Witley and Godalming stations where ticket offices will be shut and may wish to express a view on the closures. Please use the link below to do so.

https://www.raildeliverygroup.com/uk-rail-industry/customer-focused-reform/customer-focused-stations.html#consultation

An explanation of why the closures have been proposed by the Rail Delivery Group can be seen here:

https://www.raildeliverygroup.com/uk-rail-industry/customer-focused-reform/customer-focused-stations

Many councils, railway unions, user groups and customers have voiced opposition to the closures. If the proposals go ahead, the process will be spread over three years starting at the end of this year.

Hambledon residents are probably aware that Feathercombe Farm has been sold and its new owners, Alice and Rebecca Servaes, trading as The Trinity Partnership, will operate the 240-acres of land for the business of breeding, selling and grazing polo ponies.

Villagers may wish to know that the Trinity Partnership has just served notice of its intention to erect a new building in the field beyond the village church.

It is described as an “agricultural livestock building” in documents lodged with Waverley Borough Council. However, on plans also submitted, it appears to be essentially for equine use and the single 47-metre oblong building will contain an office, vet room, 13 stable units, a feed room and storage space. The plans indicate the barn will be built in the middle distance of the view from the church, photographed below.

On the basis it is an agricultural construction, the applicants are not going through the full planning procedure, but instead notifying Waverley of their intention to build. Waverley only has until June 28^th to consider the proposal and reach a decision on whether the application qualifies under the terms of a General Permitted Development. If it does not make a ruling, the building will go ahead.

The new barn, mainly windowless and with a ridge height of 7.4 metres, will be built in the field known as Fourteen Acre Copse, in the far corner where the public footpath reaches the kissing gate into the woodland below Hydon’s Ball.

Hambledon Parish Council held its AGM at its first monthly meeting since the local government elections.

Stewart Payne was re-elected chairman and Alison Scott-Bishop has become deputy, replacing Mary Grove who stood down at the election.

Two new parish councillors, Andy Hinde and Simon Rhodes, were welcomed. In effect, they replace Mary and Philip Underwood, who also stood down after a long service to the council. With five previous councillors standing again together with the two new candidates, the election for the seven available places was uncontested.

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Conservative councillors took all three seats on the newly-created Waverley Borough Council Ward of Bramley and Wonersh, which includes Hambledon.

Across the Borough, however, the Conservative Party suffered heavy losses, holding on to just 10 seats, down from 23 at the last election in 2019. Liberal Democratic Party candidates took 22 seats, up from 14.

This outcome reflected the national trend at the local government elections held in many parts of the UK last Thursday (May 6th).

Waverley remains under no overall control as no party managed to achieve an outright majority.

In Hambledon, there was no election for Hambledon Parish Council as seven prospective councillors were nominated for the seven places available and therefore it was uncontested. Five members from the previous council – Stewart Payne, Sean Sinnott, Robin McKeith, Alison Scott-Bishop and Jude Milan – stood again and were joined by Andy Hinde and Simon Rhodes. Philip Underwood and Mary Grove stood down.

Full contact details of all local councillors – parish, borough and county – can be found on this website and in Hambledon Parish Magazine.

The results for Waverley Borough Council’s Bramley and Wonersh Ward, as published on the Waverley council website, were as follows.

Bramley & Wonersh – results

Election Candidate	Party	Votes	%	Outcome
Jane Kathryn AUSTIN	The Conservative Party Candidate	1673	20.8%	Elected
Lauren Kaye ATKINS	The Conservative Party Candidate	1450	18.0%	Elected
Michael Rodney GOODRIDGE	The Conservative Party Candidate	1390	17.3%	Elected
Mark Claude James VIVIAN	Liberal Democrats	1077	13.4%	Not elected
Paul William WRIGHT	Liberal Democrats	1073	13.3%	Not elected
Martin William D’ARCY	Green Party Candidate	903	11.2%	Not elected
Simon Joseph HALL	Labour Party	271	3.4%	Not elected
Christopher James HARD	Labour Party	203	2.5%	Not elected

Local Government elections take places in many parts of the UK tomorrow (Thurs May 4th), including in Hambledon. For the first time, you will need to produce photo-identification in order to vote.

Polling is for those candidates seeking to be elected to serve as Ward councillors on Waverley Borough Council. Seats on Hambledon Parish Council are uncontested.

Due to boundary changes, Hambledon is now part of a new Ward called Bramley and Wonersh. This Ward will return three councillors to represent our area on Waverley. Eight prospective councillors are standing. See below.

Polling takes place at Hambledon Village Hall between 7am and 10pm. Acceptable documents to provide photo-identity include

• Passport
• Driving licence (including provisional licence)
• Blue Badge
• An older persons bus pass
• A disabled persons bus pass