Author: Stewart Payne

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Surrey County Council Confirms 503 Bus Reprieve

Surrey County councillors have formally endorsed the recommendation not to withdraw the 503 bus service.

At a meeting of its Cabinet on Tuesday (May 24th) members approved the recommendations arising out of the council’s Local Transport Review, which originally proposed scrapping the 503, Hambledon’s only public transport service.

503 bus under threat again, January 2016 (2)

After public consultation and a campaign by Hambledon Parish Council and supported by residents, the review recommended retaining the 503, which operates three times a week, twice in each direction, and connects Hambledon and Hydestile with banks, surgeries and shops in Milford, Godalming and beyond. The 523 Godalming to Milford Hospital service has also been reprieved.

Both services are operated by Stagecoach but subsidised by Surrey County Council. SCC has been looking to make savings on the money it pays in support of rural bus services and the review has achieved this aim without necessitating the withdrawal of the 503 and 523.

There may be some alterations to the service, subject to further discussion (see earlier news item).

In the meantime the current timetable can be found on this website under the “Home” page link and then clicking on “Travel Info”.

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Hambledon’s 503 bus reprieved

Hambledon’s only bus service, the 503, is set to be reprieved by Surrey County Council, reversing a decision to scrap the route as a cost-cutting measure.

This is a victory for the campaign mounted by Hambledon Parish Council and local residents to save the service.

Following the SCC Local Transport Review earlier this year, aimed at finding savings on council-subsidised rural routes, the 503 was one of a number of services to be scrapped, subject to public consultation.

The parish council vociferously opposed the proposal and many villagers raised objections during the consultation process.  SCC has listened, and at a meeting of its Cabinet on May 24th, members are expected to endorse the review team’s recommendation that the 503 continue.

The parish council argued that it was wrong to withdraw the only bus route serving the village, leaving residents without any public transport. The 503 is a lifeline for a number of elderly or infirm residents who rely on the bus to get to shops, supermarkets, banks and surgeries in Milford, Godalming and beyond.

village bus

Agenda documents for the May 24th meeting, available on the Surrey County Council website, state that the council recognises “the important role that bus services play for our residents”, adding: “To address some of the concerns expressed during the public consultation exercise it has proven possible to recommend some enhancements to the original proposals.”

These include reversing the decision to scrap the 503. The 523 Milford hospital service from Godalming has also been reprieved.

Currently the 503 operates on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays, twice in each direction, beginning and ending at Lane End. The recommendation is for the service to continue on at least Wednesdays and Fridays and possibly on another day to be determined.

The parish council has asked to meet with SCC planners to discuss ways of increasing passenger numbers, perhaps re-routing the service to take in new areas of development. In the documents the council states that it is “working to stimulate patronage on bus services and reduce the need for council funding.”

The 503 is operated by Stagecoach but subsidised by Surrey County Council. The transport review examined services across the county. Faced with cuts in Central Government funding, SCC is looking save £2 million on its transport budget by next year.

The recommendation to be voted on on May 24th will enable SCC to achieve the required savings needed from the review, documents state.

 

 

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THE 503 BUS – WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

The consultation period ended on March 14 and the county has since contacted the Parish Council to say that it is holding further meetings with Stagecoach and will consider the proposals put forward by Hambledon.  A meeting with Hambledon and Busbridge parish councils could follow.

The county has stressed that it must meet its savings target but said: “There may well be ways to mitigate for some of the proposed impacts in certain communities.”

Hambledon Parish Council was thanked for its “positive approach” and told that a meeting could be “useful”.

In the meantime Surrey County Council will examine all the responses to the consultation. On its website it states: “This will be fully analysed and the views of everyone who took part will be taken into account when drawing up the final proposals with bus operators.  This will ensure that vital saving will be made whilst maintaining as many of the services as possible which residents rely upon most.”

A summary of the consultation results will be available on the SCC website early next month. Final proposals will be considered by Cabinet, the council’s decision making body, on May 24 and service changes announced in June.  Those will come into effect in September.

 

 

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Tributes to Two Respected Villagers

Hambledon has paid its respects to two residents who contributed a great deal to village life over many years.

Ray Williams, who died in January, took over the running of the village shop with his wife Pat on his retirement in 1982 and together they were involved in a host of Hambledon activities.

Raymond Smith, who also died in January, played an important part in the development of Hambledon Cricket Club, the fete and many other aspects of village life.

The lives and achievements of both were celebrated at packed funeral services at St Peter’s Church.

This month’s Parish Magazine has reports on both and these articles can be found here.

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MORE HOMES…NO BUSES?

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Hambledon residents have until this weekend to write in support of the village’s threatened bus service, the 503. The consultation period ends on Monday (March 14th) at 9am.

Surrey County Council, which subsidises the 503 and other rural bus routes, wants to hear the views of villagers before making a final decision on the fate of the service. It is reviewing all bus routes in the county as it looks to make cuts to its budget.

Details of the Local Transport Review can be found at https://www.surreysays.co.uk/e-i-directorate-programme-group/ltr

Hambledon Parish Council strongly opposes the proposal to axe the 503. It is asking Surrey County Council to reconsider the issue and perhaps look to amalgamate the service with the 523 Milford Hospital service, which is also under threat. With more than 100 new homes being built beside the hospital, and a proposal to build affordable homes at Lane End, Hambledon, the council believes Surrey County Council should examine how to better integrate the service before making a final decision.

Here is Hambledon Parish Council’s submission to the Surrey County Council review.

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HAVE YOUR SAY ON HAMBLEDON’S THREATENED BUS SERVICE

Surrey County Council has arranged a public walk-in session in Godalming to discuss the proposed changes to local bus services, including its intention to axe the 503, Hambledon’s only bus service.

It will take place next Friday (February 26) at the Crown Court car park where representatives of SCC and the operators Stagecoach will be in attendance on a bus. Residents can drop in at anytime between 10 am and 12 noon to discuss the proposed changes and to express their views.

SCC, faced with budget cuts, is looking to further reduce the subsidy it pays to bus operators to keep rural routes operating.  Some areas will see alterations or reductions but Hambledon will be hit hard because it is proposed to withdraw the 503 altogether.

A final decision will be made after the current period of consultation ends on March 14.  Hambledon Parish Council is opposing the scrapping of the 503, which it regards as a vital link for many, especially the elderly, to reach shops, banks and surgeries.

Residents who wish the service to continue are urged to make their views known. They can do so online at www.surreycc.gov.uk/transportreview or by phoning 0300 200 1003 to request a copy of the questionnaire to be sent to their home. Copies can also be obtained from libraries and council offices.

  • If you know of someone who will be affected by the withdrawal of the 503 who is unlikely to read this online story, please contact them and pass on details of the drop-in session and the public consultation.

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Planning for Hambledon’s future – Latest

In 2003 Hambledon produced a Parish Plan to help shape its future.  Since then the Parish Council has examined various other formal frameworks to ensure the village’s ambitions for the years ahead are taken into account by Waverley Borough Council and other authorities.

These have included producing a Village Design Statement and Neighbourhood Plan, a route which some villagers had asked the council to consider.

After seeking professional advice – and taking into account the cost and resources necessary for such measures – it was decided that there were insufficient benefits to justify the time and money involved.

Instead it considered producing a Community Plan, which is smaller in scope that a Neighbourhood Plan and arguably more relevant to a little rural village.

Whichever method the parish council adopted for drawing up a blueprint for the future, it would require financial assistance and community volunteers. In the event neither was forthcoming.

It was hoped that funding for a Community Plan would be awarded by the Big Lottery Fund and that sufficient villagers would volunteer to participate in its preparation.

However, The Big Lottery, which distributes National Lottery money for community causes, turned down the request. The application had been carefully prepared with professional help. But Big Lottery experts could not see why a Community Plan was required to address the needs and issues set out in the application.  (This point had also been raised in previous advice given to the Parish Council, including from Waverley Borough Council.)

The second set back was that one month after an appeal for volunteers appeared in the Parish Magazine and on the village website only six responses had been received.

So it’s back to the drawing board.

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Although there have been changes since Hambledon produced its Parish Plan in 2003, it would be difficult to improve on its objectives.  The Parish Council has therefore decided to continue using it as a base document but to up-date it and re-issue it, either in its existing form or in a new format and perhaps with a more appropriate title.

Village organisations and individuals are therefore being asked what would make Hambledon a better place for them and their activities.

The responses will be incorporated in a discussion paper which will be made widely available early in April.  The paper will then be discussed and questions arising from it addressed at the Parish Assembly on 16 April.  Funds for printing the completed plan have been included in the 2016-17 budget. It will also be available on the village web site.

So, in thanking those who did volunteer to help with a Community Plan, the Parish Council  now asks them and as many other villagers as possible to give some thought as to what they think would make Hambledon an even better place in which to live.

Examining the 2003 Parish Plan and its most recent up-date might be a good point from which to start. This can be found on this web site here: Parish Plan documents . Or you can ask the Clerk ( via email, or telephone 01428 684213) for a hard copy

Please make sure that comments are either posted by leaving a comment on this article, or sent to the Clerk by 15 March so that they can be included in the discussion document.

 

 

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Village Fete Meeting – HELP WANTED

The organisers of the Hambledon Village Fete – which takes place on the Cricket Green on Saturday June 18 – are holding a meeting on March 8 to help finalise arrangements. Please see the following from Philip Underwood.

HAMBLEDON VILLAGE FETE  

AN IMPORTANT PLANNING MEETING

A meeting will be held at 8pm on Tuesday 8th March in the Football Club pavilion. It is important that as many helpers as possible attend as we have to finalise details of the events, stallholders and the general running of the fete.

Village Fete and Dance June 21 2014 (5)We shall also be looking for donations of prizes for the raffle. If any local businesses would like to help with sponsorship in return for advertising, it would be appreciated.

Many people who have assisted in the past are no longer in the village, so we desperately need new helpers. If unable to come but wish to join in, please contact [email protected].

 

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Hambledon 503 Bus service under threat… again

Surrey County Council is proposing to axe the 503, Hambledon’s only bus service.

Having won a reprieve in 2012, once again the county council is making further spending cuts including the subsidy that keeps the 503 operating.

This time the village faces a big battle to keep its bus, even though the need for the service remains as great as ever.

If you want to comment on the proposal then please complete the Surrey Council questionnaire online at www.surreycc.gov.uk/transportreview or fill in a paper version available in libraries and local council offices.  Or you can request a copy in the post by calling 0300 200 1003. The deadline is Monday March 14.

SCC will then consider responses to the consultation and final proposals will be debated on May 24. The outcome will be announced in June and changes will come into effect in September.

If you care about the future of Hambledon’s bus, which provides the only public service link to shops/banks/surgeries in Milford, Godalming and Guildford then please take part in the consultation. SCC is suggesting the bus could be replaced by a dial-a-ride service.

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Many older residents in the village rely on the 503, which currently operates on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, twice in each direction.

A handful of residents join the bus in Hambledon and others board as it stops the in Manor Fields and Chapel Lane estates in Milford.

Because of its importance to these passengers, the Stagecoach-operated service is subsidised by Surrey County Council to keep it running. But continuing cuts in funding to local authorities by Central Government are taking their toll.

And this at a time when the need for public transport, and the energy and environmental savings it brings, could not be more important.

Additionally, an affordable housing development at Orchard Farm is currently under consideration. The 503 starts on its doorstep at Lane End. The bus also travels close to the new 100-homes development off Tuesley Lane. Continue reading →

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Winter Weather Precautions for Hambledon

A major cut of trees close to power lines was completed this year by Scottish and Southern Energy in an effort to reduce the frequency of electricity supply disruption to Hambledon.

SSE has also upgraded and refurbished power lines into the village and promised better communications in the event of outages.

Nevertheless, it is wise to take precautions in a rural area that has suffered from extensive power failures in recent years, usually caused by trees and branches falling onto cables during high winds.

003SSE has provided the Parish Council with a quantity of telephones that do not require a power supply to work, wind-up radios, battery-operated magnetic lamps, safety lightsticks, compact foil blankets and heat packs for warming cold hands.

If you, or someone you know, would benefit from any of these items they are available free for collection from the village shop.

It is important to remember that many modern phones require power to operate so a stand-by phone that simply requires a connection to the telephone line is an essential.

Stock up on batteries for torches and radios.

In extreme weather electricity and telephone lines may fail as may mobile phone networks.  Snow or fallen trees can isolate the village. Although such an outcome is rare it has happened. The Parish Council has an emergency plan in place to help cope with such an event.

It is worth remembering that the phone kiosk at the village shop will continue to work in a power failure. The pay phone no longer accepts coins but you can dial 999 for free. You can also dial 100 for the operator to make reverse charge calls.

If you, or someone you know, may be considered vulnerable during a power cut, you can register with SSE’s Priority Services Register on 0800 294 3259. There is a leaflet in the shop explaining this service.

The following telephone numbers and addresses should be kept handy.

SSE – Scottish and Southern Energy (power cuts and emergencies): 0800 072 7282.

Surrey County Council (for on-line updates and advice): www.surreycc.gov.uk/winter.

Latest travel information: https://twitter.com/SurreyTravel

Waverley Borough Council: For general information, refuse collections etc, go to www.waverley.gov.uk adding the word weather to the search bar if your inquiry relates to this issue. Also, for latest news and emergency updates from the borough go to www.twitter.com/waverleybc

Radio updates will be broadcast on BBC Surrey on 104.6FM and on Eagle on 96.4FM

Hambledon village website will also carry updates: www.hambledonsurrey.co.uk

In the village, the Hambledon Emergency Team is:

Stewart Payne – 07831 393561, Tim Coleman – 07838 763767, and Nick Watson – 07770 553686

In the event of severe disruption and communication failure the emergency team will be on hand around the village, centred at the village shop.

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A Warmer Winter Ahead For Village Nursery School

Hambledon Nursery School will be a warmer place this winter, thanks to new windows in its two classrooms.

The nursery, formerly the village primary school, dates back to Victorian times and is a listed building. Its original wooden-framed windows were in an advance state of decay but the school had to replace like-for-like to comply with planning regulations – a costly business.

Thanks to a £4,000 grant from the Hall Hunter Foundation – a trust set up by the owners of nearby Tuesley Fruit Farm – and a dip into the nursery school’s reserves, the money has been found to pay for the work, which was carried out over the summer holiday.

new windows Blue Room

Nicola Collett, head teacher, said:  “We are delighted with the Hall Hunter grant and very grateful. It enabled us to give the go-ahead for the work and we now have new windows on the southern elevation of the classrooms which were the ones in most urgent need of replacement.”

“They are structured to the original design with wooden frames but are double-glazed. I am actually looking forward to winter this year because the staff and children will be nice and warm and nestled in the classrooms with no drafts to contend with.”

She added: “I suppose the saddest part of the project was actually watching the old windows come out.  But remarkably the Hopper style openers and some of the frames have been donated to The Brooking National Architectural Museum in Cranleigh, because they were of significant architectural interest.”

“The next phase will be along the Eastern side of the building restoring and replacing the old original stone bay window.  The final phase will be to replace the old Crittall windows in the flat roof extension.”

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Presentation of Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service to Hambledon Village Community Shop

shop volunteers award

This Saturday (September 19th), at a ceremony beginning at 11.30am, volunteers who have helped run Hambledon Village Shop and Post Office for the past 23 years will be presented with The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

Cynthia Miller, who has been a stalwart helper throughout this period, will receive the award on behalf of all volunteers from Gordon Lee-Steere DL, chairman of the county’s Queen’s Award panel. Other guests include the chairman of Surrey County Council, the Mayor of Waverley Borough Council, the High Sheriff of Surrey and the chairman of Hambledon Parish Council.

The shop was rescued from closure by villagers in 1992 and is now one of the longest-running community stores in the country, vital to the wellbeing of Hambledon.

qavs300In recognition of this achievement, and of the hard work put in by volunteers over the years, the Queen’s award, which has an equivalent status for groups as the MBE has for individuals, was announced earlier this year. It is the highest honour given to volunteer groups.

For security reasons attendance at the ceremony is by invite but villagers are welcome to gather outside to help celebrate an important occasion.

Continue reading →

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Award to Village Shop Post Office staff

Hambledon Village Shop has received a second award, this time for the team that runs the Post Office Counter.

A month after shop volunteers were honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (see earlier news story), comes the Post Office’s Community Service Award.

post office award

In a citation thanking all staff whose contributions have helped keep the crucial service open during the past 20 years, Paula Vennells, chief executive of Post Office Ltd said: “The Post Office holds a proud and unique place in communities across the UK as a trusted company with a social purpose. We have an enviable reputation that we could not hope to attain without the work of outstanding branches like yours and I can assure you that your efforts are appreciated by the whole business. Thank you.”

There is no presentation but a handsome plaque will go on display once the shop refurbishment has been completed. Congratulations go to Guy Lemieux and successive shop managers who have provided Post Office services as well as running the shop; to Alison Wilson who has in practice been in charge ever since she joined the team; to Michelle Abbott who does so much of the day-to-day counter work; to Alan Brien who provides vital back-up support; to Jane Woolley who became the first Post Mistress when the shop reopened as a community venture and last but by no means least to John Tidmarsh, the one remaining Post Office volunteer.

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Shop Volunteers Await Queen’s Award Presentation

shop volunteers awardHambledon Village Shop volunteers are celebrating winning the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service as they await a presentation ceremony as guests of the Lord Lieutenant of Surrey.

The award is the highest given to volunteer groups throughout the UK and recognises their outstanding contribution to local communities. It was created by the Queen to mark her Golden Jubilee in 2002 and has an equivalent status for groups as the MBE has for individuals

For Hambledon it acknowledges the hard work and dedication of many villagers since the shop reopened as a community-run venture in 1992.

The award will be presented by Dame Sarah Goad, Lord Lieutenant of Surrey, the Queen’s representative in the county, at a ceremony later this year.

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Hambledon – A Celebration In Flowers

flowersContributors are invited to take part in a Celebration in Flowers, which is to take place at St Peter’s Church on Saturday and Sunday, June 20th and 21st.

The aim is to celebrate in flowers the many and diverse clubs and organisations in the village. Individual contributions are also welcome.

Please come along to the church at 10.30am on Saturday May 30th to discuss your entry and the space allocated to it.

The church will be open all day on Thursday and Friday, 18th and 19th June to set up displays.  Please include a label with your name or organisation.

Regardless of whether you are taking part please come along over the display weekend – between 10am and 6pm – to enjoy the floral celebrations, especially if your organisation is represented.  The church, which plans to produce a handout listing the contributors, will be open both days for cream teas.  Sunday services will be held as usual at 9am and 10.30am.

If you have any queries before the contributors meeting on May 30th please contact Sue Blackman on 01428 683871.