News

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Local Elections – Hambledon Parish Council Uncontested

There will be no election for Hambledon Parish Council next month as the seven available places are uncontested.

Waverley Borough Council, the electoral authority for the area, published the list of nominated candidates for borough, town and parish councils yesterday.

This can be found on the Parish Council section of this website here. https://www.hambledonsurrey.co.uk/?page_id=166

It showed that six of the current seven parish councillors offered themselves for re-election – John Anderson, Mary Grove, Mike Parry, Stewart Payne, Sean Sinnott and Philip Underwood. Paul Pattinson, a parish councillor for 12 years, is standing down.

Only one other candidate put his name forward for nomination, Robin McKeith, who lives in Vann Lane.

This meant that there were seven candidates for the seven available places and Waverley duly posted a Notice of Uncontested Election.

Both current Waverley Borough councillors for the Witley and Hambledon ward are standing down. Four candidates for the two places were nominated – two Conservative, one Labour and one Independent. The election will take place for this and all other contested Borough wards, and town and parish councils, on May 2nd.

The existing parish council remains in place until that date.

Very few of the 20 parish and town councils in the Waverley area have contested elections as most only have enough candidates willing to stand as there are places available. Parish councillors are unpaid and do not stand for political parties.

A full list of candidates for wards and parishes can be found here. https://www.waverley.gov.uk/news/article/480/candidates_announced_for_local_elections

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Parish Council Gives Conditional Support to Orchard Farm Housing Proposal

Hambledon Parish Council has given its conditional support to a planning application to build nine houses, seven of them affordable, at Orchard Farm, Wormley Lane.

At its monthly meeting on Tuesday (April 2) councillors were unanimous in agreeing its response to Waverley Borough Council which, as the local planning authority, will determine the application.

Full details can be found on the Parish Council section on this website, under the heading Legislation and Planning. https://www.hambledonsurrey.co.uk/?page_id=166

English Rural Housing Association is seeking approval for a scheme to build seven 1, 2 and 3-bedroom properties for affordable rent or shared ownership and two open-market bungalows. Priority will be given to local people with a connection to Hambledon.

This application follows the rejection of a previous proposal to build 17 homes – 12 affordable and 5 market – on the site, which occupies land between Wormley Lane and Petworth Road.

In its response, Hambledon Parish Council stated that it continued to support the provision of affordable housing in the village and noted the reduction in the size of the proposed development, which is on land within the Green Belt and the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Waverley would need to determine whether the proposal satisfies the requirements for it to be considered a rural exception site.

Continue reading →

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Parish Council To Consider Orchard Farm Planning Proposal

Hambledon Parish Council will consider its response to the new application by the English Rural Housing Association to build seven affordable and two market-price homes at Orchard Farm, Wormley Lane, at its monthly meeting tomorrow evening (Tuesday April 2nd, 2019).

The meeting starts at 8pm at Hambledon Village Hall. The application will be discussed at the planning section of the meeting. Anyone who wishes to raise issues about the application, or any other matter, is invited to do so at the start of the meeting when 15 minutes are set aside for questions from members of the public. The response will be sent to Waverley Borough Council, which will determine the outcome of the application.

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Hambledon Village Shop – Summer Opening Hours

Please note that from 30th March to 6th October inclusive the the shop will be open until 4pm on Saturdays. Sunday closing will not change from 2pm.

SHOP

CAFE

Last orders for lunch is 14:30 from Monday to Saturday and 13:00 on Sundays

 POST OFFICE
Monday 08:30 – 17:00 09:00 – 16:00 09:30 – 12:30 & 13:30 – 16:30
Tuesday 08:30 – 17:00 09:00 – 16:00 09:30 – 12:30
Wednesday 08:30 – 17:00 09:00 – 16:00 09:30 – 12:30
Thursday 08:30 – 17:00 09:00 – 16:00 09:30 – 12:30 & 13:30 – 16:30
Friday 08:30 – 17:00 09:00 – 16:00 09:30 – 12:30 & 13:30 – 16:30
Saturday 08:30 – 16:00 09:00 – 15:30 09:30 – 12:30
Sunday 08:30 – 14:00 09:00 – 13:30 CLOSED
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New hiring charges for the Village Hall – effective from April 1st 2019

Our current hiring charges have been in place since October 2010 and, given the ever-rising costs of running the hall, we felt that it was time to look at them again.

We always bear in mind the fact that we are smaller than many halls and that people have to pay extra for electricity. However, we have been charging, in some cases, significantly less than our neighbouring halls and we feel that our new charges are fair and still very competitive.

We will now offer two rates, one rate for Hambledon residents and another, standard rate, (roughly 20% more) for non-residents, which is something that most halls do. Full details of the new charges can be found below.

We hope that people will appreciate the need for this increase. We are, as ever, immensely grateful for all the support the hall receives from everyone in Hambledon, without which we would be unable to run with or without any increase in hiring charges. Continue reading →

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Village Hall nearly sold out for Ian McMillan and Luke Carver-Goss

Friday, April 5th  at Hambledon Village Hall
We don’t have many tickets left for this evening of comedy, poetry and the creation of a mini musical all about Hambledon. If you’d like to be there, make sure you don’t miss out and buy your tickets now!
Tickets £12.50 available from the village shop.
The performance begins at 7.30. Doors and bar open at 7pm.
Please contact Ruth Canham on 07977 584 596 for all enquiries.

 

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The local hero and the swan

Recently we heard about another animal rescue by Graham Cornick at Hydestile Resident Animals.   Graham tells the story:

“We had a phone call about a Swan on the A3, when Paul and I arrived the Police had coned off one lane which made the rescue a lot safer, so Paul and I climb down into the ditch and I managed to untangle him the bramble he had fallen into (the Swan that is not Paul), we then got him into the Swan bag, Paul scrambled to the top of the ditch and carried the Swan to the car, meanwhile I’m still in the ditch, the kind policeman held his hand down to me and managed to (drag) help me to the top, I said “thanks I can’t believe I’m doing this at 75” and he said “You’re our hero mate” that’s a first! a police officer calling me a hero.

Sadly the brother to the Swan was killed on the other carriage way, the one we rescued is doing fine. “

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Traffic on Salt Lane

For those of you that signed the Surrey CC petition on traffic issues on Salt Lane you may be interested to hear that as a result this matter is now to be discussed at the Surrey County Council Local Committee at Waverley Borough Council chamber at 10am on Friday 22nd. This will be webcast and the public can attend.

A video overview will be shown to the committee Councillors beforehand.   Councillor Victoria Young and Surrey Hills have been supportive in this matter.   The video, traffic survey data and photographs can be seen here.

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Parish Council Statement

Hambledon Parish Council has been approached by a concerned resident wanting to know if it is responsible for an anonymous document that has been delivered to some households in the village expressing opinions about the new planning application for affordable homes at Orchard Farm.

The parish council is NOT responsible for this document, which is headed “Briefing Note to Local Residents”.

The resident contacted the parish clerk to express anger that the document appears to be biased, is not on headed notepaper, and is unsigned and unsolicited. The resident added that whoever is behind the document should have the courtesy to sign it.

In response the clerk has reassured the resident that the document has nothing to do with the parish council. The council is currently considering the application and has informed Waverley Borough Council that it will comment on it once it has the opportunity to discuss it at its next monthly meeting in early April.

Details of the application have already been posted on this website and can be found here

https://www.hambledonsurrey.co.uk/?p=10886

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Local Council Elections on May 2nd. Do you want to be a councillor?

Local council elections will be held on Thursday May 2nd, and anyone who wishes to stand as a councillor must register to do so with Waverley Borough Council.

The elections are for borough, town and parish councils and potential candidates can register from this Friday March 22nd until 4pm on Wednesday April 3rd.

Nomination papers are available from Waverley Borough Council and, when completed, must be returned to the council by hand at a booked appointment time.

Full details can be found at https://www.waverley.gov.uk/elections2019 By following the links you can download a registration document and read more about what is involved.

A news item can be found here https://www.waverley.gov.uk/news/article/474/nominations_open_for_2_may_council_elections

 

 

 

 

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HAMBLEDON CHURCH – CAN YOU HELP SECURE ITS FUTURE?

If Hambledon is to have a new vicar and secure a future for its village church then money must be raised with the help of the local community and its residents.

The challenges facing St Peter’s Church and its continued ministry to the village were outlined by Simon Taylor, rector of the joint benefice of Busbridge and Hambledon, and Andy Dunn, treasurer of Hambledon church, at a packed meeting at the village hall on Thursday evening (March 7th, 2019).

In a rallying call for financial support, Andy said: “We are appealing not just to members of the congregation but to those who value the presence of a church in our village, but who may not wish to attend there regularly.”

Hambledon has not had a vicar since Catherine McBride moved to a new parish in October 2017. Although it was intended that she would be replaced, several obstacles stalled the process.

Mervil Bottom, the church house in the village, suffered severe water leaks when empty during the following cold winter and required major repairs and renovation. And the parlous state of the church’s finances meant that the Diocese of Guildford questioned whether it was feasible to appoint a new minister.

It costs £120,000 a year to fund St Peter’s with a vicar, but the income is currently just over £80,000.

The biggest single outgoing is £30,000 that St Peter’s has to pay to the Diocese. Second is the £28,000 salary to the vicar, which rises when tax and pensions are added. Then comes maintenance of the church, churchyard, Mervil Bottom and insurances.

Money raised from events such as weddings goes directly to the Church of England and not to the parish church.

The only money that comes to the church is from the Sunday collection plate, Gift Aid, standing orders and donations from generous benefactors and a small grant from Hambledon Parish Council.

In asking for people to consider making financial pledges, Andy said: “If we want to recruit a vicar, we must find £120,000 a year which is significantly more than our current income. The Diocese will only appoint a new minister if we can demonstrate that we can afford it now and for the next five years.”

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NEW APPLICATION TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOMES AT ORCHARD FARM

A revised planning application to build affordable and market price homes at Orchard Farm has been submitted to Waverley Borough Council by the English Rural Housing Association.

The new application is seeking approval for a scaled-down development of seven affordable homes together with two bungalows to be sold on the open market.

The previous ERHA application, submitted in 2016, was for 17 homes – 12 affordable and five open market. This was rejected by Waverley councillors in May 2017.

The ERHA went to appeal but this was dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate in June 2018.

The new application was made public on the Waverley Borough Council website on Monday (March 4th, 2019). A deadline of March 29th has been set for comments.

The new development, if approved, would occupy the area of previously developed land at Orchard Farm, Wormley Lane, where various outbuildings currently stand. Five of the new properties would be for affordable rent and two for shared ownership.

Under the revised scheme the original farmhouse, which was to have been demolished, will be retained, renovated and sold on the open market. This does not form a part of the new application.

Paddock land, which was to have been gifted to the village as open space under the previous scheme, is now excluded from the application and is not a part of the latest proposal.

Orchard Farm is within the Green Belt and the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the ERHA application will need to demonstrate that the land may be considered as a rural exception site.

The application can be found here:

http://planning360.waverley.gov.uk/planning/search-applications?civica.query.FullTextSearch=Orchard%20Farm%20Hambledon#VIEW?RefType=GFPlanning&KeyNo=332587&KeyText=Subject

Hambledon Parish Council, which held its monthly meeting the day after the application was published, had no opportunity to consider the application in detail. Its next meeting is April 2nd, after the comment deadline.

Therefore, the parish council resolved to request an extension to the comment period in order to examine the proposal in detail and to hear any comments from villagers before responding to Waverley Borough Council.

People with connections to Hambledon and who fulfill ERHA criteria will have the opportunity to apply to be considered for the affordable homes if approval is given to the development. The parish council can comment on the application, but it is for Waverley Borough Council to approve or reject the proposal.

The ERHA website can be found here:https://englishrural.org.uk/