parish

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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.”

Continue reading →

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Hambledon Parish Council Election – Results

The result of the Hambledon Parish Council election has been announced. It is as follows, reproduced here from the Waverley Borough Council website.

Hambledon (7 seats), 73.6% turnout

Name Description Votes Elected?
ANDERSON John Huxley Fordyce   194 Elected
GROVE Mary   221 Elected
HALL David John Logan Independent 153  
JONES Karen Elizabeth   200 Elected
PARRY Mike   218 Elected
PATTINSON Paul George Murray   177 Elected
PAYNE Stewart Frank   224 Elected
STONELEY Colin Desmond   176  
UNDERWOOD Philip John   177 Elected

 

Nine villagers were seeking election for the seven places.  These included six members of the previous parish council – John Anderson, Karen Jones, Mike Parry, Paul Pattinson, Stewart Payne and Philip Underwood.  All have been re-elected.

Also seeking election were Mary Grove, David Hall and Colin Stoneley.  Mary Grove was elected and will be welcomed to Hambledon Parish Council at its next meeting on May 26.  The council has already expressed its gratitude to Peter Spall, who has stood down.

The parish council elections were held last Thursday (May 7), but the count did not take place until Saturday.

Waverley Borough Council elections were also held last Thursday, with the count taking place on Friday. The result for the Witley and Hambledon ward is as follows.

 

Borough Election result for Witley and Hambledon

2015 result 
Witley & Hambledon (2 vacancies)		 Turnout: 74.4%
EGAN Rosaleen UKIP 374  
HALL David John Logan Independent 515  
HOLDER Nick Conservative 1,414 Elected
JAMES Anna Catherine Conservative 1,204 Elected
MANNING Yvonne Wendy Labour 386  

Conservative hold

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Hambledon Parish Council Nominations Announced

Screen Shot 2015-04-21 at 18.21.23Hambledon will have a contested parish council election for the first time since 2003.

Candidates for the seven places have been announced by the Returning Officer at Waverley Borough Council. Nine prospective councillors, including six members of the outgoing parish council, have been nominated.

The full list can be found here:

http://www.waverley.gov.uk/news/article/1074/town_and_parish_candidates_announced

Elections take place on May 7th, the same day as Parliamentary and Waverley Borough Council elections.  The Polling Station will be at the Village Hall.

Of the outgoing parish council, Peter Spall is standing down.  Outgoing chairman John Anderson, his deputy Philip Underwood, Stewart Payne, Paul Pattinson, Mike Parry and Karen Jones are seeking re-election.

David Hall, Mary Grove and Colin Stoneley are seeking election.

Electors can vote for up to seven candidates on Polling Day and the ballot form will list candidates in alphabetical order.

Robin Pellow, the Returning Officer for Waverley has also announced the candidates for the Borough Council and the South West Surrey Parliamentary constituency.

These can be found at:

http://www.waverley.gov.uk/news/article/1073/borough_candidates_announced

and

http://www.waverley.gov.uk/news/article/1072/parliamentary_election_candidates

Five candidates are seeking election to the two places on the Witley and Hambledon ward of Waverley Borough Council.

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Housing Needs Survey

The latest Housing Needs Survey, carried out across all households in Hambledon, has just been published and full details are available here:

hambledon HNS

housing needs JW report

The first is a copy of the survey and the second is an executive summary.

The survey was carried out by Surrey Community Action at the request of Hambledon Parish Council and it follows the acquisition of Orchard Farm by the English Rural Housing Association.

Of the 314 survey questionnaires sent out 261 households responded – an 83.12 per cent return. Across the country a 10 to 35 per cent return rate is common, so the Hambledon response has been described as “outstanding” and demonstrates how engaged the village is.

Continue reading →

Hambledon Village Hall

Malthouse Lane, Hambledon, GU8 4HG

Our hall is run, with charitable status, by a management committee of twelve. Our purpose is to provide cultural, recreational, educational, physical and social activities for our local community and to raise funds with which to maintain and improve the hall for the continued benefit of local residents.

It has facilities for meetings, lectures, parties, indoor bowling, keep fit classes, exhibitions, concerts and theatrical performances. It has a modern kitchen, toilets and disabled access.  There is adjacent parking.

The hall has recently been entirely re-decorated inside and out with work being completed in December 2021 with the replacement of all of the windows with virtually identical double-glazed units. It is a bright, well-equipped welcoming venue for any event.

The kitchen is equipped with electric cooker, microwave, dishwasher and food warmer with crockery, cutlery, glasses and plates to serve 90.

Slide/film screen and audio amplification equipment ( a radio “stick” microphone kit) is available for use in the hall.

There is a standing capacity of 100, 94 seated in rows and 90 seated at tables. It is licensed to be used:

  • Sunday to Thursday between 9am and 10.30pm
  • Friday and Saturday between 9am and 11.59pm

This licence does not permit the sale of alcohol. Temporary alcohol licences  (£21) can be obtained from Waverley Borough Council. For details, please contact Mary Grove on 07792 830 276

Tables and chairs for use within the hall are supplied. Tables and chairs for outside use can be hired for a charge of £3 per table. Please phone Carole Davis, our Bookings Clerk, to arrange on 01428 683 588.

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Covid-19

We are now open for all types of hires and events. However, despite the recent removal of all Covid regulations, we are continuing with some of our Covid measures at the hall. This is because we want our events and activities to be open to as many of the local community as possible, including those who may be vulnerable. The hall is sanitised after every use and we endeavour to provide some areas where social distancing is possible at all events. Please contact Ruth Canham at [email protected] for further information.

Hambledon Village Hall, Malthouse Lane, Hambledon Surrey GU8 4HG

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Dunsfold Aerodrome – transport review

Screen Shot 2015-03-21 at 17.08.09EIGHT rural West Surrey parishes – including Hambledon – have united to commission a transport review to examine the impact any significant new development at Dunsfold Aerodrome would have on narrow local roads and lanes.

The review, carried out by Guildford-based road and transport consultants Motion, was published this week and concludes that the site is unsustainable for any substantial housing. (A report on this appears in this week’s Haslemere Herald March 5th edition)

The Motion study confirms that the reasons why Waverley Borough Council rejected an “eco-town” proposal for the site in 2009 – a decision supported on appeal by the Secretary of State – remain sound when assessed against the key principles of current Government policy.

The parish councils of Dunsfold, Alfold, Bramley, Busbridge, Chiddingfold, Hambledon, Hascombe and Wonersh, reacting to concerns of villagers, asked Motion to examine two recent traffic assessments, one by Surrey County Council and the other conducted on behalf of the aerodrome’s owners, DAL.

Continue reading →

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Bus Review – What Parish Is Doing To Keep The 503

The consultation period for Surrey County Council’s Local Transport Review has ended and the authority is now considering the future of subsidised rural bus routes, including the 503 Hambledon service.

Details of the review process can be found here – https://www.surreysays.co.uk/e-i-directorate-programme-group/closed-copy-of-ltr

As part of the consultation Hambledon Parish Council made a submission in support of retaining the village’s only bus service, which is operated by Stagecoach but subsidised by SCC. Here is what the council said.

alt“Hambledon Parish Council is grateful for the opportunity to comment on the Local Transport Review following the request by Surrey County Council for feedback from stakeholders.

The Parish Council is aware of the pressures faced by SCC with regard to funding and the need to review spending.

However, it urges SCC to ensure that Hambledon’s only bus service, the 503, remains in operation as it is a vital means of transport for a number of our more vulnerable residents, mostly elderly, living alone and without cars. (It also hopes for the retention, as a daily service, of the 71.)

Please consider this: Hambledon is a small rural village. It has a community store, but otherwise no shops, no banks, no supermarkets and no doctor or dentist surgeries. None of the above are within practical walking distance. To access any of these residents must use a car, or the bus.

The 503 only operates three days a week, twice in each direction.  This means it cannot be used by commuters or schoolchildren. So its passenger numbers are inevitably limited and this must be taken into account when assessing its financial viability. Continue reading →

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Orchard Farm Open Meeting Tonight At 8pm Village Hall

Tonight there is an important opportunity for Hambledon residents to express their views – for, against or anything in between – on the proposal to build 17 new homes, 12 designated as affordable, on land at Orchard Farm, off Wormley Lane.

The meeting has been arranged by Hambledon Parish Council so that it can hear the opinions of residents before it responds to an anticipated planning application by the English Rural Housing Association, which has bought Orchard Farm.

altThe ERHA presented its plans at a display at the Village Hall two weeks ago. Now is the chance to let the parish council know what you think.

As yet no planning application has been submitted and feedback from tonight’s meeting will be passed on to the ERHA before it does so.

The council will open the meeting with a briefing on Affordable Housing and on the Housing Needs Survey, currently in circulation in the village.  ERHA will not be in attendance, nor will representatives of Waverley Borough Council, the planning authority.

Continue reading →

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AFFORDABLE HOUSING – Dates and Developments

WRITTEN BY HAMBLEDON PARISH COUNCIL | 18 DECEMBER 2014 

Most residents will be aware of a proposal by the English Rural Housing Association to build 17 homes – 12 designated as affordable – on land at Orchard Farm, off Wormley Lane (see previous news items).

The village will have a chance to see the ERHA plans when it holds an exhibition of them at the Village Hall between 3pm and 8pm on Thursday January 15.

The Parish Council will then hold an open meeting at the hall on Wednesday January 28, starting at 8 pm, which will provide an opportunity for the whole village to debate the proposals.

ERHA has not yet submitted a planning application to Waverley Borough Council, which will determine the issue, and will not do so until after the village has been consulted.

In the meantime the village and its parish council will need to consider another proposal, just submitted, for four affordable homes and two market price homes on land beside the Merry Harriers car park, on the opposite side of Hambledon Road to the pub. This land is currently used as a campsite.

Continue reading →

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Press feature local residents

A reporter and photographer from the Haslemere Herald visited Hambledon recently to speak to residents who regularly use the 503 bus route.

The newspaper carried an article about the re-vamped service, which had been under threat, and published a photograph of villagers at the newly-erected bus stop sign at the Village Hall. The photograph is reproduced below with the kind permission of the Haslemere Herald.

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For more details about how villagers and Hambledon Parish Council campaigned to keep the village bus service and subsequent efforts to increase its usage, please see earlier stories on this website.

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Bus Stops return to Hambledon Road

Bus stop signs and timetables have been reinstated along the route of Hambledon’s 503 bus service.

Only long-standing residents knew where the village bus stops were located following removal of the post and flags over the years. Earlier this year Hambledon Parish Council requested that the signs be reinstated as part of an initiative to raise the profile of the 503 service that links the village with Milford, Godalming and Guildford.

After a visit by Surrey County Council engineers it was agreed that three posts and flags would be re-erected; outside the Village Hall, beside the Merry Harriers and at the bus shelter at the Hydestile Crossroads (pictured below).

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Continue reading →

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Surviving Winter Campaign

Following a successful appeal last year, the nation-wide Surviving Winter 2012 Scheme, of which HCF was a part, has now launched again to support older and more vulnerable people through the winter months.

Thanks to your kind donations last year, and this, we now have funds ring-fenced within the HCF to support the elderly and more vulnerable people within our community.  Indeed an individual grant to help with the purchase of fuel has recently been made.

If you receive your winter fuel cheque from the government this year and are fortunate enough to be able to offer it to the Surviving Winter scheme, please follow directions on our  ways to donate page.

Equally, if your group supports older or vulnerable people within the village and you require funding, or you know of any individual in need of support, please contact us.  We act in confidence and grants of this kind are not publicised.

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Winter Weather Arrangements For Hambledon

The current cold spell and today’s light dusting of snow provide a timely reminder of the arrangments in place in the event of severe weather.

Hambledon has an agreed emergency plan, prepared by the parish council, and linked to arrangements at both Waverley Borough and Surrey County Councils.

The parish has been assured that if snow is forecast Hambledon Road, from Lane End to Hydestile and beyond, will be gritted by Surrey County Council. This same stretch of road is also listed as a priority route for snow clearance.

Once again Peter Knight of Burgate Farm has agreed to use a plough blade provided by the county council, fitted to one of his tractors, to clear roads that will not be swept by SCC. These include Salt Lane, Vann Lane, Roundals Lane and Cricket Green.

Continue reading →