Church Road in previous years

2021

• Holy Trinity Church, Church Road KT10 0JP — 2021/0361 — PROPOSAL: Claygate Conservation Area - Works to various trees. — COUNCIL RESPONSE: No objection (PARISH COUNCIL PLANNING MEETING 25-FEB-21)

2020

Half Acre

• Half Acre, Church Road — 2020/1471 — PROPOSAL: Tree Preservation Order EL:20/21 - Fell 1 x Oak (T1). — COUNCIL RESPONSE: We would like the tree to be preserved as it is a highly significant tree and very important to the street scene. It would be a great loss to Claygate if it were to be felled. We would ask that alternative solutions are first considered and acted on. These could include removing of the other vegetation which could be contributing, a considerable reduction in the height and spread of the oak, extensive structural support to the house in the form of piling and finally trimming the roots and installing a root barrier. (PARISH COUNCIL PLANNING MEETING 16-JUL-20)

Magpie Manor

• Magpie Manor, Church Road KT10 0JP — 2020/1338 — PROPOSAL: Conversion of garage in to living space, 1.8m high rear decking/railing with 1.8m side obscure screening, alterations to fenestration and front/rear roof lights following removal of existing roof lights. — COUNCIL RESPONSE: Amended Plans were submitted subsequent to Claygate Parish Council’s review of this Application that were designed to address concerns about privacy. EBC noted that “the decking is set adjacent to the middle part of the ‘The Checked House’s’ garden amenity space, allowing direct views from the decking into this neighbour’s garden and their side windows. While this impact on amenity is in part limited due to the thickness of the hedge, considering that the hedge is not protected, the amended plans received has screening to be installed on to the decking at a height of 1.8m. This is considered sufficient to obscure any views into the neighbouring garden. The screening is considered on balance to sufficiently protect the privacy of the occupiers of ‘The Checked House’.” (PARISH COUNCIL PLANNING MEETING 8-OCT-20)
• Magpie Manor, Church Road — 2020/1338 — PROPOSAL: Conversion of garage into living space, 1.8m high rear decking, alterations to fenestration and front/rear roof lights following removal of existing roof lights. — COUNCIL RESPONSE: No Comment (PARISH COUNCIL PLANNING MEETING 16-JUL-20)

The area

AP70 Clerk to add all flooding issues (corner of The Avenue and Hare Lane, the stretch of Foley Road running from Albany Crescent to the Foley Pub, Oaken Lane just before Woodbourne Drive and at the bus stop on Church Road) to the meeting agenda with Liz Shakiri, Surrey Local Highways Officer. Liz notified of the flooding issues and investigating. Clerk to organise follow up meeting on next steps in November. DONE. The Avenue/Hare Lane flooding was due to burst water main. Now fixed. Foley Road - Gullies have been cleaned. Church Road by Claygate Recreation Ground bus stop - In Jan-March 6 gullies were all cleared, and roots were removed. SCC also increased pipe size. There is significant land water coming off the Rec Ground which they attribute to land run off from Foley Road, school etc. SCC believe they have done everything they can to fix matter. (PARISH COUNCIL H&TE MEETING 10-DEC-20)

AP48 Clerk to get cost from EBC Street Smart to paint and clean the Bus Stop at Church Road and bring to the next HT&E Committee on the 29th October. DONE. EBC cleaned and removed graffiti free of charge. (PARISH COUNCIL MEETING 19-NOV-20)

AP74 Clerk to request via EBC whether the resident is planting a replacement tree where Half Acre Oak Tree was felled on Church Road. DONE Decision to fell was granted subject to replacement planting from a low water demand tree list. (PARISH COUNCIL PLANNING MEETING 5-NOV-20)

AP72 MS to send photo to Clerk of missing double yellow lines at end of Church Road. Clerk to notify SCC. DONE. Lines have been reinstated. (PARISH COUNCIL H&TE MEETING 29-OCT-20)

Litter surrounding bin by Church Road bus stop is frequently a problem. The committee said that they all need to do there bit in clearing up litter if they see it. (PARISH COUNCIL H&TE MEETING 29-OCT-20)

Oak Tree, Church Road – This tree has now been felled despite CPC objection. Russell Gibbons, Senior Tree Officer EBC said that the applicant managed to supply enough information to demonstrate the Oak very likely causing serious soil volume fluctuations towards the front of the house. They were some of the largest variations in level monitoring (changes in soil level) he’s seen in his career. If the information was substandard or did not heavily support tree root-related subsidence from the Oak, the Council could refuse the application. However, with the strong evidence demonstrating beyond reasonable doubt the tree was influencing the clay soil volume, the Council would likely be made liable for any future costs of repair to the house including underpinning. (PARISH COUNCIL PLANNING MEETING 8-OCT-20)

Flooding

The Clerk circulated the EA Flood action plan to Committee members ahead of the meeting. The prime focus of the EA Flood Action plan is to raise awareness of flooding with the general public. EBC had actioned a full strategic review of the flood situation in Claygate in 2019. In this review Claygate was classed as low risk for flooding from rivers. The River Rythe had creating some fluvial flooding on Hare Lane and Raleigh Drive historically. The EBC review noted that there is a high risk of surface water flooding in Claygate. SCC have identified the following locations as susceptible to surface water flooding: Oaken Lane, Gordon Road, The Avenue, The Parade, Foley Road, Church Road, Coverts Road, and Littleworth Road. It was noted that SCC had been actively clearing gullies in a number of problem roads over the winter period. In particular, the work that SCC had done in widening the gullies on Church Road by the bus stop, appeared to have been a success. SCC will still need to clear out the gullies each year due to leaves but once cleared the gullies should function correctly and Church Road should remain flood free. Finally, it was noted that Claygate Centre on Elm Road was an Emergency Rest Centre in the event of a flooding incident.

The CPC urged Claygate residents to move their cars on days that SCC are cleaning gullies to ensure SCC has the best chance in preventing surface water flooding. They asked that Raleigh Drive residents contact Thames Water in the event of flooding in that area as it was often relating to the pumping station by Hare Lane Green. CPC would continue to push that new developments in the area, such as Claygate House, are taking a proactive responsibility to protect the River Rythe area from future flooding and that they are doing their bit to maintain the river.

The Committee agreed that EBC Strategic Flood review had identified the areas of concern and that CPC will continue to monitor the situation.

The Clerk then updated the committee on the flooding under the railway bridge on the Bridleway South of the A3. Savills had informed her that they had Freeflow on site for three days pumping water from the underpass to try and clear the drain, however they were fighting a losing battle as the water was coming off the fields and into the underpass faster than we could pump it out. They’ve spoken to Surrey County Council and H&S signage has gone up for the time being to advise of deep water and blocked access. They will then need to revisit this in April/May once the winter rains have passed to pump the water away and then either clear the existing drain or look at alternative options of providing an outlet for the surface water run-off. Savills want CPC to be assured that it is something they are taking seriously and they are looking to find a long-term solution to. (PARISH COUNCIL HT&E MEETING 11-FEB-21)