Parish Council Achievements

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Achievements 2nd April 2024

Parish Council

• Represented Community Centre members at meetings with Elmbridge Borough Council (EBC) to secure its future following the unplanned closures.
• Asked the Planning Inspectorate to recognise Claygate as a Local Centre—not s District Centre—in the Local Plan to protect Claygate from overdevelopment.
• Drafted and distributed a 20-page Courier newsletter to all residents with delivery help from CVA volunteers.
• Voted for a new Brian Rhodes Community Cup winner: John Bamford.
• Awarded a new contract which arranged for maintenance of six Highway Garden Sites by Paul's Garden Services for the next three years.
• Arranged and ran a very successful January Litter Pick.
• Awarded grants to plant Claygate Pearmain apple trees in Claygate and provide funds towards new picnic tables at Treetops on the Recreation Ground.
• Assisted the CVA by taking three vanloads of cuttings to the Leatherhead Recycling Centre following the removal of large quantities of over-growth along The Firs verge between Dalmore Avenue and Foley Road.
• Paid for maintenance of the defibrillator at The Hare & Hounds.
• Recruited a new Parish Clerk: Dawn Lacey.
• Appointed a young adviser and listened to her ideas.

Planning Committee

• Liaised with EBC regarding Land North of Raleigh Drive to object to development on Green Belt Land—Planning Inspectorate Ref APP/K3605/W/23/33343391; Planning Application Reference 2023/0962.
• Reviewed 41 Planning Applications in the last three months.
• Objected to Station House development (2024/0118). Raised concerns about insufficient car parking and the proposal's compliance with the relevant spatial regulations.
• Raised concerns with the Planning department about development at 11 Elm Gardens.
• Raised a formal objection to the proposal at 11 Elm Gardens (2024/0223): concerns about the size of the dwelling proposed, it being out of out of place, both in size and appearance contrary to policy.

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Achievements 23rd May 2024

Parish Council

• Carried out a very successful May Litter Pick, well attended by the Community, Guides, Brownies & Hub.
• Onboarded four new councillors following their election.
• Met with EBC representatives at the Claygate Centre to review progress towards re-opening four days a week & to make suggestions for joint activities between the two memberships.
• Approved £10k grant for refurbishments to the Village Hall.
• Approved £2k seed funding grant—50% matched by the Claygate Community Benefit Society Ltd (CCBS)—towards valuation and survey costs of The Winning Horse Project.
• Approved £50,000 CIL grant to The Winning Horse Project, contingent on a grant of £890,000 from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
• Onboarded & started to train the new Clerk & RFO.

Planning Committee

• Reviewed 22 planning applications in the past two months.
• Represented Claygate at the enquiry at EBC by the Planning Inspectorate into the application to build on the Green Belt: Land North of Raleigh Drive (2023/0962).
• Represented Claygate at the Local Plan review with the planning inspectorate at EBC.
• Met with EBC to discuss local planning issues and particularly to lobby for Claygate to be reclassified as a Local Centre to protect it from overdevelopment.
• Objected to the Station House HMO Development (2024/0118) at East Area planning committee, on the grounds of parking issues on The Parade. Unfortunately EBC voted for the development despite admitting at the Committee Meeting that there is a parking issue.

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Parish Council

• Took on management and coordination of The Way Forward project from the Claygate Village Association and agreed a governance structure for doing so, with CVA volunteers working with the CPC going forwards/
• Agreed a draft implementation plan for Claygate The Way Forward with Elmbridge Borough Council and started review of a vision and strategy for Claygate to be consulted on with residents in 1Q25.
• Developed the October edition of Claygate Courier, with the CPC and CVA distributing it.
• Cllr Gil Bray took the lead for the CPC, together with Holy Trinity Claygate and the Scouts, to organize the Remembrance Day Parade.
• Remembrance silhouettes explaining Local Hero biographies were sourced by Cllr Hadleigh Moon.
• Grant of over £10k to the Claygate Village Hall Association for equipment.
• Manned the stall at the Claygate Flower & Village Show, talking to Claygate residents about Claygate issues and how we can help.

Environment Committee

• Started a campaign against weeds on the roads; wrote to Surrey County Council CEO about the problem, and presented to other Surrey town and parish councils.
• Approved grant to the CVA for the Claygate Christmas Lights and Tree.
• Claygate Village Sign restored and installed with help from Richard Knight, Clive Thompson and Andy's Gardening Services.
• Cllr Donna Holt started investigation to install a new bench in The Parade, with seats higher than normal for people who are less able to stand up easily.
• Cllr Gil Bray liaised with the residents to organize and pay for the tree surgery necessary for a tree on the Meadow Road island.
• Cllrs organized and participated in the October litter pick which was also attended by many villagers and the Claygate Scouts.

Planning Committee

• Reviewed 70 planning applications.
• Cllr Anthony Sheppard led the CPC response to the government consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework, stressing the importance of preserving the Green Belt.
• Cllr Gil Bray represented Claygate at the Local Plan review with the Planning Inspectorate at EBC; and provided website and social media updates on the topic.
• Objected to 11 Elm Gardens development—application number 2024/1484—following the concerns of residents.
• Met with EBC and followed up on specific planning issues:
  • Continued to lobby EBC regarding Claygate's status as a 'local centre'. Now the Local Plan has been found to be unsound by the Inspector, we will ask again for this [designation] to be changed.
  • Asked EBC to take forward discussions with PA Housing regarding plans to develop on the site of garages at Holroyd Road and Foxwarren.
  • Lobbied EBC regarding objections by the Parish Council to householder applications not being referred to East Area Planning Committee.