AUTUMN 2020 WESTHORSLEY.INFO News and information from West Horsley Parish Council MAJOR PLANNING “I have been APPLICATIONS paid the honour of becoming REVIEWED your new Chairman” CLLR ELAINE BEST IN THIS ISSUE Horsley Farmers Market Village Hall playground gets Plans for next year’s Village Horsleys Railway Task third Saturday each month a makeover Fête on 11 September Group “adopts” the Station AUTUMN 2020 HELLO FROM THE CONTACT DETAILS & CREDITS Parish Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer: Sam Pinder, West Horsley Parish Council, 95 The NEW CHAIRMAN Street, West Horsley, KT24 6DD 01483 901905, [email protected] Just when I thought I had “finally!” retired, I was paid the honour of being Editor: Vanessa Buosi, [email protected] elected as the new Chairman of the Parish Council in May Design and Artwork: The Creative Workshop, Having lived in West Horsley since 1994 and been and ruralness that is West Horsley. Thank 01580 212551, www.tcws.co.uk. a Parish Councillor since 2015, it is a privilege to you, Charles. We will have an opportunity to Print by: Simply Print Partners, 07768 228079, be able to serve the village I’m so proud to live celebrate your contribution once the COVID-19 www.simplyprintpartners.com. in. It was my horse that found West Horsley restrictions are lifted. I should also like to WHPC Photographer: Rex Butcher for me all those years ago …she was record appreciation to our Vice Chairman, stabled in Martyrs Green …I was living Mel Beynon, all the Councillors some All dates correct at time of going to press. in Brighton, working in London and of whom are new and our Clerk, Sam The views or opinions expressed may not needing to find a house near her. I did Pinder, for the work they do and necessarily reflect those held by WHPC. and the rest, as they say, is history! will be doing as the Council moves I begin with paying tribute to forward. It is a pleasure to work with Front Cover: West Horsley Place, taken by the outgoing Chairman, Charles you all. Rex Butcher July 2020 Hope. Charles served the Parish I also look forward to collaborating Council for over 20 years; the last with the new East Horsley Parish 13 as Chairman. Such long, Council Chairman, Robert Taylor steadfast and committed on many of the issues that face service must not pass both our villages. without due recognition of his dedication to serve Cllr Elaine Best the community and help [email protected] preserve the character THE ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020 STATEMENT & STRATEGIC VISION With the impact of the imposed lockdown in is impressive and the whole ambience, magical; application front, the housing developments March we were unable to hold the Annual Parish congratulations Grange Park Opera. We look identified for our village over the next five years Meeting that was arranged for 28 April. It would forward to the 2021 season COVID-19 permitting. will make for some difference and so looking at have been an opportunity for us to feedback The Council’s year having started well was, like and responding to the consequences, especially on the work we had done following the views us all, met with the unprecedented experience of on infrastructure, character and biodiversity, expressed at the 2019 meeting. As a flavour, a pandemic and lockdown in March. Inevitably, will certainly be prime attention for the Council. I many of those who attended spoke of their much of our intentions have had to be curtailed believe it is time for us to have a clear plan for our concern over road safety, so we now have a Task – we even had to learn videoconferencing, an village that aims to protect what we hold dear yet Group focussed on looking at traffic calming absolute first in the history of Parish Councils! enables an appropriate response to move with measures and ready to discuss with, as well as However, it has led to us thinking about our ways the times. liaising with, Surrey Highways (SCC). Overgrown of working and communicating with residents: West Horsley is a rich tapestry of people hedges invading pavements and obscuring this new style newsletter is the beginning… and organisations from the educational and sight lines was another area where we have And that’s my lead in for saying we plan to cultural, the caring and supportive, the voluntary, established a more proactive process for asking set out our strategic vision for the Council in the the spiritual, the financial and the business landowners to cut back hedges after the nesting coming weeks and to invite residents’ comments. environment. I hope that the Parish Council in season. So much is changing around us not least because working with such diversity can bring about The Village Fête last September was a joyous of Guildford’s Adopted Local Plan, the impact of the best possible outcomes to the benefit of and successful event. Heartfelt thanks are due climate change and the ravaging consequences everyone over the months to come. to Judy Young and her organising committee, of coronavirus on our daily lives. On the planning Cllr Elaine Best - [email protected] the stall holders and West Horsley Place for providing a wonderful setting. Plans are afoot for next year’s Fête on 11 September 2021 with even more exciting stalls. The Parish Council had been meeting periodically with the Director, Peter Pearce, to learn about the continuing programme of restoration work at West Horsley Place which, West Horsley Place of itself, is exciting. There is so hosted the Village Fête much history to absorb and in 2019 ponder over. We thank and wish Peter well in his retirement and look forward to meeting his successor in the autumn. Speaking of West Horsley Place, “Theatre in the Woods” in 2019 provided a wonderful cultural season of music and entertainment. The building itself 2 WWW.WESTHORSLEY.INFO WEST HORSLEY PARISH COUNCIL NEWSLETTER AUTUMN 2020 FINANCE & EXPENDITURE 2019-2020 The West Horsley Parish Council (WHPC) precept and grant from Guildford Borough Council for the PARISH COUNCIL EXPENDITURE 2019-20 financial year that has just ended was £90,517, an increase on the previous year’s budget of £84,217. One area of growth in our spending has n Administration been in planning, allowing the Parish Council to access specialist expertise to enhance the work n Staff, Members & associated carried out by our Planning & Environment Task on-costs Group in responding to the many West Horsley n Village appearance & facilities applications. We also made a significant grant last n year to two local campaigns seeking to challenge Village Hall donation & the Local Plan via judicial reviews. playground works We provided significant funds to the Village n Grants to local groups Hall Management Committee (VHMC) for n Planning consultancy improvements to the playground, including replacing the wet pour surfaces and the n Judicial Review Donations installation of the new kickwall. Each year, we n Community Events invite applications from village organisations n and charities for small grants – if you would Training like more information, please contact [email protected] for details. FARMERS MARKET COVID-19 UNPRECEDENTED TIMES The Horsley Farmers Market has been held on Nobody really saw it coming – at least not with lockdown. Huge thanks to Judy Young and all the third Saturday of the month, 9am-1pm, since the magnitude that it turned out to have or the the Champions, to Roshini and Rammeash it was launched in August and has been going devastating impact it has had on people’s lives and their Angels at Station Parade Post Office, down extremely well with East and West Horsley and livelihoods. But such adversity brings out who were awarded the Post Office recognition residents alike. Even though stalls are 3m apart the best in the community and West Horsley of “Local Heroes”, Jenni at Crossroads Stores and COVID distancing rules for the public are in was no exception. East and West Horsley and Shelina and Ian at Bishopsmead Post place, along with hand sanitizer stations, it is great Parish Councils liaised well together along Office – a truly marvellous contribution. Thank to see such a turn out even on the drizzly days! with our Borough and County Councillors. you. Appreciation too to Mark at the King Billy With this in mind, the seven-person organising The initiatives taken by Neighbourhood who also did deliveries and, like Mustafa at the team would like to say ‘thank you’ to those who Connections and St Mary’s Church to create Barley Mow, both providing take-away meals. help create this success: to the people who local Road Champions and the entrepreneurial There were very many quiet acts of kindness come along from East and West Horsley; to spirit shown by the two Post Mistresses and and thought as well so to all these people, an the stallholders who support the market; Jenni at Crossroads Stores was amazing to help enormous thank you. “Lovely community ensure provisions and support were available Do keep a watch on the Parish Council to the 24 volunteers to those who needed help. It all happened with website for updates on COVID-19 and help who give their time; to event and a great such speed and has continued throughout the available to residents and businesses. those people who walk atmosphere” or cycle and finally to Ripley and Guildford Farmers Markets for their support and encouragement. Markets are planned for Saturday 17 October, 21 November and 19 December when the team hope to hold a Christmas Market throughout East Horsley, if government guidelines permit.