May/Jun 2017 – Issue 157 In this edition Dragon Boats back From the Lakeside Inside Brockhill Fly-tipping NGP NEEDS YOU! GPCA is pressing ahead with plans to maintain and enhance North Meadow in a major project called Natural Goldsworth Park. This follows success in a 21-month campaign to save the opportunities for residents and schools to participate in a area from development when Woking Council voted on April variety of activities to encourage nature awareness, as well 6 to protect the area until 2027. as ecology, meadow and woodland improvement initiatives. The project, managed by GPCA committee member Gerry said: “This is no ordinary project. NGP is a project Gerry Smeesters, aims to enhance the area and also provide covering 16 acres of natural land, to Turn to Page 3 TRADING IN SURREY FOR OVER 40 YEARS rsmdomesticappliances.com Your Local ONLINE Bosch PRICES Superstore YOUR LOCAL RSM STORE: The first stop for Bosch quality High Street appliances at online prices. Knaphill, Woking SALES • ADVICE • REPAIRS Call Fast, free local delivery. 01483 475000 Visit our showroom today! Also in Bookham and Ashtead SPECIALISTS IN CLEVER DESIGN CALL 0500 691771 FOR A FREE DESIGN CONSULTATION Frimley Woking Guildford www.notjustkitchenideas.com 2 GOLDSWORTH Views from the Chair YOU may have seen reports that the Goldsworth Park NEWS Shopping Centre is up for sale – for a guide price of £17.4m. The 5.3 acre site has changed hands on a number of occasions Goldsworth News is the magazine of the since it was first built in the mid 1980s and, to be honest, it Goldsworth Park Community Association, has made little difference to residents. published bi-monthly and distributed free of charge to approximately 5,000 dwellings For nearly 10 years, I have been trying to get the number and organisations throughout Goldsworth of parking bays for disabled “Blue Badge” holders increased Park and the surrounding area. to something nearer the number recommended in “Inclusive EDITORIAL TEAM: Mobility”, a report by the Department for Transport in response to the Disability George Binyon, Michael Farlam, Discrimination Act, 1995 and to get these bays located near to the Health Centre – such Malcom Head, Royer Slater and Robin Spice bays should be within 50 metres of the place the disabled person is visiting – all to no avail. [email protected] The car park was built with 10 bays for “Blue Badge” holders and this was reduced Published by the to seven when some were relabelled as “carer and child” bays, but there should be at Goldsworth Park Community Association least 15 such spaces. My campaign started when the site was owned by Henderson Retail Designed and printed by Knaphill Print Property and managed by Savills then PNB Paribas, and has continued since it was bought ADVERTISE IN GOLDSWORTH NEWS by Ropemaker Properties and managed by JLL. Contact Paul Webster: 07778 836405, In the main, we have a good relationship with the managing agents and, recently, they [email protected] have not done too badly by the centre; they repaired the guttering, renewed the play DISTRIBUTION area and seating, agreed to our Christmas tree, are dealing with a rat problem, and filled Linda Hill, 5 Newsham Road, in some of the potholes - although the car park needs complete resurfacing which would Goldsworth Park GU21 3LA. provide the perfect opportunity for creating the much-needed disabled bays. Tel: 01483 835183 Email: [email protected] No doubt the campaign will continue with the new owners and managing agents, whoever they turn out to be, so watch this space. Copy for the next issue in July/August must be submitted by Monday, 3rd July 2017 If you have any issues of general concern or would like to be involved in the work of the By post: 37 Willowmead Close, GPCA, please contact me through this magazine or at [email protected]. Goldsworth Park GU21 3DN. Email: [email protected] Irene Watson, GPCA Chairman GPCA MEETINGS Meetings of the Community Association are held at 7.30pm at Goldwater Lodge. @ourgpca facebook.com/goldsworth.park 2017 meetings: January 31; April 25; July 25; AGM November 7. All residents are welcome. If you would like to be put on the mailing list for NGP needs you! From Page 1 minutes and other information, email [email protected] benefit people and nature and to be undertaken by the community. It will require or call 01483 714096. extraordinary support, commitment and, of course, volunteers to achieve all of our goals in the coming years. COUNCILLORS’ SURGERIES The Goldsworth Park Councillors hold a “Please do spare a few moments to visit our web page, ourgoldsworthpark.org.uk/park- surgery between 10 and 11am on the first life/natural-goldsworth-park/ and browse the Vision Statement. Look at the sub projects. Saturday of every month (except August) at There is something that should interest everyone, from helping with changes to the types Strollers, accessed from the path between of flora and fauna on North Meadow, to woodland management and wetland creation the shops and the lake. Ann-Marie Barker (Lib Dem) activity. We are currently approaching our local schools at Sythwood and Beaufort to Ian Eastwood (Lib Dem) engage and encourage their participation. Chitra Rana (Con) “We need your help. The first step is for you to join our mailing list and ask us to provide DISCLAIMER you with updates. You can also let us know if you want a more active role in the project. No responsibility for the quality of goods or Why not tell us your ideas about activities or events that we could organise to encourage services advertised in this magazine can be people to make the most of this small but beautiful space. accepted by the publishers, designers or printers. Advertisements are included in good faith. “If you have an interest in nature, the environment or wildlife, experience in similar No part of this magazine may be undertakings, have skills or expertise that may come in useful for our project, now reproduced in any form without the express or at a later date, we would really like to hear from you. Send an email to projects@ prior permission of the publishers. ourgoldsworthpark.org.uk The publishers do not necessarily agree “Woking Council are as excited about the potential for this project as are the GPCA. with the views expressed by contributors nor do they accept any responsibility for errors of Therefore, we will be working in partnership with them. Initially, we need to establish interpretation in the subject matter of data on the soil conditions and come up with options for establishing a more nature- this magazine. friendly and diverse habitat. We also need to consider and design proposals for the All reasonable care is taken to ensure woodland and wetland. Only then will we be able to agree activity, timescales and start accuracy in preparation of the magazine but the real project work. “ neither the publisher nor printer can be held legally responsible for the return of unsolicited Martin Slocock, distinguished local botanist, and project Patron, said: “The challenge is manuscripts, art work or projects. Whilst now for the Goldsworth Park community to grasp this opportunity and show, during the every care is taken, no responsibility can be next 10 years, that it can make the very most of this wonderful opportunity.” accepted for the safety of material submitted. Project volunteers will be available in Goldwater Lodge on Dragon Boat race day, Sunday June 25, to answer any questions and hoping to recruit helpers. Please read and recycle • Our priority is for volunteers with a knowledge of soil analysis and suitable flora for a meadow environment. 3 4 Woking Parking Review Last year,Centre Surrey County attracting Council undertook a review fly-tippers of requests for new, or amendments to existing, parking WHY ARE YOU HERE FREE restrictions. Recommendations for new restrictions and JUST A £5 FLY-TIPPING is an ugly practice, and blue recycling bin, but you recycleNOW? them at If you are one of the manyREGISTRATION who often changes to existing arrangements were presented to the FEE! costly to us all because the cost of the recycling site located near Waitrose. produce extra recycling, additional recycling joint Woking Committee on 22 October 2014. The joint clearing it is borne by the local council Andy Denner, Marketing CommunicationsDo you ever bins ask are what available life free is of really charge fromabout Woking andWoking charged Committee back through approved taxes. all of the recommendations and these are now being formally advertisedManager at for Woking public Council toldor Goldsworth how to makeBorough the Council. most To of order it? an additional comment.Rubbish dumpingThey can happens be seen nearly at www.surreycc.gov.uk/roads- every News: “All materials left in the banks there recycling bin, email [email protected] dayand-transport/parking/parking-news-and-updates/parking- in the Waitrose car park at Goldsworth are collected, sorted and thenAsking used by questionsthe or call is 01483 the basis755855. of You Practical can also find out Park Centre, where the area around the named charity or organisation to raise news-and-updates-in-woking Philosophy; weeklymuch more evening about courses recycling designed in Woking by recycling bins is regularly fouled by sacks valuable funds. For Goldsworth Park, there are three recommendations for to help you explorevisiting www.woking.gov.uk/waste and discuss great of cardboard and paper, bottles, clothing/ double yellow lines at junctions to prevent vehicles“So be careful parking what you putphilosophical in them. Any concepts. textiles and toys.