Local resident submissions to the Elmbridge Borough Council electoral review This PDF document contains submissions local residents with surnames beginning S-Z. Some versions of Adobe allow the viewer to move quickly between bookmarks. Hinds, Alex From: on behalf of the hub - Wendy Sent: 25 March 2015 17:05 To: Hinds, Alex Subject: HINCHLEY WOOD ELMBRIDGE Hi Alex I am writing to share that I am not at all supportive of Elmbridge Council removing Hinchley Wood as a ward. I have lived here with my family for 11 years and feel it is a distinct committee with its own character and needs. It does not feel democratic for the council to decide we do not warrant out own councillor anymore and to carve us in half and lump us with other wards who have their own needs and do not necessarily understand the particular issues we face in Hinchley Wood eg local retailers, railway and associated issues eg commuter parking, safety and protecting schooling for local children. I am against Hinchley Wood losing its councillors and feel this a politically motivated decision rather than one based on what is best for the borough or its finances as the wards being removed are ones with independent councilllors. The removal of them will make things much easier for the majority Conservative Councillors to have greater control. Thanks for taking the time to read this. All best Wendy Shepherd -- Wendy Smithers 1 Local Boundary Commission for England Consultation Portal Page 1 of 1 Elmbridge District Personal Details: Name: Jacqueline Signor E-mail: Organisation Name: Public Comment text: Fully support Hinchley Wood staying a coherent and independent ward. Hinchley Wood is a community with its own local schools and shops. Preserving local communities should be an important consideration when forming councils otherwise there is no voice and no association for a community and ultimately no will to vote. Uploaded Documents: None Uploaded https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/print/informed-representation/5096 30/03/2015 Hinds, Alex From: Fuller, Heather Sent: 26 March 2015 08:24 To: Hinds, Alex Subject: FW: Elmbridge boundary review From: Peter Silk Sent: 25 March 2015 18:33 To: Reviews@ Subject: Elmbridge boundary review My wife and I are writing to voice our concerns on the proposed carve‐up of Hinchley Wood ward We believe it will destroy the strong vibrant Hinchley Wood community, with its shops and village character. The HWRA with its two councillors, currently works well and effectively represents Hinchley Wood. So we therefore believe that the correct solution is to keep Hinchley Wood as a two councillor ward. This will result in electoral fairness for Hinchley Wood electors and will protect the interests and identities of the community. Yours sincerely Peter & Yvonne Silk 1 Local Boundary Commission for England Consultation Portal Page 1 of 1 Elmbridge District Personal Details: Name: Derrick Simpson E-mail: Organisation Name: Comment text: I wish to oppose the plans to redraw the ward boundaries so that the ward of Hinchley Wood is merged with neighbouring wards and disappears. I moved to Hinchley Wood in 1988 and found a thriving community of self supporting and cooperative people with a real identity - much like a village. As a cohesive community the residents of Hinchley Wood work together to maintain the uniqueness of the area. The focus is around the memorial gardens, local shops, the church and school. Together the residents took a stand against the opening of a drive-in fast food restaurant (McDonalds) arguing their case about its detrimental effect on the traffic and environment of the community. The residents hold locally organised fetes, scout days and services. There is a strong residents association which pro-actively supports the community. All of this will be lost if the community is merged into the neighbouring wards to become yet another suburban sprawl. I cannot see the justification for effectively cutting Hinchley Wood into two and breaking up one of the few truly strong communities within Elmbridge. Our two councillors are effective and their independence from mainstream political parties on the council underlines the uniqueness of the Hinchley Wood village community and approach. I urge that the proposed ward boundary changes are not imposed on Hinchley Wood and the commission recognises that Hinchley Wood should retain it's two councillors and its identity. Uploaded Documents: None Uploaded https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/print/informed-representation/5116 31/03/2015 Local Boundary Commission for England Consultation Portal Page 1 of 1 Elmbridge District Personal Details: Name: Pauline Simpson E-mail: Organisation Name: Comment text: The proposed ward boundaries will destroy Hinchley Wood. Having lived in Hinchley Wood since 1988, I have been amazed and very pleased by the community atmosphere that it has, and which is not common in many commuter areas. This community focuses on the shops and Memorial Gardens and has many times shown that it is proud and very keen to maintain its identity, initially when the whole community came together to fight off the threat of a MacDonalds coming onto the area and more latterly when a school wished to build on green belt land. There is a strong and vibrant Resident's Association and a strong church presence. There are frequent events in the Memorial Gardens which are well supported from residents across Hinchley Wood and are supported by our local Councillors. Hinchley Wood works well as a single community, thinks as a single community and is a single community - it has one identity. These proposals will not work for the residents across the area. Uploaded Documents: None Uploaded https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/print/informed-representation/5115 31/03/2015 Hinds, Alex From: Fuller, Heather Sent: 13 February 2015 11:45 To: Hinds, Alex Subject: FW: Electoral Review of Elbridge From: Sue Kilpatrick Sent: 13 February 2015 11:39 To: Reviews@ Subject: Electoral Review of Elbridge Dear Sirs, My views on the electoral review of Elbridge are as follows: I agree that the number of Elbridge Borough Councillors should be reduced by 12 to 48. I agree that there should be one Ward relating to all of the Cobham & Downside Ward but extending to some of the Cobham Area currently covered by the Cobham & Fair mile Ward. I agree that the remainder of the Cobham Fair mile Ward should be merged with the Ward covering Upshot & Stoke d’Abernon. I agree that the new Cobham Ward should be represented by three Ward Councillors and the new Oxshott & Stoke d’Abernon Ward should have three Ward Councillors, ‐ an overall loss of two Councillors. I identify Cobham & Downside as my local community although there are close links with Stoke d’Abernon and Oxshott. The main shopping area, together with facilities such as the Library, are in Cobham. However, the mainline railway station is in Stoke d’Abernon – some 1.5miles away from the centre of Cobham. I understand that although a part of the Cobham Fairmile Ward might merge with the Oxshott Ward, for all other purposes it will remain part of Cobham. Yours faithfully, Mrs Susan Kilpatrick, OBE 1 Hinds, Alex From: Tony Smith Sent: 29 March 2015 19:26 To: Reviews@ Subject: Don't carve up Hinchley Wood ward To whom it may concern, This is to inform you of our opposition to the planned changes to the ward boundaries. We want to save our identity and the character of Hinchley Wood as a ward. Hinchley Wood is its own distinct community, with its own shops, its village centre, and its own community events around that characteristic hub of the centre of our community. Each of us are proud of the community we live in and support the activities that make the environment what it is, such as the church, involvement with our own Scouts/Guides, the different sports, the running and cultivation of the allotments, and volunteer work that help to identify who we are. Hinchley Wood is where we live and all its amenities are precision to us such as the vets, the thriving business environment from independent coffee shops that can sit along side popular commercial enterprises and the personal facilities which add to a social cohesion. Each of the wards around us have their own different character and each must be preserved and maintained and encourage. I run round and through the different wards that make up our area and enjoy the diversity and nature and the character of each. This proposal flies in the face of the statutory criteria which state that ward boundaries should reflect the interests and identities of local communities. Please leave the ward of Hinchley Wood as it is and let it continue to be the place that it deserves to be. Thank you. Tony Smith Hinchley Wood (and proud of it ). 1 Hinds, Alex From: Fuller, Heather Sent: 27 March 2015 14:34 To: Hinds, Alex Subject: FW: Hinchley Wood Ward - Boundary Review Importance: High From: Katy Sutcliffe Sent: 27 March 2015 08:36 To: Reviews@ Subject: Hinchley Wood Ward - Boundary Review Importance: High To Alan Hinds and the Boundary Review Panel I have been a resident of Hinchley Wood for almost 13 years and strongly object to the proposed changes to the ward of Hinchley Wood being split and absorbed into Long Ditton and Weston Green. These proposed changes would totally ignore the unique identities of these three distinct villages. Hinchley Wood is a vibrant community with a strong village life and unique identity. It offers two fabulous schools for local children, St Christopher's church which also acts as the hub of the community hosting many groups and clubs for local residents.