Lower Kingswood Residents Association Chairman: David Patel Secretary: Robert Brown Treasurer: Faye Miles VILLAGE NEWS www.lowerkingswood.co.uk MARCH 2015 Spring Edition 2015 Inside this issue: Chairman's Report to Residents Welcome to our Spring 2015 issue of Village News Borough Council report; 2 and we would like to extend a warm welcome to all County Council report those new residents who have moved into the village Crime & Policing report; 3 over the past few months. Please remember that all Residents’ Association residents of Lower Kingswood are members of the Committee report Residents’ Association, if you have any concerns Land & Cities Family Trust 4 about the Village, the Residents’ Association Kingswood Primary School 5 Committee is here to try and help you and represent your interests. Wisdom of God Church 6 Unlike most other local Residents’ Associations there Illiminare Consort; Church 7 Hall is no annual subscription payable – our running costs are met from the revenue of advertisements in our CAMEO Club; Strollers 8 newsletter. So please help support our local Village Fête; Toddler 9 businesses and advertisers; if using the services of Group; Courtyard Theatre one of our advertisers please mention that you Girlguiding; KW&T 11 saw their advertisement in Village News. Horticultural Society; LAURIE KAYE Kingswood Parish Events Committee Prior to our last Residents’ Association Committee Scout Group; Monthly 13 meeting, Laurie had advised us of his intention to step Coffee Circle down as a member of the Committee. Crumbs; Are you registerd 14 We should like to put on record our thanks for all his to vote?; Banstead History contributions to the Residents’ Association over the Centre past 6 years and to wish him all the best for the future. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The AGM of the Lower Kingswood Resi- dents’ Association will take place at 7:45pm on WEDNESDAY 3rd JUNE 2015 at the Church Hall in Buckland Road; it will be pre- ceded by the AGM of the Kingswood Village Hall Trust at 7:30pm. All residents are welcome to attend both meetings. Any resident wishing to stand for election to the We very much appreci- Residents’ Association Committee should submit ate the support of our their application in writing to the Secretary (via advertisers but their ap- the Chairman if more convenient) at least 7 days VILLAGE NEWS pearance in our newslet- before the AGM. ter and/or our website Once again thank you to all who have contributed does not constitute a articles and helped with both the production and DOG FOULING recommendation. distribution of this newsletter. Village News is We have received a number of complaints from distributed free to all households in (and around) residents about dog fouling in the Recreation Ground Lower Kingswood, and this is only possible because and some other local roads - in particular Josephine of the assistance given by a number of volunteers. Avenue. It should be noted that a number of official If you would like to help, in particular with complaints have been made and it is likely that the distribution, please contact our Chairman. offender(s) may well face action from the Council. AND FINALLY…. Can we please remind those dog-owners who are We should like to take the opportunity of thanking exercising their pets that there are a number of bins Fidelity Investment Management for their assistance located in the Recreation Ground specifically for in the printing of your Residents’ Association’s depositing dog mess. newsletter Village News. Reigate & Banstead Surrey County Council Borough Council report report Dear Residents Dear Residents This year we have been very lucky with the weather. Last year the clearing up process cost you a great deal of money and des- I thought rather than tell you all the great things that are going on, pair for many residents. Let’s hope we get through the rest of it would be also worthwhile telling you a bit about what has been the winter/spring without the same problems. achieved and what work has been done by me as your Surrey Our roads are not as we would wish them, and I spend a great County Councillor - so far! deal of time driving over potholes and making a note of where they are. Surrey County Councillors Bob Gardner and Mike FUNDING SCHEMES Gosling are fully aware of the problems and try to improve the Funding of Village notice board spend in this part of the world, but the County Council can't Funding cycling projects spread its money everywhere, so please be understanding and Funding project Children in Care support tolerant. Supporting and funding the Village Fête Contribution to the Church Hall double-glazing We really do have choices, more school places, more care for the Funding the cutting back of trees the length of Buckland Road frail elderly, or more potholes repaired. My vote is for the school Funding and installing a pram ramp for the disabled use in Smithy places and better care for the elderly. If any of you feel differ- Lane ently please let me know. Funding the Village Shop & Post Office sign Funding and supporting the Lower Kingswood Bowls Club I can assure you that Surrey County Council does not fund 5 Funding Job Clubs minutes care slots. You try getting through the bathroom rou- Funding and arranging the British Legion Bench (in Merstham) tine, getting showered, dressed, and having your breakfast. No Refurbishing the war memorial (in Merstham) chance, and I suggest even the fittest of you would be hard put to achieve that. ACTIVITY Our children are our future, and our elderly are our past; without Refurbishing the white road lines at the Buckland Road/Stubbs both groups we will become a third-rate country. Lane cross roads Cleaning of blocked drains We live in a lovely part of the country, and I for one feel privi- Repairing of drain ironwork leged to be a Reigate and Banstead resident; I hope that you do Provision of footpath lighting too. Road repair schemes Pothole repairs If you have specific problems, please do not hesitate to call or Flood restoration email one of our team of local councillors. Parking control programmes We will all do our best to help solve your problems. Provision of a salt bin A217/Buckland Road Clearing fallen trees Kindest regards Road speed limit measurement Councillor Joan Spiers Provision of road signs in Babylon Lane Member for Kingswood with Burgh Heath Removal of fly tipping in Green Lane Email: [email protected] Panel member of youth programs Telephone: 01737-276021 (P.A. at Town Hall - Supporting the YMCA Alison Ellis) Supporting the Scouts School traffic calming COMMITTEES Panel member Age Concern Surrey Governor of two Schools Councillor Rosalind Mill Task Group for Epsom & St Helier Hospital Executive Member for Leisure & Task Group for East Surrey Hospital Wellbeing Task Group for South East Ambulance Authority Email: [email protected] Chair the Travel Smart sustainable transport programme Telephone: 01737-833705 Chair the Impact of Welfare reform scrutiny committee Vice Chairman of the Reigate & Ban- stead Local Committee Director of the Merstham Facility Com- Councillor Simon Parnall munity Trust Member for Kingswood with Burgh Heath Regards Email: Cllr.Parnall@reigate- Bob Gardner banstead.gov.uk County Councillor for Merstham & Telephone: 01737-830888 Banstead South Email: [email protected] Telephone: 0845-643-1112 Spring 2015 Page 2 Lower Kingswood Village News Lower Kingswood watch Welcome to our new Crime and Policing column. there is a security problem with your bank card or credit card. The caller then asks for further bank details or your PIN to con- CUT BACKS AFFECT LOCAL POLICING firm your identity. Sometimes the caller suggests sending a cou- Government cut backs in public sector spending are already rier to collect your bank card. having a real effect on the level of policing throughout Surrey; On other occasions, the caller may suggest sending a courier to and there are more cut backs to come. help you withdraw cash from a cash point so they can pay it into Kevin Hurley, the Police & Crime Commissioner for Surrey, has a more secure account for you. recently shelved his plans to hold a County-wide referendum The Police and Banks, will NEVER telephone you asking for designed to ask Surrey residents if they would pay an extra £1 your personal details: the Police don't need them, and your bank per week (24%) in Council Tax to fund policing in Surrey. will have them already on file. They will NEVER send a courier Although Surrey is one of the safest counties in England, Mr. to your home. Hurley says we receive the second lowest level of funding per These criminals regularly target the elderly and vulnerable, rob- head of population in the country. He says, budget cuts in Sur- bing them their hard earned savings. The Police believe they use rey policing will mean fewer officers and staff over the next few the internet and/or telephone directory to collect potential vic- years. tims' contact details. In place of his proposed referendum, Mr. Hurley has raised po- Elderly residents in Tadworth, Nork, Banstead, Epsom, Leather- licing costs for Band D Council Tax by 1.99% to £215.89 for head and Ashtead have been contacted recently. Sadly a man in 2015/2016. his 60s from Epsom passed on his bank details and later, around DAYTIME BURGLARIES £40,000 was removed from his account. Increasingly, criminals are targeting homes in Lower Kingswood If you receive a call like this- and Tadworth during the afternoon school-run between 2:00pm and 5:30pm.