Founded in 1934 our Association is a strong, locally based non-party-political organisation whose constitution gives priority to protecting the amenities and furthering the interests of the inhabitants of Thames Ditton and Weston Green. We work to preserve and enhance the best in our attractive environment and the quality of life of everyone in our community.

Through regular meetings, social activities, our magazine and website we keep in touch with residents' views and we raise and spend funds for the benefit of the community, from tree and bulb planting to contesting unacceptable development projects.

With five Residents' Councillors we have a strong voice on Elmbridge Council working with other residents' councillors to ensure that decisions are based on the needs of local communities and on good management rather than on party politics.

Our Residents' County Councillor Peter Hickman represents our views at Surrey County Council.

Our Councillors and Officers are listed here.

Since 1973 the Association has been registered as a civic society with the Civic Trust and its constitution is framed accordingly. To continue to endorse and support our representatives in local authorities, the Association complies with electoral legislation and since 2000 has been registered with the Electoral Commission.

Comment:

Thames Ditton and Weston Green are attractive places to live, with excellent facilities as well as green spaces, and for these reasons property values have continued to rise strongly. The commercial pressures to exploit land and buildings in the area are correspondingly great. Equally, as running costs are towards the higher end in this locality, and budgets can be balanced for a year by making a closure or a sale, there are perennial pressures from county and local authorities to cut, trim or sell off facilities of long-term local benefit to residents,in order to meet short-term financial goals. Proposals from both private and public sectors need to be examined carefully in the interests of all inhabitants of the area, in time to take necessary action.

The Association is emphatically not a bunch of old fuddy-duddies, resistant to change, crying "Not in my back yard!" We have active adult members of all ages, although naturally those who are in full time employment can devote less time than others to carrying out the Association's duties. We are not opposed to the evolution of Thames Ditton and Weston Green; but we wish to see this done in keeping with the character and soul of the locality. We applaud high quality, tasteful and sensitive development or investment. We are opposed to developments of minimum quality for maximum profit, or the irreversible loss of the tangible and intangible assets that combine to make this a wonderful place to live. We are in favour of conserving the few remaining green spaces that contribute so much to a village atmosphere and to recreational enjoyments. We want to protect the environment. We wish to retain the diversity of local shops and businesses, excellent and varied local health care facilities and provision for the elderly and for children. We want safe, clean streets, and drains that work properly. We want to ensure good value for our local money.

In short - we want to live here.

We take consultation very seriously and make every effort to communicate with residents and establish their views, the better to represent them and take action. Through regular open meetings at the Vera Fletcher Hall, and through social activities including the organisation of an annual Christmas Party, we keep in touch with residents. We produce a quarterly magazine, Thames Ditton Today, which is delivered to all residents and contains news and informative articles about Thames Ditton and Weston Green, including details of the Association's activities on behalf of residents.   This website also carries news of activities, and provides you with an additional means to express your views in our Forum and to contact the Association on matters of interest to you.

Proceedings of meetings here

Next Open meetings:

Tuesday 1 July 2008

Tuesday 30 Sept 2008

Tuesday 25 Nov 2008
All at Vera Fletcher Hall at 8pm

Residents' Councillors on Elmbridge Council

We work with all groups who are prepared to support value for money policies that benefit our community and protect the environment. In May 2006 we completed fourteen years of the administration headed by 31 Residents' Councillors. Between 2002 and May 2006 we held an overall majority on the Council, making Elmbridge then one of very few boroughs not controlled by the national political parties. The loss of a few Residents' seats in other wards in the May 2006 elections, and the withdrawal of Liberal Democrat support, resulted in the Conservatives regaining control. All the seats in the Cabinet, which is at the heart of Council decisions, are now occupied by Conservatives.

Council tax

During the Residents' tenure of office from 1992 - 2006, Elmbridge's share of Council Tax rose by less than the rate of inflation overall: only 21 percent (£157 to £190 for Band D), as against 195 percent (£327 to £966) for Conservative-controlled Surrey. And all this without any cuts in services, unlike almost all other neighbouring Boroughs.

Since the Conservatives regained power in Elmbridge in 2006 they have continued to keep Council Tax down and we support that (their colleagues in Surrey County Council however continue to vote in tax increases twice the rate of inflation). But we have resisted the Elmbridge policy of alternatively raising council revenue by dramatic increases, way beyond inflation, in charges for sservices to the elderly, to the bereaved (they have increased cemetery charges by 40%), and for short-stay parking in our community car-parks (40%) which they want to raise to commercial levels, presumably with the aim of selling them to the private sector.

We have also resisted Conservatives' attempts to close polling stations, and to reduce the number of councillors by a third (which would reduce representation of voters to considerably less than in other boroughs). In 2007 Residents' Group councillors voted against Conservative councillors who with the support of some Liberal Democrats voted in increases of over 30% in their pay and allowances!

Efficiency

In 6 years to 2006 we achieved over £7 million savings without cuts in services. External auditors' reports praised the great progress made in reversing years of decline, in contrast to previous highly critical audits under party political control. During Residents' Group tenure Elmbridge won 11 Charter Marks for outstanding services - more than any other Council in Surrey - and was also rated 'excellent' by the Government Audit Commission.

Local services

Against party political opposition we ensured the retention of vital services such as Day Centres, CAB. and Relate. Our allotments, proposed for sale to developers by the previous Conservative administration, are now successfully under self-management. The new Xcel leisure centre at Riverside Drive, Walton, developed against Conservtive opposition opened in August 2006 on time and on budget. The Conservative Leader of Elmbridge Council has stated that he would like to sell off this community health and fitness facility to the private sector.

Green belt

Residents' Councillors have successfully provided the lead in protecting the Green Belt, also commons, recreation and sports grounds and other open spaces, often against party political opposition.

In Thames Ditton and Weston Green

In recent years the Residents' Association and its Councillors have taken a leading role in raising the £500,000 needed to restore and reopen the Vera Fletcher Hall, providing a much needed community focus, particularly the Ember Day Centre for the elderly. We pushed for the establishment of our new Community Hospital Wing in the Emberbrook Health Centre, for saving the Dittons Skiff & Punting Club and played a key role in the opposition to the proposed superstore on Giggs Hill Green: the latter site was eventually developed more satisfactorily, adding high-quality housing and a well-equipped new health clinic to the area. We led the Campaigns for the Emberbrook Health Centre and NHS hospital wing at Giggs Hill Green.

In Weston Green we have achieved implementation of several measures to improve road safety, including extra signage in Ember Lane, various sites for Access Protection and pedestrian barriers at Esher Station, the 40 mph speed limit on Hampton Court Way, the introduction of an overnight lorry ban in the Woodlands - the first such ban in Elmbridge, and arranged greatly improved road lay-out at the junction of Hampton Court Way and Weston Green road. The Association's Councillors played a leading role in the establishment of Weston Green Conservation Area, successfully supported neighbours' objections to backland and unneighbourly development, worked with EVERGREEN to protect Green Belt behind Grove Way, and supported the successful battle to save the Tennis Club, and promoted the scheme for the protection and enhancement of Weston Green itself. Although we are inclusive and support attempts to rehabilite the disadvantaged, we successfully drew the line at a change of use of the Cranstoun hostel that would have meant it became a centre for active users of hard drugs useers (over 500 residents were vigorously opposed to that change of use)

Our sustained efforts to get Thames Water to inspect and address the problem of surface water drainage in the area have been rewarded with the implementation of a comprehensive scheme to improve pumping capabilities. Over the years to 2008 we have also led the battle with Network rail and Surrey council officials and contractors to get them to clear the two-mile system of drains, pipes and culverts where obstructions have caused flooding under Esher Station railway bridge.

Current activities are to be seen in the news section.