One of the strongest and longest-established Residents' Associations in England. If you have recently arrived in either the Thames Ditton or Weston Green wards, we offer you a warm welcome and invite you to view or print off our welcome letter. Please Subscribe - it's only £5 and helps to keep this going as well as the community magazine. Click here to learn more about us.

Our next OPEN MEETING is on Tuesday 21st Sep 2021 - 8pm (Vera Fletcher Hall, Thames Ditton, KT7 0LQ). All who live or work in Thames Ditton and Weston Green are welcome. Click here for our Open meeting dates

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News Highlights

51 flats proposed for TD High Street

A proposal to convert the AC Court offices in Thames Ditton High Street, KT7 0SR into 51 flats has been submitted to Elmbridge Borough Council   Summary:  Under the new Permitted Development rights, a 'Prior Approval Application' for 51 flats in AC Court will be able to largely bypass the usual planning application review by Elmbridge Borough Council. However the RA considers the proposed development to be very poor quality, not least in terms of cramped accommodation, poo...

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Garden waste collection to be suspended

Garden waste collection is being temporarily suspended due to council staff shortages. You may need to squash down your garden waste rather hard as your bin fills up this next few weeks. Elmbridge Borough Council (EBC) is suspending its garden waste collection service from Monday 2nd August for a period of two weeks. This is due to crew and driver shortages that are being compounded by high Covid-related absences. Mole Valley and Surrey Heath, which share the service with us, have already ha...

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Secret Gardens of TD - Part 2

The Secret Gardens of Thames Ditton has still more to offer.  If you enjoyed the lovely gardens on show last Saturday, hang on to your tickets as there's another feast for your eyes (and stomach) on Sunday 1st August, 2.00-5.30pm, at Garden Cottage, 29 Station Road. Tea and cakes will be available too - a perfect setting for Sunday afternoon tea.

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Local Plan Update

Planning Portfolio Holder and Working Group ask for major review of the Local Plan   Elmbridge Borough Council’s Portfolio holder for Planning, Cllr Karen Randolph, and the cross party Local Plan Working Group, have asked officers to carry out further work to better represent the views and aspirations of the Borough’s councillors. The Local Plan sets out the Council’s ‘Place Shaping’ vision for the next 10 to 15 years. It has been years in the making and is in its final stages befo...

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Jenrick won't protect High St shops

Letter from Housing Minister, Robert Jenrick, confirms that he has little interest in preserving small High Street shops which are vital for the commercial viability of village and town centres. Back in May, RA Chairman, Graham Cooke, wrote to our MP, Dominic Raab, asking for his support in protecting our local shops from the consequences of the Government's proposal to allow changes of use without local Council review.  Dominic Raab then wrote to the Housing Minister, and Robert Jenrick...

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Vote for your favourite retailer

Elmbridge Independent Retailer of the Year Awards This July the Elmbridge Independent Retailer of the Year Awards are back for a ninth successive year, giving shoppers the chance to vote for their favourite retailer, café, restaurant, salon or special independent who has gone above and beyond in recent times. These past twelve months our high streets and independent traders have shown once again why they are so valued in the community. When we needed a top up, a gift or a tasty treat to help...

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Walk-in vaccination clinics near us

Walk-in vaccination clinics available this weekend Molesey Centre for the Community Friday 25 June between 4pm-7pm First doses of Pfizer vaccine available to those aged 18+. Second doses of either AstraZeneca or Pfizer available to those who meet the criteria of 8 weeks plus since first dose. No appointment required. Address: 2 Bishop Fox Way, West Molesey, KT8 2AS Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher From Thursday 24 June until further notice between 9.30am and 6.30pm Those aged over 40 can ...

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Open Meeting put back to 20 July

Due to the four-week delay in the further easing of Covid restrictions, the RA's next Open Meeting has been put back to Tuesday 20th July, 8pm. This is to enable it to be held in person rather than having yet another Zoom meeting.  The venue, as originally planned, will be in the church hall of All Saints Weston Green, Chestnut Avenue, KT10 8JL. Details of the meeting will be posted closer to the date.  

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Oak processionary moths back again

Oak Processionary Moths (OPM)  It is the season for OPM caterpillars, a pest that has sadly become established in Elmbridge and most of Surrey. OPM caterpillars feed on oak leaves and can do quite serious damage to infested trees. It is believed it was introduced into the country in trees imported when the Olympic site was being developed, so it is non-native and, as yet, has no predators. This, and the fact that it nests in oaks which also host thousands of other valuable invertebrates...

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RA's letter to The Times re Planning

TD & WG Residents' Association Chairman, Graham Cooke, has written to The Times to dispute the ill-informed view expressed in an article published a few days earlier.  Graham's letter has been published today and is shown below.   Letters to the Editor, The Times, Saturday 15 May 2021 Sir, I disagree with James Forsyth’s assertion (in "Nimbyism will cost the Tories new voters", 13 May) that “the complexity of the planning rules and unpredictability of the system means that you...

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M25 Junction 10 - Upgrade decision delayed

The final decision by the Secretary of State on the proposed upgrade of the M25 junction with the A3 (Junction 10) has been put back 6 months to 12 November 2021 - 'to allow for further consideration of environmental matters'.   Click here to go to the Highways England website, for details of the proposed upgrade.  

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Election results

Congratulations to our TD & WG Residents' Association candidates - all were elected convincingly.  Thank you to all our RA members for their support. For Surrey County Council The Dittons Division NICK DARBY Residents' Association 2744 DAVID GATTEY Liberal Democrat 1239 NICHOLAS WEBER Conservative 1014 GREG KNOWLES Green Party 297 AHMAD ALI Labour 229 For Elmbridge Borough Council ...

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We welcome your support - The Residents' Association is for all residents and those who work in the borough wards of Thames Ditton and Weston Green regardless of party or creed. If you wish to contribute your skills and experience to support the Association in some capacity; if you have articles or photographs that you would like to submit for publication here or in our magazine; or if you would simply like to subscribe to our non profit-making Association, please contact us.

Please vote for Residents' Association candidates in local elections - We should be delighted to receive your support at election times. If you want us to bat for you, you must put us in!  Click here to find out more about why you should consider voting for us.