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 14th Feb 2023 - 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

M25-A3 Wisley Interchange upgrade

National Highways have issued the following progress update on the preparatory work for the M25 Junction 10 upgrade.   You may have noticed that we’ve been busy getting ready to start our main work. We wanted to let you know about some changes that you will start see on the A3 and M25 in the new year. From January, we’ll be introducing temporary changes to the road layout around M25 junction 10/A3 Wisley interchange to help keep traffic flowing smoothly and create a safe working ar...

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Avian flu - Reporting dead wild birds

Reporting Dead Wild Birds   Elmbridge Borough Council report the following: Avian flu (H5N1) We are aware of reports of avian flu (H5N1) being present in birds around the Thames. Bird Flu is a disease of birds caused by a virus closely related to the human influenza viruses. Most strains of the virus have little effect on birds, but there is a strain, (H5N1), that can cause death in birds. Reporting dead wild birds Call Defra on 03459 335577  or email helpline@defra.gsi.go...

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Ultra-low Emission Zone to be expanded

Mayor of London announces expansion of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone to cover all of Greater London, as of 29 August 2023  The expansion follows a public consultation earlier in the year (click here to read earlier article).  For Elmbridge residents the ULEZ boundary will be very close.  Car journeys to Hampton Court, Kingston, Surbiton, New Malden, Tolworth, Chessington and Heathrow would all involve entering the zone (see map below).   However, the charge (£12.50 per d...

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River Thames Scheme Public Consultation

River Thames Scheme Public Consultation 8 November to 20 December 2022 The River Thames Scheme is launching a public consultation this autumn, running from Tuesday 8th November to Tuesday 20th December inclusive. Since the previous consultation in 2016, the Scheme has changed with the omission of Channel 1 and has evolved into a more integrated scheme which responds to the challenges of flooding; creating more access to green open spaces and sustainable travel routes. In addition the project...

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Jolly Boatman site - No judicial review

Elmbridge Borough Council's request for a judicial review of the decision on the Alexpo appeal for the Jolly Boatman site has been refused.  The council has released the following statement: In August we updated residents that the council did not accept the Planning Inspector’s decision that ultimately permission has been granted for the development of the Jolly Boatman site. Our next step was to obtain permission from the courts to proceed with a challenge. We submitted to the High C...

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Elmbridge Design Code - Your views?

Elmbridge Design CodeResidents invited to drop-by events Elmbridge Borough Council (EBC) is preparing a new Local Plan which will include policies to shape development in the borough for the next 15 years. In support of our Local Plan there are Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) that provide more specific details and guidance on how existing and emerging policies should be implemented. The Design Code is one such document; it will support the implementation of policies relating to design...

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N&C Festival: Photo competition results

Nature & Climate Festival Photography Competition Results The photography competition was run by the RA in the lead up to our Nature & Climate Festival on 23rd-25th September. Ellie Goulding, the singer/songwriter and UN Global Environment and WWF Ambassador, judged the photos the day before. Ellie absolutely loved the variety and emotion in the pictures. All the photos were exhibited in the Thames Ditton Centre for the Community throughout the festival weekend so that viewers could s...

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Jolly Boatman appeal decision to be challenged

Elmbridge Borough Council will challenge the Planning Inspector's recent decision which granted the appeal of Alexpo Ltd against the Council's rejection in 2021 of their proposed large-scale Jolly Boatman - Hampton Court Station redevelopment.  The challenge will take the form of a judicial review, seeking to quash the appeal decision on the basis that the Inspector did not give legally adequate reasons for his disagreement with the advice of Historic England.  To that end EBC has s...

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Aldi store - Planning Officer's report

Elmbridge Borough Council Planning Officer's report for Aldi's application 2021/3857 for a foodstore on Portsmouth Road   EBC's Planning Department has reviewed the Aldi application, and the Officer's report is now available, prior to a Planning Committee meeting on 16 August - to make the Council's decision on the application.  Click here to download the Officer's lengthy report (552KB).  The Officer has recommended that planning permission be granted for...

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Redevelopment of Café Rouge site, v2

Planning Application No. 2022/2191 - Café Rouge Site, Portsmouth Road  Another planning application for the redevelopment of the Café Rouge site has been submitted to Elmbridge Borough Council.  Like the previous one (2021/2814), this is an outline planning application - to test the acceptability of the concept rather than the details of the development.   The earlier application (a seven-storey complex) was withdrawn late last year, having received 213 letters ...

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Merrywood commons easement granted

Application approved for expanded easement over common land to facilitate Merrywood development  The application by Igloo Land Ltd, for an expanded commons easement permitting wider access to the planned Merrywood development, has now been approved by the Planning Inspectorate.  The development of 12 semi-detached houses and 14 flats is now free to proceed.  At the planning application stage it was opposed by RA Councillor members of the Planning Committee (cramped housing ...

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Aldi decision due on 16 August

Aldi's application (2021/3857) for a foodstore on Portsmouth Road, Thames Ditton to be decided on Tuesday 16 August. Aldi's application will be determined at the next Full Planning Committee meeting on 16 August, at 7pm in the Civic Centre, Esher. The meeting will be webcast.  To view it, go to: https://elmbridge.public-i.tv/core/portal/home If you wish to attend the meeting, numbers will be limited to 25, so it's advisable to book -  Click here to book If you wish to speak at...

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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.