The Epsom Protection Society Newsletter 91 - Spring 2003

home

The Chairman's Commentary

John Hampton

       

OUR SOCIETY AND THE FUTURE

Our Society was founded in 1959 in response to the spate of demolition that resulted from the post-1945 building booms. Over the years we have monitored the planning applications - currently undertaken with great skill by our Vice Chairman Alan Baker - with the aim of maintaining and improving the quality of our environment. However, we now seem to be moving towards a situation where pressures on land, already at a high level in this area, will increase progressively. It seems that SE England is seen by some as becoming a 'power house for NW Europe', and this concept, coupled to the Government White Paper (Our Town and Cities: the future. DETR, 2000), will inevitably raise land use and planning issues. The White Paper calls for inter alia the economic use of land and cites an estimated national need for 3.8m new homes by 2021. And the SCC Structure Plan 2002 calls for 2,100 new homes in the borough by 2016. Equally the White Paper goes to some length in stressing the need to involve 'local people' in what is described as a 'partnership for change', and with these pressures in the background there should be little doubt that there is an important role for a society such as ours.

Your Executive Committee is of the view that in the face of this developing scene our Society should be more closely engaged in analysing and commenting on the issues that concern our area of benefit. Essentially we need to be more effective in helping to maintain the 'quality of life' in Epsom. To achieve this aim we require additional resources. First, we need people who are willing to give time and skills; secondly we need finance for publicity and recruitment, verily a chicken and egg situation. Many will remember the exhibitions/recruitment drives organised by Margaret Rogers in the Ashley Centre, which are now precluded by the commercial considerations that apply there. Your Committee is looking at other options: for example, Ebbisham Centre seems to be a suitable venue. Additionally it might be useful to expand the Newsletter with either more pages and/or more frequent issues and, as issues arise, organise public meetings and talks. It is clear that the costs of such enterprises in human and financial terms have to be addressed. As a first step along this path of revitalising the Society we propose that the annual subscription be raised from £1 to £2 per person and £3 for a household - the first increase for nearly ten years!

As you will see from the Annual Report I shall be retiring this year as Chairman. I look forward to the action proposed by your Executive Committee leading to a revitalised Society, and take this opportunity to wish my successor and the Society well in the future. There are already signs of volunteers coming forward, and I am very pleased to report that our plea for road representatives in the last Newsletter was answered, for all our members have reason to be grateful for these key volunteers. A very big thank you to all of you!

Planning

Alan Baker

These are some of the more interesting decisions and applications at the time of writing towards the end of January:

40-52 Upper High Street: This application was made in March 2002, and has been in negotiation since then. It involves the demolition of the buildings between Homewater House and the public car park, including Iceland and Allams, and extends into the car park as far as the entrance, assuming an exchange of lands with the Council and the loss of 26 parking spaces. It is an important and prominent site at the entrance to the Town Centre. It is proposed to build 73 flats, 2 shops, a large restaurant (? = pub) and car dealership, and we objected on grounds of height, bulk, design, loss of parking and loss of trees. The applicants wanted to go on negotiating, but the officers recommended refusal and the January Planning Committee heartily endorsed this.

45 Alexandra Road and Pantyles, Longdown Road: Our objection to this proposed development of flats and two semi-detached houses was described in the last Newsletter. The application was considered at the December Planning Committee and was refused as grossly out of character with the locality and an un-neighbourly intrusion.

Site of Epsom Downs School, Langley Vale: This story still goes on. Starting with a proposal for 13 houses in April 2001; modified to 11 units in May 2001 and refused; appeal dismissed in October 2001; further revised to 9 units in February 2002 and appealed in July following deferral of decision in May. The appeal into the revised scheme has now also been dismissed. I guess that if it is further amended to say 8 units it will eventually get permission. But watch this space.

99B/99C College Road: The appeal in respect of the proposed block of 12 flats has been withdrawn by the applicants, and it remains to be seen whether they will attempt a further revised scheme.

The Cricketers PH, Stamford Green: Permission has been granted for a number of renovations and new signs to which we took no exception, but we objected to a new steel pole surmounted by a 3D "fireplace" sign with LED flame effect and this was refused as unduly obtrusive and detrimental to the character of the building and conservation area.

Land r/o Bamatuk and 2 Christchurch Mount: We have objected to an outline application to build a detached house in the rear gardens of these houses and having a frontage to Lower Hill Road. It would be out of character with the area and cause loss of garden settings.

57 Church Street: This is another attempt to build a bungalow in the garden at the rear of this property within the Church Street Conservation Area. We have objected on the grounds that the redesign by no means satisfies the reasons for refusal of a similar application last year and that it is quite unacceptable.

6 West Hill: This is one of a pair of cottages in a prominent position just west of the railway bridge; they were divided in the mid C18 from a C17 farmhouse and are listed Grade II. We objected to a proposed two-storey side extension that would be out of proportion with No 4 and would destroy the wood-lap flank wall which is an important feature of the cottages.

Mr. Trees reports

Mike Ford

Upper High Street: The two fine holly trees that enhance and give a more natural feel to the Upper High Street will soon be lost to re-development. The planners in their wisdom gave permission to the application which overrides the tree preservation orders on the trees. What a pity as those trees must be nearing a hundred years old and, as they are female, their red berries contributed even more.

As you know, the Upper High Street is not exactly bristling with trees and now two more important trees are under threat, namely the Norway maple outside Iceland and the lime tree on the corner of the car park. This lime tree was planted in 1984 as part of the Epsom Protection Society's 25th Anniversary celebrations. Fifty trees were planted throughout the borough with money given by your goodselves.

The latest news is that the application, which would have meant the removal of these trees, has been rejected by the Council. But there will be further applications and we must be sure that these trees are retained and that a sensible planting scheme is part of the application.

Planting 2003: Planting is now underway and you will see many new trees appearing in our streets. Pyrus calleryana Chanticleer is a good choice, although there are many other worthwhile species being planted. This Pyrus is an ornamental pear similar to the ones planted in the Ebbisham Centre. They are quite tolerant of both drought and wet and should stand up well to atmospheric pollution. Another good choice is Liquidamber styraciflua, the sweet gum, which gives fine autumn colour. A good specimen can be seen in Wallace Fields near Alexandra Park entrance.

Fraxinus ornus (Manna ash) is a very decorative tree first introduced to this country in 1700. In June, it carries creamy white flowers and in the autumn long brown seeds appear. In Italy and Sicily it is cultivated for its gum which is extracted from the branches and used for medicinal purposes.

Acer campestre is a native field maple often seen in hedgerows but can be planted as an individual specimen. This tree is being planted in Downs Road where it should do well. A good example of a large specimen can be seen in Elizabeth Welchman Gardens in Downs Road. The decorative wood that is 'birds-eye maple' and used in furniture comes from the field maple.

Although many more species of trees are being planted, I will end with my last selection of a Betula lenta - the cherry birch. The trunk is smooth reddish brown or purple and, when young, the bark is sweetly aromatic. The leaves turn rich yellow in autumn.

The Woodland Trust: I happen to be a member and think it is well worth while subscribing to this organisation to support the good work it carries out. Founded in 1970 to protect our tree heritage, it has now acquired over 1,100 woods covering more than 47,000 acres. It has also planted over three million trees in the past six years, creating more new native woods than any other conservation body. So to find out about membership, telephone 0800 026 9650. It will be worth it.

Sir John Titman

We much regret to report the death on 11th January 2003 of Sir John Titman KCVO. Sir John was a founder member, and constant supporter, of the Society.

The Society's Website

Piers Nicholson

This programme was started in April 2001. Since then there have been 4,339 successful requests for a total of 3,029 pages ( 1,775 in 2002) and 36.059 megabytes of data were transferred. 1,166 distinct hosts were served.

Annual General Meeting

With this Newsletter, members will receive a letter from the Hon Secretary convening the Annual General Meeting of the Society at the Myers Studio, Epsom Playhouse at 8 pm on 10th April 2003 and the accompanying papers for that meeting.

Review - A Celebration of Epsom and Ewell (video)

The Editor

A Celebration of Epsom, a video tape made for Epsom and Ewell on the Internet, www.epsom.townpage.co.uk. by Tony Chapman and produced by Piers Nicholson. 20 minutes. £11.99 (of which £1 will go to the Mayor's charities). Copies are obtainable on the townpage, from Waterstones (Epsom), Summit Print (Ewell) and elsewhere in the borough.


"If you, or your company, [are] thinking of moving here, [this film] will give you a good overview of our thriving community"; thus the cover of the tape. It also aims to give residents and their friends a record of the borough in the year 2002.

Speaking through residents and businessmen and with attractive footage (starting with the Derby course) of the streets and buildings, the tape describes and well illustrates the schools, public libraries, medical facilities, sporting and other recreational opportunities for children and adults, shops and restaurants in the town. Prospective residents and businesses are also given an indication of the range of homes and premises (and of their cost) to be found in the town. EDITOR.

Epsom Protection Society Website: www.epsomprotectionsociety.co.uk

Editor: Paul Fifoot Zebrato, Lynwood Avenue Epsom KT18 7LR

The Epsom Protection Society supports www.epsom.townpage.co.uk, our local community website



These pages are maintained by Internetworks Ltd of Epsom as a public service to our community.
Internetworks offers a wide range of Internet services - please visit our website