Parish Council Minutes May meeting

Brockham Parish Council

Our Annual General Meeting was held at our new venue, the pavilion in the recreation ground in Middle Street. In future, all our meetings will start at 7.30pm, with Public Time now at 8.30pm.

Derek Holgate, representing the Royal British Legion, ( RBL ), attended our meeting to discuss the renovation of the war memorial in the the church grounds which is in urgent need of repair.The RBL have initiated proceedings, having obtained quotations for the work to be carried out. The Parish Council has agreed to co-ordinate the project and fund raising and work in partnership with the RBL with a view to having it all completed by November this year, to coincide with the 90th anniversary of Armistice Day in 1918. We hope that the bureaucratic wheels will run smoothly to enable us to achieve this goal. Although some funding is available, we are looking to raise enough to cover the cost which will be in the region of £10,000. If anyone wishes to make a donation please send cheques made payable to Brockham Parish Council ( War Memorial Fund ) to Celia Plumb, our clerk. Further information is available on the village website.

While on this subject, we ask those organisations who are running Teas on The Green to ask visitors to treat the memorial and surrounds with respect and not let their children climb on it. Possibly a hard task but please try.

Details of the Mole Valley Local Development Framework update were given and we hope that more details will soon be on the village website. The main interest for Brockham is that the field between Glenfield and Tyndale Roads is no longer considered as a sustainable development site due to the loss, over the years, of businesses, shops and a public house. However, a new site has been added and that is around Tumbledown Farm, off Wheelers Lane. Drop in sessions to discuss what the Planning Policy Team call the revised preferred options are being held although most are taking place before this magazine is received. I will mention Leigh Village Hall on Wednesday 28th May 2.30pm - 7.30pm; MVDC Council Offices in Dorking on Thursday 5th June 2.30pm - 7.30pm.

Successful allotment holders` and Annual Parish meetings were held. At the latter David Judd, representing Dorking RFC outlined their plans for the future of the Big Field. Subsequent discussion included the parking problems. Although the main ones seem to have been resolved, there is still more work to do and the Parish Council is in touch with Mole Valley regarding the visiting foorball teams and their supporters. Watch this space ( if there are any along Brockham lane ) !

We have also written to Surrey County Council regarding the proposal to reverse the traffic flow in Junction Road in Dorking. If this goes ahead, it will mean that drivers entering Dorking from the east to shop in South Street or exit from Sainbury`s car park will have to negotiate Vincents lane while those visiting Waitrose will have to negotiate it twice to return home...

I will finish on a brighter note, however, and thank Simon Budd and his team for putting up the flagpole on St George`s Day. A very impressive sight !

Roger Hammond

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