Have Your Say on Ashford

Have Your Say public meetings
Town centre improvements are among the main topics of Spelthorne Council’s Have Your Say public meetings this summer – to which all residents are invited.The next events are in Ashford on 22 June. The new-style meetings replace the twice-yearly Area Forums. The first half of the meeting gives residents the opportunity to individually meet, ask questions and raise issues with local councillors, council staff and several of the Council’s partners – including Surrey Police, Surrey Primary Care Trust, Ashford and St Peter’s NHS Hospitals Trust, Spelthorne Community Safety Team, Neighbourhood Watch and Surrey County Council.The second half features presentations on topics of interest to the area and an audience question and answer session. As well as updates on improvements in town centres and high streets across the borough, there will be a presentation by Ashford and St Peter’s NHS Hospitals Trust on its bid for foundation status and the public consultation involved.The upcoming Have Your Say event for Ashford is: Monday 22 June, 5-7pm, at the Salvation Army Hall, Woodthorpe Road, Ashford. For Have Your Say enquiries contact Partnership Liaison Officer Joanne Jones on 01784 446421 or e-mail haveyoursay@spelthorne.gov.uk. Further information is available at www.spelthorne.gov.uk/haveyoursay

Residents Group Meeting

I attended the AGM of the Neighbourhood Society, the residents group for the Parkland Grove area of Ashford last night.
Some of the concerns discussed there, that I may be able to help with as the County Councillor for Ashford are:
Pavements in Church Road, where the blocks are replaced by tarmac: I will contact Surrey County Council highways officers to ask if this practice can be stopped, and the blocks reinstated.
Potholes: I will be walking a street a week, and will report any potholes that I see to Surrey County Council highways. If residents would like to report any to me, they can do so, or they can report them direct to Surrey County Council through their website, or by calling 0300 200 1003.
Speeding in Parkland Grove: I am awaiting training to use the Community Speedwatch guns, and will then be checking the speeding issue in roads that residents have concerns about. If any residents would like training to use the speedwatch system, please do contact me, or the local neighbourhood officers who are PC Dave Lambert, PCSO Debbie Cook and PCSO Phillip Denne on 0845 125 2222.
Replacement trees for the ones that have died: I will be noting the locations of these on my street a week walks, but, again, if residents want to report any to me, or to Surrey County Council direct, then please do so using the above 0300 number. Please do be aware though, that there is a limited budget for tree works, and that they are usually only done if they pose a danger. You may also contact the Spelthorne Borough Council tree wardens.
Flooding, if it is caused by blocked gulleys, then please do report to me or direct to SCC. If it is caused by drains, then you will need to contact Thames Water.
Parking in Village Way by visitors to Clarendon Primary School, in Brownrigg Road, on yellow lines and across driveways, and in Parkland Grove on yellow lines. I will speak to the Spelthorne Parking group regarding this issue to see what can be done. If vehicles are parked on yellow lines, or verges, then the parking wardens can ticket them.
Clockhouse Lane, the need for a two way lorry ban, and a footbridge. I updated residents as to the position with the lorry ban, that the Spelthorne Local Committee have agreed to it, but are waiting for London Borough of Hounslow West Area Committee to agree to advance signing. Surrey County Council have agreed to funding 50% of the cost of a footbridge, but are awaiting commitment from LBH through transport for London funding to proceed.
Other issues discussed that I will forward on to the borough council were:
Litter from College, more benches & bins needed, flower beds & blossom trees needed, recycling bins in the town, need a town clock, charges on invalid badges in car parks, graffiti removal from Collisons, councillors vote against zero tolerance, free parking in multi storey car park.
Residents completed a feedback form for Improving Church Road, Ashford, and were encouraged to attend the Have Your Say event on 22nd June at the Salvation Army Hall at 5pm

Ashford Town Investment

Spelthorne Borough Council will be investing £100,000 over the next three years into improving Ashford Town. As the County Councillor for Ashford, I have asked to be involved in this, and would like to use some of the funds allocated to me through the Spelthorne Local Committee to add value to the scheme. I will be at a stall on Sunday 7th June, at the Ashford on The Map day at the Brooklands College, Ashford Campas, asking Ashford residents and shoppers what improvements they would like to see. Please do come along on the day, or if you can't make it on the Sunday, come along to my surgery on Saturday 6th June in Ashford library from 11am to noon. If you can't make that either, please do give me a call to discuss what you would like to see.