Communities - Ottershaw

Children in Danger from Inconsiderate Drivers

2009-06-12T09:45:38Z

Police are advising parents to be more considerate when it comes to parking their cars near schools in Ottershaw.

Residents in the roads around Ottershaw C of E Infants and Junior Schools, in Fletcher Road and Fletcher Close, cannot access their driveways and children are at risk of being hurt by inconsiderate drivers.

Officers are stepping up patrols in the area and are urging residents to report any incidents on 0845 125 2222, quoting reference D/08/2645.

Quiz night

2009-04-09T09:08:05Z

A quiz evening is being held at Brook Memorial Hall in Brox Road, Ottershaw, on Saturday April 18.

The quiz will start at 7.30pm with all money raised going towards the refurbishment of the hall.

For more information, call 01932 872678.

Census presentation by the Ottershaw Society

2009-02-23T15:36:06Z

A local census will be studied at the next lecture of the Ottershaw Society.

On Tuesday March 24 Geoff Bourne will take his audience through the census of Ottershaw residents from historic times.

All are welcome.

Doors open at 8pm at Brook Hall, in Brox Road and cost of entry is 50p.

Runnymede council tax decreases by 18p

2009-02-17T17:46:33Z

Proposed council tax levels for the next financial year have been cut after a last minute decision by Runnymede Council's leader.

Cllr for Addlestone Bourneside John Furey made a speech at a special council meeting on Thursday February 12 where he proposed to cut the tax for a Band D property from £133.11 to £132.93.

]]> At the council's corporate management committee on Thursday February 5, members discussed raising the 2009/10 tax by 4.98% to £133.11, but this changed on the 12th to the lesser amount, which would equate as a 4.83% increase.

Cllr Furey said: "It is clear to me from the rhetoric of recent days that concern about the council tax increases is mounting and I have concluded that a modest reduction in this increase is desirable and so lessen mischief by ministers."

Cllr Furey added the change to an increase of £6.12 for the year is a bit less than 12p a week.

But he said: "I am mindful of the fact that this will require an additional withdrawal of £6,000 from our already depleted balances, and taxpayers should be in doubt that keeping our tax some £60 less than our neighbours is not sustainable in the long term without reducing the services we provide to our residents."

At the meeting, Councillor for Egham Alan Alderson said: "Mr Furey has changed his tune. He may recall at corporate management, council tax was set at 4.97%. Has he any idea of what information he is running with. He has now changed it down to 4.83%, but why didn't he do that on Thursday?"

Cllr Alderson said he supported the current change, but brought up the issue of the budget forecast, which stated that in 2013/14, the working balance, which is the balance of the fund which pays for public services, would have dropped from £3,912,000 in 2009/10 to an estimated 442,000.

After the meeting he said: "The budget is fine now, but my argument is we will be lacking funds in 2014. We need to get everybody thinking about it now because we will have to borrow money.

"I think the forecast needs to be worked out again because too much money is being added up, as it states the increase in tax for that year will be 5%. We won't get that. The £442,000 is coming at us quicker than the dates on the forecast."

All councillors present at the meeting voted to propose the new council tax rate.

Lent course at Christ Church starts February 25th

2009-02-09T17:16:21Z

Christ Church in Ottershaw are starting a five session programme on Wednesday February 25.

The church's Lent course will run on alternate Wednesdays and Thursdays from February 25, which will be based on 1 Corinthians 13, where they will hear its comparisons with modern times.

For more information ring 01932 705260.

Mystery of wartime photo found in Ottershaw street

2009-02-06T15:14:10Z

A 1940s photograph which was dropped in an Ottershaw street has posed some interesting questions for the people that found it.

The black and white snap shows three children, one on a toy horse, in a garden in Devon 60 years ago.

Someone has written 'Croyde Bay' and the date 30/8/49 on the bottom left hand side, but there are no clues about who it belongs to or where it has come from.

]]> It was found on the pavement in Brox Road by a local resident and handed to local photographer James Gallimore, who passed it on to the Herald in the hope that someone might be able to trace its owners or the people in it.

Mr Gallimore said: "When I was passed this photograph, I thought that it raised some questions that were worth finding out the answers to.

"It makes you wonder who these people are in the photograph, and whether or not they're from this area? The picture must have got to Ottershaw somehow, and must have some sort of link here.

"Maybe somebody was trying to trace their family tree or something like that, and had it with a collection of other photographs and documents.

"Perhaps the most likely explanation is that someone has lost this treasured photograph and is probably looking high and low for it.

"There must be an interesting story behind this picture, and how it came to be on the ground in Ottershaw. I just hope we can get it back to whoever it belongs to."

Croyde Bay is in north Devon, and shows a young blonde girl with her hair in pig tails, an older boy and a younger boy, who are both wearing shorts.

A stamp on the back shows that the print was developed close to where it was taken, by R L Knight Ltd, based in Boutport Street, Barnstaple.

But nothing on the picture gives any clue about its origins.

Do you know anything about the photograph? Call the newsdesk on 01932 573211 or email emmaheseltine@trinitysouth.co.uk

Family's lucky escape was due to the snow

2009-02-06T12:05:52Z

A family had a lucky escape from a fire at their home in Ottershaw after children playing outside in the snow alerted them to the blaze.

The children knocked on the downstairs window of the house in Tringham Close at 11.30am on Monday February 2 after they spotted smoke coming from an upstairs window.

]]> Two adults and a child escaped unhurt and firefighters from Chertsey had the flames under control within about 10 minutes.

Neighbour, William McDay, 27, said: "It really was very lucky that all the kids were outside playing in the street, so that they saw the smoke coming from the window.

"If it hadn't been for them being off school, who knows what might have happened to the family in the house."

It is unclear what the cause of the fire was, and damaged furniture was later removed from the property.

Famous author talks to Otteshaw WI

2009-01-26T17:35:49Z

Weybridge resident and author Adrienne Dines gave a talk to the Ottershaw WI on January 15.

The authoress talked of her school life in Ireland when she scandalised a nun by telling her she wanted to be a travelling storyteller when she grew up.

She told the meeting she moved to Weybridge in the 80s where she married and found her love of writing.

The next WI meeting will take place on Sunday February 15 at Brook Hall on Brox Road, Ottershaw.

Ottershaw development given the green light

2009-01-20T16:59:52Z

A developer's decision to retain an old farmhouse building has been met with praise by residents' associations.

Barratt Southern Counties held a public consultation in March for plans to knock down buildings on a vehicle service yard in Murray Road, Ottershaw, and build 15 homes, but The Ottershaw Society and West Addlestone Residents' Association (WARA) expressed concern over the decision to demolish the site's farmhouse.

]]> An application was registered with Runnymede Council on December 23 for a re-vamped proposal which will retain the farmhouse and only build 12 houses instead.

Roger Pashley, treasurer of the Ottershaw Society, said: "I think it is good that they have listened to what we have said, and are not going to knock the farm house down, because although it has changed over the years it is still old and part of the history of Ottershaw."

The developers have also decided to create a new the entrance to the site away from the bends in Murray Road.

Colin Aris, of WARA, said: "The developers seem to have taken many of the views of local people on board, which is good. Moving the entrance will not make much of a difference though because there is an electric plant nearby, so they won't be able to move it far. What concerns me is whether the people working at the site now are going to be out of a job."

Runnymede reduces its car park price for hourly rate

2009-01-13T15:53:08Z

Runnymede Council changed its car parking prices on Sunday January 11.

For motorists parking in Gogmore Farm in Chertsey, the hourly prices have been reduced from 50p and hour to 20p.

All stays under five hours have been reduced, but the all day charge throughout the borough rose 50p to £4.00.

The cost of a season ticket also rose from £200 to £250 for residents and £400 to £500 for non-residents.

Monkey music comes to Ottershaw

2009-01-12T13:20:20Z

A playgroup to introduce toddler's to music will be coming to Ottershaw this month.

The organisation, which has been running classes in Woking for 15 months, will be holding sessions at Brook Hall, Ottershaw on Mondays.

It aims to introduce three-month-olds to four-year-olds to music as early as possible.

For more information call 01932 429240, or visit www.monkeymusic.co.uk

Runnymede Dolphins searching for new secretary

2008-12-19T09:13:35Z

Runnymede Dolphins are looking for a new volunteer secretary.

The group which runs swimming sessions at Woking's pool in the park, in Kingfield Road for the disabled of Runnymede and Woking are searching for a volunteer who is computer literate and can attend at least six yearly meetings.

For more information please contact Jenny on 01932 571122.

Ottershaw Oliver

2008-11-29T00:01:50Z

Award-winning local drama group, Ottershaw Players, are presenting a version of Charles Dickens' story of 'Oliver Twist' in Woking next week.

The play, written by Jeremy Brock and directed by Matthew Horton, follows the tale of little orphan Oliver, who is brought up in the workhouse, before escaping to London.

]]> Once in London, Oliver falls under the influence of a gang of child thieves, led by the sinister Fagin.

Mr Horton said, "the cast and crew have been working very hard for the past weeks to bring this story to the stage, and I couldn't be more pleased with the result."

'Oliver Twist' is on at the Rhoda McGaw Theatre, Woking, from 3rd to 6th December at 7.45pm, with a matinee on Saturday 6th at 2.30pm.

Tickets are £10, or £8 for children/OAPs, and are available from the Ottershaw Players' box office on 01932 702091 or can be bought online at www.ottershawplayers.co.uk.

'Oliver Twist' completes a packed year for Ottershaw Players and comes along shortly after their production of 'All In The Timing' won several awards at the Woking and Spelthorne drama festivals, in October.

Raffle Winner Picks Car

2008-11-18T18:08:28Z

The winner of the Woking and Sam Beare Hospices car raffle was able to pick out her car on Monday (17).

Sally Walker of Woking, walked away from Trident Honda in Guildford Road, Ottershaw with a new Honda Civic hatchback, worth £15,000.

]]> Sally said: "I am absolutley delighted, you never dream when you buy a ticket that you are actually going to win, I still keep pinching myself"

The raffle is a major fundraising event for the Hospices, with volunteers selling tickets between April and October.

This year, the car raffle raised over £60,000 which will help to provide care for patients and families of the Hospices.

Trident's managing director, Richard Roberts said: "We're proud to have been involved with such a worthy cause. Everyone at Trident is delighted for Sally and we wish her many years of happy motoring in her new Honda Civic."

Green belt appeal thrown out

2008-11-11T17:57:06Z

GREEN belt land in Ottershaw has been saved after a planning appeal to build 48 homes was thrown out by a government inspector on Thursday (6).

Ashfronts Ltd had appealed against Runnymede Council's refusal to allow them to build the houses at Brox End Nursery, in Brox Lane.

The appeal was heard at the beginning of October, and on Thursday, the government inspector confirmed that the council had made the right decision, and that the green belt land should not be built on.

]]> A Runnymede Council spokeswoman said: "We are really pleased that the inspector has agreed with our planning department and thrown this appeal out.

"Runnymede already has enough new housing to meet government requirements and so there was no need to release that land for this particular development."

Residents have been fighting the plans since they were first submitted two years ago, and formed a residents association just to try and beat the developers.

Jim Nichol, joint chairman of Brox End Nursery Residents Association, said: "We are delighted with the inspector's decision to dismiss the appeal.

"BENRA has already contacted Runnymede Borough Council and Surrey County Council to thank them for supporting refusal of the appeal.

"We now extend our thanks to all 300 residents who wrote to the council to object to the original application and the 120 who took further trouble to write directly to the appeal inspector.

"There is no doubt that public opinion was taken into consideration when making both decisions."

Other residents associations joined the battle and the Ottershaw Society became involved in the fight to save the land.