Letter: East Horsley Blighted by Road Closures

Published on: 26 Aug, 2023
Updated on: 26 Aug, 2023

From: East Horsley Parish Council

The retailers of East Horsley survived Covid lockdown with many continuing to provide services to the community during a very difficult time.

Following Covid it would be reasonable to expect business to return to normal but no – in the run-up to Christmas 2021 – Surrey Council gave permission for closure of Ockham Road North to connect utilities to a new housing development thus decimating trade during the busiest time of the year.

Roll forward to August 2023 and once again Ockham Road North is closed this time for utilities to be connected to Taylor Wimpey’s Ada Gardens development. Traffic light controls were in place in early August and then, from the 21st to the 25th August, the same stretch of road was completely closed for electricity installation and before too long the road will be closed again for gas installation.

Now we are informed that Affinity Water will renew water mains along 300 metres stretch of Ockham Road South starting at the end of October. The timing of this could not be worse for retailers gearing up for Christmas trade.

Whilst we accept that utilities need to be either installed or renewed, the lack of consultation and consideration from developers, utilities companies and Surrey County Council elected representatives makes life extremely difficult for traders and local residents.

The Dragon has invited local councillors and SCC to comment.

Responses to Letter: East Horsley Blighted by Road Closures

Catherine Young Reply

August 26, 2023 at 3:33 pm

It’s shocking that local businesses and our residents are once again being impacted by the atrocious amount of development being inflicted on East and West Horsley.

Everywhere you look now the local roads are damaged and potholed. There are constant road works and diversions, and Surrey County Council signs litter our verges and are left to rot. As usual, there is no coordination for the road closures that have happened this week, although I understand one was for emergency water repairs.

Utility companies can just close a road with no warning, apparently. Notably for two days both routes under the railway bridges were closed, Ockham Road South in East Horsley and The Street in West Horsley. It was ludicrous.

Catherine Young is an R4GV borough councillor for Clandon & Horsley