News From Millmead

Published on: 28 Nov, 2020
Updated on: 30 Nov, 2020

Latest round-up of news from Guildford Borough Council (published on November 28, 2020)

Cheaper town centre parking this Christmas, but price rises from April

Subject to government restrictions on the re-opening of shops and hospitality venues, parking will cost £3 for up to three hours and £6 for up to six hours from Friday, December 18, Monday to Saturday at the Bedford Road, York Road and Castle multi-storey car parks, as well as G-Live, Millbrook and Tunsgate car parks. Stays of over six hours will cost £12.

However, a price rise of 10p per hour, to £1.60, has been provisionally agreed by the council for Mary Road, Bedford Road surface, Commercial Road and the Old Police Station car parks, to take effect from April 2021. This decision will be reviewed in January. Leapale Road car park will be re-designated as a short stay car park, with the pricing changed to match other short stay car parks in the town centre.

Plans are also in place to introduce pay by phone technology at more on-street parking locations, along with a review of current on-street pay and display machines.

Additional trees, shrubs and bulbs for Stoughton Recreation Ground

Trees, shrubs and bulbs will be planted at Stoughton Recreation Ground this winter as part of Surrey County Council’s Greener Future Design Challenge.

Aerial view of Stoughton Recreation Ground. Picture: Guildford Borough Council.

The council’s parks and countryside team will look after them, watering them and helping them to become established.

A group from Stoughton’s Emmanuel Church, calling themselves the eco team, is one of 10 winners of the challenge that invited residents, businesses and students across Surrey to submit ideas on how they could work with their local community to tackle climate change.

The Stoughton project received support from the Royal Horticultural Society by way of a donation of £500 along with advice.

A further donation by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) covers the cost of the trees and shrubs, bulbs and and for watering for three years to help the trees to establish.

At the recreation ground, a variety of fruit trees will be planted including a number local to Surrey. They have been selected to yield fruit and nectar for insects throughout the whole growing season.

Planting of trees to the south of the football pitches is aimed to improve drainage and shade for visitors.

Trees near at the top of the recreation ground will provide further shade and “visual appeal”. Further trees will be planted near a small cluster of trees to the north-west of the park, along with under-planting of bulbs. The tree planting will take place this winter.

Stoughton Recreation Ground.

In addition to the above details issued in a council press release, local historian and writer David Rose supplied vintage photos to the Emmanuel Church team that showed the recreation ground when it was created in the 1920s and which showed some of the trees growing there then.

He also told them about a number of saplings that were planted some 30 years ago on a boggy patch of ground to improve drainage at the south-east end of the park. (There had once been a pond there but it had been filled in many years before that). Unfortunately, the saplings were soon vandalised. They were not replaced and a drainage system was later incorporated to alleviate a problem that had lasted for such a long time.

Grants boost for parish councils

The council has announced funding of £80,814 for local parish councils from its Concurrent Functions Grant Aid Scheme.

Concurrent functions are services which are provided by county, borough and parish councils and include allotments, commons, open spaces, playing fields, burial grounds and cemeteries, closed churchyards, parking, litter bins, seats, bus shelters, war memorials, public clocks, village halls and community centres, entertainment and arts support, public toilets, and leisure facilities.

These services also cover environmental improvement and traffic calming projects which are undertaken by parishes including the provision of CCTV, street lighting and the purchase of IT equipment to assist with parish administrative tasks.

To date, the council has received 39 requests from 17 of the 23 active parish councils in the borough of Guildford.

The minimum grant a parish council can request is £200. Parishes receive a maximum of 50% in grant aid towards any projects; the percentage is lower for any schemes over £10,000. Each parish varies in size and each has differing priorities. Once they have received the grant, they have two years to complete the works.

Gaynor White speaking on behalf of Worplesdon Parish Council said: “We are delighted that Guildford Borough Council’s Executive has approved the Concurrent Functions Grant Aid bids submitted by the active Parish Councils. This highly appreciated grant funding will enable Worplesdon Parish Council to carry out two environmental improvement schemes, both in Jacobs Well Recreation Ground.

The two projects will see:

White House pond improvement works enhancing this valuable wildlife habitat and the ecosystem dependent on it.
Replacement land drains will be installed to significantly improve drainage of the Recreation Ground.

Lockdown has clearly demonstrated the value of our natural open spaces for both nature and humans.”

Shalford Common consultation extended: Have your say

The deadline for the Shalford Common consultation has been extended until December 31, 2020.

The council is asking people to complete a short online survey to help it create a plan that will address issues including car parking within the area of the common and on access tracks. All submissions are anonymous.

Shalford Common: Pound Place looking towards Station Road.

These areas include: Huber’s Garage and Mitchell’s Row, Kings Road shop front, Pound Place, Parrott pub car park, recycling car park and Dagley Lane access road, Dagley Lane / Juniper Terraces, approaches to Ashley Gardens and Christmas Hill/

More information on these sites can be found here: https://smsrltd.files.wordpress.com/2020/09/shalfordgreen_presentation.pdf