Councillor Derek McCrum

The Speedwatch team took part in the borough wide initiative recently which resulted in many motorists being stopped for numerous offences including Speeding and use of mobile phones. Both Cllrs Derek McCrum and Will Forster took part.

The pedestrian crossing on Westfield Road has failed 6 times this year and SCC has been asked to order a replacement from the suppliers as the favourate blame, "the electricity supply", has been eliminated. Residents are requested to report failure on 03002001003.

Derek McCrum has long wanted to provide youth facilities in the ward. He has concentrated on Play Areas in Westfield. Residents appreciate the new facility on Westfield Commom following the destruction by vandalism of the Balfour Avenue site. The bigger replacement was made possible through insurance money and funding from the Meadow View development

The smaller play area on Bonsey Lane has also been refurbished. The money earmarked for a new "climbing" play area, off Willow Way on Barnsbury, has been lost partly due to cuts but also due to running out of time as the flood bunds have not been built. However it is anticipated that money set aside for a play area as part of the Hoe Valley Scheme can be used to fund it.

When the Bonsey Lane Recreation Area is raised due to flood works, and a new foot bridge is built, the smaller play area there will be relocated to a more overlooked site and a Multi Use Games, "basket ball type", hard surface area for older teenagers is hoped for.

Derek was asked By Barnsbury parents to organise Football Coaching for teenagers  He found an FA Coach, living on Barnsbury and with the help of Woking Football Club, and Woking Borough Council, has had the grass cut and the pitch remarked on Bonsey Lane where the repositioned Football Posts are  better placed. He got 4 footballs, 12 cones and 6 yellow bibs from WBC and now up to 20 kids play and train each Tuesday, 7-8pm.

Building on that success he has found an FA Coach on the Westfield Estate and using the 5 a side goalposts on Westfield Common, which he installed last year, up to 16 pre. teens play and train every Wednesday 7-8pm.

Derek founded the Ypod Extra on Barnsbury which meets 6.30-9pm every Monday and fought for funding over the past 2 years. He has always hoped that he could find the money to open a second night. The YMCA has just received a huge grant from the Big Lottery Fund which it is hoped will not only allow a second night but secure funding for 5 years.

 The traditional image of an English village would have to include a village pond beside a village green surrounded by woodland. There would be a Cricket square and a pavilion, a Pub, a Church and a group of local shops. There would be a road sign saying “Welcome to our Village”, a sleepy, winding stream, shallow enough to see the bottom, a Primary School and a Children’s Playground.Westfield Village ticks all those boxes and more! We have Westfield Common with a large pond, not forgetting the Ducks, Geese, Swans, Moorhens and even a Crane on occasions. In fact we have 3 ponds, one with Newts. There is plenty of woodland associated with the Common and some evidence that it is in fact an ancient woodland once part of Windsor Great Park. The Common is well used with a new £50,000 Play Area and a 5 a side football pitch. Not far away there is a further Play Area on Bonsey Lane Rec. with a Teenage sized pitch. I must not forget the Westfield Saint’s Cricket Club and a Bowls Club on Westfield Road, and Meadow Sports Football Club, off Loop Road, with our third play area. Kingfield Village might claim it as theirs as they often include Westfield Football Club or even Woking Football club. St Mark’s Church Was built in 1849 and it is reputed as being the first National School in Woking. It is now an Anglican Church and serves the community as a meeting place for many local groups including Brownies, Adult Language Classes, a Diving Club and a Wind Band. Westfield actually has two Primary Schools, Westfield, which was once a Secondary school and Barnsbury. I must explain that there are two Housing Estates, Westfield, sometimes referred to as the Balfour Estate and Barnsbury Farm Estate. Neither exclusive to either school. The Hoe Stream meanders through the Hoe Valley, both of which dissect parts of Westfield and offer recreational opportunities to all. There is a plan to develop the linear park which will both improve opportunities for recreation and deal with the risk from flooding.  Part of the Westfield Village infrastructure includes a Newsagent, a Bakery, and a Restaurant. There is a Recreation Club, (formerly a working men’s club), the Cricketers Pub, Woking Borough Council’s Moorcroft Day Centre and St. Peter’s Centre for the Disabled. There is also a Dentist’s Surgery and a Doctor’s Surgery and The David Lloyd Leisure Club with its Tennis Courts and Swimming Pool. The youth facilities, Scouts, Guides etc. on Westfield Avenue will be relocated in the foreseeable future to allow for the Hoe Valley Scheme to be developed. Before sitting down to write this I would not have believed that a little village in South Woking would be so vibrant, and we still have the Moor Lane development to come. I continue to encourage the Westfield (Hoe Valley) and the Moor Lane Area Resident’s Associations to play an active part and I am proud to represent both Kingfield and Westfield villages on Woking Borough Council.

It looks like nothing has happeded!

Well that is not the case. The PUFFIN Crossing on Westfield Rd. actually works and is much appreciated by those needing to access the bus stops and the Primary Schools. The Snow did not help and TV cables caused the Bus stop to be relocated. Then there was the fluctuating electricity supply.

The Speedwach Team will be checking the speeding motorists on Westfield Road just as soon as the speed gun is repaired.

Tre Linden Homes development on the back gardens between Westfield Rd, and downsview Ave. has been refused planning consent again.

Following the recent elections we have a new Surrey County Councillor for South Woking. He is Will Forster. will.forster@surreycc.gov.uk.  Just to remind folks that SCC is responsible for Highways (potholes, street lights, footpaths, yellow lines etc.), Schools, Youth Provision and Social Services.

The Hoe Valley Flood Alleviation Scheme progresses and a final decision is planned to go before the Councillors by the end of the year.

The Moor Lane Priority Homes scheme progresses and after a consultation event at Moorcroft bidders are being evaluated. A Planning Application for Access is being processed.

A new Westfield Common Residents' Associapion has been formed.

I am on the Planning Committee but due to the fact that I live 50m from the proposed development, I am barred from voting when any relevant planning application is heard. Fortunately new rules from the government allow me to voice residents concerns before I am asked to leave the chamber.

I would like to point out that Councillors are strictly forbidden to indicate whether they are for or against an application until the debate is finished and a vote takes place. Even though I do not have a vote the same condition applies to me. Some have said that I support the scheme, but I have only ever said that I knew that the land was reserved for housing when I moved to Westfield 27 years ago. All 3 Political parties signed up to the PFI Scheme and a primary Council policy is to provide more Affordable Family Houses. My main concern has always been with the Infrastructure and that was why I helped set up the original Res. Ass. I now support the new one for the same reason.

What a change the £50,000 spent on replacing the vandalised play area has made. Everything is new and much more for slightly older children has been added.

I have spoken to the Supplier aboul the two "dials" which do not operate properly, and a design fault has been admitted, which will be rectified.

The new 5 a side pitch with new goals is already well used and permanent pitch markings will be created.

 Residents will be disappointed that the Puffin Traffic Lights are not fully installed but that is the fault of the contractors responsible for moving the Bus Stops. I have repeatedly complained that Mums with Children have to wait in the rain at the temporary stop.

After 2 years of campaigning to get Surrey County Council to clear the ditch running from Moor Lane to Martin's Press in Old Woking, SCC has finally agreed to manage the ditch which was last cleared in 2000. It is in a sorry state, half filled in, as the banks were cut incorrectly last time leading to collapse. So much vegetation has grown that the flow of water is effectively blocked.

This has been a long battle involving Residents and the Press, with minimal commitment from Officers of SCC. It was only when I was appointed to the Local Committee of Surrey County Council and the Farmer's Stallion drowned in the ditch, that a promise to clear the ditch this spring was made.

I am absolutely delighted that after trying for 4 years I have finally managed to arrange for the Community Shop on Ash Rd. to be opened as a Young People's Drop in Centre.

Following my invitation to Woking's YMCA's CEO, Terry Eckersley, his Youth Officer Paul Langtree and Woking Borough Council's Youth Development Officer Sarah Henderson will open the Community Shop, initially for one evening a week, starting on Monday 26th Januaty.

I have supplied a Snooker Table and Dart Board to get them started. Free Pizza and drinks will be available on the first evening. All Barnsbury residents have been invited to come and have their say on how the Drop in Centre should progress.

It was with considerable shock that I learned of the closure of StayPlay which was one of those initiatives which are perfect for a genuine need, which was to follow the Government's wish to get single parents back to work by picking up children from Primary School and occupying them until parents could pick them up

First let me thank Terry Eckersley of Woking YMCA for his kind offer to use the Y pod as an alternative to the Leisure Centre. This is very much indicative of the YMCA’s policy of involving with the community. Terry has already accepted my invitation to set up a youth facility on the Barnsbury Estate and this will be launched on Monday 26^th January. I would also like to thank Ashley Rogers of WBC who has worked tirelessly to provide an excellent project and Stuart Harding of the Leisure Centre who ran the activities. Sadly despite all my phone calls, emails and appeals in the press, I am afraid that I have come up against a brick wall. The fact is that the transport is not sustainable and as we all know, that was the vital component all along. T

he venue is not the problem. Ashley has explained to me exactly what publicity was achieved and sadly, while many thought that it was an excellent idea, the numbers needed to make it viable never reached 50%. So that is the bottom line. 

Some schools realise the problem and hold after school clubs. I am meeting with the Head of Barnsbury School  and will discuss how schools might help.

The very best that I can advise Parents is to access the SCC Family Information Service on:www.surreycc.gov.uk/fis

The good news first!

More double yellow Lines are to be added in Westfield Grove, Maple Grove and Old Woking High Street to control parking and road safety.

The street lights which are on all year, during the day, along Westfield Road are being replaced and we have flashing speed signs on Westfield Road.

The bad news!

The speed  warning signs are obscured by branches and Bonsey Lane resurfacing will not now be done as funding has been cut by two thirds. Even worse the Pedestrian Crossing on Westfield Road, promised for this Autumn, has had its funding refused even though it is top of the list. I have requested that additional funding be found to ensure that this vital safety need is installed.

I was recently asked if I support Woking Football Club. I am a Rugby follower, having played for Chobham RFC. But my reply is that I would welcome the survival and continued success of WFC, as I believe that it is very much part of Woking. In fact I believe that Woking "owns" WFC in that the people of Woking feel that it is a part of them. I have learned not to go knocking on doors, canvassing, when there is a home match. I am delighted when I see the number of young boys with their dads, wearing their WFC colours, walking towards Kingfield. I am even more encouraged when I see whole families, mums, daughters etc. wearing the red and white.

Having said that, I am mindful of the effect of indiscriminate parking on residents and the consequences of any development on the grounds.

I have long battled for play areas and for the Community "Shop" to be opened for young people on Barnsbury. My efforts to have the play area on Bonsey Lane Rec. relocated in front of the flats on Laburnum Road is still on hold, but the good news is that I have found a youth organisation willing to open the "shop" in the evening and take responsibility for running it. Watch this space!