Surrey Minerals Plan (Gravel Raising)

Publication of Inspector’s Reports on the Surrey Minerals Plan Core Strategy and Primary Aggregates Development Plan Documents

The Inspector’s Reports on the Surrey Minerals Plan Core Strategy and Primary Aggregates Development Plan Documents (DPDs) have been published on Surrey County Council’s website. The public hearings on the DPDs were held between October 2010 and January 2011 before an independent Planning Inspector, Ms Mary O'Rourke. The Inspector has concluded that both DPDs are 'sound' subject to some changes which are set out in her reports.

On 21st June, the SCC Cabinet was asked to recommend the County Council to adopt the Core Strategy and Primary Aggregates DPDs with the changes.

The DPDs provide a policy framework and identify areas for future mineral development in the county to 2026. Minerals from Surrey are used for a variety of purposes including the construction and maintenance of houses, roads and schools and for specialist uses such as glass making. The DPDs provide policies against which any future planning applications will be considered to ensure that future mineral development takes place without significant impacts on communities and the environment.

The main areas affecting Runnymede are the Whitehall Farm and Milton Park Farm in Egham, and the Hamm Court sites which have all been included as future potential gravel extraction sites. However, it is good news that the 10 acre field in Thorpe has been removed as a potential site.

LSP Restructuring and 'Vision for Runnymede'

The Runnymede Local Strategic Partnership ( LSP) and associated Task Groups have currently been suspended by RBC pending the  development  a new corporate structure internally alongside a new corporate plan. Also in development is a refreshed Sustainable Community Strategy, which will express a re-stated vision for the Borough. This is now emerging as a draft, and will be published for consultation over the Autumn. It will mean a new role for the LSP and a need to re-align the task groups with this new strategic direction. As a consequence the proposed ‘Vision for Runnymede’ event is now planned for October 2011 and after that event it the role of the LSP will be clearer.

Airtrack Cancellation

AIRTRACK was the long promised scheme to provide a direct connection between S-W Rail network and T5 at Heathrow airport. It would have provided a much needed direct public transport link from a number of locations in the region and would have resulted in a reduction in vehicle congestion and a reduction in environmental pollution. There would have been a direct route from Guildford with trains only stopping at Woking and Chertsey en route. However there were difficulties in solving the problem in the extended closure times of the level crossings in Egham , Pooley Green & Egham Hythe.

As part of the Government spending review they have announced that the AIRTRACK scheme will now no longer go ahead.   

It remains to be seen if there will be any improvements to the various employers at  Heathrow local transport plans, i.e. car sharing schemes or minibuses, or  increased public transport bus provision to help alleviate growing traffic conjestion.