Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as the MyGuildford Account login The site will not function properly without these cookies and they can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences We'd like to set Google Analytics cookies to help us to improve our website by collecting and reporting information on how you use it The cookies collect information in a way that does not directly identify anyone For more information on how these cookies work please see the list of cookies used on this website It might have been moved as part of our website redesign Use our search bar to find the information you need, or browse from the homepage Below are some of our most popular pages that might be useful If you need any further assistance, please contact us Trying out the new London Road crossing in Burpham Chair of the BCA Sue Hackman leads the way Second in line is Cllr George Potter and fourth Andrew Plumridge Also included are three residents who recently lost pets in the road Members of the Burpham Community Association (BCA) braved the cold weather on Sunday (January 12) to welcome the new pedestrian crossing across London Road near Winterhill Way The BCA first asked the county council for a crossing over seven years ago to protect shoppers on their way to the supermarkets and children on their way to the primary school BCA members happy that the crossing has been installed at last The Rev’d James Hanson is in the orange hat together with a proposed reduction in the speed limit from 40mph to 30mph the road will become safer for local pets and for wildlife The group thanked Andrew Plumridge for finally pushing the council to install the crossing after the London Road Active Travel scheme was dropped Burpham and Guildford East) was also thanked for bringing the project to fruition The chair of Burpham Community Association along with proposed speed reductions on London Road will make Burpham a safer place to live.” prayed for God’s blessing on all who used the crossing adding:  “It is so good we can make these improvements for a tight-knit community by working positively together in an increasingly challenging world.” Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" In response to: Dumped E-bike Provokes Questions on Saturday night (November 2) and was still there on Monday morning Editor’s response: Details of where reports of dumped Beryl e-bikes can be sent can be found in the linked story At the launch of this scheme I expressed my concern here that these bikes would soon be added to the appalling litter that blights and pollutes every corner and environment of the borough and county I truly wish I wasn’t right on both issues In reference to litter in Guildford I must say the new incumbent environmental director who has recently taken up post – is of a different character to those who he has succeeded I am the first to speak up when things are wrong but when they are right I am happy to sing the council’s praise I sincerely hope that Jim Allen is right regarding Mr Harvey as the current litter “strategy”/expensive vicious cycle of allow consequence-free littering; cursory cleaning; allow consequence-free littering this is shamefully a local and national problem as almost all local and national authorities are guilty of partially treating the symptoms I do hope therefore that the full and overt enforcement of laws and fines forms part of any new anti-litter approach even if it requires the assistance of a private authority support provider stepping outside and walking or driving in any direction The Inspiration for Pub Success Since 1794 30-Jul-2024 Last updated on 30-Jul-2024 at 08:28 GMT grade II-listed pub and restaurant is strong with its food offer and pledges to serve “the freshest local ingredients from our AA Rosette awarded kitchen” head chef and general manager Martin Bull tells The Morning Advertiser more about his site near the south coast Website: https://georgeatburpham.co.uk/ The George sits in a beautiful Sussex village of Burpham about two miles from Arundel It was acquired by a group of locals in 2013 to save it from the hands of developers and they decided to change the name to the George at Burpham to avoid confusion with another local pub of the same name It is a quintessential English village pub next to the church There are six benches out the front for use when the weather is better and a car park next to the village hall I run the kitchen and my wife Charlotte runs the front of house We started off washing up and working up to owning our own pub in Chichester (also in West Sussex) we had jobs with myself working at the two-rosette Richmond Arms in West Ashling the opportunity came by to manage the George We get customers ranging from walkers and cyclists enjoying the South Downs to families and couples out for a full three-course meal We offer bar snacks for those wanting a quick bite too We have a team of six in the kitchen and 14 front of house we have some mums who want to work a few hours to students and a couple of trainees on apprenticeships programmes We have three ale pumps all with something local: Harvey’s Fauna and Long Man are some of our local breweries Lagers are Estrella and the local Hepworth lager which is not so strong and ideal for those driving and We have a good choice by the glass with natural organic wines being something we like to use We have a good mix of classics and a la carte choices in the menu we love the fact someone can pop in for a Scotch egg or toastie and someone can have a whole megrim sole or pork chop or something simple like a burger – we try to cater to every need we keep the menu simple but full of flavour and seasonal produce There are various events that happen in the village green We provide a bar for the summer fete and any wedding that are happening at the village hall We are doing a bar and barbecue with other offerings like pizza and an ice cream van We are constantly looking at improving the pub whether that’s with new local suppliers or the food and drink offer Drinks sales return to year-on-year growth 29-Jul-2024By Rebecca WellerDrinks sales in pubs see strongest trading week of the summer so far thanks to warmer weather after slumping into negative numbers. FEATURE: Be a winner as football stars return to Premier League29-Jul-2024By Gary LloydIt might not be coming home just yet but, as Euro 2024 proved, there’s nothing quite like live football to get people out of the house and into the on-trade. Quench your Thirst with Beers from the European UnionPaid for and content provided by European Union Worplesdon & Burpham beat Bramley by six wickets in Division Three of the I’Anson League on Saturday. In Division Seven, Worplesdon & Burpham’s second team slipped to a 19-run defeat at Haslemere’s second team. Blackheath 272-6. Grayshott 156 all out. Points: Blackheath 30, Grayshott 5. Farncombe 242 all out. Chiddingfold 129 all out. Points: Chiddingfold 6, Farncombe 30. Frimley 201 all out. Frensham 203-5. Points: Frensham 30, Frimley 6. Tilford 248-8. Midhurst 94 all out. Points: Tilford 30, Midhurst 4. Elstead 251-6. Grayswood 88 all out. Points: Grayswood 3, Elstead 30.  The Bourne 163 all out. Fernhurst 164-8. Points: Fernhurst 28, The Bourne 6. Peper Harow 190 all out. Headley, Whitehill & Bordon 186 all out. Points: Peper Harow 28, Headley, Whitehill & Bordon 8. Shalford 201-5. Dogmersfield 205-3. Points: Shalford 5, Dogmersfield 27. Puttenham 240 all out. Tongham 130 all out. Points: Tongham 6, Puttenham 30. Frensham ll 196-3. Brook 182-9. Points: Brook 4, Frensham ll 27.  Grayshott ll 207-9. Frensham lll 164-7. Points: Grayshott ll 27, Frensham lll 6. Wood Street 113 all out. Pirbright 114-3. Points: Pirbright 28, Wood Street 1. Blackheath ll 199-8. Puttenham ll 187 all out. Points: Puttenham ll 7, Blackheath ll 28. Bramley 167-9. Worplesdon & Burpham 168-4. Points: Worplesdon & Burpham 29, Bramley 4. Thursley 138 all out. Tilford ll 139-7. Points: Thursley 4, Tilford ll 27. Hambledon 172-8. Farncombe ll 90 all out. Points: Farncombe ll 4, Hambledon 27. Grayswood ll 148 all out. Frimley ll 117 all out. Points: Frimley ll 5, Grayswood ll 26. Badshot Lea 236-5. Headley, Whitehill & Bordon ll 134 all out. Points: Headley, Whitehill & Bordon ll 3, Badshot Lea 30. Churt & Hindhead lll 148 all out. Dogmersfield ll 122 all out. Points: Dogmersfield ll 5, Churt & Hindhead lll 26. Peper Harow II 106-9. Harting 107-2. Points: Harting 28, Peper Harow II 1. Frimley Phoenix 179 all out. Fernhurst ll 101 all out. Points: Frimley Phoenix 28, Fernhurst ll 5. Kingsley 164-5. Chiddingfold ll 93 all out. Points Kingsley 27, Chiddingfold ll 2. Alton lV 101 all out. Wood Street ll 102-4. Points: Wood Street ll 28, Alton lV 2. Blackheath lll 82 all out. Wrecclesham 86-9. Points: Wrecclesham 25, Blackheath lll 4. Frensham lV 186-8. Liphook lll 189-7. Points: Frensham lV 6, Liphook lll 28. Bramley ll 92 all out. Guildford lV 93-5. Points: Bramley ll 2, Guildford lV 27. Haslemere 258-8. Milford 152 all out. Points: Milford 6, Haslemere 30. The Bourne ll 173-5. Frimley lll 109 all out. Points: The Bourne ll 26, Frimley lll 2. Brook ll 208-6. Grayswood III 126 all out. Points: Grayswood lll 4, Brook ll 28. Frimley Phoenix ll 272-7. Badshot Lea ll 109 all out. Points: Badshot Lea ll 3, Frimley Phoenix lll 30. Churt & Hindhead lV 236-7. Shalford ll 80 all out. Churt & Hindhead lV 30, Shalford ll 3. Farnham III 88 all out. Elstead ll 79 all out. Points: Elstead ll 5, Farnham lll 25. Farncombe Wanderers 133-8. Frimley Phoenix lll 134-5. Points: Farncombe Wanderers 3, Frimley Phoenix lll 27. Frimley lV 33-8. Farncombe lll 34-0. Points: Frimley lV 0, Farncombe lll 28. Haslemere ll 157-7. Worplesdon & Burpham ll 138-8. Points: Haslemere ll 26, Worplesdon & Burpham ll 4. Headley, Whitehill & Bordon lll 143-9. Tilford lll 144-1. Points: Headley, Whitehill & Bordon lll 1, Tilford lll 29. Comments Tel: 01483 802700[email protected]Follow us Further Links Owned or licensed to Tindle Newspapers Ltd | Independent Family-Owned Newspapers | Copyright & Trade Mark Notice & 2013 - 2025 Situated in the Deanery of Arundel and Bognor and Diocese of Chichester The Bishop of Chichester seeks to appoint a priest in charge who will offer a pastoral and liturgical ministry across the parishes of these Benefices Be faithful in prayer and diligent in preparing for worship with an overriding desire to be a loving pastor to God’s people across these parishes vision and enthusiasm to engage with our village communities Understand and delight in the challenges and opportunities of contemporary rural life Committed parishes each serving its own local community in the South Downs National Park and Arun Valley Two historic and beautiful Grade 1 listed churches Our full support and encouragement in promoting new approaches to rural ministry with all its joys and frustrations We relish the challenge of developing our rural parishes whilst wishing to maintain worship in both of our Church communities A Vicarage in the village of Burpham with views across beautiful rolling countryside A collaborative Deanery within the Diocese of Chichester The parish profile is available on our website or from the Appointments Secretary, Imogen Robins at: applications@chichester.anglican.org To apply please click the 'apply for this job' button below The Diocese of Chichester is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All post holders and volunteers are expected to share this commitment. Our full safeguarding policy can be found here All appointments are subject to acceptable pre-appointment checks including a satisfactory Enhanced DBS Check We are eager to find our new Vicar who will… We are a vibrant intentional and ecumenical community based at Scargill House in the heart of North Yorkshire We are seeking a new community member to play a key role as part of our Pastoral & Teaching Team; sharing God’s welcome to a wide variety of guests For our churches on Hayling Island we are looking for an Associate Priest on a 3-days-plus Sunday basis Come and join us as Rector of The Isle Ely Villages Benefice for the Benefice of Crockham Hill and Westerham An exciting opportunity to join our new Benefice and help shape ministry across two vibrant parishes We are a Local Ecumenical Partnership located in the north-east of Chelmsford that is seeking a Priest who will lead us into a new season of ministry welcoming and compassionate church located in the centre of an expanding suburban community in the north of the vibrant new city of Colchester (Sidcup Deanery - London Borough of Bexley) and live God’s love in our community" Stantonbury Ecumenical Partnership Milton Keynes We are a partnership of six diverse and welcoming congregations in the northern districts of Milton Keynes offering a rich tapestry of worshipping tr.. The rain wiped out a number of I’Anson Cricket League matches on Saturday, but plenty of games went ahead. In Division Seven, Worplesdon & Burpham’s second team slipped to a five-wicket defeat at home to Tilford’s third team. Richard Kitt (49), Kamran Hussain (36 not out) and Danyal Hussain (14) all reached double figures as Worplesdon & Burpham scored 128 for six off 38 overs batting first. Worplesdon & Burpham opening bowler Muaz Hussain (four for 25) took four early wickets to leave Tilford in big trouble at 20 for four, before Matt Swarbrick (82 not out) and O Swarbrick (21) added 97 for the fifth wicket. Danyal Hussain (one for ten) took the fifth wicket, but the visitors reached their target in the 29th over. In Division Three, Pirbright were frustrated by the weather as their match at home to Tilford’s second team was abandoned because of the rain. Pirbright had reached 80 for three after 20 overs. Worplesdon & Burpham’s game at Puttenham & Wanborough’s second team was cancelled. Here are this week’s full I’Anson Cricket League results. Midhurst 159-9. Elstead 161-5. Points Elstead 28, Midhurst 4. Chiddingfold 192 all out (Ollie Clayton-Jones 3-48, Hamish Falls-Anderson 3-44). Frensham 106 all out (Alwyn Jordaan 3-22). Points: Frensham 5, Chiddingfold 28. Farncombe 172-2 (Tom Williams 102*). Grayshott 156-8. Match drawn. Points: Grayshott 7, Farncombe 17. Tilford 180-8 (John Barran 50, David Carroll 4-33). Frimley 103 all out (Benn Matthews 3-9). Points: Tilford 28, Frimley 4. Headley, Whitehill & Bordon 173-9 (Dylan Harris 93, Archie Warren 5-47). Frensham ll 88-7. Match drawn. Points: Headley 17, Frensham ll 8. Farncombe ll 136 all out (G Nawid 4-5, J Canning 3-15). Headley, Whitehill & Bordon ll 115-6 (D Bishop 3-39). Match drawn. Points: Farncombe ll 8, Headley, Whitehill & Bordon ll 17. Hambledon 139-8 (Tom Harris 59, Omar Qayyum 3-12). Frimley ll 142-9 (Fred Warburton 4-26). Points: Frimley ll 25, Hambledon 5. Dogmersfield ll 140-9 (Dan Dillon-Thiselton 3-16). Harting 80-6 (Faisal Mehmood 3-14). Match drawn, Points: Harting 8, Dogmersfield ll 16. Alton lV 125-8 (Ben Jansen 65, Will Nash 4-25). Blackheath lll 126-2. Points: Alton lV 2, Blackheath lll 29. Frimley Phoenix 209-7 (Joseph Warren 77, Raj Prajwal 57). Frensham lV 28 all out (Joseph Warren 4-5, Andrew McCarthy 6-23). Points: Frensham lV 3, Frimley Phoenix 29. Brook ll 111 all out (D Giblet 60, M Bane 5-10). Guildford lV 112-6. Points: Brook ll 3, Guildford lV 27. Frimley lll 108 all out (A Jennings 3-25). Grayshott lll 111-2. Points: Grayshott lll 29, Frimley lll 1. Haslemere 206-3 (Lee Clement 51, Alex Hooker 100*). The Bourne ll 48 all out (Ollie Ellis 3015, Harry Hook 3-21, Brett Pretorius 3-1). Points: The Bourne ll 1, Haslemere 29. Frimley Phoenix ll 231-6 (E Leal 63, M Davies 4-30). Frimley Phoenix lll 81 all out (B Hills 6-19). Points: Frimley Phoenix ll 30, Frimley Phoenix lll 3. Worplesdon & Burpham ll 128-6. Tilford lll 132-5 (Matt Swarbrick 82*, Muaz Hussein 4-25). Points: Worplesdon & Burpham ll 3, Tilford lll 26. Tel: 01483 802700[email protected]Follow us An appeal against a decision to refuse permission for a new pharmacy to be opened in King’s Parade Burpham has been allowed Applicant Zohib Sheikh told The Dragon: “Fantastic news that the NHS appeals committee have seen sense and decided a pharmacy is very much needed in Burpham would have been possible without the support of our local residents I am grateful to them all for their help and support.” Residents in Burpham and Merrow warned the authorities that with the closure of pharmacies in Merrow Sainsbury’s and in Merrow Park the remaining Boots branch on the Epsom Road at Merrow would not be able to cope See also: ‘Please Help Merrow Before Somebody Dies’ Writes Resident to MP This proved to be the case in January and long queues formed Around the same time an application for a new pharmacy at Burpham was refused This was a decision many affected residents found  baffling to raise concerns about pharmacy provision in the area Angela Richardson meeting Andrea Leadsom in the Houses of Parliament Ms Richardson said: “After months of tireless work I am pleased to say that the NHS Pharmacy Appeals Committee have reversed the decision of Surrey Heartlands ICB allowing a new pharmacy to open in Burpham “I know that the closure of Lloyds Pharmacy in Burpham and Boots in Merrow Park has impacted residents over the past year I hope that today’s news will begin to alleviate the situation “Congratulations to Zohib Sheikh on his successful appeal “I look forward to the opening of the new pharmacy.” There was once a pharmacy in Kings Parade Burpham in the 1980s/90s so I am puzzled as to why the initial application was refused Merrow have really struggled over past few months so this will a welcome relief to them and customers alike an architectural feature of building construction within the chalet-like building comprising the nearby office of the vehicle hire company The pharmacy to which Mr Cooper correctly refers was independently owned and managed but when Sainsbury’s decided to open one of its own it seemingly became unviable and closed The pharmacist worked for a while at Sainsbury’s One of the selling points was the store’s opening hours; the company agreed that the pharmacy would be open at all times the shop was trading something that the pharmacy on the parade couldn’t undertake as time moved on and Sainsbury’s contracted this service out its opening hours changed and it eventually closed Thank goodness that recently common sense prevailed and Burpham is now The rain wiped out a number of I’Anson matches, but plenty of games went ahead. In Division Three, Worplesdon & Burpham’s first team fell to a 104-run defeat at home to Thursley. Matthew Lambert (three for 15) and Mitchell Rogers (three for 64) were in the wickets as the hosts bowled Thursley out for 171. Lambert (24) top scored as the hosts were bowled out for 67. In Division Seven, Worplesdon & Burpham’s second team beat Churt & Hindhead’s fourth team by four wickets. Abdul Hussain (four for 29) was the pick of the Worplesdon attack as the visitors bowled the hosts out for 145. David Kelly (47) top scored in Worplesdon’s run chase. Tilford 234-6 (Henry Marks 81, Paul Hundley 3-52). Chiddingfold 153 all out (James Wood 64, Huw Town-Jones 3-24, Ed Carlile 3-25). Points: Chiddingfold 5, Tilford 30. Frimley 189-9 (John Hebditch 98, Graham Seddon 5-35). Grayswood 191-3 (James Perrin 65, Jack Hodges 56). Points: Frimley 4, Grayswood 29.  Tongham 135-8 (Fazle Hadi 3-31). Brook 99-8 (Tyler Carrington 3-21, Thomas Porter 3-15). Match drawn. Points: Brook 16, Tongham 9. Grayshott ll 89 all out (Rupert Howe 6-20). Pirbright 90-4. Points: Grayshott ll 2, Pirbright 28. Thursley 171 all out (Matthew Lambert 3-15, Mitchell Rogers 3-64). Worplesdon & Burpham 67 all out. Points: Worplesdon & Burpham 5, Thursley 27. Headley, Whitehill & Bordon ll 184-8 (G King 54, A Ogilvy 3-36). Frimley ll 135-8. Match drawn. Points: Headley, Whitehill & Bordon ll 19, Frimley ll 9. Churt & Hindhead lll 190-8 (Ali McGregor 67*, Max Beckett 5-35, Chetan Nittur 3-37). Grayswood ll 117 all out (Daniel Higgins 3-31, Adrian Askew 4-11). Points: Grayswood ll 4, Churt & Hindhead lll 28. Harting 136-5. Hambledon 139-1 (Chase Pusey 58*, Tom Harris 64). Points: Hambledon 27, Harting 1. Fernhurst ll 122 all out (Toby Taylor 4-19). Alton lV 65 all out (Abdur Rahman 4-7). Points: Fernhurst ll 25, Alton lV 5. Wrecclesham 129 all out (Leo Carter 62, J Warren 4-24, R Prajwal 3-16). Frimley Phoenix 134-1 (S Warren 89*). Points: Frimley Phoenix 30, Wrecclesham 1. Frensham lV 150-6 (M Hashir 80*). Kingsley 117 all out (P Falkiner 4-42). Points: Kingsley 3, Frensham lV 27. Wood Street Village ll 102 all out (Charlie Weller 3-13). Liphook lll 101-9 (Rory Leach 4-26). Match drawn. Points: Liphook lll 17, Wood Street Village ll 8. Frimley lll 202-9 (D Rebello 53), Brook ll 158-9 (L Soar 54, D Rebello 4-31). Match drawn. Points: Frimley lll 20, Brook ll 10. Grayshott lll 110 all out (Hasnain Altaf 3-9). Guildford lV 111-1. Points: Guildford lV 29, Grayshott lll 0. Haslemere 196-1 (Chris Spooner 110*). Midhurst ll 66 all out (Luke Millard 3-23, Alex Hooker 3-10). Points: Haslemere 28, Midhurst ll 0. Farncombe lll 146-8 (A Jukes 3-25). Frimley Phoenix lll 97 all out (R Lamble 3-30). Points: Frimley Phoenix lll 4, Farncombe lll 26. Haslemere ll 163 all out (Tom Bacon 52). Headley, Whitehill & Bordon lll 42 all out (Tom Bacon 8-13). Points: Headley, Whitehill & Bordon lll 5, Haslemere ll 27. Frimley lV 97 all out (Joseph Doubler 3-24, Sean Critchell 3-8). Shalford ll 101-3. Points: Shalford ll 28, Frimley lV 1. Churt & Hindhead lV 145 all out (Abdul Hussain 4-29, Aman Zaraar 3-17). Worplesdon & Burpham ll 149-6. Points: Churt & Hindhead lV 4, Worplesdon & Burpham ll 28. Tel: 01483 802700[email protected]Follow us After this story was published on August 13 historian Frank Phillipson supplied further details about the former Kingpost leisure amenity at Burpham With motor dealers MJA vacating its premises in Burpham, and Ian Creese’s letter to The Guildford Dragon NEWS urging that its replacement “must have community value” it’s worth looking at the open-air swimming pool and restaurant that was once on the site Indeed, Guildford once had another open-air swimming pool other than the lido – and not forgetting a third as well, at Shere Unlike Guildford Lido, opened in 1933 (and celebrated its 80th birthday in 2013) and which was constructed and run by the town council the Burpham pool and leisure complex (as it would be called today) was an independent venture And it appears to have had a rather short and chequered history while also being created in the early 1930s during the “golden age” of the building of lidos in the UK is taken from the town and beach resort in north-eastern Italy The pool at The Kingpost Restaurant and Swimming Pool It appears that the Kingpost restaurant opened in January 1933 states that it is “Next (to the) New Kingpost Restaurant” An initial advert for the Kingpost Restaurant appeared in the same edition of the Surrey Advertiser It states: “Come and see this Medieval restaurant – it’s old oak antiques While built in the 1930s mock Tudor style there were no buildings previously located anywhere on this site It’s possible that old timbers may have been used in its construction hence the “Kingpost” name A later advert for the Kingpost of June 1933 states that it will be open till late while the [Aldershot Military] Tattoo is taking place 1933 there is the first mention of the swimming pool it states: “The Water has again been Entirely Changed” In July 1934 a staff outing from WJ Daniel and Co. converged on the Kingpost for a get together and to compete in sports events between the various branches By April 1936 The Kingpost advert stated that it was “Now under entirely New Management” and was styled as a “Roadhouse” and was now the “The Kingpost Country Club” In 1936 editions of The Stage adverts for musicians and singers to perform at The Kingpost were placed The Kingpost was about to be closed down as non-members were being served with drink and allowed to dance in contravention of the licensing laws It was “struck off the register and disqualified for one year” with “the club secretary and manager fined £70 for offences under the Licensing Act” with part of the description stating: “The property consist of two acres on a corner facing the London Road and New Inn Lane “The main building and the restaurant has a sale shop right of the entrance and left is a snack bar and adjoining is a large shed previously used as a garage which has a cement floor and is fitted as a secondary restaurant for serving teas and refreshments to the swimming pool during the time it is open “The swimming pool is 65 feet by 32 feet; depth 8 feet at one end and 3 feet at the other enclosed by rails right and left of the pool There are 40 commodious bathing huts and two sets of lavatories – one on each side of the pool There are two spring boards of the latest patterns There is underwater lighting and also flood lighting In a building adjoining the pool is a filter plant installed by the Turnover Filter Company and it is of the same pattern as at the Lido There is a pay box and turnstiles and storage for towels and bathing costumes.” Aerial view of The Kingpost Restaurant Swimming Pool The Kingpost seems to have reverted to being a restaurant There seems to have been local activities based at the site with a Kingpost table tennis team being mentioned in the late 1930s in newspaper match results the Kelly’s Directory listed C P & H Fountain as the owners while in 1939 two companies were registered for the premises – Athenaeum (Ice Rinks) and Guildford Athenaeum Ltd Its directors being Lord Cecil Charles Douglas Cyril Percy Fountain and Herbert William Fountain The Kingpost was given as the registered office of “The Guildford Athenaeum” in 1939 This was a project to build a sports and leisure centre with the main feature being an ice rink that could “skate 2,000 people with 8,000 spectator seats” Numerous other sports amenities were proposed with restaurants and bars and a large hall that would accommodate 500 dance couples the start of the Second World War put a stop to the scheme which was never resurrected 1939 of the Reading Mercury there seems to be some acknowledgement of the impending war with the inclusion in the proposal for a “gas proof shelter” which could be used for local ARP exercises and demonstrations The Kingpost appears to have been requisitioned by Guildford Borough Council as part of the war effort It acted as a Civil Defence training school and may have acted as a rest centre for any people made homeless or locally evacuated The local air raid siren was located adjacent to the building In November 1945 “The Kingpost” was broken in to In April 1950 the Kingpost reopened as “The Original Kingpost Tudor Restaurant” Burpham had a small Roman Catholic worshipping community without a church of their own Mass was celebrated in the home of Misses Anne and Nell Leonard the community sought the help of Fr Gordon Albion who found a venue in a disused café In the December 1955 issue of the Catholic Herald it noted that there will be a Mass at the new Mass Centre at Kingpost Orchard Cottage and the adjoining land in New Inn Lane was purchased and the building of a church began The first Mass was celebrated in June 1960 establishing the Burpham Parish of St Mary of Pity Following ward boundary changes in May this year we've received an application to change the Burpham Neighbourhood Area The proposed change would see the neighbourhood area boundary enlarged so that it matches the new ward boundary for Burpham The application also asks us to designate a new Burpham Neighbourhood Forum for the modified Neighbourhood Area.  We're inviting residents to have their say about the proposed boundary changes and forum The consultation begins at midday on 30 August 2023 It will run for six weeks until midday on 12 October 2023.  You can make your comments online through the consultation web page (opens new window) or by emailing planningpolicy@guildford.gov.uk You can also write to Planning Policy at our Millmead offices in Guildford The comments submitted will help us decide whether to put the draft proposals in place The Burpham Neighbourhood Area and the Burpham Neighbourhood Forum were first designated in 2013 The forum produced the Burpham Neighbourhood Plan Forum designations expire after five years The proposed changes would not affect the current Neighbourhood Plan for Burpham until it is reviewed or replaced.  You can view the applications on our website. (opens new window) You can view printed copies of the applications in reception at our offices in Guildford:Millmead House For good local history research you need dedication and be prepared to leave ‘no stone unturned’ in your quest And this is what Moria MacQuaide Hall has done in writing her new book Burpham A Gateway to Guildford Moira MacQuaide Hall with her new history book on Burpham “how a Surrey village grew from a rural hamlet into a busy suburb” Moria is no stranger to historical research She has long been compiling her family history and in 2014 published her first book A History of Burpham Primary School 1908-2014 In the preface of her new book she writes: “When I started selling the book [Burpham Primary School] I found that many people were remembering not only what the school was like but also what life in the village was like when they were young It was this that started my interest in writing a book about the village and its inhabitants and the feeling that these memories should be recorded Her research has taken her to places such as the Surrey History Centre and also meeting and talking to lots of people who have contributed snippets of information or given her clues to look at back copies of local newspapers She has also looked at more recent stories published on The Guildford Dragon NEWS It would seems that while collecting all this information she has also literally walked every street in Burpham has looked at every building that holds some history The wealth of detail in the book cannot be overstated And what makes it such a good read is that it’s written in a style that’s both informative and captivating The cover of Burpham A Gateway to Guildford Moira links the story of Burpham’s development with not only what was happening in Guildford at the same time – but especially in the part of the book that focuses on time periods You can even use the book as a check check list of kings and queens The meat of the book is Burpham through and through – pubs through to people’s memories and what’s going on today and even a look to the future The book contains numerous black and white photos and illustrations and at just £10 is a bargain indeed Copies can be ordered from Moira direct on 07963 756543 Or send an email to: moira.macquaide@gmail.com It is also being stocked at Guildford Museum Moira will be in the audience at the forthcoming Guildford History Question Time at the Keep pub in Castle Street on Monday evening Aerial view of the Gosden Hill site Image Martin Grant Developer Martin Grant’s announcement that it is to proceed with public consultation on its site at Gosden Hill is obviously a significant event within the borough See: Developer Announces Public Consultation Events for Gosden Hill Site The Dragon sought the views of GBC’s lead councillor for Planning Lib Dem George Potter (he is also a borough councillor for Burpham) Guildford’s MP Angela Richardson and the chair of the Burpham Community Association All three were asked to address the following questions in their responses: “We’re very pleased to see the start of the consultation process have been working to ensure that this will be a meaningful Martin Grant Homes have said they’ll be consulting early with the whole community and all key stakeholders so that feedback can be taken into account before plans for the site are finalised “The key issues with this site will always be the potential traffic impact on the surrounding area and the potential increased strain on local services infrastructure and wildlife if the site is not built to be sustainable this site has the potential to [be sustainable] provided much-needed infrastructure which would benefit local people new protected greenspace and potentially a new railway station [is provided] “The planning department has organised an independent Design Review Panel to work with the developers to scrutinise So far this process seems to be working well and the developer has been saying all the right things about designing out car-dependency and building a self-sustaining community but obviously we’ll need to see whether this is borne out in the actual planning application.” “Whilst I appreciate that we do not yet have the full details of the proposal I share residents’ concerns about the impact of a potential development at Gosden Hill both on Burpham and the surrounding area “As part of my work through the Burpham Flood Forum and from regular conversations with residents on the doorstep I know that concerns mainly sit around future infrastructure provision flooding mitigations and an increased traffic volume through Burpham “It is important that housing is built in the right areas supported by the appropriate infrastructure “I hope that as part of their proposals and application following the consultation that the developer will incorporate the necessary infrastructure so that residents in Burpham and Merrow are not adversely impacted by any new housing businesses and community groups will be able to make their views heard in an extensive consultation later this year It is imperative that the developer carefully listens to and addresses any concerns raised “Residents can be assured that I will be following this process closely and ensuring that their views are heard by all necessary stakeholders.” Andy Clapham chair of the Burpham Community Association “The BCA welcomes the Martin Grant consultation exercise and intends to play an active role in it the development will produce significant additional traffic through Burpham (and to an extent Merrow) and major changes to traffic flows several hundred vehicles daily forced to turn right at junctions which are already congested across existing flows of thousands of vehicles per day “It will also lead to less rainwater being absorbed into the ground and more needing to be dealt with via drains “If the development is to be tolerable for its residents and existing Burpham residents there will be a requirement for: “We hope that the views of residents will be heard and acted on but recognise that this requires action from Thames Water Guildford Borough Council and Highways England as well as Martin Grant.” It will be interesting to see how the proposals conform with the proposals in the Strategic Development Framework – Supplementary Planning Document (adopted by GBC 2020) and the detailed points for consideration on environment Alistair Smith is chair of The Guildford Society Traffic management is the big issue but I am not confident it will be addressed We also need truly affordable homes and social housing but I have no confidence in either the council or our MP Development on the west side of the borough failed to attract Highways funding despite promises and the then Tory Council borrowed £50 million to put a bridge over Ash Crossing…a job that should have been paid for by the SCC Highways Now we can’t afford to borrow any more One aspect of any new housing development should include new thinking of not only road systems to take road traffic of all sorts but also what happens with water in general that is needed in dry parts of the year and is plenty at other times If all new houses had water storage it could be used instead of costly drinking water suppliers charge to take away rainwater and have problems when summer comes to supply enough clean water Waste water and sewerage remover are now handled by systems not designed for 21st-century life London has had to cope with an expensive rebuild of its central sewerage under the Thames but the rest of the UK is made up of growing villages and towns that have no chance of accepting such a build Those responsible should draw up plans for the future now on how to cope with expansion of the human race and then build houses accordingly Straight lines are easier to draw before blobs appear Why do we flush our toilets with drinking quality water Police supplied photo of the operation at Burpham with Craig Turner director of investigations at NCA next to the Home Secretary looking on A 44-year-old man was arrested this morning (August 23) in Charlock Way possession of a prohibited weapon and money laundering The Home Secretary Priti Patel was present to witness the operation Part of a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation Operation Venetic – the NCA-led UK response to the takedown of encrypted comms platform EncroChat in 2020 on suspicion of conspiring to import class A drugs conspiring to sell ammunition and money laundering The properties at Burpham and Waltham Cross were both searched as well as a third property in Walthamstow It is believed the organised crime group has international links to offenders involved in high level crime A nearby resident who witnessed the events said: “There was little to see other than a large number of people – police and dogs appearing at 5.40am and Priti Patel wandering around doing interviews the search of the property is ongoing [as at 3.30pm] as there are some NCA cars still remaining said: “There are undeniable levels of violence and exploitation linked to illegal drugs and firearms in the UK “Both threats are priorities for the National Crime Agency and we work with partners at home and abroad to combat them “We believe the two arrested men were part of an organised crime group importing multi kilo consignments of class A drugs and firearms into the country.” Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “Illegal drugs devastate lives destroy our communities and cost society billions “Gangs exploit the most vulnerable people to run their grubby trade we have ensured more than 2,400 County Lines have been shut down since November 2019 more than 8,000 arrests have been made and more than 9,500 people have been supported to get the help they need “Through the policies and Drugs Strategy which I have led we are investing over £3 billion to combat drugs target criminal drug operatives at home and abroad address drug addiction in our communities and make our streets safer.” commented:“I welcome news of the National Crime Agency arresting an individual at a property in Burpham this morning as part of Operation Venetic “Illegal drugs and weapons have no place in our country They have a negative impact on our communities and residents and their trade often exploits the most vulnerable in our society ”I am sure people across Guildford would like to join me in thanking the officers who took part in today’s operation ”I will continue to support our police service in making Guildford and our country a safer place for all.” Probably not a good idea to stand with your hands behind your back when the press photo is taken it was okay she had a jacket with “Home Secretary” on it so they wouldn’t have made a mistake It came as a surprise to hear about a National Crime Agency raid in Burpham but it is very welcome to see the authorities are tackling organised crime and the harm it causes It was a little disappointing to see the Home Secretary in attendance for publicity purposes as I’m sure there are more useful activities for a minister of the crown to be undertaking and she’s certainly been present at enough raids by now but that shouldn’t detract from the good work being done by Operation Venetic George Potter is a Lib Dem borough councillor for Burpham and a Surrey county councillor for Guildford East By 2020-11-13T16:31:00+00:00 Sainsbury’s has withdrawn its planning application to expand its Burpham following campaigning by environmental groups The retailer has scrapped plans to extend the branch to add an online grocery delivery service after the Woodland Trust and Save Me Trust claimed the move would have impacted an area of woodland and harmed wildlife Campaigners said about 70 trees also would have been removed as part of the works though Sainsbury’s had planned to replace them with over 300 new plants The supermarket proposed installing e-commerce capabilities at the store in response to local customers’ increased demand for online deliveries in addition to the click & collect option it already offers The changes would have also created 100 new jobs Sainsbury’s is currently revising its design including creating a buffer zone around the wooded area “The communities we serve are at the heart of everything we do,” a Sainsbury’s spokeswoman told The Grocer “We have listened to the concerns with regards to our proposal and have withdrawn our planning application “We look forward to working with the community over the coming months on a revised proposal that brings the best possible environmental benefits alongside supporting local jobs and more convenient ways to shop.” A spokeswoman for Save Me Trust added: “From our conversations with Sainsbury’s it’s clear they share our goals of sustainability and enhancement of wildlife habitats We are now confident solutions can be found for their expansion plans that are sustainable and effective Sign in to comment on this article Site powered by Webvision Cloud Learn moreExplore related questionsDiscover more about the topics that matter most Browse our suggested questions or ask your own to find out more Aerial yoga and aerial hoop workshops will be part of the Burpham Wellfest programme which takes place in Sutherland Memorial Park on Sunday who are also bringing cCircus skills workshops to the festival Aerial hoop workshops will be at Burpham Wellfest Jack said: “If I had to describe aerial yoga in one word – fun You can hang and sway your way to a fitter Aerial yoga involves the use of low-hanging silk-hammocks the material supports your body allowing you to access many more yoga postures Heidi added: “‘Being upside down is our happy place and we can’t wait to show you how much fun it can be aerial is an exciting way of exercising and learning a unique new skill.” said: “The aim of Burpham Wellfest is not simply to bring wellbeing to the community for one day We are seeking to enable the delivery of wellbeing to all in need for the long-term because we know any wellbeing programme will only work if it is sustained over time And this partnership is one way in which we hope to realise that aim.” The festival has partnered with Kind To Mind to help build the festival programme and to fund mental health support for Surrey residents added: “The mental health and personal development services Kind to Mind offers can be life-changing but are denied to so many owing to their costs Having this opportunity to expand their benefits at Burpham Wellfest and increase the impact they can have is so exciting.” environmentalist and workshop leader is bringing her Rainbow-LICIOUS children’s mindfulness storytelling show to the festival The narrative is based around helping children improve their wellbeing and is designed to inspire young people to make toys from recycled materials and then bring them to life with their imagination Jodie said: “I’m really excited to be bringing this story to Burpham Wellfest and to use recycled materials to spread the message about the importance of kindness and the climate emergency I’m confident it will help encourage local families to reduce recycle and take care of our planet even more.” The interactive storytelling show is ideal for six- to seven-year-olds Burpham Wellfest is looking forward to welcoming back charities and organisations including Surrey Hills Baby Clothes Library Surrey Hills Berries and the World Wild Fund for Nature The workshops can be booked on Eventbrite Spaces are limited so early booking is recommended To find out more about Burpham Wellfest visit www.burphamwellfest.com Ian Mackrell from Burpham Bowling Club reports on what has been a somewhat different but truly eventful year for its members With many clubs from all sports haemorrhaging members and being unable to play sport Burpham Bowling Club has defied the odds in this Current membership still exceeds 100 and that’s without any recruitment campaign these past two years Our club’s finals weekend over September 4 5 and 6 saw new member Nick Anderson as a future star at Burpham he was not only crowned Men’s Singles champion provided to the absorbed crowd of spectators presented by club president Margaret Liley When the government announced a restricted re-opening of lawn bowls club captain Alan Mogg immediately arranged for play to start on May 27 He and his wife Glenda organised a system that prevails to this day – and so successful that some 80% of playing members have played these past three months as Alan stated: “I’ve been swamped by members keen to play leaving an empty rink in between for social distancing permitting 90 minutes play per slot and 15 minutes each to leave the facility and for the next booked rink to set-up play.” All equipment is disinfected after each 90 minutes play unless players are from the same household “Anyone breaching these rules will immediately have to leave the green,” said Alan Mogg Guildford Borough Council’s parks team had kept the green in magnificent condition and the lovely weather that immediately followed competition secretary Barry Macbeth announced the annual club competitions would take place Alan Mogg (right) and Barry Macbeth before start of play on September 6 the excitement this announcement generated and with the recently introduced Aussie Pairs format in particular participation was way beyond Barry’s wildest imagination then scheduling competitions is difficult at the best of times but needing to adhere to strict Covid protocols too has necessitated some creativity the finals weekend had to be spread over three days so that we conformed to the Bowls England Covid protocols The format of the finals weekend was announced simultaneously with acting president Geoff Sheldon informing members about the building conversion project that has been in planning for four years our club has managed to raise nearly £100,000 much of it this year A generous £25,000 was also committed by Guildford Borough Council The money raised will transform the clubs’ facilities Geoff told members: “This is a brilliant demonstration of your support for the club.” has been agreed with Guildford Borough Council The building’s interior will be gutted and reconfigured to suit the needs of the club both now Work will begin this winter and be ready well before the start of the next outdoor season Guildford Borough Council’s Green Flag and Burpham’s club flag grace Sutherland Memorial Park The proposed 30th anniversary celebrations including hosting the Chelsea Pensioners Bowling Club for a major all-day tournament We’re by far the largest bowling club in the area and the new upgraded facility will enable the club to meet both its aspirational sporting targets but also increase still further its membership The weather for the finals weekend was mixed Wendy Sheldon and Jane Regan won the Ladies’ Pairs with Nick Anderson and Bob Hughes winning the Men’s Pairs The following day three competitions were decided Simon Fillary and Jane Regan were crowned Mixed Pairs champions A good win by Cheryl Messenger secured the Novices Singles to the delight of all present and our competitions secretary Barry Macbeth the Crossman Plate after whom the competition is named and founder member of the club very kindly left the club a bequest in his will The money has been invested in the building project which we know he would have strongly supported although at times chilly as dark clouds threatened It draw another crowd of excited spectators eager to witness the crowning of the Men’s and Ladies’ singles’ winners Social distancing required us to locate spectators around the green to enable two further finals to be completed in the afternoon All matches turned out to be very absorbing but the Men’s Singles and the Handicap Singles proved the most absorbing even if not all understood fully the rules of the competition It’s a pairs competition where players play 2-4-2 bowls There’s a lot of walking up and down the green increasing the opportunity of tactics to come into play Young married couple Sarah and Simon Fillary with the Aussie Pairs trophy Andy Jones won the Handicap Singles after an enormous battle with Bob Hughes The season hasn’t yet ended at Burpham though – casual play will continue until the end of the month the social committee is working hard to present a programme throughout the winter said: “We’ll have to hire the hall next door during our rebuilding project but that won’t stop the programme being curtailed at all and will be delighted to welcome new members Map showing sections of the London Road scheme Apple maps Proposals to improve walking and cycling on the A3100 between Burpham and Guildford Improvements will take place to and around the Boxgrove Roundabout – a key junction linking the A3 the Spectrum Leisure Centre and local schools The junction will be redesigned to modern standards See also: Two-thirds of London Road Cycle Scheme Deferred or Cancelled SCC is also expected to continue progressing the delivery of a controlled crossing near Winterhill Way and a zebra crossing on the junction of Nightingale Road and London Road But the controversial redesign of the stretches of the London Road between Burpham and the Boxgrove Roundabout (Section 1 on the map) and the Boxgrove Roundabout to York Road (Section 3) will not now proceed A county council spokesperson said: “Having carefully considered feedback from a three-month public engagement exercise the council will not be taking forward the proposed further active travel interventions on London Road between Boxgrove Roundabout and York Road other improvements including safer crossing points will be installed at the junction of Nightingale Road and London Road and between Winterhill Way and London Road in Burpham.” “I am pleased to be taking forward a scheme that will deliver a step change in the local transport system to prioritise pedestrians and cyclists in line with our active travel policies and ambitions for Surrey “We have listened extensively to all views from the local community including much support for various elements of the scheme but also legitimate concerns “I know some people will be happy that the London Road proposals will not be implemented in full while others will have wanted us to go even further “Focusing on the Boxgrove Roundabout initially will see this key junction linking the A3 redesigned to modern standards to prioritise pedestrians and cyclists and help make all forms of travelling safer “Section 1 of the proposed scheme will be subject to further review and decision at a later date to ensure the needs of all road users have been considered New safer crossing points will be installed at the junction of Nightingale Road and London Road and between Winterhill Way and London Road in Burpham “I am confident that this work will see more people walking and cycling with confidence in this area of Guildford and I would like to thank everyone who has contributed their views on this scheme.” In a distributed email report the chair of the London Road Action Group said: “The London Road Action Group (LRAG) was created to ensure that all aspects of the revised public engagement were available to the public in order to be able to voice a considered opinion about the proposed Active Travel Scheme “With the announcement of SCC’s decisions its work is thus complete … for the time being Regular news updates are no longer necessary though the Group will continue to monitor progress towards the final decision on Section 1 and design revisions for Section 2.” Guildford Borough Councillor Howard Smith (Labour who has been a strong advocate for active travel in Guildford said: “I am disappointed that the scheme will not at this time be implemented in full as it has much support among local residents plus all the major political parties and most importantly the schools along the route I am pleased that section 2 (Boxgrove roundabout) has been given the go ahead and I am optimistic that following the review we will see section 1 (Aldi to Boxgrove roundabout) come forward in some form “Once these are in place and the benefits realised then further active travel schemes will come forward I would especially like to see a scheme connecting my ward of Westborough to the town centre It’s imperative we act to improve peak hour congestion and encourage more active lifestyles where we can I see this as a first small step in the right direction.” Other reactions to the news are being sought More information is available at https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/activetravelburpham I am sure that the proposed modernisation of the Boxgrove Roundabout will be welcome by all road users The slip from the A25 Parkway to the A3100 is especially dangerous The fact that there are no safe pedestrian crossing points as highlighted by Mr Sam Neatrour’s daughter Juliette’s experience It is pleasing to note that this will be a priority Whilst there may be individuals or organisations who may regret the decision to postpone other aspects of the scheme I am confident that wise heads will prevail and that safer cycling and pedestrian ways will eventually be found that do not compromise the safety of proposed diversionary routes in residential areas There was the potential for an increase in pollution to all road users especially pedestrians and cyclists because of the congestion that may have arisen had the scheme been implemented Readers may have noticed that Burpham resident Jim Allen leaves a good deal of replies to the stories and articles on The Guildford Dragon NEWS We’ve published 349 of his comments so far who’s at ther top of the leader board with 500 comments published they are similar in some ways in that they are both not afraid to make their strong views known but at heart both care a great deal about Guildford and the changes that may be ahead Jim has recently written a long open letter (some you may have received it) in which he outlines his concerns for the Slyfield Area Regeneration Plan (SARP) DAVID ROSE give details of the contents in his letter but also learns a bit more about the man with a mission Jim Allen on the towpath of the Wey Navigation between Slyfield and Burpham pointing across to the water meadows and flood plain He reminds me of a musician who might have played in a American rock band from the 1970s 64 he came to Guildford 12 years ago and lives just off Clay Lane He says the house was a bit of a wreck when they moved in and he has done most of the renovation himself he loves wildlife and enjoys walks through the nearby Stoke Nature Reserve He had a varied career that began as an apprentice at Farnborough’s Royal Aircraft Establishment in the 1960s He has worked on fire and safety equipment on oil tankers had a servicing role with air ambulances in Scotland worked in engineering in the textiles industry followed by a stint working with timber machinery it’s fair to say he’s been about a bit and seen a lot Despite his local campaigning he is membership secretary of Remap a charity in which engineers make all kinds of specially designed equipment to help people with disabilities He is a member of the RAE Apprenticeship Association and the co-ordinator of the Burpham Neighbourhood Forum (that is up for referendum on February 18) and regularly undertakes clean-ups and litter picking About his views and comments on SARP he says: “I want to get people thinking rationally about this proposal I’m trying to be brutally realistic about what I feel is wrong with the plans.” In his study he has two monitor screen connected to his computer many images he has collected – based on aerial photographs and plans of the Slyfield / Jacobs Well area makes over lays to heighten aspects of potential flooding of the water meadows off Clay Lane and does all kinds of other assessments to the area in question You can’t knock him for the research he is doing he believes he has traced the now ‘lost’ route of Sir Richard Weston’s ‘flowing river’ that was dug in 1616-20 to flood his fields around Sutton Place so to keep the soil warm in winter and ready for sowing in the spring when the water level was dropped This open area beyond the Slyfield Industrial Estate is made up of household rubbish that was still being tipped there in the 1970s Sir Richard Weston’s ‘flowing river’ probably ran near to this spot In his open letter he writes: “I have serious reservations in respect of the current plans proposed for the Wey Valley Flood Plain more commonly known as Slyfield Area Regeneration Project (SARP) I have avoided any comment on the marketing phrases or monetary comparisons used by those who support the project Jim says that the flood plain between the A320 and Clay Lane is now one third smaller in capacity than it was in the 1890s He has concerns about what will happen if more open land is taken away and what will happen when the river floods He notes: “The Guildford water and sewage works were built on hard standing possibly before or during the 1890s They are approximately 30 metres above sea level above the Zone 2 flood plain and aligned with the level of the historic running river of the 1600s This sewage works site was chosen for its ideal technical position rather than for any financial considerations The proposal to move the sewage treatment works from a site that has to date fulfilled all common sense requirements by being on solid ground to an unstable land location is nonsensical and defies all good engineering principles.” Thames Water’s sewage treatment works near Stoke Lock Jim Allen says: “Keep it where it is.” And he warns: “The proposed site (of the treatment works) will have to be stripped back to the level of the flood plain to achieve the stable ground necessary for the siting of settlement tanks It will then become Zone 3b active flood plain again household waste and other refuse was placed directly on to the active flood plain roughly 27 metres above sea level Area at Slyfield close to the sewage drying flats as noted by Jim Allen in his open letter “The sewage drying flats were also laid first on to the flood plain and built up two or three metres to present day levels the site will have to be cleaned and all the contaminates removed which will lower the ground to its pre 1900 level “It should be noted that these contaminates will include hazardous organic and inorganic chemicals such as asbestos Such site cleaning would need to be done during the dryer summer months which could lead to highly toxic dust contaminating the borough “Recollections from three local gentlemen give details of past practice in getting rid of the solids flushed down the sewers It seems that household refuse was spread across the site and then raw effluent was sprayed across the same area thus filling the gaps in the refuse “It is not known when this started but their anecdotes suggest it continued into the 1950s This waste would have included heavy metals and other contaminates (listed above) from local businesses generically now called ‘industrial waste’ There has been methane build up on the site necessitating the installation of methane vents; it is noted that the drill test engineer working in 2014/15 was required to use a breathing mask while removing test samples from the ground.” He explains to me that he believes the SARP plan can be made better if the authorities and planners really listen to the fears of communites and take some of their advice and likens it to the M3 expansion at Winchester He says: Local people said ‘No’ refusing to compromise at all for 30 years to a scheme that was going to happen anyway So the Ministry of Transport decided to drive the road straight through If everyone had worked together a much better solution for all could have been reached at Twyford Down.” Traffic flow in the area is another of Jim’s hot topics He notes in his letter: “Traffic problems on the A320 are not isolated – in general they correlate with problems either in Slyfield or on other surrounding roads – the A3 and Clay Lane Moorfield Road on the Slyfield Industrial Estate “The traffic problems of Slyfield Industrial Estate are a direct result of poor traffic management on the estate Vehicles simply spill off from the site onto the A320 “Simply adding an additional road will not prevent this problem unless the traffic management behaviour of those using the site improves It has never been unambiguously established where traffic arriving at the Slyfield estate either comes from or goes to This is essential information that needs to be established prior to any road building proposals.” He also warns about the consequences of the proposed 1,000-plus houses earmarked in SARP He has been doing his number crunching and says: “By current statistics that will generate 1,800 vehicles which have no point of exit or entry either onto the A320 or anywhere else – the roads around Bellfields are simply not suitable for that level of traffic “Encouraging all the traffic on to Clay Lane which at peak times is currently running at one vehicle every two seconds is simply impractical and a recipe for further congestion.” When asked whether he is worried about the proposals as that implies a person who is not aware of all the facts He then adds: “I just wish that the people making these decisions would go and seek some older people who have lived in the area for many years They can say a lot about the place and what changes they have seen and what things were like before In Jim’s letter he offers his simple solution in six-points: For the overall site to be cleaned to ‘industrial levels’ not ‘human habitation levels’ For the Thames Water treatment works to be modernised on site increased in capacity and reduced in land take For the satellite industrial sites of Guildford to be moved on to the industrially cleaned land at Slyfield For the then vacated satellite industrial land – complete with existing infrastructure – to be utilised for housing For traffic management on Slyfield to be improved with a one-way system introduced on Westfield Road and Moorfield Road and a second entry/exit at the GBC depot But a proper entry/ exit direct on to Bellfields roundabout would make more sense A four-way intersection at the intersection of the A320 (Stoke Road) and the A3 would solve access to London and the south coast This being the shortest route to a main transport artery Least noise and pollution to the environment He is bold enough to say: “These are my views If I have got things wrong when all is done I just want to get people discussing the issues.” Jim has added a number of video clips of traffic at Slyfield and Clay Lane on to You Tube to highlight his comments https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjqrOSKiRgk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5dFQuOtGHQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwKqhDBzA6Q Jim talks a lot of sense suggesting that Slyfield should remain an industrial area the sewage treatment plant should remain and homes should be built at the vacated industrial sites dotted around Guildford I am not sure about the one-way system but easier access to the north/south routes of the A3 would lead to less congestion One of the main problems of congestion in the area is the constant flow of vehicles to and from the rubbish/recycling plant If this was relocated adjacent to the A3 on the scrub-land near the Send exit (where some industrial units already exist) then many vehicles would not need to use the Woking Road I apologise for failing to make the Burnt Common (Send) observation The reedy sound of the church organ followed us away from St Mary’s on this cloudy Sunday morning. We found the old track that led over a rise towards the Knoll with a fine view westward towards Arundel Castle, huge and solid against its trees. Handsome beechwoods have grown on the downs since Jack Upperton met his comeuppance. This wretched man, a landless labourer well into his sixties, robbed the local postman, but made two stupid mistakes — he was recognised through his disguise, and he spent the proceeds conspicuously. The total take? One pound. For this paltry sum Upperton was hanged, his body tarred and displayed in chains on the down till it rotted away. The George at BurphamCHARLIE WARINGAmong the beeches of Upper Wepham Wood two youngsters At least six police vehicles attended the incident at Ockley Court Surrey Police have issued a statement about a dramatic incident in Burpham on Saturday afternoon (November 13) when officers descended on cul-de-sac Ockley Court Six police cars were at the scene including two unmarked vehicles and a van A spokesperson for Surrey Police said today (November 15): “Officers were on patrol when they pulled over a car in Ockley Court in Burpham “Following a roadside drugs test and a search of his car a 46-year-old man from Guildford was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs possession of class A drugs and possession of a firearm without a license “He has been released under investigation whilst enquiries continue.” A woman police officer (left) with what appears to be a gun bag Observations that some police officers were armed during the incident have not been confirmed The police searched a Land Rover Discovery and appeared to retrieve what a resident described as a rifle Local residents did not recognise the man as a neighbour It is now believed the weapon was a shotgun The activity commenced at around 3.30pm and continued for over 60 minutes culminating in an apparent arrest of a man The future of Burpham Court Farm has been secured thanks to a new partnership between Guildford Borough Council and Surrey Wildlife Trust Both parties have agreed to develop a new vision to secure the site as a nature reserve that people can enjoy Guildford Borough Council says that Burpham Court Farm is an important area of green space within the Wey Valley Landscape The 32-hectare farm was acquired by the council in 1990 and was leased and used as a conservation centre until 2009 Surrey Wildlife Trust currently uses the farm for livestock grazing under a temporary licence with the council said: “Burpham Court Farm is an important landscape which provides a wetland habitat for many plants and animals “We believe there is the potential to transform the site into an excellent nature reserve which can be enjoyed by the whole community and we will be working closely with Surrey Wildlife Trust to achieve this.” The chief executive of Surrey Wildlife Trust has added: “The River Wey is one of Surrey’s most important habitats for wildlife and we are delighted to be working with Guildford Borough Council to protect this vital stretch Guildford Borough Council’s lead councillor for rural economy said that the council will be setting up a project board to develop a vision for the future of the site with Surrey Wildlife Trust soon The quote: “Burpham Court Farm is an important landscape which provides a wetland habitat for many plants an animals” That is because it is an active flood plain so why is Councillor Spooner and others trying to turn it into a lake by damming this very site to drive a road through it The noise envelope of the new road will make it a traffic island of pollution and visual disturbance It won’t be once a link road is installed and trucks are thundering around three sides of it We need to decided what we want for our communities such that a vast expenditure (ultimately at residents’ expense if the projects fail) on unneeded infrastructure going in the wrong direction will be without document proof of business need Or do we work from the basis such that our important landscapes are protected and common sense applied to commercial regeneration projects [Ed: Bob Dearnley leased the farm from Guildford Borough Council and not only raised rare breed livestock but opened it as a farm park for families He had a long-running dispute with various authorities over what he claimed were the raising of the levels of the River Wey that resulted in his fields being flooded He went bankrupt in 2006 and sadly committed suicide on his farm in 2009.] on the junction of the London Road and Burpham Lane A survey of the views of Burpham residents on the latest proposal from Aldi to build a low price store on the old Green Man site are due to announce the results at a public meeting once they have been considered by the association’s committee A recent independent on-line poll found most respondents to be in favour of the proposal but the small sample size throws some doubt on how representative this result is Some locals remain saddened by the demise of the Green Man A pub had stood on the site at the junction of London Road and Burpham Lane it closed as a pub to re open as a 120 seat Harvester restaurant but was still considered to be a community asset A view over the top reveals an extensive site A proposal followed that the building be demolished and replaced by an Aldi supermarket Despite assurances that demolition would not take place until planning permission was obtained leaving the building vulnerable to weather damage As a result it became derelict eyesore and complete demolition took place in December 2008 Aldi gave an exhibition of their revised plans During the exhibition a presentation was given by Aldi which provoked much vigorous debate and discussion Aldi asked all those that attended to complete a questionnaire The company are now understood to be analysing the results Despite the extra job opportunities that would come with a new store concerns that have been expressed locally relate to the impact on local traffic and the effect on nearby businesses that might find it difficult to compete with the discounted prices Aldi offers Treasurer of the Burpham Community Association committee said: “Our survey is intended to determine the views of local people To that end only one question was asked-are you in favour of Aldi’s proposals We then also requested residents to give us their opinions We felt that this approach will give a far more balanced appraisal so that we can represent the whole community The results are still being collated and will take a little longer to analyse but will be presented to residents at a public meeting early in September.” speaking on behalf of the Guildford Conservatives at Guildford Borough Council said: “Any application from Aldi will have to go through the normal process and we must be careful not to pre-judge any associated issues Local residents are expressing their views forcefully as is their right and we are aware of them All views expressed both for and against the application as they are with any planning proposal.” Are you for or against an Aldi discount store on the Green Man site Please use the ‘Leave a Reply’ feature below to have your say Full names must be given by email addresses will not be divulged Police and immigration officers swooped on the car wash at Sainsbury’s Burpham store yesterday evening (October 24) Eight arrests were made during an Immigration Enforcement operation in the car park at Sainsbury’s Burpham store on Thursday was on the scene and said: “I was standing outside the store’s main entrance talking on my mobile phone when I suddenly noticed a number of police officers running across the car park “It took a few seconds to work out what was going on At first I thought they were just after one man who I saw leap over something and rip off his high-visibility jacket A young female officer chased after him in hot pursuit but lost him but it soon became apparent that other officers were waiting hidden nearby He was eventually grabbed by one of her colleagues “Then all hell let loose and car wash attendants were running in all directions I walked towards a parked van marked ‘Immigration Enforcement’ in large lettering Two more vans were parked at the top of the car park “I asked a police officer what was going on but he simply referred me to the press office “I had overheard some of those arrested talking in Swahili I said to some of them ‘jambo’ and ‘habari?’ (hello and how are you?) Some said that they were from Uganda.” Immigration Enforcement vehicle at the Sainsbury’s store in Burpham This morning (October 25) a Home Office spokesperson confirmed that an Immigration Enforcement operation had taken place yesterday at the car wash that operates in the car park of the Sainsbury’s store in Clay Lane Eight suspects were arrested including seven Ugandans one of whom was female The spokesperson continued: “Acting on intelligence at about 5.35pm yesterday (Thursday 24 October) Individuals were questioned to check if they had the right to be in the UK.” and a 37-year-old woman were found to have overstayed their visas; two men were working in breach of their visa conditions and a 31-year-old had entered the country illegally A 45-year-old man was also found to be an immigration offender All those found were arrested and transferred to immigration detention pending removal from the country apart from the men aged 32 and 33 who were placed on immigration bail while their cases are progressed They too will face removal from the country if found to have no leave to remain The 45-year-old is still being questioned by immigration officers The business was served a notice warning that a civil penalty of up to £10,000 per illegal worker found will be imposed unless proof is provided that the correct right-to-work checks were carried out October 10 the Government published the Immigration Bill which carries a number of proposals to clamp down on illegal working and rogue employers These include potentially doubling the maximum penalty for those using illegal labour to £20,000 and making it easier to enforce unpaid debts in the civil courts The Government is also planning to simplify the right to work checks to make it easier for compliant employers to fulfil their responsibilities Immigration minister Mark Harper said: “Illegal working encourages illegal immigration undercuts legitimate businesses and is often associated with exploitation “The existing illegal working regime isn’t simple enough; the penalties have remained the same since 2008 and don’t provide a sufficient deterrent; it is also too easy for companies to evade paying them “New legislation will increase the penalties for rogue businesses while also making it easier for legitimate businesses to verify individuals’ right to work.” I am pleased to see the Home Office taking the necessary action against those suspected of abusing the terms of their visas Illegal labour suppresses employment opportunities for many people who are legitimately seeking work Christian Holliday is the Conservative borough councillor for Burpham By 2014-05-23T09:38:00 Your mystery shopper visited at one of our busiest times Already have an account? Sign in here Already have an account? Sign in here The ad-free version is ready for purchase on iOS mobile app today we couldn't find that page";var n=e.querySelector("h2");return n&&n.remove(),{staticContent:e,title:t}},d=function(e){var t=document.createElement("button");return t.innerText=e,t.classList.add("error-page-button"),t},f=function(e){var t=document.createElement("div");t.id="recirculation-404",t.classList.add("brand-hint-bg");var n="\n \n \n Tick here if you would like us to send you the author’s response And of course over that time education methods have changed considerably It can be fascinating to look at those through the history of one school and that’s just what’s possible with a new book all about the small school in Burpham Lane The author of A History of Burham Primary School 1908-2014 is Moira MacQuaide Hall and soon became interested in the school’s history Her daughter attended the school and Moira was its bursar from 1997 to 2012 Her research for the book has included the school’s log books She has spoken to past pupils and recorded their memories and has collected a number of historic photographs but is also a very interesting read as the story unfolds from the 28 children who attended on the first day through to the 280 children on the roll in September 2013 And the school is it set to expand over the next five years taking the total up to 430 Moira charts the development of the school through the changes and events of the 20th century The struggles the school went through in its early days with attendance problems such as pupils not being able to reach the school due to floods The addition of extra pupils evacuated from London during the Second World War and complications that arose are featured  along with the growth of the school in the post-war years Winners of the Guildford Primary School Sports in 1960 Past pupils will certainly enjoy reading about the days when they were at Burpham Primary People’s memories down the decades are both fascinating to read and full of nostalgia Former head teachers and other staff also recall their days at the school Pupils watching a film in the school hall in 1967 As the wording on the back cover says…”Burpham School has seen five monarchs two world wars and enormous changes to the way we live Many things that we take for granted in the 21st century hadn’t even been thought of in 1908 washing – these have changed beyond recognition from what our first pupils and teachers were used to schools are formed by communities perhaps more than by technology and events And this history is as much about the people who taught volunteered and attended as it is about the school’s shape and growth.” That is so true – it’s all in this book and more At £10 the book is excellent value. The author will hand deliver copies to people who live in Guildford, but if you would like it posted, it’s an additional £3.35 for p&p. Orders should be made to Moira either by e-mail – moira.macquaide@gmail.com – or by phone on 07963 756543 Moira says: “It is available on Amazon as well but if people are local then it’s cheaper for them if I deliver it.” I am sure that residents will wish MJA Cars every success after their departure from Burpham to focus on their Sunbury and Walton locations the decision leaves a large empty site at the heart of our community I wanted to share a few thoughts with the many businesses who will be looking at the site and with those who will make the decisions about the site at Guildford Borough Council would be so much easier with a reliable car rental site in such a convenient spot car-sharing schemes based there would help us all make the changes we want With the large number of us now working from home a wifi-enabled coffee shop with individual tables at laptop height would also be great The team at Starbucks in Sainsbury’s do a great job The BCA are rightly interested in conserving the period-piece building on the site we should be hanging on to buildings which enhance the neighbourhood and preserve our collective history we should choose a future for the building which will be of value to the community and to our environmental policy A proper medical centre for Burpham would be the first choice while any community function on the site would be better than a commercial venture only attracting more traffic from outside the community the Kingpost building can be incorporated within the site I thought Burpham was crying out for a Doctors surgery self-employed so where they locate themselves is down to their individual choice However local authorities can refuse to allow them at specific locations I’m assuming that Ian Creese is completely unaware that a car rental operation is vying to take over the site as we speak and that his comments were totally unconnected I can’t see any value whatsoever in a car rental site It will offer absolutely nothing to the local community and no one local is going to ditch their car and decide to hire (especially at current inflated prices due to car shortages) it will simply bring a whole lot of unwanted traffic from itinerant people who have travelled to Burpham to collect or return a car would be a lot more useful (given that since Aldi store traffic flow and parking are already an issue in Burpham) But no doubt money will talk and the wrong decision will be made I implore those in charge of granting decisions at this site ensure that the gorgeous building remain in tact I would hate to see blocks of flats or even worse another Aldi debacle where a piece of history is torn down for some big corporation’s profits A Macdonald’s drive-thru would be perfect or a Kebab shop From Moira MacQuaide Hall who is researching and writing a book on the history of Burpham I’m looking for help again please folks I’m writing my chapter on housing in Burpham and find that there is very little on Weybrook Park particularly in the very early days of the estate and would be willing to tell me your memories then I would be very grateful I gather that there were three different developers which accounts for the different styles of houses Are there all sorts of housing – detached bungalows and flats as there are on Weylea Farm I look forward to hearing from all those with stories to tell Please email me at: moira.macquaide@gmail.com Read one of the UK’s favourite restaurant critics Enjoy wine expert Jancis Robinson’s peerless column of news Enjoy Alice's popular HTSI column about drinks and bar culture Learn what's new and trending according to our our award-winning HTSI food columnist Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times Two brand new food stores have opened in Guildford on the same day at both Waitrose in Haydon Place in the town centre and at Aldi in London Road A crowd of around 100 waited patiently for the opening at Aldi and were provided with hot drinks and food in the car park hot drinks and biscuits outside Aldi in Burpham Staff gather outside Waitrose in Guildford the ribbon was cut at Waitrose by a number of those who had worked at the previous Waitrose in Guildford in the 1960s and 70s Staff At Waitrose were ready and waiting for the opening all trained over the last month in the jobs they will be doing is working in customer service and in the cash office She said: “I had been wanting to work for the John Lewis Partnership for some time and it was a long-winded process getting my application in and getting this job “But Waitrose is a fantastic company to work for Julie Leverington from Burpham was there to see her grandson take part in the opening with other local school children She said: “I think the store looks really lovely and I must admit I am pleasantly surprised I am not at all worried about the impact on traffic Some of the first items selected in the veg section at Aldi Mary Anne Stockley from Merrow queued from 7.35am to be one of the first shoppers She said: “I used to regularly shop at the Aldi in Walton so I am really pleased that this one has opened I have been very well looked after while I wait I will definitely be a regular shopper.” The manager of Guildford Waitrose is Ken Storr He has transferred from its Wandsworth branch He said: “The Guildford store is similar in size to other branches “It has been a challenging build process that has not been without its delays But everyone has pulled together for today’s opening and we have had a brilliant morning.” Staff who began work a month ago in anticipation of the store’s previous opening date have been deployed at other branches in the area where they have completed their training Nigel Watkins has worked for Waitrose for 46 years One of those former Guildford Waitrose store employees is Nigel Watkins who joined Waitrose in Guildford working weekends when he was still at school He then joined full-time and has remained with the company for 47 years He retired at the age of 60 as a store manager but continues to work part-time at the Surbiton store A number of employees at the former Guildford Waitrose store were invited to the opening of the new one and presented with a framed picture and details of the old shop Pictured with them is store manager Ken Storr He said: “The old store in Guildford was not a particularly good site It had previously been occupied by a motor garage and the oil from the cars seeped up through the floor Doug Stanniforth was an early shopper at Waitrose One of the early customers was Doug Stanniforth from cycle shop Pedal Pushers in Stoke Road He had dropped in on his way to his own shop and said he was impressed by the new Waitrose store Checking out what’s on offer at Waitrose At Aldi in Burpham Clare Dally from Epsom Road said she had never shopped at Aldi before and had come with her husband and friend out of general interest They had decided to come to Aldi rather than Waitrose because they were already familiar with the Waitrose offering but would be trying the new Waitrose too Her husband was in the wine trade and was keen to see the Aldi selection Asked if she would become a regular shopper she said: “It depends we will see what they have got to offer.” Some of the local schoolchildren who were at the opening of the Aldi store But not everyone was positive about the opening of Aldi Local resident Jim Allen who has been vociferous in his objection to Aldi was at the car park entrance photographing the traffic where at 8.40am queues had developed Aldi is currently appealing against a planning restriction which only allows it one HGV deleivery per day A senior manager in charge of operations in the South East admitted that it was unlikely that the store could operate with that level of re-supply It is anticipated that the Burpham store will be one of Aldi’s most profitable partly because there is no other Aldi store in the borough The nearest are thought to be Blackwater and Walton-on-Thames Waitrose’s trucks were seen departing from kits store just prior to its opening It too has had its critics over traffic flow through the town centre Reservations about new food stores in Guildford are not new There were opponents of Sainsbury’s opening at Burpham and Tesco at Ashenden they have both become well used as the town had grown and continues to do so What can I say: It may be rosey on the inside… but Reversing onto the road with a commercial vehicle permitted by parking attendant as impossible to reverse into car par to turn around as required by Planning conditions Milk delivery is in HGV tri-axle box – so no food can be delivered – planning condition only one HGV per day No staff parking plan is available (according to Aldi manager) and it is still to be written – not sure what was signed off yesterday Their staff are parking in the car park – (According to Aldi manager) contrary to planning conditions They have no ability to secure the care park – (according to Aldi manager)- not sure what was signed off yesterday HGV has just reversed into Paddocks Road to turn around as he could get out the car park onto the roundabout Because traffic was blocking his path – swept angle wrong HGV was going to reverse off the road into the loading bay – contrary to planning conditions Cars are parking on the roundabout waiting to get into Aldi so exciting New Inn Lane means going to the left of the parked car to turn right Car leaving and entering Burpham Lane (for reasons other than Aldi) are blocked and delayed by cars waiting to enter car park using the ‘wrong lane’ to get past queuing cars Cars from Guildford are failing to give way thus blocking completely traffic from Merrow New Inn Lane Park Lane was solid to the A25 09:15 45 minutes to traverse Cars driven across the pedestrian footpath line Ofof Burpham Lane failing to give way to pedestrians and school children All on video which will be uploaded onto You Tube under “Burpham Aldi Traffic Fiasco” Sadly all that needs to follow is: “I told you so.” Not interested in brand name or house prices – simply Along Walnut Tree Close there are more cars and heavy goods vehicles driving on the pavements than on the road its good to have choice in Guildford and Aldi will prove especially popular with those in the wider area I’m sure We tried and failed to get to Aldi this morning One look at the traffic jam aimed at the car park (when we finally got near enough to see it) was enough Clearly the opening day will see exceptional customer numbers but 77 (if I have this right) seems to be a woefully inadequate number of parking spaces for the store I wish to state my absolute astonishment that there could possibly be any congestion around the access to the main road in the middle of the morning rush hour in Guildford Quite clearly that kind of thing was utterly unheard of in Guildford until Aldi came along The traffic around the store was horrendous this morning – near gridlock Whether this is as a result of ‘opening day euphoria’ I seem to recall similar ‘madness’ when Sainsbury’s opened its doors if you can take a snapshot and portray it as the norm they are creating a higher demand for parking spaces and in the meantime reducing the available public parking space by double-yellow lining Burpham Lane There are a number of consequences to this legitimate users of the Sutherland park can no longer park in Burpham Lane the more open “roadscape” will lead to more rat-running and higher speeds Thirdly the result will be knock-on spillover parking into otherwise previously quiet areas who previously accepted delivery vehicle restrictions are now bleating that they can’t run the store with those restrictions Well it’s a bit late for that isn’t it chip away a bit at a time at planning restrictions until you end up with a completely different scenario to the one that was originally approved Unfortunately at the time of this planning application Burpham was notoriously ill represented in the council chamber Many people have complained about the likely traffic problems and the ensuing chaos was obvious to any resident The fact that Aldi agreed to conditions which they have subsequently either ignored or must be addressed by the council if the electorate here are to retain any illusion that the council are interested in their community It is worth noting that the entrance to the development is on a lane Today feels like a big change for Guildford and a positive one I went into Waitrose this evening (7pm) by foot and the place was heaving and yet there was ample space in the car park I think it was obvious that the majority of people in the store had arrived by foot What a fantastic addition to the town and completely worth the wait With regards to Aldi it is sad how the few try to ruin it – the store is I expect trying to cope with some ridiculous conditions the main one of these being the deliveries which I expect will be overturned at appeal What are Guildford Borough Planners playing at Why on earth approve a store of this size only to limit its deliveries to something suitable for a shop a quarter of its size – surely it was obvious given the size of the store how many deliveries would be needed If this is approved at appeal will the Planning Inspectorate not be asking the same Why approve a supermarket if you do not approve all that goes with it I can see it now in the headlines: “First Aldi in the country closes as council restricts deliveries to one a day” and as for the local ward councillor.Cllr Holliday asking how Aldi could know before opening how many deliveries they would need Er… they are all the same size stores and we have access to population data I have no idea whether they are comparable in size does the new Waitrose store operate under the same delivery constraints as Aldi Or is it just a special case so the residents of Burpham do not have to endure the name Aldi being flashed before their eyes more than once a day And if you think the congestion’s bad now just wait until Guildford Borough Council parachute another 5,000 executive homes onto the periphery of the town’s urban area I agree that looks odd however the limitation on the opening hours and the number of deliveries per day were both proposed by Aldi which the council accepted and not imposed upon Aldi by Guildford Borough Council Interesting on how one so easily defines “the few” but that lack of attention to detail is something that has similarly plagued GBC If you look at the GBC website regarding feedback on the applications plus the independent surveys run it is clearly not the few who were against a supermarket on that site Aldi do indeed know how many deliveries they need so agreeing to a small number to get the site built and then putting in applications to change that afterwards is misleading and shows very poor corporate ‘responsibility’ but Aldi and their expert consultants agreed to it I suggest Mr Smith reads the planning paperwork – ALDI actual amended their paperwork claiming they only want one HGV delivery a day and when challenged sent in an addendum confirming this fact so in this case don’t blame GBC blame ALDI for it is they who asked for one not GBC who conditioned them to one A spokesperson for Guildford Borough Council responded: “…this statement is partly true in that in Aldi’s second application their transport statement made reference to two HGV deliveries per day when this was challenged by council officers Aldi responded with an addendum to the transport statement stating that the ‘delivery arrangements for the proposed Aldi store remain at one HGV delivery per day as previously proposed…We note a condition was previously proposed to this effect and Aldi would accept this approach again the one HGV delivery per day has always been suggested/offered by Aldi and the council secured this by condition.” Guildford Borough Council did not impose the delivery condition Aldi suggested it on their own planning application and were specifically questioned about it and provided a written addendum stating that they would only be using one HGV Planning decisions were based on this information as they have to be by law The condition simply reinforces Aldi’s own statement Why not wait a few days and see how it is during normal trading next week What about a similar unbiased description of normal delays and behavior a couple of weeks ago when schools were open it might be solved by letting Aldi have the same opening hours as Sainsbury’s Didn’t the residents campaign for the restrictions in Burpham lane and then complain when the bus route had to be diverted If so it demonstrates a poor understanding of ‘Traffic Problems’ The bus route was diverted years ago as the lane was deemed too narrow for buses The council then decided it was suitable for HGVs I agree with Mr David Smith about the lack of competence in our council The lack of competence was demonstrated by the poor way it implemented current planning law (the NPPF) which allowed the Aldi store to be located in Burpham on a site which was never suitable for a store of this size it is not for the council to second guess what an applicant may want to do but to consider the application before it which included Aldi’s planned resupply arrangements Aldi had no intention of sticking to its original promises and would seek to amend these as soon as the original application was out of the way This is what is happening and will continue to happen Graham Hibbert is the former chairman of the Guildford Residents’ Association Since when has the NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework) been law And was this a decision made by planners or was it councillors or even the Planning Inspectorate the problem was caused by the planners who decided how to implement the NPPF [National Planning Policy Framework] They decided that Burpham was a “town centre” as defined by the NPPF and so was the right place to put a supermarket as opposed to being an “out of town location” suitable for just small shops The councillors were clearly not supervising the work of the planning officers and indeed knew nothing about it That is why the Burpham councillors argued so ineffectively against this application and why it could be only be rejected on grounds of style and insufficient car parking – grounds that Aldi could easily reverse at appeal It is arguable that councillors do not have the time to adequately scrutinise the work of the officers It is to overcome this problem and provide adequate operational scrutiny that major public and private sector institutions (hospitals etc) are run in accordance with a way of working called the “Combined Code” It mystifies me as to why Local Government is exempt from the application of this code and I believe it needs to change such that residents can be assured that the officers work to professional standards and that put residents interests at the heart of what they do I agree with the above comment Aldi are already not sticking to their conditions The first two days have seen deliveries before 9.30am and the store customer services manager informs me that their opening hours are 8-10pm Monday to Saturday Perhaps he would like to inform their store manager who would not tell me their opening times it is secretly held by Aldi’s property department and they told me they are opening until 10pm The restrictions were for the benefit of quality of life for the elderly residents living next door GBC’s planning department cannot do anything for two weeks Meanwhile traffic queues are blocking the cycle lane crossing sightlines and cars are jumping the queue and driving down the wrong side of the road on the lane and on London Road last night I write this is as a Burpham resident who had to emergency stop on London Road to avoid hitting an irate van driver at 4pm who was queue jumping Just the chaos predicted – but obviously the planners at the council and Surrey highways knew better I find it quite bizarre that Aldi have the cheek to emblazon their store wall in Burpham with a stylised Green Man the reason one finds Green Men in or on buildings is to ward off evil spirits I think Aldi is a great store format and it offers choice But how can letting it stay open until 10pm every day be consistent with having it in a residential area Is what’s happening in Burpham is a case study of the competence of GBC – its councillors and its planning department Is this what is in store for all of us when the council bases its housing projections on secret models and forces through its local plan to increase the housing stock by up to 25% without taking proper account of the transport and school infrastructure or the historic and natural environment Seems to me people are just against Aldi and want to punish them or see them fail If GBC did not impose the condition of one HGV delivery per day then they should have had no trouble granting Since they haven’t I think it was Aldi’s only option to do what they did does anyone know the population of Burpham 50 odd objections probably works out at less than one per cent of the total those who talked about the bus route – surely this would of been the whole of Burpham lane and not a couple of metres – the whole of that lane especially the corner after Marilyn’s drive is too narrow An HGV pulling in the road and taking an immediate left cannot possibly be the same Will people come up with good arguments instead if clutching at whatever they can The turning is too tight for the HGVs to turn immediately left they have been reversing into the next lane along it is to do with having two hours added to your commute every day and beeping outside your house as three times the number of deliveries arrive as permission was granted for that back up in your road due to a woeful lack of planning governance as with so many other recent planning decisions in Guildford With changes which have taken place at senior level we can hope for better planning in future – but it is vital that senior councillors ensure that the long term needs of the community are the first consideration in planning decisions I would have thought former councillor and mayor of Guilford Bill Bellerby should have been invited along for the grand opening of the Waitrose store on the old site of the Bellerby Theatre and former Guildford Youth Centre Bill had a lot involvement and took interest in both buildings for a number of years Looks like the Aldi has caused some serious traffic issues today Traffic was queuing back to the Weylea Avenue roundabout because the car park was full the whole area was gridlocked in all directions making normal traffic flow through Burpham to the A3 or from the A3 towards Guildford town centre The main problem seems to be the placing of the store’s car-park entrance I will now avoid the area if I can and go to Cobham Sainsbury’s instead Anyone interested in the competence of GBC planning department need look no further So sorry for the residents and anyone who needs to get to school or work in that area This has had a negative effect on people’s lives It’s about finding that you now live an hour away from family you used to live ten minutes away from an hour away from a station you used to live twenty minutes from I went to Aldi on the bus on Saturday lunchtime it was very busy at the roundabout but the traffic was still flowing the bus got through easily enough and when I came out of Aldi with my shopping there were hardly any cars around despite it being not much later than 1pm Obviously I can’t comment on what it’s been like on other times but it certainly didn’t seem that bad when I went there developer and his professional consultant submit a controversial application including the pre-requisite glossy brochure loaded with planning friendly clichés and soundbites just to get through the process Once it’s a built two weeks of local hand wringing and placard waving Then – “Aaaah well it’s done now,” and the amendment goes in It’s not like we haven’t seen this before is it Guildford Borough Council’s (GBC) planning department have seen it But you try and get a residential application even approved When it comes to commercial applications GBC appear to be blindsided or maybe they are just intimidated by big business and its plethora of consultants and legal eagles This doesn’t bode well for the proposed building programme within the local plan does it “Affordable homes” but only if “economically viable” especially when the get out of jail card has been included by the authority that is supposed to be regulating the whole process is there just appears to extreme naivety if you really think they’ll be held to one delivery day and in all honesty why should they be If you’re going to sanction the location of a retail outlet you must accept all that comes with it and again how many Waitrose HGVs are thundering through the town centre now These were almost parallel construction programmes and irrespective of who proposed what why do we appear to have double standards within the planning department 2pm Sunday and there were still queues to get into the Aldi car park I wanted to shop at Cook Burpham and had to wait to get a parking spot in Kingpost Parade Not full because of people shopping at Cook Cycleworks or the News Agent but at Aldi (as evidenced by shopping trolleys being pushed across the road) How are small shops supposed to do business if their customers can’t park GBC recently posted some notices on the lamp posts stating that they are “considering” parking restrictions in the parade These could have been put in place long ago had GBC had any sort of strategy long term planning and vision are not their forte and things appear to be dealt with piecemeal and in isolation The traffic queueing for the store has often backed up to the Anchor and Horseshoes and beyond towards Guildford People are now parking within the Weylea Farm and Burpham Lane area When Guildford Borough Council’s new plans to double yellow most of Burpham Lane are in place Aldi are not following the planning conditions that they They are opening until 10pm (supposed to be 9pm) They are delivering from more than one HGV delivery a day there were at least three yesterday (Sunday) alone And the HGV deliveries are out of the time slot allowed which is causing chaos within an already congested area Aldi need to respect their planning conditions and if they do not Guildford Borough Council should penalise them accordingly I have just left the area after a visit to Sainsbury’s only to witness cars trailing back to the roundabout no do doubt trying to park at the Aldi store It seems to me some people see it as the end of the world If any of you had lived anywhere else in the UK Bring on the moaning and groaning of the toil this has brought into your small-minded peoples lives The Guildford West station that will be in Park Barn and a Guildford East station at Merrow are considered priorities.. By Jamie Jubert · 1 September 2021 Guildford Borough Council is pushing ahead with plans to build two new train stations in order to add more houses It has sent a list of key infrastructure schemes that need support from Surrey County Council in order to help reach its housing targets which will see 30,000 more residents in the borough and a Guildford East station at Merrow are considered priorities Gosden Hill Farm by the Burpham A3 slip road is earmarked for residential development but would also be the site for the Guildford East train station John Rigg is responsible for the council's regeneration and insists the stations will encourage people to take a train rather than their car to get to the research park or hospitals for work Guildford Borough Council is now waiting for a reply from the county council before any projects can proceed Guildford can ask central government to contribute towards the schemes Mr Rigg added the M25 junction 10 interchange at Wisley is another key project that needs realising He said: "The future of transportation in Guildford is very bleak and in 2016 there was an identified infrastructure deficit of £500 million Guildford has the most polluted road in the UK running through its heart in the A3 "We desperately need investment and a modal shift away from motor vehicles "We need better park and ride and interrupter car parks which are on the edge of town to stop people driving into the centre "Surrey County Council are the transport authority and need a forward looking plan as we are going to have lots more residents here we have 30,000 outside individuals who look to Guildford for shopping "The government requires us to deliver housing which we have a statutory to do but do not provide money to local authorities to deliver infrastructure." The other major schemes on the list are the A3 northbound on and off slip-roads at A247 Clandon Road This is intended to offer sustainable transport links from the Royal Surrey County Hospital and University to the town centre and Blackwell Farm LoadingDaily Email Updates {{contentTitle}}