Guildford Borough Council are in the process of reviewing their Emergency Planning arrangements and how they respond in a major incident.

As part of this process, they have identified improvements they can make to how they communicate with councillors. Going forward, they will:

• E-mail details of any warnings, such as severe weather or flood alerts/warnings, directly to the Parish Clerks and Borough Councillors.
• If they know of an incident, they will update town/parish clerks and borough ward members regarding an incident in their locality.

Emergency Preparedness for Communities

Their aim is also to increase the resilience of communities by encouraging as many people as possible to sign up to receive direct warnings and alerts:

• You can check your flood risk and sign up for flood alerts by contacting the Environment Agency online at  Check for flooding in England - GOV.UK or by phoning 0345 988 1188 (24 hr service). The type talk number is 0345 602 6340.
• Get severe weather warnings and sign up to Met Office alerts
• Get the Met Office App including alerts to your smartphone.
• You can also sign up for Twitter alerts
• What to do in severe weather What are the National Severe Weather Warning Service Impact tables? - Met Office
• Individuals who may need extra support in a major incident such as a water or power outage can get help if they sign up to their utility supplier priority service list. Details are available on the website of each utility company.  We would encourage users to sign up to these priority lists so that they get the help needed in an emergency.

Surrey County Council are responsible for around 2164 miles (3482 km) of public rights of way, in both countryside and urban areas. Every council that is responsible for public rights of way must have a Rights of Way Improvement Plan. This sets out how public rights of way meet the needs of the public, now and in the future. They would like to hear your views on their draft Rights of Way Improvement Plan. Your feedback will then be used to shape the final plan. The survey is open until 9 February. Don't miss your chance to have your say today HERE

Further information HERE

Would you like to learn how to cook healthier meals?

This new club is for men who would like to expand their abilities in cooking, learn new recipes, meet new people, and enjoy a few hours in the company of other men. Learn new skills in good company. At their sociable meetings, you will work together to cook lunch and then eat it. The club will meet monthly on a Wednesday from 10 am to 1 pm at the Wheelhouse, East Lane, West Horsley.

The Horsley Lunch Club for Men invites those interested to join them. Priority will be given to men in East and West Horsley, if you are keen to learn please get in touch with Edward on 01483 285394 or send an e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

West Horsley Place Trust were delighted to be joined by the Mayor of Guildford, Councillor Sallie Barker, on Wednesday, 25 September, to open a new sensory garden that’s free for the whole community.

This peaceful and beautiful space has been designed to be as accessible as possible. To develop the garden the charity consulted a group of blind and partially-blind people and members of their access panel who face a variety of different access barriers. 

The design included raised beds to bring plants closer to people, colours that help create contrast and “banks of smells”, as well as benches and places for sitting and reflecting. 

The West Horsley Place team, which includes a dedicated group of gardening volunteers, worked for six months to transform the neglected patch of ground into a charming space. Plants were transported and propagated from the existing collection and materials were all recycled from the wider estate.  

Over the last few years, West Horsley Place, the ancient Manor House where BBC Ghosts was filmed, has started opening to the public with an exciting programme of tours, workshops and performances. In October 2022, they announced a two-year project funded by the National Heritage Lottery called Heritage Without Barriers. This project has helped them to fulfil their aim to improve people’s wellbeing with access to culture, heritage and nature. 

The sensory garden, a free space for everyone to enjoy, is part of that project. It has also been supported by Surrey Gardens Trust, West Horsley Parish Council, East Horsley Parish Council, the Stevenson Family Trust, the Banister Charity Trust, the Horsley Community Fund and other charitable donors. 

The Trust’s Director, Ilona Harris said, “We would like to thank the National Heritage Lottery Fund and our generous supporters for making this project possible. We are proud custodians of a 400-acre estate that is free for people to enjoy. It is wonderful to now have a space which is accessible and brings the benefits and beauty of that estate to everyone in our community. We hope you will come and enjoy it soon.”  

Find out more at westhorsleyplace.org

Big congrats to those who were undeterred by the Ockham Road South closure last Saturday and arrived at the Horsley Repair Cafe bearing the usual variety of wonky items in need of restoration. Success rate continues above 50% so if you have anything around the house, in your wardrobe or in the garden that needs new life breathed into it then bring it along and our volunteering team will attempt to weave their magic. 

All types of fabric repairs are undertaken (but not alterations) as well as electrical, mechanical and IT goods plus clocks, watches, jewellery and toys. The Repair Cafe opens on the first Saturday morning of each month between 10.00 and 12.30. The volunteers provide their services without charge, although donations are welcome to cover the cost of room hire, insurance etc. Parking is free too, at Horsley Towers next door.

Surrey Highways faces increased safety incidents and agressive behavour towards their staff, including threats and acts of violence. For further information follow the link here

The Horsley Medical Practice will be holding their annual weekend flu clinic on Sunday 6 October. Invites will be going out in the next couple of weeks.

Guildford Walkfest returns this September, with over 38 walks running throughout the whole month all over the Guildford Borough with something for everyone to enjoy. The walks range from nature-based to family friendly walks - and they are all FREE. Even if you have never walked before there will be something for everyone and it is easy to join in. 

 https://www.facebook.com/guildfordwalkfest/?locale=en_GB

 https://www.guildfordwalkfest.co.uk/

Much the cheeriest sight of late is Richard Bunce who has resumed his Station Ambassador duties at Horsley along with George his canine sidekick.

Thanks to the persistence of Parish Councillor Juliet Robinson, contractors have fixed the wonky handrail and uneven steps linking Station Approach and Ockham Road South opposite La Meridiana.

Network Rail are seeking recycling options for the red and white barriers that blight the access road to Effingham Junction car park. Once found, we can look forward to them finally being taken away. 

The former Stockyard Café site at Horsley Station has been undergoing an upgrade which is believed to be a forerunner to the premises being put back on the market for commercial use – although not to Greggs as was recently rumoured.   

East Horsley Parish Council submit a letter of appeal to the Planning Inspectorate on land lying on the north east side of Old Lane, known as Brick Kiln Farm. See letter here 

A lot of the burglaries reported recently involve the offenders entering a home via back doors, windows, or conservatories.

These entry points are typically weaker because we all fall into the trap of believing that something out of sight is out of mind. If the front of your house looks secure, there’s no way a burglar will bother checking the back, right?

Wrong.

Even if you have a fearsome guard dog like the one here (best weapon: death by licking), don’t take any chances. Spend some time this weekend securing your home from every angle.

Our top tips?

·       Check those windows and doors – are the frames in good condition?

·       Install a motion sensor light to catch any unwanted visitors in its beam.

·       Got an alarm system? Make sure it covers any extensions or conservatories.

Confident that your home is safer than Fort Knox? You might still be able to help us keep your neighbours and your community safe. If you spot any suspicious activity in your neighbourhood on your CCTV, dashcam or video doorbell, make sure to report it to our suspicious activity portal here  https://www.surrey.police.uk/police-forces/surrey-police/areas/campaigns/suspicious-activity-portal/ 

Station Parade bring bank recycling site to close permanently during the week commencing 22 January 2024

Bring sites are locations where you can take your unwanted textiles, shoes, bottles, and cardboard for recycling.
Currently 22 bring sites of various sizes and locations operate across the borough. These were introduced before good kerbside recycling services were established. As there is now a much better recycling service - where all of the items that residents can take to a bring site can be collected through their usual kerbside recycling collection - the decision to close these bring sites has been taken. This closure will also save money.
Information can also be found on:
https://www.guildford.gov.uk/article/27007/Changes-to-our-bring-bank-recycling-sites-in-January-2024
More detailed guidance about how to dispose of household rubbish can be found on: https://www.guildford.gov.uk/whatgoesinmybins
If you have any further questions about this change to this service, please ask contact www.guildford.gov.uk/contact