issue 25 spring 2013 magazine

ISSUE 25 Spring 2013

Your official magazine fromMole Valley District Council

ExcitingSports EventsComing to the District

2012 Olympic Legacy ........ 4-5

Telecare Service .................... 6

Leatherhead HelpShop has moved ..............................6

Leisure Centre Offers ............7

Your Community News........ 18

New Affordable Homes inNewdigate ............................21

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www.molevalley.gov.ukmvPull-out

RECYCLING

GUIDE

inside

advertisementswww.molevalley.gov.uk

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It is our aim to provide an excellentservice at competitive fees, supportingemotional, physical and social needs ofour clients always respecting andprotecting their status as adults.

From home to home care

news & views

What’s going onin Mole Valley

www.molevalley.gov.uk

p3mv magazine

Introduction by the Leader of the Council

Last year will live long in the memory as we welcomed the OlympicTorch Relay and the Menʼs and Womenʼs Olympic Road CyclingRaces to Mole Valley in the summer. This once-in-a-lifetimeopportunity thrust Mole Valley head-long into the worldwide spotlightand the district excelled in its role as a host council thanks to thededication, passion and commitment of the various key organisingbodies, hundreds of volunteers and partner organisations involved. They were all fantastic occasions in their own right and it was adelight to witness thousands of people, including many visitors,gathering to welcome and support the Torch Bearers and cyclists

through the district. I would like to take this opportunity to give special thanks to thehundreds of volunteers who spared their time to act as stewards, car park attendants andrubbish collectors. Without your contribution the Olympic events and numerous communityactivities which formed part of our Big Weekend celebrations on 28/29 July in Leatherheadand Dorking wouldnʼt have been possible. See pages 4 and 5 for photographs taken atthese events and information about future volunteering opportunities.This summer, together with other parts of Surrey, we are looking forward to welcoming thePrudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 and Classic legacy cycling events to the district onSunday 4 August. More information on this exciting cycle race can be found by turning topages 4 and 5. Mole Valley is committed to developing and nurturing community involvement andvolunteering opportunities for local residents and our partner organisations. For moreinformation about future volunteering opportunities and exciting sporting events cominglater in the year, turn to pages 4 and 5.County Council Elections will be taking place in May which sees a County Councillorelected for each of the six county divisions in Mole Valley. You must ensure that you are onthe electoral role if you want to vote. For more information, go to page 10.There were many exciting changes at Dorking Halls in 2012 which included theintroduction of a new online booking system, a second cinema screen being installed anda soft play facility being made available for the young and young at heart to enjoy. Forfurther information and the spring/summer events listing, turn to pages 8 and 9.

Chris Townsend – Leader of the Council

Welcome to the spring 2013 edition of your magazine

If you need this magazine in analternative format / language,please write to or call theCommunications Team on01306 870624 or [email protected]

Olympic Legacy in Mole Valley…p4/5

Leatherhead HelpShop ................p6

Surrey Youth Games ................…p7

Dorking Halls Spring/

Summer Listing ............................p9

Police Commissioner..............…p10

Do it Online ............................…p16

Council Tax Consultation ...........p17

Community News ..................…p18

Brockham Pavillion ................…p19

Domestic Abuse ....................…p20

Leatherhead Town Centre Events

................................................…p20

Nappy Recycling ....................…p21

Dog Fouling................................p22

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CAB Dorking appointment bookingsTel: 01306 876806

CAB Leatherhead appointmentbookings Tel: 01372 361160

Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) helplineTel: 08444 111444

Dorking Christian Centre Tel: 01306 886830

Dial A Ride Tel: 01372 383333

Dorking HallsTel: 01306 881717

Dorking Sports CentreTel: 01306 870180

Dorking Volunteer CentreTel: 01306 640369

Fairfield Day CentreTel: 01372 376058

FloodlineTel: 08459 881188

Leatherhead Leisure CentreTel: 01372 377674

Leatherhead Volunteer CentreTel: 01372 722911

Mole Valley District CouncilTel: 01306 885001

Mole Valley Housing AssociationTel: 01306 505555

Surrey County Council Tel: 03456 009009

Surrey Police Non EmergencyTel: 101

Telecare Services Tel: 01372 204500

Thames WaterTel: 08459 200800

Useful Numbers

Mole Valley News is printed on core silk (ECF) recycled paper. Mole Valley District Council is committedto recycling to reduce waste buried in the ground. Please recycle this magazine considerately.

How to contact us Mole Valley District CouncilPippbrook, Dorking RH4 1SJTel: 01306 885001 Fax: 01306 876821Email: [email protected]: www.molevalley.gov.ukTwitter: @molevalleydcNormal office hours are Monday toFriday 8.30am to 5.00pmMole Valley District Council Out of Hours Emergencies Tel: 01372 376533For a full A-Z of services, visit ourwebsite www.molevalley.gov.uk

Advertising No advertisement in thismagazine is endorsed or sponsoredby Mole Valley District Council.

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news & viewswww.molevalley.gov.uk

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The success of the London 2012 OlympicRoad Cycle road races wascomplemented by the popularity of ourBig Weekend celebrations, which couldnot have happened without the support ofour volunteers and partner organisations.

Proud to host an Olympic event, we aredetermined to ensure that this once in alifetime opportunity leaves a lastinglegacy for Mole Valley residents.

VolunteersWe recruited around 400 volunteerstewards for the 2012 Olympic TorchRelay and for The Big Weekend and havealways used volunteers to assist with thedelivery of events such as stewards fortown centre events, friends andcommunity wardens for parks and openspaces, sports coaches for Surrey YouthGames and festival assistants for the ArtsAlive Festival.

We are committed to developing andnurturing an appetite for volunteering andcommunity involvement among thedistrict’s residents, members, staff andpartner organisations and are workingwith Voluntary Action Mid-Surrey (VAMS)and the Surrey County Council Legacyteam to promote and advocatevolunteering across Mole Valley.

If you would be interested in volunteeringyour time, please visitwww.vamidsurrey.org, call 01372 722911or visit one of the volunteer centres inDorking or Leatherhead.

Tour of Britain

Since the events in the summer last year,our district has already played host to thefinal stage of the 2012 Tour of Britain andSurrey is set to welcome the race again inSeptember 2013.

Prudential RideLondon

On Sunday 4 August 2013, the PrudentialRideLondon festival of cycling is comingto Mole Valley.

The Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100and Prudential RideLondon-SurreyClassic will follow a route based on theone used for the Olympic road cyclingevents with some additions. ThePrudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 willsee 20,000 amateur cyclists take on a100-mile challenge along the closedroads of London and Surrey. In thePrudential RideLondon-Surrey, 150 topinternational cyclists will take on a

gruelling 140-mile race through thecapital and Surrey before finishing on TheMall. For more information on the event,please visitwww.PrudentialRideLondon.co.uk

Triathlon

The Vachery Triathlon is due to arrive inMole Valley on Sunday 21 July 2013. Theinaugural Vachery Triathlon MiddleDistance race will be a rare treat forathletes of all abilities and experience.Racing safely on a traffic–free road coursein the beautiful Surrey Hills, the route willinclude part of the 2012 Tour of Britainroute and a testing climb up Leith Hill.Please visit www.vacherytriathlon.co.ukfor futher details.

Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 July 2012 will, without doubt, be remembered as a great success forMole Valley. Our district was showcased as a fantastic place to live, work and visit.

@alipally45: Congrats to @MoleValleyDC and Dorking town management

for an amazing weekend in #Dorking and #boxhill #Olympics #cycling

@beermatt_96 Fantastic day out at the

#RoadRace & #BigWeekend - thank you to

@MoleValleyDC @MoleValleyBeat and

@SurreyPolice. See you again tomorrow!

Did you know?Dorking played host to a new WorldRecord during the London 2012Olympic Road Cycle Road RaceWeekend. Felix and Felix achievedan official Guinness World Recordby bunny hopping on a pennyfarthing 410 times.

@emmasheridan13 Well done to@MoleValleyDC for a great familyday down at meadowbank #dorking

Mole Valleyʼs

news & views www.molevalley.gov.uk

p5mv magazine

Did you know?More than 7,000 peoplewatched the finish of themenʼs road race onSaturday, 28 July on bigscreens in DorkingʼsMeadowbank as part of theBig Weekend celebrations.

Did you know?Team GBʼs first medal ofthe London 2012 OlympicGames was won byLizzie Armitstead onSunday 29 July, whenshe crossed the linein second place in thewomenʼs road race.

@IanGJones: What an awesome

#Olympic weekend in #Dorking thx

@MoleValleyDC & @MoleValleyBeat for

making it such a success.

@davebanko1 @MoleValleyDC thanks to all the staff for organising the#bigweekend! Great time in #Leatherhead and Red House Grounds.

@danielmudford Massive props

to @MoleValleyDC for the jolly

and lightly handled organisation

at Box Hill today - I left with a

dose of Olympic Fever.

@kidborough Well doneto streetcleaningteams after cyclerace round Dorkingand Box Hill.

Spotless!#london2012#Olympics

Photographs by Colin Hutchings; Jonathan Timpson; Mike Hume and Andy Newbold for AndyNewboldPhotography

Dates for your DiaryVachery TriathalonSunday 21 July 2013Prudendial RideLondon-Surrey 100and Classic eventsSunday 4 August 2013

Other Sporting Legacies

London 2012 also provided the catalystto generate and grow interest in sportand physical activity at all levels andacross all communities.

Our sporting legacy will be drivenforward by a range of projects designedto increase participation in sport andencourage young people to develop asporting habit for life.

Some of the ideas already suggestedinclude developing a sustainable juniorcycling club in Dorking, developing asquash and table tennis club atLeatherhead Leisure Centre andintroducing a sustainable multi-sportclub and a disability football club in theLinks area.

Statue

The council’s Chairman, CouncillorCaroline Salmon, organised a lastinglegacy for all residents and visitors tothe Dorking area in the form of aremarkable statue made of 300sponsored steel leaves. The statue canbe seen on the Denbies roundabout.

THE BEST OF YOUR TWEETS

@MsKatWheaton Fantastic weekend-great atmosphere! Really glad to havebeen part of it! So well organised & thecommunity bonded! @MoleValleyDC#Dorking

Olympic Legacy

What is a Community Alarm?A community alarm is either a personalalarm activated via a fixed unit or remotelyvia a pendant. Both are linked to MoleValley District Councilʼs continuous 24-hourmonitoring centre.

What are Telecare Sensors?Telecare Sensors are a specialised rangeof equipment linked into the communityalarm designed to enhance and maintain

the safety and independence of the user.Highly trained operators at the monitoringcentre are alerted when sensors areactivated and provide appropriate help, if

necessary. Telecare devices include:smoke, fall, flood and heat detectors,

pill dispensers, bed sensors and more.

Free Telecare!We are working in partnership with SurreyCounty Council and the other 10 boroughand district councils in Surrey to offereligible residents free Telecare. Thisoutstanding opportunity is available tothose who already have a communityalarm, as well as those who donʼt.

Further information is available by calling0800 1956035 or 01372 204500.

Mole Valley District Council’sTelecare Services

The Mole Valley HelpShop has MovedThe HelpShop has moved from theHigh Street in Leatherhead to insideLeatherhead library at The Mansion,Church Street, Leatherhead, KT22 8DP. The move means thatresidents are now able to access arange of council services under one roof.


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Users of The Mansion are able to parkfor free for up to two hours and there isdisabled parking available too.Alternatively, there is nearby pay anddisplay parking at Church Road orChurch Street car parks or there are busstops close by.

The HelpShop service continues to beprovided by the same friendly faces youused to see on the High Street and youcan still make payments using thepayment kiosk. Opening hours havechanged to:

HelpShop Opening HoursMonday CLOSED

Tuesday to Friday 9am to 1.15pm

2.00pm to 4.30pm

Saturday 9am to 1.15pm*

*We will also be trialling Saturday afternoonopening from 2.00pm to 4.30pm for a periodof 3 months from the end of February.

The Leatherhead Town Centre Manager hasmoved to Fairmount House. Her phonenumber is 01306 879287 and her emailaddress remains [email protected]

To contact our Customer Services team,please call 01306 885001 or [email protected]. Alternatively youcan visit our user-friendly websitewww.molevalley.gov.uk.

If you don’t want anyone to know whoyou are, not even the police, and you need a trusted avenue to passon sensitive information about crime,you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or go onlinewww.crimestoppers-uk.org andcomplete the sensitive informationform.

Your anonymity is guaranteed. EvenCrimestoppers won’t know who you are.Calls are not traced or recorded, there isno 1471 function or caller id and emailaddresses are neither noted nor seen.Crimestoppers do not note any personaldetails such as gender, accent or agewhich could identify the caller, even ifmistakenly given.

All information is checked to ensureanonymity before being sent to Surrey Police.

Guaranteed Anonymity

Mole Valley District Council and SurreyCounty Council have agreed to extenda ground-breaking staff sharingscheme which will see Yvonne Rees,Strategic Director for Customers andCommunities at the County Council,continue in her role as Interim ChiefExecutive at Mole Valley until March2014. This arrangement will savetaxpayers around £100,000 a year.

Yvonne had been appointed as interimChief Executive on a short-term basis asof September 2012 following thedeparture of Darren Mepham, andshared her duties of Chief Executive herethree days a week and Strategic Directorat Surrey County Council for theremaining two.

This extended arrangement reflects thecontinued joint working betweenourselves and County on a number ofissues such as car parking, managementtraining and community safety initiativeswith a view to improve the quality ofservices to our residents.

Mole Valley’s InterimChief Executive

Help at the touchof a button

Did you know?Mole Valley District Councilʼs alarmmonitoring centre in Leatherheadmonitors community alarms andTelecare sensors for seven of the 11 districts and boroughs in Surrey.

news & views

p7mv magazine


Get involved in thelargest sports eventfor young people inSurrey. The P&GSurrey Youth Games takeplace in June and feature badminton,basketball, boccia, boxing, cricket,rugby and football for girls, hockey,judo, lacrosse, netball, squash, tabletennis and tennis.

If your child is aged between sevenand 15 and would like to take part,please call 01306 885001 or [email protected].

Young people below county standardin their chosen sport are welcome toattend free training starting in April.Register your interest early to avoidmissing out on this excitingopportunity.

Age and criteria restrictions apply toeach sport.

The Leatherhead Leisure Centre (LLC)is operated by Fusion Lifestyle, in

partnership with the Council, and offers

fantastic facilities for the whole family,including: a fully-equipped gym, threeswimming pools, tennis, badminton and

squash courts, indoor cycling, soft play, acrèche for children and much more. Whynot try your hand at one of the fun groupexercise classes or enrol yourself or your child in the centreʼs great value SwimSchool?

Leatherhead Leisure Centre is offeringreaders a free, three day pass so that youmay try the fantastic facilities for yourself.Whatʼs more, quote “MV Magazine” whenyou join before the end of March and therewill be no joining fee! To take advantage ofthis great offer, call 01372 377674 or visitthe LLC at Guildford Road, Leatherhead,KT22 9BL.

‘Three Day Pass’ to LeatherheadLeisure Centre

Fancy taking part in one of Dorking Sports Centreʼs inspirational spinningclasses, uplifting Aqua Aerobics classes or simply going for a leisurely swim?

Day Fitness Pass andSwimming Lesson at DorkingSports Centre

For more information call

01372 377674 or visit

www.fusion-lifestyle.com.

P&G Surrey YouthGames 2013

Dorking Sports Centre is offering a freejunior and adult swim lesson and a

ʻDay Fitness Passʼ which will give youexclusive access to fantastic fitnessfacilities including the gym, all grouptraining classes and the swimming pool forthe day.

Simply cut out and redeem yourvoucher at the centre and not only willyou be able to try the facilities for free, butyou will also automatically be entered intoa prize draw which will give you a chanceof winning 16 weeks of swimming lessonsor one yearʼs fitness membership – all forfree.

Please contact the sales team on 01306 870180 ext 31 or [email protected].

FREE

FREE


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Exciting Changes at Dorking Halls There have been many exciting changes recently at Mole Valley’s leading entertainment venue.

To find out more about activities and events at Dorking Halls, contact the Box Office on 01306 881717 or visit www.dorkinghalls.co.uk.

Soft Play Drop-Ins

We’ve got great news for young residents,Dorking Halls runs soft play drop-ins

for under 5s every Monday, Tuesday andWednesday morning during termtime. Children can exert energy inan exciting and safe environment,while parents can meet andenjoy a piece of cake andcup of freshly-brewed Starbuckscoffee.

Second Cinema ScreenOpened

Towards the end of last year, DorkingHalls launched a second cinema

screen with state-of-the-art digitalprojection, comfortable seating andsuperb surround sound. Two screensmean that The Halls can now offer filmfans even more choice. Plus, during the summer holidays it will open a third screen which will show the latest children’s films. The addition of a second screen helped the newJames Bond film, Skyfall, become themost popular film Dorking Halls hasever shown.

Competition WinnerThank you to everyone who entered our 2012 spring edition’s competition to wina pair of tickets to see three legends of British jazz and their respective bands inone great concert, ‘The Three B’s’ on 11 May 2012.

The question was: simply name the three artists headlining the show which, ofcourse, was Chris Barber, Acker Bilk and Kenny Ball. The winner was Mrs P Marshall, who was drawn from the many correct answers submitted.

To be in with a chance of winning a family ticket to the Dorking Hallscinema, turn to the ‘Recycling for Mole Valley’ 2013 pull out and let yourimagination go wild as you design new clothes for Merlin, the Council’seco-mole.

A Hub forBusinessesDorking Halls is much more thanjust a cinema and theatre. It hostsmany other events, includingbusiness meetings andconferences. Last year, The Hallslaunched the Dorking HallsBusiness Breakfast Club, whichprovides the opportunity for localbusinesses to network and shareknowledge. The club meets overbreakfast every other Wednesdayand is quickly expanding.

Live Entertainment Made Even Better

All 800 seats in the Grand Hall wererecently replaced with comfortablenew ones, improving the theatre-going experience. In fact, lastseason was one of Dorking Halls’most successful ever, with fullhouses for Al Murray, Greg Davies,Julian Clary, Alan Davies and RhodGilbert. The Christmas pantomime,Peter Pan, also broke all previousbox office records.

Customers can now also choosewhere to sit when booking online.This new feature has proved verypopular, and the number of ticketssold online has more than doubled!


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Willow Corner, Charlwood

MARCH

Wednesday 20 MarchBlofeld and Baxter: Memoriesof Test Match Special

APRIL

Saturday 6 April Suggs: My Life Story in Words and Music

Friday 19 AprilThe Billy Fury Years

Saturday 20 AprilRussell Kane: PosturingDelivery

Wednesday 24 AprilSean Lock: Purple Van Man

Friday 26 April Think Floyd

Saturday 27 AprilThe Hermitage Ensemble

MAY

Saturday 11 MayUkulele Orchestra of GreatBritain

Sunday 12 MayThe LumberJacks

Friday 17 MayAn Evening with Stars from Strictly Come Dancing

Thursday 23 MayThe Glenn Miller Orchestra

JUNE

Sunday 2 June Chris and Pui Roadshow

Friday 7 JuneDirty/DC

Wednesday 26 – Saturday 29 JuneHorrible Histories

COMING SOON

Friday 11 OctoberReady Steady Cook Live

Wednesday 16 OctoberMilton Jones: On the Road

Friday 18 OctoberReginald D Hunter: In the Midst of Crackers

Friday 22 NovemberArdal O’Hanlon

Saturday 30 NovemberHal Cruttenden: Touch Luvvie

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Highlights at Dorking Halls

CommunityArts Projects

Volunteers Needed for King George VFriends Group

The King George V Friends Group islooking for more volunteers. This friendlygroup run a variety of activities aimed atmaking the woodland areas and playingfields in Goodwyns, Chart Downs,Rough Rew, Holmwood Park and NorthHolmwood Village places thatcommunities want to use and protect.This means there is a range ofvolunteering opportunities available.

Underpass Art ProjectCommunity artsorganisation, Art inTransit, is runningworkshops in thisarea to designartwork for theGoodwyns Road and

King George V Playing Fieldsunderpass. The local community haschosen the themes ʻwildlifeʼ and ʻa day inthe parkʼ for the designs. See thetransformation this spring.

Arts Alive Festival 2013Calling all local artists and artsorganisations! Submit your events forArts Alive 2013, from 1 - 31 October!Weʼre particularly keen to attract newfaces and groups running events forchildren and young people.

To get involved in these projects, contactKath McCutcheon on 01306 885001 oremail [email protected].


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Did you know?Did you know that there are just over46 million electors in the UK?

Spotlight on Council Finance

• Ashtead

• Bookham and Fetcham West

• Dorking Hills

• Dorking and the Holmwoods

• Dorking Rural

• Leatherhead and Fetcham East

To ensure that you can vote in the 2013Elections, it is vital that you are on theelectoral roll. Your details also need to beon the register if you are applying forcredit – for example for a mortgage or amobile phone.

Did you know that we can sell theFull Register to Credit ReferenceAgencies for credit checkingpurposes. We can also sell theedited register to anyone whowishes to buy it, for examplemarketing agencies.

If you do not want your details toappear on the Edited Register, you

can choose to have your detailsexcluded by ticking the relevant "opt out" box on our electoralregistration form.

If you wish to "opt out" of the editedregister on a permanent basis, youmust submit a written request for theattention of the Electoral RegistrationOfficer at the Council Offices or viaemail to [email protected].

This also includes previouslyregistered electors who have indicatedin the past that they wish to opt out ofthe edited register.

On Thursday 2 May 2013, CountyCouncil Elections will be takingplace across Surrey. There are sixcounty divisions in Mole Valley andone County Councillor will beelected for each of the Divisions of:

In building the budget for 2013/14, we havetaken account of some important changesin the funding provided from centralgovernment towards the costs of MoleValley District Council.

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If you would like to know more about the elections in general or you simplywant to ensure that we have your correct details on the register of electors,please call one of the Democratic Services Team on 01306 879198 or email [email protected].

Our funding is drawn from three mainsources – council tax, fees and

charges and central government grant. Inthe past, the amount from centralgovernment has been announced in theautumn, based on the Governmentʼsassessment of need in the district, andpaid to the council in instalments duringthe year. The amount depended on theGovernment formula and, once that hadbeen assessed, it was fixed for the year.

A growing proportion of centralgovernment funding is now directly relatedto actual building development andeconomic activity in Mole Valley. £600,000of next yearʼs funding will be drawn fromthe Governmentʼs New Homes Bonus,

which is a payment from government foreach new home in the district. It matches,for six years, the council tax on thatproperty. A further £1m of governmentgrant will come to the council through aretained proportion of collected businessrates. The amount that can be retaineddepends on the amount collected, subjectto certain limits, so there is a directfinancial link between the councilʼsfunding and the business activity withinthe district. If the total collected is higherthan the initial Government assessment,then we keep a proportion of the surplus.On the other hand, we will have to bear aproportion of any shortfall.

Changes to the Electoral Register

Surrey’s First Police and CrimeCommissionerElected

The role of the PCC is to make surethat the views of the Countyʼs residentsare listened to and reflected in theservice the Police provides.

You can contact the PCCʼs office bycalling 01483 630200, [email protected], by postat the Office of the Police and CrimeCommissioner for Surrey, PO Box 412,Guildford GU3 1BR or on Twitter:@SurreyPCC

Alternatively please visit the PCCʼswebsite www.surrey-pcc-gov.uk forfurther information and for details ofSurrey Policeʼs element of your council tax.

Kevin Hurley was elected bythe public as Surreyʼs firstPolice and CrimeCommissioner (PCC) on 15November 2012.

County Council Elections in 2013

Mole Valley Financial Year 2013/14 www.molevalley.gov.uk

imv magazine

The following four pages contain a useful ʻpull-out-and-keepʼ guide to Council Tax in Mole Valley for the financial year 2013/14.The leaflet explains how your Council Tax bill is calculated and sets out how we intend to spend our budget on local servicesover the next twelve months. If you would like more information about your Council Tax bill, please contact the Revenues Teamon 01306 879293 or email: [email protected] or visit our website at: www.molevalley.gov.uk

Council Tax Requirements 2013/14

Requirement2012/2013 £

Requirement*2013/2014 £

Council TaxBase**2013/2014

Council TaxBand D***2013/2014 £

Where does Mole Valley District Council'smoney come from £41,828,000

Government Grants 8.04%Council Tax 14.25%Service Charges and Income 24.90%Specific Revenue Grants 52.78%Interest 0.77%Use of Reserves -0.75%

Where does Mole Valley District Council'smoney go £41,828,000

Community Services 3.82%Planning and EconomicDevelopment 7.19%Recreation and Tourism 7.74%Environmental Health 1.75%Refuse Collection and Recycling 13.77%Housing 1.86%Benefits 53.09%Car parking 1.69%Other Services 9.10%

This table details the amount each of your local authorities requires to raise from Council Tax.

* Parish Council Tax Requirements for 2013/14 are being part funded by a grant of £10,700 to reflect the reducedCouncil Tax Base which resulted from the introduction of the Local Council Tax Support Scheme.

** The Council Tax Base is calculated, based on the number of properties in the District plus a number of adjustments.It is used to arrive at the Council Tax level for Band D properties, as shown in the Band D Council Tax column.

*** Each year, the Council sets a level of tax for Band D and all other charges are calculated by applying theappropriate multiplier to it (see Explanatory Note 2.2 on page iii).

Council Tax Charges 2013/14This table sets out the amount of Council Tax payable, to each of your localauthorities, for properties in each area of the district.

An example: A household living in a Band D property in Headley will pay Council Tax of £1,567.99 in 2013/14. Of this, £1,172.50 will be passed to Surrey County Council to pay for its services (roads, education, social services etc),£207.55 to Surrey Police (to maintain law and order), and £33.41 to Headley Parish Council.

Mole Valley District Council will keep just £154.53 of the total Council Tax charged.

Band A£

Band B£

Band C£

Band E£

Band F£

Band D£

Band G£

Band H£

Surrey CC 46,908,082 45,734,319 38,651 1,172.52

Surrey Police 8,302,738 8,022,015 38,651 207.55

Mole Valley 6,187,296 5,973,000 38,651 154.53 Parish

Abinger 21,000 21,000 889.40 176.67

Betchworth 7,676 7,918 504.40 169.20

Brockham 15,726 15,827 1,219.70 166.68

Buckland 8,000 8,300 293.40 181.08

Capel 30,000 32,400 1,653.50 173.07

Charlwood 27,711 31,111 952.50 185.40

Headley 11,000 11,500 323.80 187.92

Holmwood 12,000 12,100 404.40 182.43

Leigh 10,116 10,849 429.40 178.20

Mickleham 3,483 4,600 218.10 174.24

Newdigate 9,000 9,100 810.00 165.06

Ockley 8,755 9,600 411.90 176.40

Wotton 2,789 3,207 302.90 164.43

Grant of Parishes 10,700

Surrey County Council 781.68 911.96 1,042.24 1,172.52 1,433.08 1,693.64 1,954.20 2,345.04

Surrey Police 138.37 161.43 184.49 207.55 253.67 299.79 345.92 415.10

Mole Valley 103.02 120.19 137.36 154.53 188.87 223.21 257.55 309.06

Total for areas not within a parish: 1,023.07 1,193.58 1,364.09 1,534.60 1,875.62 2,216.64 2,557.67 3,069.20

For properties within a Parish the following charges apply:

Abinger 1,037.83 1,210.80 1,383.77 1,556.74 1,902.68 2,248.62 2,594.57 3,113.48

Betchworth 1,032.85 1,204.99 1,377.13 1,549.27 1,893.55 2,237.83 2,582.12 3,098.54

Brockham 1,031.17 1,203.03 1,374.89 1,546.75 1,890.47 2,234.19 2,577.92 3,093.50

Buckland 1,040.77 1,214.23 1,387.69 1,561.15 1,908.07 2,254.99 2,601.92 3,122.30

Capel 1,035.43 1,208.00 1,380.57 1,553.14 1,898.28 2,243.42 2,588.57 3,106.28

Charlwood 1,043.65 1,217.59 1,391.53 1,565.47 1,913.35 2,261.23 2,609.12 3,130.94

Headley 1,045.33 1,219.55 1,393.77 1,567.99 1,916.43 2,264.87 2,613.32 3,135.98

Holmwood 1,041.67 1,215.28 1,388.89 1,562.50 1,909.72 2,256.94 2,604.17 3,125.00

Leigh 1,038.85 1,211.99 1,385.13 1,558.27 1,904.55 2,250.83 2,597.12 3,116.54

Mickleham 1,036.21 1,208.91 1,381.61 1,554.31 1,899.71 2,245.11 2,590.52 3,108.62

Newdigate 1,030.09 1,201.77 1,373.45 1,545.13 1,888.49 2,231.85 2,575.22 3,090.26

Ockley 1,037.65 1,210.59 1,383.53 1,556.47 1,902.35 2,248.23 2,594.12 3,112.94

Wotton 1,029.67 1,201.28 1,372.89 1,544.50 1,887.72 2,230.94 2,574.17 3,089.00

Mole Valley Financial Year 2013/14www.molevalley.gov.uk

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Council Tax Information 2013/14Council Services

2012/13 2013/14

Net Expenditure/income £ 000

Gross Expenditure£ 000

Gross Expenditure£ 000

Gross Income£ 000

Revenue Expenditure £ 000

Total Projected Spend 2012/13 10,336

Inflation 344

Removal of Olympics provision -464

Removal of one-off Planning costs -225

Removal of other one-off, previous-year, schemes 64

New spending pressures in 2013/14 322

Pension contribution increase 67

Increase in Planning Fees -60

Savings and Increased Income Proposals

- savings and efficiencies -310

- income from car parks -158

- income from waste -37

- income from Dorking Halls -62

- restructure of Senior Management Team -100

- reduced grant to voluntary organisations -24

Total Projected Spend 2013/14 9,693

Council Services and Gross Expenditure and IncomeThe table above shows the grossexpenditure and income of providing theCouncilʼs services. It shows how wecalculate the balance of net expenditurethat needs to be funded from the CouncilTax for the coming year, once all othersources of income are taken into account.

Why revenue expenditure has increasedThe table on the left lists the major changesthat will affect the Councilʼs budget for thecoming year. The Total Projected Spendfigure, shown at the bottom of the table, can also be seen in the ʻCouncil Servicesʼtable above.

24-hour Payment FacilitiesPayments can be made 24 hours a day –online by visiting www.molevalley.gov.ukand then find Related Pages on thehomepage and select Online Payments, or telephone 01189 143851. Furtherinformation is available from the RevenuesSection – telephone 01306 879293.

Community Services 1,618 396 1,596 -1,200

Planning and Economic Development 3,318 177 3,009 -2,832

Recreation and Tourism 2,902 1,492 3,239 -1,747

Environmental Health 965 626 731 -105

Refuse Collection & recycling 5,695 3,669 5,759 -2,090

Housing 700 528 777 -250

Benefits 21,775 421 22,207 -21,786

Car parking 737 -1,056 705 -1,761

Other Services 3,707 3,079 3,805 -726

Gross Cost of Providing Services 41,417 9,334 41,828 -32,495

Less: Service Income -31,439

Net Service Expenditure 9,978 9,334

Contribution to funds 358 359

Total Projected Spend 10,336 9,693

Less: Interest on balances -307 -320

Less: Use of reserves & balances -651 -8

Budget Requirement 9,378 9,365

Less: Government grant -3,130 -3,354

Less: Council Tax Collection Fund

(Surplus) / Deficit -61 -38

Mole Valley DC Council Tax Requirement 6,187 5,973

Add: Parish Council Requirements 167 178

Total District Council Tax Requirement 6,354 6,151

Surrey County Council Requirement 46,908 45,734

Surrey Police Requirement 8,303 8,022

Total Council Tax 61,565 59,907

Mole Valley Financial Year 2013/14 www.molevalley.gov.uk

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Council Tax Explanatory NotesThe following two pages contain statutory information that should answer any questions you may have about Council Tax generally and, inparticular, how the annual bill for your household has been calculated. Further details are also available from the Council Tax section of ourwebsite at www.molevalley.gov.uk

The full Council Tax bill assumes that there aretwo or more adults living in the dwelling. Thereare a number of ways by which the bill can bereduced and these are discounts (property andpersonal), disablement relief and means testedsupport, for those on low incomes or statebenefit. This leaflet attempts to give a briefexplanation of the key elements of the taxincluding the means by which reductions canbe obtained.If after reading these notes you feel one ormore of the reductions may apply, pleaseobtain an application form by writing to theCouncil Tax Section, Mole Valley DistrictCouncil, Pippbrook, Dorking, Surrey, RH4 1SJ,or by telephoning the Council Tax Section on01306 879293.Who is liable to pay the tax?1.1 Liability to pay Council Tax normally falls

to one or more adults who are solely ormainly resident in a property. Where thereis more than one person resident, look atthe following list and working from the topdown, stop when you reach a categorythat applies to someone in your home; heor she is the liable person:� Resident freeholder (so for owner-

occupied property the owner will beliable)

� Resident leaseholder� Resident statutory/secure tenant� Resident licensee� Resident

1.2 Husbands and wives, unmarried couplesor civil partners living together are bothresponsible for paying the bill. People whoare joint owners or joint tenants are alsojointly liable, whether or not they areactually shown on the bill.

1.3 Where there is no resident in the propertythen the owner is liable. The owner is alsoliable, instead of the residents, for certainprescribed classes of dwellings as follows:Class A residential care homes, nursinghomes and some hostels;Class B properties lived in by religiouscommunities (such as monasteries andconvents);Class C properties occupied by more thanone household where the residents sharecertain facilities such as a kitchen orbathroom;Class D properties which are not theownerʼs main home, but which are themain home of someone whom the owneremploys in domestic service;Class E properties lived in by ministers ofreligion.Class F properties provided to an asylumseeker under Section 95 of TheImmigration and Asylum Act 1999.

Valuation for Council Tax2.1 Domestic properties are placed into one of

eight valuation bands by the ValuationOffice Agency. The local office is situatedat 1st Floor, Warwick House, 67 StationRoad, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1DL.Telephone 03000 501501.

2.2 Each band attracts a different level ofCouncil Tax. The Council each year sets alevel of tax for Band D and all other

charges are then calculated by applyingthe appropriate multiplier to it. The eightvaluation bands and their multipliers areas follows:

2.3 Valuations are based on the market valueof a property at the 1st April 1991. Thefact that properties may be worth more orless today does not in itself mean theyhave been wrongly banded.

2.4 A valuation list is available for publicinspection at the Council Offices, and therelevant band value is shown on yourCouncil Tax bill.

2.5 There are some cases where individualdwellings may be revalued and rebanded.If, for example, a house is extended afterthe 1st April 1993 it will be revalued whenit is next sold. If your home decreases invalue because part of it is demolished, forexample, it may be revalued straightaway.

Discounts3.1 The full Council Tax bill assumes there are

two adults living in a dwelling. If only oneadult lives in a dwelling (as his/her mainhome) the Council Tax bill is reduced by25%.

3.2 From the 1 April 2013 if a dwelling is no-one’s main home and it remainsfurnished, there is no reduction in the bill.This also applies to properties which havea restriction on the number of days thatthey can be continuously occupied in anytwelve-month period.

3.3 From the 1 April 2013 a dwelling that isno-one’s main home and is substantiallyunfurnished will receive 100% discountfor 28 days. After 28 days have expiredthe full Council Tax charge will becomedue. If a property remains unfurnished fora continuous period of 2 years anadditional 50% of the full Council Tax willbe added to the bill making the chargeequivalent to 150% of the full CouncilTax. A property must be occupied assomeone’s sole or main residence for aperiod of at least 42 days to qualify for afurther period of discount.

3.4 The following list describes people whoare disregarded, for the purposes ofdiscount, and a reduction may apply aslong as there is no more than one person

left after the appropriate person(s) havebeen disregarded:

(a) People in Detention – who are detained,imprisoned or held in custody, in a prison,hospital or similar place, by an order ofthe court, (except for people in prison fornon-payment of Council Tax or a fine).

(b) People who are severely mentallyimpaired – a person will be regarded asseverely mentally impaired if he/shesuffers from a severe impairment ofintelligence and social functioning thatappears to be permanent, for examplethose suffering from Alzheimer’s diseaseand other similar illnesses.

(c) People in respect of whom child benefit ispayable – people over the age of 18 inrespect of whom child benefit remainspayable.

(d) Apprentices – will not be countedprovided they are:� employed for the purpose of learning a

trade, business, office, employment, orvocation;

� undertaking training leading to aqualification recognised by theQualifications and CurriculumAuthority; and

� paid a maximum of £195 per week andexpect to earn substantially more whenthey qualify.

(e) Students: Foreign Language Assistants –who are registered with the BritishCouncil and are appointed by a school orother educational establishment.

(f) Students – attending a university,polytechnic or college course lasting forat least one academic year, and requiredto undertake the course for at least 24weeks per year and undertake periods ofstudy of, on average, at least 21 hoursper week in term time. Also Studentsunder the age of 20 and studying for morethan three months and for at least 12hours per week for any qualification up toA level, ONC, or OND standard.

(g) Student Nurses – will not be counted ifthey are undertaking a course leading toregistration on any of Parts 1 to 6, 8, 10,or 11 of the Nursing Register. Onlystudent nurses studying for their firstinclusion on the register will not becounted, nurses already on the registerbut taking further courses will be counted.

(h) Youth Training Trainees – people underthe age of 25 who are undertakingtraining in line with an individual trainingplan under the Youth Training Scheme.

(i) People staying in certain Hostels or nightshelters – this applies only to those whohave their only or main home in dwellingssuch as short stay hostels or nightshelters, providing communalaccommodation for people who have nofixed abode and no settled way of life.

(j) Resident Hospital Patients – whose onlyor main home is in hospital.

(k) People living in Residential Care Homes,Nursing Homes or Hostels – whose onlyor main home is in a residential care

Band Property Value Multiplier

A Not over £40,000 6/9B Over £40,000 but

less than £52,000 7/9C Over £52,000 but

less than £68,000 8/9D Over £68,000 but

less than £88,000 9/9E Over £88,000 but

less than £120,000 11/9F Over £120,000 but

less than £160,000 13/9G Over £160,000 but

less than £320,000 15/9H Over £320,000 18/9

Mole Valley Financial Year 2012/13www.molevalley.gov.uk

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home, nursing home, mental nursinghome or hostel and who are receivinghigh level care or treatment.

(l) People providing care or support to anelderly or disabled person –i) care workers working for low pay (not

more than £44 per week), andemployed or introduced by a charity ora public body. Care workers must beemployed for at least 24 hours a weekand must live in the premises providedby their employers.

ii) people who live with and care foranother person with a disability (but nottheir spouse, partner or own childunder age 18) for at least 35 hours aweek. The disabled person must alsobe in receipt of one of the prescribedallowances.

(m) International Headquarters and DefenceOrganisations.

(n) Religious Communities – members ofreligious communities whose main work isprayer, contemplation, the relief ofsuffering, education or any combination ofthese, provided they depend on thecommunity for their material needs andhave no income or capital of their own.

(o) School Leavers – 18 or 19 year olds wholeave school or college after the 30th Aprilwill not be counted until the 1stNovember of the same year.

(p) Members (and Dependants) of visitingforces – will be disregarded if they have arelevant association with a visiting forcefrom one of the countries to which theVisiting Forces Act 1952 applies.

(q) Non-British spouses of students – will bedisregarded if the spouse of a student isnot a British citizen and is prevented fromtaking paid employment or claimingbenefit.

(r) Persons with diplomatic privilege orimmunity – relevant person(s) on whomprivileges and immunities have beenconferred by one of the relevant acts ortreaties.

Exempt DwellingsThe following classes of property are exemptfrom the Council Tax. Some properties may beexempt for a limited length of time only.

Class B empty properties which areowned by a charity and which were lastoccupied in furtherance of the objects ofthe charity (exempt for up to six months).Class D empty properties which areowned or leased by people who are inprison.Class E empty properties which areowned by people who are resident in ahospital, a nursing home or a residentialcare home.Class F empty properties which form partof the estate of a deceased person(exempt for up to six months after thegrant of probate or letters ofadministration, providing title remains with the administrator or executor of theestate).Class G empty properties whoseoccupation is forbidden by law.Class H empty properties which are heldfor occupation by a minister of religion asa residence from which to perform theduties of his office.Class I empty properties where the ownerhas moved somewhere other than ahospital or home to receive personal care.Class J empty properties where the

owner has moved elsewhere for thepurpose of providing care to anotherperson.Class K empty properties which were lastoccupied exclusively by students.Class L empty properties which havebeen taken into possession by amortgage lender.Class M halls of residence providedpredominantly for the accommodation ofstudents.Class N properties occupied entirely bystudents.Class O armed forces barracks, messesand married quarters owned by TheMinistry of Defence.Class P properties where at least oneoccupier is a member of a visiting forceunder Part 1 of the Visiting Forces Act1952.Class Q empty properties in the hands ofa trustee in bankruptcy.Class R pitches and moorings which arenot occupied by a caravan or, as the casemay be, a boat.Class S properties occupied only by aperson or persons aged under 18 years.Class T empty properties that form partof a single property, which includesanother dwelling and may not beseparately let from that other dwellingwithout breach of planning restrictions.Class U properties occupied only by aperson (or persons) who is (or are)severely mentally impaired and whowould otherwise be liable to pay theCouncil Tax.Class V properties where one or more ofthe liable person(s) is (are) granted certainprivileges and immunities because of theirdiplomatic status.Class W properties forming part of asingle property that includes at least oneother dwelling and which is occupied by adependant relative of a person whoresides in the other property.

Disablement ReliefWhere a disabled person lives in a propertywhich provides one or more of the followingfacilities to meet the needs of a disabledperson:(a) a room other than a bathroom, kitchen or

lavatory, which is predominantly used bya disabled person; or

(b) an additional kitchen or bathroomrequired by the disabled person; or

(c) sufficient floor space to permit the use ofa wheelchair; a claim can be made fordisablement relief. The relief if granted willhave the effect of reducing the CouncilTax bill to that of a property in thevaluation band immediately below, or inthe case of a Band A property by oneninth of the Band D value.

Appeals6.1 Appeal rights are available to the liable

person, anyone with a superior interest inthe property (normally the owner) and theBilling Authority.

6.2 Appeals against the inclusion or exclusionof a property in the Valuation List or theactual band applied to a property shouldbe made in writing to the Valuation Office,1st Floor, Warwick House, 67 StationRoad, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1DL.

6.3 Appeals against non-valuation matters,such as a person being wronglydesignated as a liable person, or the

amount of the bill being incorrect, mustinitially be made in writing to the CouncilTax Office, at the address shown on thefront of this leaflet.

6.4 Where an agreement cannot be reached ineither of the above situations the mattermay progress to a Valuation Tribunal forarbitration.

7 Council Tax Support – (see under Benefitson the Mole Valley website) can providehelp with some or all of your Council Tax.Whether you get help depends on theamount of Council Tax you have to pay,your personal circumstances and yourincome and savings. Generally speakingthe more income and savings you havethe less likely you are to qualify for help.To claim you will need a claim form,available from the Benefits Section atMole Valley District Council. The formshould be completed and returned assoon as possible as benefit usually startsfrom the Monday after the BenefitsSection receives the form.

8 Council tax is normally payable over 10months 1 April to 1 January. On requestbills issued before the 15 April may bepaid in 12 instalments. If a bill is issuedafter 15 April and additional instalmentsare requested then instalments equal tothe number of whole months left in thefinancial year will be granted.

9 Ways to pay your bill are displayed on theback of the bill and are also available onthe website at www.molevalley.gov.ukunder Council Tax.Direct Debit facilities are available andoffer a choice of three payment dates,5th, 15th or 25th of the month. If you wishto take advantage of this facility you cantelephone the Revenue Section on 01306879293 and supply bank details or if youprefer you can request a paper directdebit instruction to complete.Internet Payments: This facility isavailable for payment by debit card andcan be accessed from the Council’swebsite www.molevalley.gov.uk. On theright hand side of the Home page youshould select the quick link "Pay it" fromthe do it online section, and follow theinstructions.Debit Card payments can also be madevia a dedicated telephone line (ATP),available 24 hours a day, seven days aweek. In order to make payment via theATP service please ring 0300 123 1064,calls will be charged at the local rate. Youwill need your card details and yourCouncil Tax account number to makepayment by this method.

10 How to get in touch – if you have anyquestions or require further informationplease telephone the Council and ask forthe Revenues Section on 01306 879293

or write to the Revenues Section at: MoleValley District Council, Pippbrook,Dorking, Surrey, RH4 1SJ

or call into the Council Offices at Pippbrook,Dorking, Surrey, open from 8.30am-5.00pm

or visit the HelpShop, Leatherhead Library,The Mansion Church Street, Leatherhead,Tuesday to Saturday. For HelpShopopening times, please call 01306 885001,visit the council’s website or [email protected]

For details about the Environment Agency’slevy for its flood defence functions see:www.molevalley.gov.uk/ctaxleaflets

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We are always looking for ways to improve access to our services and arecontinuing to develop the services we offer online.

This year we will also be developing amobile-friendly site that can be

accessed from smart phones. We doalready offer a mobile site, albeit withlimited resources, which allows you tomake key transactions. To access this,please visitwww.molevalley.gov.uk/mobile. Laterthis year we will be adding the facility toallow you to report graffiti and fly tippingusing a map and more mobile-friendlyforms to support the Report a Missed Binform, which is already available.

Even if you do not have a smart phone,our website provides you access to anumber of online services including beingable to pay your council tax, applying foran allotment and viewing and paying aparking fine.

Visitors can also subscribe to councilnews and other information using theRSS feeds provided.

Our website www.molevalley.gov.uk also offers you the opportunity to engagewith us via Twitter (@molevalleydc),Facebook (www.facebook.com/molevalley districtcouncil), Flickr(www.flickr.com/molevalleydc) andYouTube.

Go Mobile! Do it Online!

Members’ Allowances 2011/12

The total allowances paid to Members in2011/2012 financial year are set out in thetable below. # signifies Independent Members andParish Council representatives on theStandards Committee * signifies Memberelected to the Council in May 2011 **signifies Member elected to the Council inOctober 2011 *** signifies Member retiredfrom the Council during 2011.

NAME TOTAL (£)

Aboud E 4098.00Boughton P# 399.96Brooke R 4098.00Brooks S** 1839.69Burt D 4098.00Chandler J* 3756.50Cooksey M 7598.04Cooksey S 6223.06Corden C 4409.53Curran C 7598.04Dickson R 4362.51Elderton P 4311.68Freeman A *** 685.77Friend J 2868.60Haque R 4255.59Harris P 4098.00Hedgeland R 4598.04Homewood M *** 519.44Homewood V 4354.08Howard M 5959.64Howarth D 5098.00Howarth E *** 2138.68Howell D 6060.37Hunt C 5162.56Hurworth T 4383.15Johnson M *** 440.65Ladell D *** 467.53Lewis-Carr B 5652.57Ling S 6902.60Longhurst M 4105.04Loretto T 4098.00McCheyne R* 4080.28McLachlan S# 399.96McShane F# 399.96Michael V 7463.82Mir, D * 3580.24Muggeridge, J 4053.94Murdoch, I 4234.95Newman, P* 3701.42Northcott, W 5754.57Osborne-Patterson, C* 3812.59Pearson, J*** 650.77Potter, P 4098.00Preedy, D* 4073.79Prideaux T# 869.08Reynolds C 7861.53Salmon C 7892.47Sharland D 4444.59Tatham P*** 940.65Townsend C 5236.12Walker, D *** 479.11Westwood, K 7098.00Yarwood, C 3607.04TOTAL 209374.20^^

^^ compared to £208,508.74 in 2010/2011

Each year Councillors can claim a basic allowance of up to £4,098 to coveressential costs incurred while carrying out their duties. This includes costs ofcalls, postage, stationery etc.

Some Councillors such as the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Council, the GroupLeaders, the Committee Chairmen and Portfolio Holders may also receive a SpecialResponsibility Allowance to reflect their additional duties.

SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY ALLOWANCES CAN BE CLAIMED AS FOLLOWS:

Designation

Chairman of the Council £ 2,400

Vice-Chairman of the Council £ 900

Leader/Executive £ 6,500

Portfolio Holders (if 4 or less Portfolio Holders, all to share) £15,000

(if 5, 6, 7 Portfolio Holders each to receive) £ 3,000

(if 8 or 9 Portfolio Holders, all to share) £ 21,000

Leader of the Opposition £ 3,500

Leader of any other Group £ 500

Deputy Leader of the Opposition £ 500

Chairman of Development Control £ 2,400

Chairman of Scrutiny £ 1,500

Chairman of Audit £ 1,500

Chairman of Licensing £ 250

Chairman of Standards £ 500

Chairman of Audit £ 1,500

Chairman of Licensing £ 250

Chairman of Standards £ 500

For more information, please call 01306 885001.

For more information, please call01306 885001.

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Universal Credit

Universal Credit is the new single benefitfor people of working age and will replaceHousing Benefit, Income Support, IncomeRelated Job Seekers Allowance, IncomeBased Employment and SupportAllowance and Tax Credits. Most claimswill be made online and one householdpayment will be made monthly in arrearsinto the claimant’s bank account. Newclaims from October 2013 will be a claimfor Universal Credit, with existing claimsbeing moved to Universal Credit over a 3-year period from October 2014.Households that are couples made up of a pensioner and someone of workingage will be treated as a working agehousehold instead of a pensionerhousehold.

The Benefit Cap

The cap will be rolled out from April 2013to October 2013, and will be a cap on thetotal amount of all benefits a working agehousehold can receive. Benefit levels willbe capped at the level of the averageworking family income after tax, which isexpected to be £500 a week for familiesand £350 a week for single people.Households that include a war widow, orclaim Disability Living Allowance orWorking Tax Credit will be exempt.

Housing Benefit

A number of changes have already beenmade to Housing Benefit. A furtherchange will take place in April 2013 whenrestrictions will apply to most housingassociation tenants who live in houseslarger than they need. Their Housing

Benefit will be reduced by 14% if thetenant is under-occupying by onebedroom and by 25% if they areunder occupying by two ormore bedrooms. This willonly affect people ofworking age. Thechange is often referredto as the ‘bedroom tax’.

Council TaxSupport

From April 2013, thenational Council TaxBenefit scheme is beingabolished and all localcouncils have to replace it with their ownsystem. In the autumn we consulted on aproposed new system. We had a positiveresponse from residents to ourconsultation last year on proposedchanges to the scheme. However anadditional government grant has helpedthe council to resist changes for nextyear. We will use the consultation resultsto inform any future changes.

This means that residents currentlyentitled to Council Tax Benefit willcontinue to receive that same entitlementthrough 2013/14.

Housing Problems or Questionsabout these Benefit changes?

Please contact the Housing Options orthe Benefits Teams on 01306 885001 orvisit our offices at Pippbrook in Dorking.Alternatively, please [email protected] [email protected].

What is the Citizens AdviceBureau (CAB) Doing?

The CAB realises that the forthcomingwelfare reform changes will generatesignificant additional demand on localbureaux, so they have set up a nationalWelfare Reform Programme. Amongstother things, this will include offeringbasic budgeting advice to families to helpthem deal with monthly rather than weeklyor fortnightly benefit payments andsupport clients who have to manage withless money.

The bureau in Leatherhead and Dorkingare currently looking at resources for nextyear to help with increased demand forwelfare benefits advice. If you areinterested in volunteering, please call01306 876806 or [email protected].

If you need advice from the CAB, pleasecall 08444 111 444.

Changes to Your Benefits Are youReady for Welfare Reform?

Battle Against Benefit FraudWould you allow someone to takemoney from your wallet or purse? Youdo so every day if you donʼt reportinstances of benefit fraud; thosepeople who lie to claim benefits costlocal taxpayers thousands of pounds a year.

We investigate allegations made and, in

cases where there is enough evidence,our policy is to prosecute or impose otherlegal sanctions.

There are a number of ways in which youcan report benefit fraud:

• Call the Fraud Hotline on 01306 879284

• Visit www.molevalley.gov.uk and

report it under the Do it Online section

• Visit the Councilʼs offices in Pippbrookor write a letter for the attention of theBenefits team: Pippbrook, Dorking, RH4 1SJ.

Please be assured that all referrals aretreated in the strictest confidence and youridentity will remain confidential.

The Welfare Reform Act 2012 brings significant change for residents in Mole Valley who receive benefits or have a low income.

AshteadAshtead ResidentsAssociation is looking forvolunteers to help run itssuccessful ʻSpring Cleanʼon Saturday 23 March from10am to 12noon, clearinglitter from several locationsaround the village. For

more information about the spring clean, please visitwww.ashteadresidents.org.uk.

Renovation works to Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall have been completed and the building now includes a memorialgarden in memory of Councillor David Howell, a new safeoutdoor play area for the Busy Bees playgroup and aremodeled side entrance.

BookhamThis year sees the 80thanniversary of the BookhamBulletin, which tells the story ofthe Bookham CommunityAssociation. More than 300editions have been produced inthat time. The publicationcontinued throughout WorldWar II and has developed into afull colour magazine from itshumble beginnings in 1933.

Box HillMany of Box Hillʼs residents celebrated Christmas in style when on Sunday 16 Decemberthey joined Santaʼs Singalong with a parade from the shops tothe Village Hall where everyone sang carols, enjoyed mulledwine and had refreshments for free. Despite the celebrationsbeing forced indoors due to poor weather, it didnʼt dampen thespirits of those in attendance and singing could be heardthroughout the village.

FetchamFetchamʼs shopping centre was once again brightened by thepresence of the big village Christmas tree which had beenerected and decorated by the Residents Association. Sadly atraffic accident in late December destroyed one of theattractive brick arches at the junction of Cobham Road andCannon Grove, but Highways have agreed it will be rebuilt.

LeatherheadThe Leatherhead Residentsʼ Association (LRA) is run by acommittee, represents the townʼs residents and works withlocal traders and the Chamber of Commerce to promote thewell being of Leatherhead. Monthly committee meetings areopen to members of the public and applications forMembership are welcomed and should be addressed to TheLeatherhead Institute, High Street, Leatherhead.

OckleyIn 2012, Ockley Parish Council established a Steering Groupconsisting of residents and local business owners who want tohave their say on how the village will develop in the future. Theresults of a 6 week survey inviting views on proposalssubmitted to the Council by the Steering Group will beavailable by visiting www.molevalley.gov.uk/ldf.

PixhamLast year was an exciting timefor the Pixham community which,in addition to the villageʼs regularevents, included Olympic andJubilee celebrations. The biggestsuccess of the year however wasthe launch of the communitycentre, The Old Pixham School, which is a hub for localresidents and available for hire all year round. Please [email protected] for further information.

WestcottA greener, healthier and safer way for pedestrians and cycliststravelling between Westcott and Dorking opened in November2012 and is proving highly popular as an alternative to the A25.The route from Westcott starts at the north end of St JohnʼsRoad, crosses open fields to the north of the A25 before joiningan improved Milton Court Lane and a shared footway as far asVincent Lane, Dorking.


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Do you own a residentialproperty in Mole Valley that is

Community NewsWelcome to the Community News Page. Here are some snippets of what is going on around Mole Valley in your communities. You can upload your community news on our dedicatedwebpage www.molevalley.gov.uk/communitynews by emailing [email protected]

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Villages across the district have been busy improving their community buildingswith grants from Mole Valley District Council.

The South Bookham SPACE buildinghas recently been transformed thanks tothe hard work of South Bookham Youthand Community Association. Youngpeople are now enjoying a better-equipped building and exciting newgames area.

Leigh Village Hall has vastly improvedfacilities and grounds, with new fencingand paths, a new doorway and anextended outside covered area havingbeen installed. The Leigh Lollipops, a

preschool nursery which uses the hallevery day, can now directly access asafe, enclosed outdoor play and learningspace which allows the children to enjoya range of activities in the fresh air,whatever the weather.

The group has also cleared the densescrub around the windows, allowing morenatural light into the hall and revealingviews of the surrounding farmland. Thechildren enjoy spotting the cows thatcome to visit!

ImprovingCommunity Buildings

BetchworthCastle

The refurbished pavilion at the BigField in Brockham was officiallyopened by Bill Beaumont, Englandʼslegendary Grand Slam winningcaptain and current Chairman of the Rugby Football Union, on 31 October 2012.

The complete rebuild of the pavilion’sinterior cost £1million with contributionsfrom a number of local and nationalparties including the FootballFoundation, the National Trust, theRugby Football Foundation, The RugbyFootball Union, the Surrey Hills LeaderLocal Action Group and the WatesFoundation. Mole Valley District Councilmade a grant contribution of £250,000towards the costs and providedadditional financial support too. Theproject also saw considerable financial

support from Brockham BadgersFootball Club and many of the membersof Dorking Rugby Football Club.

In addition, Brockham Badgers gained alicence on three of the pitches and, as aresult, has secured the future of footballon the site. The facility now supportsboth Rugby Football and AssociationFootball at the Big Field, as well ascatering for a range of other sporting,leisure and social uses for the localcommunity. It includes a ground floorclub social area and bar, an upstairsWates Community Club Room, sixchanging rooms conforming to the latestRFU and FA requirements, a gym and amedical room.

For more information, please call 01306 885001.

Bookham Colts Football Club at launch of Outer SPACE games area

Betchworth Castle

Sitting within a spur of the RiverMole and obscured from publicview, Betchworth castle is alargely unknown but unique andspecial place. It is Surreyʼs onlyremaining fortified manor house.Dating back to the 11th century,the castle has a fascinatinghistory culminating in itsremodelling at the end of theeighteenth century by one of thecountyʼs most importantarchitects, Sir John Soane. Of hiswork, only the stable block inCastle Gardens remains.

The castle was dismantled in the1840s by Henry Hope of DeepdeneHouse to create a romantic ruinwithin his estate and has been indecline ever since. The castle wasrecently purchased from MoleValley District Council (MVDC) byarchitectural historianMartin Higginswho, with assistance of grants fromMVDC and English Heritage, hassecured nearly £300,000 of fundingto stabilise the standing remains,allowing future generations to enjoythis important piece of Surreyʼsarchitectural history.

MVDC made a Heritage Lottery bidto reconnect the remnants of theDeepdene estate. If successful,access to the castle and other partsof the Deepdene would be greatlyimproved. Progress on theDeepdene project can be followedon our Facebook pagehttp://www.facebook.com/TheDeepdeneTrail.

Refurbishment of Brockham Pavilion Completed


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St Georgeʼs Day The town will be celebrating St Georgeʼs Day on Saturday 20 Apriland will no doubt bear witness to plentyof flags being proudly hoisted up for allto see. There will be lots ofentertainment on show between 11amand 3pm with live music and dancingfrom the popular Ewell St Mary MorrisDancers, walkabout acts, games andcompetitions.

Annual Duck RaceOn Sunday 30 June the ducks will onceagain be taking to the water ahead oftheir annual race. Come along and join

in the fun from 2pm by the town bridgeat the bottom of Bridge Street. You caneither buy your little yellow ducks inadvance or on the day itself. There willalso be refreshments down by the riverand nearby, in Mill Lane, children canenjoy a ride on a miniature steam train.

HalloweenPrepare to be scared (well, only slightly)by ghosts, ghouls, goblins and goo onThursday 31 October. Come along tothe annual Halloween event inLeatherhead for some spooky, fun,entertainment and games between 3pmand 6pm. There will be a fancy dress

competition in the Swan ShoppingCentre and lots of roving acts.

Christmas

The festive season kicks off inLeatherhead on Saturday 7 Decemberwith the Christmas Festival. There willbe plenty of traditional Christmas acts,entertainers and music, withperformances from local dance groupsand choirs.

If so, then mediation could be the wayforward. Having requested help, trained

volunteer mediators will visit you at homeand will, in the strictest confidence andwith complete impartiality, listen to theissues youʼve been experiencing. Theywill then do likewise with the relevantneighbours too.

After both parties have been listened to,the mediators will offer to arrange for

everyone to meet at a convenient andneutral location. This activity enableseveryone to air their grievances andensures that all views are heard. This is atried and tested mediation process andprovides the best opportunity of finding aresolution which all parties find suitable,without the expense or stress of litigation. Surrey Mediation Societyservices are free of charge, thoughdonations are welcomed.

Events Coming to Leatherhead Town Centre in 2013

Help Offered by Mid-Surrey Mediation

To request mediation services or enquire about becoming a member

of the volunteer mediator team, please call 07513524241 or

email [email protected].

For more information, please

call 01306 885001.

All events are subject to change.

Domestic abuse canaffect anyone,regardless of gender,sexuality, race, socialstatus or wealth.

It commonly occursbehind closed doors, leaving peoplefeeling powerless to stop the emotionaland physical pain.

For help and support, call East SurreyDomestic Abuse Outreach Service on01737 771350. In an emergency dial 999.

Visit the Housing Advice section of theCouncilʼs website to see the range ofhelp available, including schemesregarding living arrangements, legaladvice, local support and adviceorganisations and national agenciesand helplines.

Domestic Abuse: Help is Available

Do you have a problem with your neighbours and findcommunicating with them difficult?

Picture courtesy : Andy Newbold

Whatever the decision, our Building Control teamwould like to advise anyone thinking of extending

their property that these changes will apply only toplanning permission. The need to apply forBuilding Regulations Approvalremains unchanged.

Building Regulations ensurethat your building isstructurally sound, weather-tight, thermally efficient andsafe. If you have ʻbuildingʼplans, the Building Controlteam would be verypleased to advise onBuilding Regulationsrequirements.

Do I needPlanning Permission for my Extension?

news & views

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For more information, please visit the Building Control pages on our website

www.molevalley.gov.uk or call us on 01306 879264.

Planning Information Officers are also available to advise you on the need for

planning permission. Please call 01306 885001.

This development was made possibledue to support from the land owner,

the local Parish Council and funding fromthe Homes and Communities Agency andMole Valley District Council (MVDC) of£580,000.

Eight of the homes will be available forrent and four for shared ownership and

will be offered to those people in housingneed who are on the Council's waiting listand have a local connection to NewdigateParish Council. The development is on thegreen belt and was given planningpermission as an exception by MVDCbecause it will provide affordable housingto meet the needs of local people.

New Affordable HomesComing to Newdigate

To join the Housing register, call 01306 885001 or visit www.molevalley-

homechoice.org.uk and to register for shared ownership visit

www.catalysthomebuy.co.uk

Mole Valley Housing Association will complete the construction of 12 newaffordable homes in the rural village of Newdigate this spring.

You may have heard that the Government is considering whether or not to allowlarger extensions to be built without needing planning permission. The outcome ofthe Governmentʼs considerations should be published later this year.

Services such as hairdressing,chiropody, foot care andaromatherapy were successfullytransferred from the Mayflower DayCentre to the Dorking ChristianCentre almost two years ago andare proving extremely popular withvisitors to this day.

The centre offers tasty hot meals fivedays a week and coffee morningsevery Saturday too. Transport to andfrom the Centre is available to ourolder residents in the form of theCouncil’s Dial a Ride service. Formore information about Dial a Ride,please visit www.molevalley.gov.ukor call 01372 383333.

Upon being asked for their viewsabout the move to the ChristianCentre taken in 2012, responses fromvisitors were overwhelmingly positive,particularly regarding how friendlyand welcoming staff and volunteerswere. There was also special praisefor the café, the services on offer andthe range of afternoon activitiesavailable.

Dorking ChristianCentre

For more information please go towww.dorkingchristiancentre.org.uk.If you wish to visit, the centre is openMonday to Friday, from 9am to 2pm onChurch Road, Dorking, RH4 1DW.

Nappy Trial

We are currently carrying out a 6month collection trial forAbsorbent Hygiene Products,such as nappies and incontinencepads in the Bookham andFetcham area. If the trial is asuccess, it could lead to a district-wide role out in future.

To find out more, please visitwww.molevalley.gov.uk/nappytrial


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Anti-social Environmental Crimes

The penalties vary depending on theoffence and can range from a Fixed

Penalty Notice of £75 being issued forlittering, to a custodial sentence for fly-tipping.

In the months from April to November2012, clearing up fly-tipping in MoleValley cost Council Tax payers more than£10,000, not including staff time. It isunsightly and can pose serious hazards

to road users and the environment.

A large number of fly-tips originate fromsmall scale domestic building orrenovation work, such as a new kitchenor bathroom. If you have work of thistype carried out, please ensure that youuse a reputable waste carrier that hasbeen registered with the EnvironmentAgency to take the waste away and that they provide you with a wastetransfer note.

Pictured left: Example of fly-tipping in Mole Valley

We are responsible for investigating and, where appropriate, taking enforcement action against anyone found committingenvironmental crime such as fly-tipping, abandoned vehicles, graffiti and littering.

Bag it, Tie it and Bin it

Dog owners are entirely responsible forclearing up after their animal and

should always have plastic bags, nappysacks or other ʻpoop scoopʼ solutions withthem. There are three simple steps todisposing of dog waste: Bag it, Tie it andBin it.

• Bag it: The waste should be picked upafter placing a hand into a bag andturning it inside out

• Tie it: The bag should be turned backinside itself by pulling the handles andknotting the top

• Bin it: Place the used bag in any publicwaste bin or dog waste bins providedacross the district

It is an offence for owners to allow their dog to foul on public land and if caughtnot picking up and disposing of the waste, could be given a £1,000 fine. Dogwaste also poses a genuine danger to public health, particularly to our youngestand oldest residents.

For more information or to report

an environmental crime, please

visit www.molevalley.gov.uk or call

01306 885001.

To report an incident of dog fouling, please visit www.molevalley.gov.uk, Tweet

@molevalleydc or call 01306 885001 and ask for Environmental Health. For

more information about dog fouling and the areas that owners are obligated to

pick up their dogʼs waste from, please visit the Councilʼs website.

Dog waste bin

If your doggoes missingor you find astray, pleasereport it bycalling 01306 885001during normal officehours or 01372 376533outsidenormal officehours, at theweekend or

on bank holidays. Alternatively youcan [email protected] or visitwww.molevalley.gov.uk and report itonline by completing the ʻLost and StrayDogsʼ form.

We offer a list on our website of straysthat are in need of being re-homed. Alldogs are vaccinated, neutered andtreated for fleas and worms beforeleaving the kennel.

Lost, Found and Stray Dogs

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issue 25 spring 2013 magazine

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