issue 71 - epsom and ewell...of meetings, download agendas or review minutes of previous meetings...

issue 71

Borough

keeping you informed

The 400th anniversary

insight

Contact us Mayor’s Message

visit our website www.epsom-ewell.gov.uk

‘like’ our Facebook page www.facebook.com/EpsomEwellBC

follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/EpsomEwellBC

follow us on Instagram www.instagram.com/EpsomEwellBC

For all the latest news and information, alerts and updates, why not:

Social networking

Mayor of Epsom & Ewell 2017-18, Councillor Liz Frost at the Hollymoor Lane Development brick laying ceremony.

Liz Frost

I am writing this near the start of 2018 - goodness, how my time as Mayor has flown. By the time you read this it will be nearly at an end. It is a huge privilege to be Mayor and my consort, Chris, and I have had an enjoyable time and the opportunity to attend a variety of events and meet so many different people.

Being the Mayor enables you to learn more about the fantastic people who live, work and volunteer in the borough. We have helped at various fund-raising events, both for my own Mayor’s Charities (Citizens Advice Epsom & Ewell; The Lower Mole Countryside Trust and The Sunnybank Trust) and for other groups that have asked for my

help. In doing so I have learnt so much more about the help and support that our volunteers give to those who are disadvantaged or vulnerable.

We are often asked what have been the highlights of the mayoral year, but events are all so different that it is difficult to pick out any one. As a flavour of the variety, we attended the re-dedication of Lt Col Northey’s grave in the presence of a Zulu Princess; watched the Laine Theatre Arts fabulous summer show and an under 5s nativity play; invited children to the Town Hall to tell them more about civic matters; and saw how residents with dementia in care homes really engage with music.

I now know a little more about some different types of work - but also know my limitations! Despite the opportunity to lay bricks to mark the start of the Hollymoor Lane development and experiencing the kit and using the hoses at the fire station - I will not make either a fire fighter or a brickie!

My time as your Mayor has re-enforced my view that Epsom and Ewell is a great place to live and work. Thank you to all our residents and those working here for playing your part in this - and I wish all the best to my successor.

Councillor

Borough

insight 3

Borough Insight is published by Epsom & Ewell Borough Council for residents and delivered free of charge to households in the borough.

If you have any queries on its contents please contact The Editor, Borough Insight, Epsom & Ewell Borough Council, Town Hall, The Parade, Epsom, Surrey KT18 5BY.

Tel: 01372 732000

Email: [email protected]

Designed and printed by: Frontline, Ashdown House, Charlwoods Road, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 2HJ.

Borough Insight is printed on paper from sustainable sources. Please read and recycle this copy.

Advertising opportunities in Borough Insight

Would you like the opportunity to promote your business to 32,000 households? Epsom & Ewell Borough Council offers advertising space at competitive rates in Borough Insight magazine.

For further information contact Frontline on Tel: 01342 312570 or email [email protected]

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council does not accept responsibility for, sponsor or endorse any, products or services offered by advertisers in this magazine.

Frontline are proud to be working in partnership with Epsom & Ewell Borough Council.

e-Borough Insight

For the latest events, community information and lots more delivered straight to your inbox each month, subscribe to e-Borough Insight at insight.epsom-ewell.gov.uk/subscribe

News

For details of fundraising events please see www.mayorscharitiesepsom.org.uk

Council meetings March - July 2018

All meetings are held at the Town Hall, Epsom and start at 7.30pm unless otherwise stated. Meetings may be cancelled or additional meetings arranged as necessary. To view the full year’s calendar of meetings, download agendas or review minutes of previous meetings visit www.epsom-ewell.gov.uk

Agenda papers are available online to download five clear working days before a meeting and are accessible via the mod.gov app.

For further information please contact Democratic Services on 01372 732000 or email [email protected], quoting the Committee or matter you are interested in - we are always happy to help.

Epsom & Ewell Local Committee (Surrey County Council) meetings: Date: Monday 12 March 2018Time: 7pmVenue: Bourne Hall, Spring Street, Ewell KT17 1UF

Date: Monday 25 June 2018Time: 7pm Venue: Ewell Court House, Lakehurst Road, Ewell

KT19 0EB

Please note the date and venue could be subject to change. Visit www.surreycc.gov.uk/epsomandewell for more details and confirmation of the venue, or contact Nicola Morris on 020 8541 9437 or email [email protected] Follow on Twitter @EpsomLC

March 2018

8 Licensing and Planning Policy Committee

12 Epsom and Walton Downs Consultative Committee (6pm)

13 Health Liaison Panel

20 Community and Wellbeing Committee

22 Planning Committee

27 Environment Committee

April 2018

16 Epsom and Walton Downs Conservators (6pm)

17 Strategy and Resources Committee

19 Audit, Crime & Disorder and Scrutiny Committee

24 Council



30 Nonsuch Park Joint Management Committee (10am at Nonsuch Mansion House)

May 2018

15 Council (Annual meeting – Mayor making, 7pm)


June 2018


11 Environment Committee

12 Community and Wellbeing Committee


18 Epsom and Walton Downs Conservators (6pm)

19 Audit, Crime & Disorder and Scrutiny Committee

25 Nonsuch Park Joint Management Committee (10am at Nonsuch Mansion House)

26 Financial Policy Panel

July 2018

TBC Human Resources Panel

3 Health Liaison Panel

17 Council


26 Strategy and Resources Committee

Our main key priorities which form part of our Corporate Plan for the next four years are:

Our key priorities 2016 - 2020

These key priorities are backed up with measurable targets for each of the four years which are published on our website.

Relevant articles within this issue have the above key priorities mentioned so you can identify how we are working towards achieving these targets.

Borough

insight4

Keeping our borough clean and green

Key Priority:

Supporting our community

Key Priority:

Managing our resources

Key Priority:

Supporting businesses and our local economy

Key Priority:

Democracy

Why not?Stay updated with events and walks taking place throughout the year, visit What’s On at www.epsom-ewell.gov.uk Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @EpsomEwellBC Tag us using #yourepsomewell

Dear diarySaturday 10 March; 10am - 5pmFree Herald of Spring 2018

Bourne Hall, Spring Street, Ewell KT17 1UF

At this year’s event get in touch with ‘Mother Nature’. See beautiful floral displays by local groups such as Mayday Flower Club, a show garden from Ashtead Park Garden Centre, find out more about the borough’s plentiful open spaces by local countryside groups, buy locally produced honey, visit the What’s On In Epsom’s Spring Mother’s Day market or enjoy some tea and cake in the coffee shop. Children can enjoy activities by Bourne Hall Museum Kids Club and Rainbow Leisure Centre, Hobbledown and Close Up Magic. Plus, the local primary schools and youth groups ‘Mother Nature’ scarecrow competition will be judged on the day.

Tuesday 20 - Saturday 24 MarchGift Market

Bourne Hall, Spring Street, Ewell KT17 1UF

Popular five day gift market for those wanting a gift that’s a little bit different.

Sunday 13 MayFree Round the Borough Bike 2018

Start and finish at Horton Country Park

Get on your bikes for this family friendly cycling event. The 20-mile off-road bike ride is one of the best ways to experience the borough’s beautiful open spaces. The route leads along country lanes, through parks and nature reserves and criss-crosses Epsom and Ewell. Each participant who completes the route receives a certificate.

Register to take part at www.epsom-ewell.gov.uk/rbhb where you can also view the route on a smartphone.

Friday 18 May; 11am - 3pmFree Epsom and Ewell Employment Fair 2018

Epsom Methodist Church, Ashley Road, KT18 5AQ

Explore your potential at this year’s employment fair. Six organisations are working together to bring people in need of work or training face-to-face with local employers - Rosebery Housing Association, the Ethos Project, Best of Epsom and Ewell, What’s On In Epsom, Surrey County Council and Epsom & Ewell Borough Council. Contact Nanette Chandler from Ethos on 07904 908871 or visit www.rosebery.org.uk /employment-fair


Key Priority:

EventsBorough

insight6

Free

Free

Free

Free

Explore Epsom and Ewell With our countryside team on guided walks to discover the borough’s local nature reserves.

Sunday 18 March; 1pm - 4pm

Discover Epsom Common’s past. Meet at the Stew Pond car park.

Sunday 22 April; 2pm - 5pm

Enjoy the spring time beauty of Horton Country Park. Meet at the Information Centre.

Sunday 20 May; 2pm - 5pm

Explore the spring time natural history of Epsom Common. Meet at the Stew Pond car park.

Sunday 10 June; 2pm - 5pm

Learn about the wildlife and the history of the gun powder mills that were once powered by the Hogsmill River. Meet at Ewell Court House.

Sunday 24 June; 2pm - 5pm

Explore the natural history of Horton Country Park. Meet at the Information Centre.

Sunday 1 July; 2pm - 5pm

Join in this free walk with The Friends of Horton Country Park too and learn about the history, wildlife and community involvement in the Park. Donations welcome to the Friends group. Meet at the Information Centre.

All guided walks cost: £5 per adult, £2.50 per child (16 years or under). For more information or to book a place visit www.epsom-ewell.gov.uk

EventsBorough

insight 7

Epsom Playhouse, Ashley Avenue, Epsom, KT18 5AL Box Office: 01372 742555 / 742227 www.epsomplayhouse.co.uk

ChristmasOver 15,500 people saw the pantomime this Christmas (oh, yes they did!), making it the most successful show we’ve staged. There’s a huge range of professional productions put on at the Epsom Playhouse throughout the year, which allows us to support local community productions in a professional setting - here’s three of the best coming up soon:

21 - 22 March Guys and Dolls

Ewell Castle School present what many consider to be the perfect musical comedy. Gambler Nathan Detroit tries to find the cash to set up the biggest craps game in town while the authorities breathe down his neck; meanwhile, his girlfriend, nightclub performer Adelaide, laments that they’ve been engaged for 14 years. Nathan turns to fellow gambler Sky Masterson for the dough but Sky ends up chasing the straight-laced missionary Sarah Brown. Guys And Dolls takes us from the heart of Times Square to the cafés of Havana, Cuba, and even into the sewers of New York City, but eventually everyone ends up right where they belong.

17 - 21 AprilCalamity Jane

Let multi- award winning Epsom Light Opera Company take you back to the Black Hills of Dakota for the ultimate tale of female empowerment and friendship set against the backdrop of the American old West. The themes of unrequited love, jealousy, companionship, sacrifice and ultimately falling in love are explored beautifully in this classic musical.

25 - 28 AprilThe Full Monty

Based on the cult hit film, Epsom Players present this heart-warming, upbeat show. A group of unemployed steelworkers come up with a bold and unclothed way to make some cash. In preparing, they find themselves extremely exposed; not merely physically but emotionally. As they conquer their fears, self-consciousness and prejudices, the men discover

the strength that they find in each other gives them the individual courage to go all

the way.


Key Priority:

We’re not just for

Find us on@EpsomPlayhouse

Borough

insight8Events

Saturday 17 March; 1pm - 2.30pmD-Day

Saturday 10 May; 1pm - 2.30pm The 1918 flu pandemic

Saturday 9 June; 1pm - 2.30pmCow finds Epsom Salts! Local farmer milks discovery

Tuesday 3 April; 2pm - 3.30pmHorrible Ewell

Meet at the main entrance to Bourne Hall

Wednesday 4 April; 11am - 12.30pm & 2pm - 3.30pm (two identical sessions)Flint knapping

Learn to shape flints like the ancient Stone Age craftsmen. As part of a small group enjoy the opportunity to make your own authentic Stone Age tool to take home.

Book in advance as places are limited to 15 children per session. Cost £15 per child per session (payable in advance) includes the cost of materials used to make the tools at the session. Children must wear trousers and closed shoes for protection during this activity.

Thursday 5 April; 2pm - 3.30pmHidden Ewell

Meet at the main entrance to Bourne Hall

Saturday 7 April; 1pm - 2.30pmWhen a knight won his spurs

Discover how a young knight takes part in his first tournament and the armour and weapons he uses to fight and defend himself.

Wednesday 11 April CATS Club - Celebrating St George!

Make a catapult: 9.45am - 11.15am or 11.30am - 1pm

Make a knight in shining armour: 2pm - 3.30pm

Budding Artists in partnership with Bourne Hall Museum Kids Club present CATS (Craft Arts Technology Science) Club. Suitable for ages 6-14 years. Cost £7 for each session per child (£1 sibling discount).

Thursday 12 April; 2pm - 3.30pm

Horrible Epsom

Meet by the Clock Tower

May half term! Wednesday 30 May; 2pm - 3.30pmDiscover Dad’s Army

Find out about the part-time force set up to protect Britain, the Local Defence Volunteers who we remember as the Home Guard. Many of the men who joined included farm workers, bakers, teachers, grocers, bank staff and railway workers who could not join the regular army because their day-time jobs were necessary to keep the country running.

BOURNE HALL MUSEUM

Bourne Hall Museum - Guided History walks cost £5 per person. Places are limited to 25 people per walk and must be pre-booked. Kids Club activities cost £5 per child (or as stated) and includes one accompanying adult.

For more information and to book spaces please contact David Brooks, email: [email protected] telephone: 0208 394 1734 or visit What’s On at www.epsom-ewell.gov.uk

Guided History walks

Kids Club activities

Easter holidays!

For a chance to be part of Team Epsom & Ewell at this year’s Specsavers Surrey Youth Games 23 - 24 June, register online today!

Held at Surrey Sports Park, Guildford, the Games is the largest multi-sports competition in Surrey offering young people aged 7 - 16 a chance to take part in a range of sports including events for young people with disabilities whilst receiving free coaching. The free training sessions led by local sports clubs, offer participants a

chance to play their chosen sport after the Games have finished. Participants selected to represent Team Epsom & Ewell compete with teams from ten other Surrey boroughs and districts.

Play forTeam Epsom & Ewell!

My favourite part of the Surrey Youth Games was…

“…coming together as a borough and celebrating everyone’s achievements, however big or small.” Pip Winter, parent

“Taking part in a sport I didn’t think I would like and realising that it’s sick!” Owen Cragg, participant

“Arriving on the day with butterflies in my tummy at the excitement of getting off the bus and seeing the flags, banners, equipment and spotting the same coloured borough t-shirts as mine!” Ellie Parris, young ambassador

“Introducing young people to new sports and developing life skills that they may not be able to develop in school.” Ebbisham Sports Club - partner club for badminton, squash and tennis

As a parent it is fantastic to watch so many kids active in one place during the Surrey Youth Games. Winning or losing, it doesn’t matter-the atmosphere is so good. The fact that the kids are given the opportunity to try a new sport, without paying, is such a great initiative. And in our case, my daughter has found rugby; a sport she loves doing and is incredibly passionate about now. This is a sport myself nor my husband would have ever introduced her to. I’m even hooked now (watching only)! I hope the Surrey Youth Games will continue for a very long time! Gabby Parris - Surrey Youth Games Parent

Registrations close on 30 May. To avoid disappointment register today as some sports may close early if registrations are high. Free training sessions will take place from April to June.

Did you know?To be eligible to register to compete in the Games for Team Epsom & Ewell, participants must live or go to school in the borough and be of sub county standard in their chosen sport.

LeisureBorough

insight 9

Sponsored by


Key Priority:

Visit www.epsom-ewell.gov.uk/syg to register, for a list of available sports, training dates, times and venues. Don’t forget to follow @EpsomEwellBC on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for the latest news on #specsaverssyg and #TeamEpsomEwell

All pictures by Grant Pritchard Photography

Some of last year’s winners

Rugby action

Four hundred years ago, on a hot dry summer in 1618, farmer Henry Wicker was looking after cattle on Epsom Common. He found a trickle of water in the hollow hoof print, and enlarged it to make a hole, which was soon full of clear water. But his cattle, however thirsty, would not drink it. Wicker tried some himself, to encourage them - and so became the first person in history to take Epsom salts. This, he realised, was a product with a future.

The seventeenth century was famous for its spa culture, and soon people were coming to take the mineral waters. In 1629 a Dutch diplomat visited and found many other visitors on the Common. Sick people had been brought from far away to drink the water. By the Commonwealth period, Epsom was attracting gentlemen from as far away as Rutland and Cornwall for a week, usually in August when it was most popular. When Samuel Pepys visited in 1663, the crowd was so great that he couldn’t find lodgings. Four years later he returned and got a room at the King’s Head in the High Street, where Nell Gwynn was lodging next door.

Epsom was rural and less smoky and crowded than London. You were welcomed with music, but for a shilling or two you got rid of the musicians! Then you drank the waters, or at least you walked about as if you did. You could stroll in the shade of the hedges

and trees or drive to the Downs, and then visit the bowling green in the evening. Here the gentlemen bowled, the ladies danced, others gambled: every night there was a kind of ball.

Until 1692 the setting was still very rustic, but in that year two London goldsmiths hit on the idea of providing a single building for entertainments. This was the Assembly Rooms, which had facilities for dining, dancing and gambling. It had a coffeehouse opening onto the street, and in the gardens at the back there was a bowling green and a cockpit.

Around 1699 a second well was sunk off South Street, hitting the

stratum of Epsom salts. A local entrepreneur, the apothecary John Livingstone, opened a suite of rooms called the New Wells here. Later he rented the original site on the Common, and ran both for a few years, before he closed down the old well. But the public did not seem to mind;

they were too busy enjoying the social life in the heart of the town.

Celia Fiennes was a spa tourist who enjoyed herself at Epsom. ‘In

Epsom Spa 400

Borough

insight10Feature

Epsom Spa visitor, Nell Gwyn

it, sells coffee there also’. The philosopher John Toland was also full of praises for Epsom. He had been told that doctors, instead of prescribing the waters for the vapours or the spleen, advised their patients to get involved instead in the entertainments and enjoy themselves in the shops, taverns, inns and coffeehouses, ‘which latter for social virtue are equalled by few’. Coffeehouses were still a novelty then, and very fashionable.

With Livingstone’s death in 1727, Epsom lost its most successful marketing director and by the 1730s traveller’s guidebooks were stating that Epsom used to be frequented on account of the mineral waters, but was now better known for its fine houses where London merchants enjoyed time off in the Surrey countryside.

Epsom Spa 400

FeatureBorough

insight 11

The Well House,Epsom Common 1798

There will be a number of events celebrating the 400 year anniversary. This month these include:

Saturday 10 March: Herald of Spring, Bourne Hall, Ewell.

25 March (Palm Sunday) a procession and blessing of the Epsom well - led by Christ Church Epsom Common.

Details of these and further events will be published in e-borough Insight and on our website.

walking, the benches round to sitt, there are little shopps, and a gameing or danceing-roome; the same man at the Wells keepes

the evening the Company meete in the Greenes, first in Upper Green, many steps up, where are Gentlemen bowling, Ladyes

The front cover features Samuel Pepys, who mentions his visit to

Epsom spa in his diaries, and a typical coffee house of the period.

Epsom High Street 1816

As a democratically-elected local representative, you would have the potential to make a real difference to people’s lives.

However, being a councillor is hard work. You will be expected to balance the needs of your local area, your residents and voters, community groups, local businesses, your political party (if you belong to one) and the council. All will make legitimate demands on your time - on top of your personal commitments to family, friends and workplace.

As a councillor you will have many different roles; as the local elected representative you will engage with residents and groups on a wide range of different issues and take on an important community leadership role; at the council you will contribute to the development of policies and strategies, including budget setting, and you may be involved in scrutinising council decisions or taking decisions on planning or licensing applications.

A councillor’s primary function is to represent their ward and the people who live in it. As well as being an advocate for your local

residents, you will need to keep them informed about the issues that affect them.

In order to understand and represent local views and priorities, you need to build strong relationships and encourage local people to make their views known and engage with you. Good communication and engagement is central to being an effective councillor.

There is no salary for being a

councillor. However, you will be paid an allowance as a token recognition of the time you give up for your council duties.

If you are interested in standing, go to our website and search ‘being a councillor’ and/or contact the local political party you wish to represent.

a differenceMakeWith local elections planned for 2019, now’s the time to consider if you could be your community’s champion and represent them as a borough councillor for Epsom and Ewell.

Borough

insight12Democracy


Key Priority:

Borough

insight 13Feature

What is the council’s financial strategy for the borough?

Unfortunately we are one of a few local authorities across the country which no longer receives any Revenue Support Grant from the Government. In 2016/17 we received over £400,000 but in 2018/19 we receive nothing. To make matters worse, in 2019/20 we are expected to pay the Government £625K. That is the equivalent of a 12% rise in council tax to be paid by our residents and handed to the Government for redistribution elsewhere in the country.

Alongside this loss of Government grant, we face increased costs for the services we provide on behalf of Surrey County Council (SCC). We cut the highway verges and provide some social care activities, but the funding we receive from SCC is reducing. We believe that maintaining high standards of delivery is important to our residents and so we have to find the funds in order to continue to offer those services at the standard required.

All this means that, going forward, the borough council has to find ways to become financially self-sufficient and no longer reliant on Government or funding from partners. We have begun this process by changing the way we deliver some services and have made efficiency savings of over £1 million. We are also looking at ways

to generate income and ensuring that our paid-for services are charged at the correct rate.

Why is council tax going up, again?

Although the borough council collects your council tax only 11% of it is retained by Epsom & Ewell Borough Council. Surrey County Council receives 76% and Surrey Police 13%. In 2018/2019 the borough council’s element of council tax will rise by 2.98% which equates to an additional £5.58 a year or around 11p a week at Band D. For the reasons outlined above, a rise in the council tax is necessary, not least to ensure we can continue to provide a broad range of services to residents.

Are Epsom & Ewell Borough Council’s services good value?

Every year the borough council’s finances are independently audited and last September the

independent external auditors gave an ‘un-qualified’ verdict on the accounts which means that the accounts are to a high standard. They reported that “the council had proper arrangements in all significant respects to ensure it delivered value for money in its use of resources”.

Why does the council do things it doesn’t have to do?

Many residents would be surprised to learn how much of what we provide is discretionary and that we do not have to provide it, not least because those services are valued and would be missed if not provided. Meals from Home, Transport from Home, Community Alarm Plus and Shopmobility are all social care services that borough councils do not have to provide, and most do not. Our sports facilities and playgrounds in the parks are non-statutory, as are most of the activities we undertake to support businesses and the local economy. Providing these services makes Epsom and Ewell a more vibrant, active and caring place to live, and they are services which any council providing for the needs and aspirations of its residents should strive to deliver.

Councillor Eber Kington, Strategy and Resources Committee Chairman.

Meet the Councillor

Councillor Eber Kington, Strategy and Resources Committee Chairman


Key Priority:


Key Priority:

Borough

insight14Feature

Business mattersIn business terms this is a thriving area, uniquely placed to build on its attractive setting, its proximity to London and its strong economy. This is a creative and innovative community and many of our residents work locally, own and run local businesses and are increasingly homeworkers and freelancers. The council is committed to supporting local business and recognises that our businesses are core contributors to the borough’s prosperity which benefits everyone who lives, works and visits here.

Epsom town centre is the major retail centre within the borough

and we recently put resources into supporting local businesses get a Business Improvement District (BID) off the ground. The Epsom BID, which will formally launch next month, is set to bring £1.5 million of investment to its commercial sector over the next five years and will look to ‘improve the Epsom experience, increase footfall and enhance business performance’.

You will have experienced the current road improvement work taking place in the town centre. As an integral part of the improvements, led by Surrey County Council, we are funding

enhancements to the town centre’s public realm (including new paving, seating, and planting) to make Epsom an even better place to visit, to eat and to shop. We believe that this investment in the public realm will also help attract further new businesses and retailers into the borough.

Hosted by local business, we organise regular business leaders’ breakfast meetings providing an opportunity to discuss key issues of mutual interest and to maintain strong links with local businesses and representative organisations.

We have supported the refurbishment of retail frontages through a community improvement fund which has seen the transformation of shop frontages in the borough’s three main retail centres (Epsom, Ewell and Stoneleigh Broadway).

In the last month we supported a fascinating series of free business

A warm welcome to all the businesses who have set up here since the last issue of Borough Insight including Waterstones, #88, Pret-a-Manger, Peacock & Co Solicitors, Chaat-a box, Newable Business Exchange and Schmidt Kitchens.

Borough

insight 15Feature

Business mattersworkshops for local start-ups. Provided by the Stoneleigh Job Club, these covered subjects including writing business plans and brand marketing.

The council has also put in place measures to prevent an even greater number of offices being turned into apartments - making sure the town keeps its business community and therefore the retailers their much needed footfall. Similar measures have also been put in place to protect local shops so that all our shopping centres remain vibrant.

For further information visit our business page at www.epsom-ewell.gov.uk/business

For Epsom Town Centre highway improvements visit www.surreycc.gov.uk/epsomhighwayimprovements


Key Priority:

Business rates

Business rates are the taxes paid on non-domestic properties, such as shops, offices, factories and pubs. Business rates can be traced back to the Poor Law of 1572, although they have had a number of makeovers since then!

Within this borough there are approximately 1,700 non-domestic properties. Central government sets the amount these businesses pay in their rates and, in April last year, all non-domestic properties in England had their business rates valuations reviewed. As there had not been a re-valuation since 2009, many businesses faced large increases. Currently, Epsom & Ewell Borough Council gets to retain just over 6% of the business rates collected within the borough, 10% goes to Surrey

County Council and the rest goes to central government.

Following the review, we introduced a scheme that, over the next four years, will assist smaller businesses who have had a business rate increase of more than 12.5% - for details visit our website.

In a separate development, at the end of last year, it was announced that the 11 boroughs and districts in Surrey along with the county council will retain 100% of business rates. This will be a pilot scheme

and is only guaranteed for 2018/19. Under the Pilot the vast majority of business rates income will be transferred directly to the County rather than to Central Government as the government seeks to further reduce direct funding as part of the reform to local government financing.

Borough

insight16News

It is almost impossible to prevent smoke from a bonfire drifting across other people’s gardens or homes and causing a nuisance. However, there is no offence for simply lighting a garden or allotment bonfire and contrary to common perceptions, there is no law which states a restriction on the hours that a bonfire may be lit.

We do have powers to take action under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 where smoke from a bonfire is causing a statutory nuisance to neighbouring residents. One-off bonfires are unlikely to be considered a nuisance unless the impact is very severe and affects a number of neighbours.

Bringing onto land and then burning industrial or commercial waste is an automatic offence and could lead to prosecution. Smoke from a fire that reduces visibility on a road can be an offence under the Highways Act, which is a matter dealt with by the Police.

If you are bothered by a neighbour’s bonfires, the first step is for you to tell them about it. They may not realise that they are

causing you a problem. If you are really annoyed, then calm down before approaching them. You will be much better able to explain your

grievance in a reasonable way and therefore much more likely to get a positive response.

If this doesn’t work, then contact us and we will try to help using our powers under the Environmental Protection Act. We will ask you to keep a diary which will record dates and times of your neighbour’s fires and how they are affecting you. This is crucial information as it allows us to establish if the circumstances are serious enough to be considered a statutory nuisance and whether it is likely to reoccur.

Spring has sprung and while the cold weather may still linger, for keen gardeners the spring clean-up is well underway. Talk to most gardeners and they will confess to loving a good bonfire. There is something deeply satisfying about painstakingly coaxing into flames a towering heap of uncompostable material and reducing it to ash.

A burning

If you are planning a bonfire, we have produced a guide with tips on how to minimise the impact on your neighbours and local air quality. For details visit www.epsom-ewell.gov.uk/bonfires


Key Priority:


Key Priority:

issue...

Borough

insight 17News

For further information visit www.epsom-ewell.gov.uk/fly-tipping


Key Priority:


Key Priority:

We are not obliged to remove any bulky household waste items such as fridges and sofas etc. A special collection for such items can be arranged by telephoning us, for which there is a charge. Alternatively you can take it yourself to your local civic amenity site or contact a legitimate waste carrier to remove it for you.

It is your responsibility to ensure that your waste is being disposed of legally.

If you employ someone else to

remove and dispose of any waste on your behalf, you should:

• Ask if the person collecting your waste is registered as a waste carrier with the Environment Agency (and check their web site to ensure they are registered).

• You need to obtain a waste transfer note as proof the person is legitimate.

• Ask where your rubbish is being taken; the site should be licensed by the Environment Agency.

• Is it too cheap to be true? If someone offers you a price much lower than anyone else you need to ask why.

• Ask the person collecting your waste for a signed receipt with their address and, if possible, get the vehicle registration number.

• If you have any concerns, don’t

hand over your waste.

Remember that if your waste is dumped illegally, you could be prosecuted, even if it was someone else who fly tipped it. However if you exercise due diligence by following the points above and have a waste transfer note, you won’t end up in court!

The scourge of fly tipping

Most fly tipping offences are committed to avoid paying a charge (landfill tax). This needs to be paid in order for waste to be disposed of properly. For household rubbish, landfill tax is included in your council tax bill; for business waste you must have a contract with a registered waste carrier. If you are disposing of business waste yourself at a tip, the tip must be licensed to take commercial waste, and you will have to pay a ‘gate fee’.

This fly tip on Epsom Common led to a £2,000 fine and a driving ban for the individual responsible.

Meanwhile Linda is at Bourne Hall liaising with one of today’s hirer’s; a long term commercial hirer of the main hall has requested an additional breakout room for their meeting at 10am, but the space required is already booked by a local community group. Bourne Hall exists to be a local community hub but can only achieve this from the income from its commercial activities - Linda is managing the various room bookings to meet both requirements.

10am, Joanne is meeting a couple who have booked Ewell Court House for their wedding day. The venue is licenced for weddings and the couple plan to be married in the grade II listed building, then have photographs taken in the park by the lake and on the terrace. A wedding breakfast for family and

intimate friends will be followed by a large evening reception with a disco. As well as deciding the various room layouts, the couple have come with a list of questions; where can the bride change for the evening? If it rains, is there an alternative to photos outside? Can the caterer arrive earlier than

8am, Joanne is at Ewell Court House to finalise the clear up from the previous night’s 50th birthday party, making sure the celebration rooms are prepared for the days wedding show rounds. The professional kitchen needs to be checked in readiness for a meeting with a caterer to finalise the details for a celebration event on Friday.

Bourne Hall

Borough

insight18Feature

Bourne Hall interior

A morning in the life of our…Venues team

planned? Can a parking space be reserved for the Registrar and others for the future in-laws? Joanne answers all the questions and is also able to give some additional pointers that the couple haven’t even thought of!

The community group has helpfully accepted the move and Linda is now greeting each individual participant and updating them about the change. As she is doing so, a member of the public approaches her with a compliment

about the service she has just received in the coffee shop. The commercial hirer arrives, ten additional individuals are attending the meeting; more chairs are required in the main hall right away, plus a PowerPoint

Ewell Court House

Ewell Court House staircase

Borough

insight 19Feature


Key Priority:


Key Priority:


Key Priority:

For your next celebrationWe have a range of facilities for hire within our venues, suitable for one person or up to 500, for one off use or for a regular event.

Check out the facilities available at the two venues on their websites

Ewell Court House: www.ewellcourthouse.org

Bourne Hall: www.bournehall.org

A morning in the life of our…presentation in the breakout room - Linda sets the ball rolling with a smile to the team - it’s really buzzing at Bourne Hall this morning!

Ewell Court House interior

Borough

insight20News

Our new private sector leasing (PSL) scheme can remove the hassle of renting out your property.

Landlords!

Don’t let it all get on top of you!


Key Priority:

One of our landlords, Ruth Saunders explains how the PSL scheme has helped her get into the private rented sector.

How did you find out about the council’s PSL scheme?

I found out about the council’s PSL scheme by chance. My family home had become empty when my son and his wife moved out and I had decided to rent out the property. I had no experience as a landlord and I found the prospect daunting. I didn’t have the time, inclination or expertise to become a landlord and I was agonising over what do to when someone told me that the council had just started a PSL scheme. I emailed an inquiry and the rest, as they say, is history.

How did you find the process and what did it involve?

The council’s PSL officer, who was my point of contact was extremely efficient and helped me through the process. He got in touch on the day I sent my email and an inspection visit was arranged. I was delighted when he confirmed that my property was suitable in principle, and we talked about what would need to be done to bring the property up to scratch in terms of redecoration (the house hadn’t been repainted in years)!

The council provided a useful

landlord’s information pack, giving details of the safety checks and precautions that are required before a property can be rented out. These include checks on gas and electrical appliances and supply, the installation of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and fire blankets, and ensuring that banisters and windows are safe and comply with current legislation. Finding insurance was one of the more challenging aspects, but after a few phone calls I found the cover I needed. If I had a problem with any of the compliance issues, the PSL officer was on hand to give me advice and to point me in the right direction.

How did you get your first tenant?

Once the property was ready, I signed the lease, handed over the keys and a few days later a family had moved in - just in time for Christmas!

On signing the lease I received my first rental income. The council pays twice a year, in advance. The rent is slightly lower than the open market rate, but for me this is amply offset by the service that the council provides, together with the fact that I receive my rent, even if the property is unoccupied. I opted for a five year lease, but the council offers three year terms as well.

Final thoughts

As I am leasing the property to the council, rather than to the tenants directly, it is the council that will be the point of contact. I still have my landlord obligations in respect of the property, but the council is dealing with any day to day issues which may arise, taking away the hassle and stress of being a landlord. I have peace of mind, plus the knowledge that I am part of a scheme which has helped a local family find a good home.

If you have a property to let and are interested in our PSL scheme, to find out more visit www.epsom-ewell.gov.uk/private-sector-leasing-scheme

Borough

insight 21News


Key Priority:

For more information visit www.epsom-ewell.gov.uk/localplan

futureThank you to everyone who took part in the recent Issues and Options consultation.

In the last issue of Borough Insight, we featured the Local Plan and highlighted the local demand and the Government’s requirement to address future housing need.

Because the scale of new housing requirement being projected by the Government for the borough is so high, the choices available to us are limited.

To date, we have focused on putting together an evidence base that is consistent with national planning policy. This looks at a wide range of aspects including a calculation of how many new homes are needed; an assessment of how well our Green Belt is performing; possible brownfield sites; our valued ecology and habitat; the importance of our open spaces; our historic environments and other possible constraints to new development, such as flood risk. We brought all of this information together and used it to inform our Issues and Options consultation.

We went out and asked residents and local community groups for your views during a three month period last autumn. Specifically, we wanted to know which of four different approaches to meeting

our housing need you preferred - or which you thought on balance was the least worst.

Your responses were finely balanced in terms of supporting making the most of urban areas in the short term and reviewing the Green Belt in the medium/longer term.

Many people told us that they were prepared to accept higher densities and taller buildings in town centres and around railway stations, on the provision that they were well designed and positively contributed to the borough’s visual character and appearance.

Since we started this process the Government has published further proposals and made decisions to increase housing. Quite simply, we cannot say that the borough is full and we can’t take anymore new homes.

We are working on the draft policies that will respond to this challenge. These will be available for comment this spring. Your input to that consultation is important - it is your opportunity to make a representation directly to the Government Inspector who will be examining our Local Plan. So if you have any views on future housing; whether that’s in relation to scale of need; where it goes; its design and visual appearance; or how much of it is genuinely affordable - then this will be your chance to make your mark.

The Borough’s

Epsom & Ewell has a number of parks and open spaces that are hubs of community and sporting activity, tranquillity and biodiversity offering enjoyment to both residents and visitors of our borough. Our parks and countryside are owned and maintained by the council. The Friends are groups of local residents with an interest in their local park who carry out a range of volunteering tasks in our parks. They provide a vital link between the general public and the council.

There are a number of Friends of groups for the borough’s various parks - Alexandra Park; Auriol Park; Court Recreation Ground; Ewell

Court Park; Gibraltar Park; Rosebery Park and Shadbolt Park.

The Friends of Horton Country Park

Horton Country Park achieved Local Nature Reserve status in 2004. It is a rural landscape of fields, hedgerows, woods and ponds of great wildlife and historical interest with good paths and tracks to explore at any time of the year. As well as taking an active interest in the nature conservation management of the Park, the Friends group also work to maintain the rights of access to the park for pedestrians, equestrians, cyclists and

all others who wish to visit and use the park. The Friends have regular nature conservation volunteering tasks and also offer opportunities to help with surveying the varied wildlife and more.

This year marks the 400-year anniversary of the discovery of Epsom Salts (1618), in the waters bubbling up from the ground in a local farmer’s field - now called The Wells estate.

As Epsom’s reputation as a spa town grew, celebrities of the day travelled from across Europe to stay for the whole summer season to drink and bathe in the famous mineral water. The streets were filled with musicians and there was said to be dancing every night.

In celebration, the theme of the 2018 arts festival, will be ‘Discovery.’ The name MGSO4 is itself inspired by the chemical formula for Epsom Salts (magnesium sulphate or MgSO4).

The week-long festival (2 - 8 July) will host performances, workshops, exhibitions and interactive events;

combining music, dance, words, theatre, circus and visual arts at venues across the borough.

Specially-commissioned work on the theme includes a new piece of music written for piano and cello by composer and performer Greg Harradine. In a novel approach, Greg will be converting the atomic numbers of magnesium, sulfur and oxygen (Mg, S and O) into musical notes. This new work, will pay homage to Epsom, and retell, through music, the story of the medicinal salt’s discovery in 1618.

As well as the chance to hear Greg’s piece performed in July, there will be opportunities to attend his workshops at the festival. Schools, community groups and local musicians will also be able to get involved in Greg’s musical project in the months beforehand.

MGSO4’s Festival Director Maria Reeves said: “The festival theme ‘Discovery’ is a great way to celebrate our town’s heritage in this anniversary year. Many artists, performers and community groups have come forward with exciting, new ideas of how they would like to mark the occasion in different creative ways. As a registered charity, we are fundraising and seeking sponsorship to be able to support as many of these events as we can.”

Informationfrom MGSO4

Borough

insight22Community Spotlight


Key Priority:

For more information on the Friends groups visit www.epsom-ewell.gov.uk

Visit www.hortoncountrypark.co.uk for information on the Friends of Horton Country Park.

For more information, or to find out how you can volunteer, visit mgso4festival.org or follow @mgso4festival on social media.

Donations can be made through localgiving.org/charity/mgso4festival

Join the Friends!

issue 71 - epsom and ewell...of meetings, download agendas or review minutes of previous meetings...

Documents