Back in April 2023, Parish Councillor Simon Morrow, Chair of the Project Steering Committee, provided a status report on the Green Improvement Scheme.
The Council is now pleased to report that following extensive preparation and review, the Grant Agreement between the Parish Council and Surrey County Council (SCC) has been agreed. This means that the Design Phase of the Scheme will proceed with funding from both the Parish and District Councils’ Community Infrastructure Levy reserves.
At the Parish Council’s meeting of 7th June, Councillor Morrow set out the key features of this vital step towards enhancing The Green. These included:
• An estimated cost of £88,000 which, along with savings during the Construction Phase, would give a slightly reduced Scheme cost of £595,910.
• Although not a fixed price, the Parish Council’s exposure to cost fluctuation is limited by a requirement for SCC to obtain prior written agreement for any movement above 10%.
• SCC will be paid only after the satisfactory completion of each deliverable
• The Parish Council can instruct SCC to cease work if there is a justifiable reason to stop, for example, excessive cost escalation.
• The agreement with SCC closely reflects the Parish Council’s grant contract with Tandridge District Council which enables the Parish to more easily monitor and control the project as we go forward.
By the time this article goes to print, we expect that the Project Inception meeting will have taken place and that work will have started on the detailed design to deliver new crossings from each side of The Green and the repaving of two sides in York Stone.
The whole Council is so pleased to have finally reached this key stage and I join fellow Councillors in thanking all those that have contributed along the way – in particular thanks must go to Councillor Simon Morrow who has worked so doggedly to deliver a project that will benefit residents, businesses and visitors alike. We have moved a step further to giving The Green a much needed face-lift and improving road safety for all.
More details, including the plans, can be found on the Parish Council website at: https://warlingham-pc.gov.uk/current-projects-2/ and we will keep you advised as we progress through each of the different stages of the Scheme.