News

Every few years, the lime trees around The Green need to be pollarded (pruned) to ensure they do not get out of hand and stay healthy. Tandridge District Council (TDC) will be doing this work at the end of March 2023.

Unfortunately, at least one of the trees – the furthest east on the south side – needs to be felled. It has been traffic damaged over the years and is now unsafe. A further tree may have to be felled, but this will not be confirmed until tree surgeons have been able to inspect it higher up.

It is currently planned to carry out the work on March 27-29, one day being used for each side of The Green, but Surrey County Council Highways will have to confirm that these are suitable dates for traffic management, as, for safety, the part of the road directly below the trees will have to be closed off. To ensure traffic can continue to flow, the parking bays on each side will be suspended in turn, as the work is being carried out.

These dates are provisional and await confirmation by Surrey Highways.

Again unfortunately, the work will inevitably cause significant damage – possibly total – to the Christmas lights. As a result, it may take the Warlingham Lights Committee a number of years to bring the display back to its recent standard.

A large tree on the north side of The Green, which had been scheduled for felling, has been saved following an ultrasound scan by an expert which showed that the tree is sound. The scan had been funded by Warlingham Parish Council.

It is being proposed that any tree or trees that need to be felled are replaced with new planting by TDC working in conjunction with the Parish Council. If so, then Warlingham residents will be consulted.

A consultation on ward boundaries for Tandridge District Council is currently taking place ending 20 March 2023. We encourage everyone to participate and have a say. More information is available via the consultation portal at Tandridge | LGBCE Site

You can also find plenty of other Parish Council information at Warlingham Parish Council | Surrey, England (warlingham-pc.gov.uk) or Warlingham Parish Council | Facebook

Warlingham Parish Council has listened to a number of residents who have said that Tandridge District Council’s play area at Hamsey Green Recreation Ground, behind Verdayne Gardens, is lacking in many ways.

The availability of funding has become more limited these days but we hope to work with Tandridge District Council, under a joint arrangement, to make it possible to fund one or two pieces of new play equipment. We hope our contribution will make a difference.

But before all that, we would like to know what you would particularly like to see at the play area. We will not be able to support all the ideas but would like to hear from you – please get in touch via the Clerk at clerk@warlingham-pc.gov.uk

Here are some suggestions already received via Facebook to whet your appetite: a zip-wire like the one at Mint Walk; a climbing wall, basketball posts…

Warlingham Parish Council (made up of 11 elected volunteers plus our parish clerk) works hard all year to ensure that Warlingham, the Green and the surrounding areas are maintained, nurtured and protected and kept looking attractive so that it continues to be the wonderful place to live for us all.

Activity over the last year includes, but is not limited to:

• Statutory consultees for Tandridge planning applications in Warlingham
• Running and promoting our community library with Surrey through new initiatives
• The Green re-development scheme
• Installing mobile VAS (Vehicle Activated Signs)
• Maintaining and refreshing the hanging baskets around the green and the planters outside the Co-op
• Litter picking
• Maintenance and tree planting on the common land near Sainsbury’s, as well as installing bunds to protect the common land from incursion
• Match funding to have two churned up corners in Crewes Close widened
• Supporting the Christmas lights
• Custodianship and maintenance of the war memorial
• Remembrance Day parade
• Distribute grants to local organisations through our annual grant scheme

At the January meeting, all members of the council voted unanimously on the precept to ensure we are able to continue to fund current and new projects to keep our ever growing community a lovely place to be.  The result of this is an additional £2.69 per annum on a Band D property.  Warlingham parish remains one of the cheapest cost per household in Tandridge and we believe represents good value for money.

This year we will:

• Continue with all the above
• Maintain and develop new projects on the common land. These involve tree management and planting, grass cutting, repairs following vandalism, as well as unscheduled tree work (mainly due to ash dieback), hedge work, signage, and fences
• Support the library further with new marketing initiatives to increase community value and usage. We will also explore opportunities to create a ‘community hub’ at the library, bringing together a range of local services in one place.
• Develop a local nature action plan
• Implement playground and parks improvements – this could possibly include the installation of an outdoor gym somewhere central
• Initiate and support more local highways improvements

Warlingham Parish council meetings take place at 7.30 pm in Warlingham Library, Shelton Avenue, usually on the first Wednesday of the month, excluding August.  Please come along to a meeting if you have any issues you wish to raise with the council or just to meet the councillors and see how we work.  Our meetings are just the formal part – much work goes on in between the meetings.

If you need to contact the parish council at other times, please in the first instance contact the clerk at clerk@warlingham-pc.gov.uk.  You can also find out about your councillors and current projects at  https://warlingham-pc.gov.uk or see our  Facebook Page