Air quality report

Woking Borough Council (WBC) recently published their annual air quality report. The full report is available on the WBC website. Anchor Hill has a history of poor air quality. Between 2011 and 2017 2012 the NO2 exceeded the annual mean AQO (Air Quality Objectives), and WBC declared an AQMA (Air Quality Management Area). This meant additional monitoring and SCC improved the traffic lights at the top of Anchor Hill. Earlier this year, after 6 years of no exceedance, the special measures were removed. The latest results, for 2022, shows the highest score at 36.4 (the figure must be below 40 to be within limits). The air is measured in diffusion tubes fitted around the Borough.

Anchor Hill traffic lights

The new traffic lights are currently programmed to give Lower Guildford Road priority, whether this is by design or error we do not know. This phasing of the lights leads to vehicles queuing on Anchor Hill, this queue can go down to the junction with Barley Mow Lane. The length of time when traffic on Anchor Hill is allowed to cross the junction is insufficient to clear all traffic. This will lead to some drivers jumping the lights.  We have raised this on several occasions with Cllr Saj Hussain and we have been told that the Highways Authority have agreed to review the phasing of the lights.

Brookwood crossroads traffic lights

Around 5 years ago WBC decided that they would pay for changes to the traffic management at the Brookwood crossroads and the money would come from the development on Brookwood Lye. As you know nothing has happened and the KRA has suggested that the two projects should be delinked, and Surrey County Council (SCC) informed that they are responsible for the upgrading of the traffic management systems at the crossroads. Since raising this subject SCC Highways have started to update the traffic lights, we will have to wait and see if there is any improvement with traffic flows.

Land at Lynbrook (Priory Fields)

The fields that sit around The Priory, officially known as Lynbrook after the name of the house, now the Priory. The new owner of the land is Doran Farms and they purchased 24 acres in 2022. Our chairman recently took a walk around that part of Knaphill and saw the farmer has a herd of black cows with their calves in the fields. It is great to see the fields put back to their original use, farming. Given that the land is now back to grazing cattle it is important that dogs are kept under control when walking in the area of the fields.

The Mound is part of the Lynbrook estate but not included in land sold to the farmer. The KRA were pleased to see that the Council placed a tree preservation order (TPO) on the trees that make up most of the Mound. At the centre of the Mound are two flat pastures and these have been put up for sale.

Repeat prescriptions.

The KRA have been in contact with both Boots and Surrey Heartlands (NHS) following the receipt of several complaints. We understand that the number of prescriptions being handled by Boots more than doubled following the unannounced closure of Lloyds. Boots promised additional staff and only time will tell if this materialises.  

SANG

SANG is the official title for the greenbelt land between Brookwood Farm estate and Basingstoke Canal, most of the land is outside the Knaphill boundary but used by many Knaphill residents. We think the Council want it to be an extension to Brookwood Country Park, but that is for another debate. Some of the land is subject to flooding and is in fact within the parameters of a recognised flood area. CALA Homes, in obtaining planning permission to build on Brookwood Farm, were instructed via planning conditions to upgrade the land and there have been a few very technical reports going between the Council and CALA Homes. The latest set of proposals have recently been signed off by the Council but what do they mean? Will CALA Homes improve the quality of water in the two streams? Will they improve the hard surface footpath that crosses the land and is used by many people walking to and from Brookwood station? The answer is, we do not know. We do know that the Environmental Agency were very unhappy with the proposed plans announced by CALA Homes, especially their impact on water voles. The KRA plan to write to WBC seeking a simple explanation as to what CALA Homes are required to do in words that a layperson can understand and if we get such a report we will share it with residents.

Strathcona Gardens

The children’s playground has now reopened. It appears to have been a breakdown in communications between SERCO, on behalf of Woking Borough Council, and the management company who own the fence at the rear of the playground. The issue appears to have been excessive vegetation on the fencing above the playground.

Cllr Steve Greentree reported that the issue was ivy growing on the fence and we are pleased to see that the problem has been resolved and the playground has been reopened.

On street parking

Several residents have contacted the KRA to express their concern with the number of vehicles illegally parked. This usually means parked on double yellow lines, vehicles parked on pavements or cars parked on the zig zag lines next to a pedestrian crossing. The area for which we get the most complaints is the Broadway, High Street, Highclere Road area. We have raised these issues with the Councillors and will follow up in the next few weeks.  

Thank you, Woking Borough Council,

First congratulations at the speed the Council got the travellers to move off the Vyne playing fields.

Secondly for weeding and general tidy up of the garden next to the memorial wall.

Phil Stubbs

01.09