The KRA has been monitoring the activities connected to the Anchor. Earlier in the year we were made aware that the owners of the pub were looking to close the pub and after consultation with local Councillors they started to devlop plans to utilize the building for apartments and retail units.

In May the Surrey Hants Borders Branch of CAMRA (Campaign  for Real Ale) submitted an application for the Anchor to be registered as an asset of community value.

On 15 July Woking Borough Council judged that the case presented by CAMRA meant that the Anchor met the criteria and the Anchor Inn has been registered as a pub and an asset of community value.

What does this mean?

Basically the Anchor must remain a public house for as long as it is registered. The decision notice states that the Anchor will be registered for five years.

Does this mean that the Anchor will remain open for business for the next five years?

No, the owners can decide to close the pub if they feel that the finances do not make it worthwhile keeping the doors open. However if the owners do close the pub and advertise the premises for sale or to be leased the new owners or leaseholders must operate the building as a pub. So the plans to change the use of the building are put on hold.

Are there grounds to appeal the decision?

Our understanding is that only the landowner has the right to request a review of the decision. The landowner is Premier Pubs Estate Limited and they have until 15 September to submit a request for a review if they wish to challenge The decision.

What is the concern of the KRA?

If the Anchor remains open as a public house that’s OK, our concern is that if Merlin Inns, current operators of the Anchor, decide to pull out and Premier Pubs cannot attract a new pub management company they will close the pub and the building stands empty. Once a building is boarded up and essential maintenance ceases a building will soon start to deteriorate. You only have to look at The Meadows, the hospital building that stands next to the Nags Head to see how an empty building soon becomes a wreck.

So that is where things stand, currently the Anchor Inn remains open for business, for how long, that is up to Premier Pubs and Merlin Inns.

the full report on the Anchor can be found on the website for Woking Borough Council. Write community asset into the search engine.

Over 2500 visitors came to the village show held last Saturday at Mizens Railway in Barrs Lane.

The show was opened by Cllr. Anne Murray, mayor of Woking. Here she is seen with her husband Michael, Cllr Hussain and John Butler enjoying a train ride.

Mention must be made of Knaphill Athletics ‘Beat the Goalie’ that alone raised over £200 for local charities and the fun dog show hosted by Oscar had 98 entries well done. For pictures will go up on our website in the days to come.

Woking Borough Council has recently published their annual report on air quality (2016 Air Quality Annual Status Report). This covers data collected over last year, 2015. WBC only measure levels of nitrogen dioxide. The Government has set a maximum figure that should not be exceeded and that is 40 units, two of the six measuring points on Anchor Hill exceeded this maximum figure  which is unacceptable. This is not the first time the figures for Anchor Hill have exceeded the Governments limits and last year WBC had to declare an area round the top of Anchor Hill an Air Quality Management Area. This means that the Council have 12 – 18 months to devise a plan that will bring about change and thus improve the air quality at the top of Anchor Hill.

The plan for Anchor Hill included upgrading the traffic light system at the top of Anchor Hill. This will included linking the lights at the pedestrian crossing outside Tesco’s to the lights at the top of Anchor Hill. Surrey County Council expect to complete this work by the end of summer. However it will take at least 18 months before we see any serious reduction in the level of nitrogen dioxide in this area.

The full report from WBC can be found on their website.

The KRA had been told by Woking Borough Council that they along with Surrey County Council would present their plans for easing the congestion on the A322 between Brookwood Crossroads and the Bisley boundary. We have now received the agenda for the Joint Committee scheduled for 29 June and the A322 is not listed as an item for discussion. We have asked our local County Councillor for an explanation but none has been forthcoming.

Once you get out of the centre of the village Knaphill has some excellent footpaths and walks and it is important that we retain these. Woking Borough Council are currently reviewing their Greenbelt and the draft planning document did not consider any new development on the Greenbelt in Knaphill but of course residents in other parts of Woking have objected to draft plans for their area. It is important that if one objection is upheld that the Council do not try to raid what remains of our Greenbelt. The KRA will monitor developments.

The 150th anniversary events are now in full swing and this weekend 11 – 12 June the Church is hosting a flower festival. On the Saturday the church will be open from 9am to 6pm and on the Sunday from 11.30am to 3.30pm. After the close of the flower festival there will be a Songs of Praise service starting at 4pm.

At the hustings meeting held on 28 April Cllr. Hussain announced that the Council had purchased land at the rear of the old library site. This is land, at the rear of the Co-op, was once the site of a bungalow. Cllr. Hussain stated that New Vision Homes will shortly submit revised plans on how they are going to link the two sites. We were assured that entrance to whatever they build will be off Englefield Road rather than the High Street.

The subject raised at the hustings because residents were disappointed that the Council had allowed the remains of the old library to stand for over 12 months since receiving planning permission to build. If the site had been owned by a private developer the Council would have insisted that once the roof had been removed the whole building should have been cleared and the site hidden behind hoardings.

Local Councillors will be available for discussion and advice on Saturday 27th February and Saturday 26th March at Steph’s Cafe on the High Street from 10 am to midday.