Planned works:
Hutchison 3G Enterprises has been granted permission by Surrey County Council (SCC) to conduct Utility Asset Works on Birch Way & Station Road East From Friday 27 March- 4 April 2023. Traffic control (multi-way signals) will be used to manage lane closures through these roads. Road users are advised to expect delays during these dates.
Information to residents and Businesses
Access to homes, the emergency services, pedestrians and dismounted cyclists will be maintained, although you may be required to park elsewhere. The contractors will make sure you can get to and from your house or business when it is safe to do so. Please first talk to a member of staff on-site if you need help, as they can solve most issues.
Contact SCC
www.surreycc.gov.uk/highways
0300 200 1003 (Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm)
Contact Centre, County Hall, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 2DN
Email Works.communication@surreycc.gov.uk.
Have you seen a road sign left behind?
If a road sign has been left behind following any road works please report it to Surrey via the web link www.RemoveThisSign.com
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These works seem to be to do with the 5G mast which is planned for Birch Way, on a grass verge which is only metres from houses in Cypress Grove, Alder Close and Station Road. The planned mast will be at least as tall, if not taller than, existing trees in the area so will be visible to many more houses on Station Road and the general Avondale development than just those immediately next to it. I would just like to put it out there that at no time were any residents I have spoken to informed of the proposal for this 5G Mast, including those who homes are next to the site. I would have thought as a matter of local democracy and/or courtesy that someone should have informed us, either Ash Parish Council, Guildford Borough or Surrey County Council but the first we knew about it was back in November 2022 when temporary traffic lights appeared and contractors started digging up the path and grass verge. For various reasons, including the soil being too wet after they had dug down so far, the work was temporarily halted but it looks as though it is full steam ahead with these works, and also some planned for May as well by the looks of it. It is inconceivable that this heavily residential area was deemed as suitable for a 5G mast when there must be locations in our local area which would facilitate a 5G signal but not be so near to housing ….but I expect putting a mast on private land costs money, why do this when you can get a bit of council grass verge for free!! How many people out there in the local area are aware of this proposed 5G Mast coming our neighbourhood? The plans are available to view on GBC Website under Planning and then search for ‘Birch Way’.
Thank you for your comment, Julie.
For information, the 5G mast planning application reference is 21/W/00138, which decided by Guildford Borough planning officers, it’s not a Parish or County matter. All planning applications are placed on the Parish Notice boards and are available online. It’s noted that 9 residents objected which are dated early 2022, confirming it was made public.
For anyone interested in keeping informed on all planning applications in Ash, I recommend visiting the APC website https://www.ashpcsurrey.gov.uk/document-category/agendas/ to review the planning applications for Ash, which are also reviewed in a public at the Ash Parish Council meeting each month. Whilst the Parish Council does not decide on these matters it can make comments alongside all residents to draw the planning officers’ attention to any details that are relevant to planning rules.
Thanks for your comments John. However, this does imply that residents should either sign up online to receive any Planning Applications for their neighbourhood or regularly check the parish noticeboards. What about people who aren’t online or can’t get out regularly, and how many of us know the onus seems to be on us to keep up to date with Council planning matters? I was under the impression that neighbouring properties are supposed to be informed of Planning Applications that will potentially affect them and I know for a fact this did not happen in this case. If we had been informed there would have been many more objections…..does it not seem strange that there were only a handful of objections for an area with such a high number homes near the proposed site?