June 9th.....
Fencing Kenley Perimeter
Info, questions & links
on proposals to restrict access.
Register or send eMails
from ABC site
with subject Kenley.
Petition submitted with over 330 names.
Why Fence Kenley NOW?
Click Kenley pic below for info &
BBC Breakfast Radio download.
ABC at Caterham Carnival. June 9th.
ABC Survey meets goal of 2,000......First results published.
You can still add your views if you want, via these links.
"Have your say Now"
Click Here to take our Up to 11 survey, or you are at a Primary School.
Click Here to take our Up to 18 survey, or you are at a Secondary School.
Click Here for the adult/parent survey, or if you are over 18
Click Here for the Kenley link where you can register for the petition.
Its purpose is to help us discover the main issues about living in Caterham. We are near our target of reaching 10% of all those who live here.
Did you miss the ABC Shop or the Tour?. Take a virtual tour of the ABC Shop or Caterham itself by clicking on the highlighted text. (Courtesy of Graham Tapley)Click ABC Schools for our schools news site.
Stop Press 9th June :
ABC A Better Caterham
What did you say and what did we discover?
I am delighted to tell you over 2,000 people, including 1,600 adults and 400 students completed the ABC survey. Many people provided valuable comments and we are now analyzing these. In fact, over 3,300 comments were received, so this will take some time to digest – however a preliminary scan is quite revealing. Many thanks to you all and our ABC volunteers.
The chart shows overall Caterham. You rated our local area as above average for a place to live, with Environment being rated quite highly. Other areas are closer to average, with Business being the lowest score.
In each sector we are looking at scores and comments, plus background facts we have collected, to make recommendations for the future.
Its already clear there is very strong support for keeping the character of the area and we have a lot of evidence thanks to you, to use in making recommendations to Tandridge District Council. Overall planning including the level of residential development scored highest as an area of importance, along with Caterham Valley Town Centre including Rose & Young in the Environment sector, plus Greener lifestyles as another very important area. We will make recommendations in these areas. Caterham has absorbed a population increase greater than adding an area like Whyteleafe since 1991, according to our estimates. This scale of increase is having undesirable and unanticipated side effects in many people’s view.
Transport. We believe there are 50% more vehicles in the area than in 1991, from Census data and more recent estimates. Yet there are few facilities to cope with this. The Transport team will work through your input and identify ideas to put forward. Public Transport was actually shown as the top issue within Transport, especially bus services, with congestion and parking whether for residents, shoppers, commuters, the school run, or business close behind.
Social & Community. As our population has grown, facilities are coming under major pressure. Hidden in an extra 20% population figure between 1991 and now, is an estimated rise of near 30% in the 10 to 17 school age population. At the same time, we have lost the youth facility in the Valley without a replacement and Skaterham has funding problems on the Hill. Many comments were about the need to act here. Other issues are getting places at schools and the lack of a local sixth form, except via independent schools.
For older residents the number of new retirement homes influences demand on health facilities. While Public Safety (Police), Schools and Health are the most important within this overall area, it’s Sport & Leisure and Youth Facilities we can probably do more about at a local level. We intend to look at ideas in these areas closely, together with anything to help the community develop a range of facilities for different needs, whether for Arts & Music, or the many local groups.
Lastly is Business, where the most important areas are to help improve the choice and standard of local shops and facilities, the image of the main centres and new business to be successful. We are looking at all feedback and information to do with the Town Centres and will report as soon as we can on what we believe are the best options for the future. Linked to this over 90% of you were in favour of a cosmetic improvement to the Town Centres, 85% in favour of action on individual sites such as Rose & Young and around 60% for considering more comprehensive schemes. We believe it must be time for action now and your responses provide overwhelming evidence of community support.
Its going to take time to do justice to the number and scope of the comments you made and any volunteers are very welcome.
For extra detail check this site from time to time: http://www.caterhamabc.org.uk
Our next steps are to produce recommendations based on your input and the facts we have collected. We hope to complete this by mid year.
Kind regards
Chris Windridge
Chairman ABC
What we said at the start of the ABC project in 2006
Welcome to ABC Caterham's web site and the "ABC Blog " to keep you in touch with what is happening.
So far Caterham is one of just 6 Surrey towns this year taking part in an iniative called a health check, which involves the people in a Town deciding on what's good and bad about the area and making recommendations for the future. The exercise will cover Caterham on the Hill and Caterham Valley and links with neighbouring areas such as Chaldon, Whyteleafe, Warlingham, Woldingham, Kenley, Coulsdon, Bletchingley and Godstone.
The idea is that local people participate on a voluntary basis to look at different aspects of living and working here and its "our" view, of what should happen in the short term and longer term to improve the area.
We have support from the council and councillors but its a community project and we have decided to call it ABC - A Better Caterham". We need volunteers to help with various parts of the study and we are looking at the things that affect us all like, Environment, Social & Community facilities & services, Transport & Access and Business & the Local Economy and the Town Centre(s)
A steering group formed from the volunteers, supporting councils and councillors are managing the overall exercise and I have become chairman. As a result of participating in the scheme Caterham will become eligible for some grants via SEEDA (South East England Development Agency).
Other towns completing Health-checks have gained support for a variety of improvements, ranging from small immediate schemes for community facilities, traffic & parking changes, environmental and clean up campaigns to significant town centre schemes.
The first thing we have done is find some volunteers to help us, obtain some background facts on Caterham and the surrounding area and discover what you believe are the most important issues. We currently have about 50 volunteers so its quite a large project. Our volunteers come from all parts of the area and different walks of life. More people to help are always welcome.
Areas we are looking at in detail include Environment, Social & Community, Transport & Access and the Economy & Business of the Town and its surrounding areas. We can all point to what could be improved and the question is what should have the highest short and longer-term priorities. We are now asking for everyone’s response on issues that have been identified. Help is welcome in all areas. Issues we need feedback on include:
- Whether housing developments are a positive move in Caterham and if not how might further development be better placed?
- How could the roads be improved to increase traffic flow or we solve parking problems ?
- How could Caterham be improved in terms of environmental issues?
- What is needed to boost the local economy and ideas for the town centres.
- Should more be done for the elderly or youth?
We really do need local people to help us with the project. If you have views and wish to put these across and become involved with others who care and want to shape the future of Caterham then please contact:
ABC Caterham, Bronzeoak House,
Stafford Road, Caterham, CR3 6JG
Or eMail caterhamABC@mac.com
Or visit the drop in centre at 11 Church walk, next to Morrisons.
Our Web Page & the Survey
This is our main web page so you can reach us via the internet as well as by mail and you can also leave telephone messages. Details are in the Contact us section.
The web page has a link to an anonymous pilot survey which would be very helpful if you would complete. It will let you tell us what you think is important about several local issues and also to highlight areas for the project to look at in more detail. We are asking for your opinions on the most important issues and based on these we will create a report with suggestions for tackling these in both the short and longer term. At this point we also hope to be able to bid for SEEDA funds for some of these.
This web page can be reached via:
http://www.caterhamabc.org.uk
It contains a link to the survey.You can also pick up and drop off a copy of the survey from anywhere displaying our posters, or in Chirch Walk.
The drop in centre shows the issues that are emerging and asks for your ideas on potential solutions.
How to contact us
Email: caterhamABC@mac.com
Address: ABC, Bronzeoak House, Stafford Rd, Caterham, CR3 6JG
Phone: 01883 332614 (Messages)
Web: http://www.caterhamabc.org.uk
Drop in: 11 Church Walk
Click Register to add yourself to our eMail or Mailing list and take part in our £100 draw.
How to help us
Volunteer to take part in one of the study groups as well as take the survey. We need individuals to participate in the groups and for Environment and Business we also need to identify someone to lead these teams.
Click Helpers for information on where you can help.
Stop Press
See above
Don't forget to take the survey and "Tell us How"
Volunteer groups have several sessions planned and if you want to join in contact us as above.
