Monday, April 06, 2020

ABC 2020 and Coronavirus




Stop Press. 6th April 2020. 

Coronavirus Info and ABC update 
  • Coronavirus News
  • ABC Update
  • Local community information
  • Planning
  • Business news and info
  • Gigabit broadband
  • Join us
  • AOB

Well done to all those who are helping in the current Covid 19 pandemic. It's one of the most challenging times ever for everyone. Please do report errors, missing items , or helpful tips. Stay safe.

Chris Windridge. Chair

Coronavirus News

Locality UK Briefings. A National Charity working on Community Initiatives.

Web pages with Covid 19 info

  • the lockdown
  • the Job Retention Scheme
  • business support funding
  • new contract guidance and more

UK Business briefing 


Latest Business Briefings from Coast to Capital . Self Employed, Companies and recent personal tax changes, loans and grants.

Similar pages from South East LEP. 


Tandridge DC, Tandridge TVA & Citizens Advice


Tandridge DC's web page  plus  a special page for  to Covid 19 advice www.tandridge.gov.uk/coronavirus





Tandridge Voluntary Association and Tandridge DC are working closely together on  Covid 19, plus all the parish councils in Tandridge, to provide local links and details of services. 

Tandridge Voluntary Action (TVA) is a charity supporting the local voluntary, community and faith sector across the district of Tandridge in Surrey.
TVA receives funding from Surrey County Council, Tandridge District Council and the NHS East Surrey Clinical Commission Group.
TVA is managed by a Board of Trustee Directors, some of whom are representatives of voluntary, community and faith sector organisations in Tandridge. Services are delivered by a small staff team.
Tandridge Voluntary Action's Strategic Aims are to –
  • Raise the profile of TVA and the VCFS.
  • Develop services to strengthen communities.
  • Recruit and match volunteers.
  • Practice and promote good governance.
  • Secure a sustainable funding future for TVA.
  • Assist the VCFS to increase their capacity for securing sustainable funding.

Contains up to date info on where and what is available locally. A very helpful site and service for everyone.





ABC Update. What we are engaged on in 2020



Locality Nov 19
 Communities Conference


In November 2019 Chris Windridge stepped back into the chair role, having been involved in many of the different ABC projects since the beginning originally in 2006. Over the last few months these key areas have been established for particular focus.





Given the Coronavirus crisis,  ABC like others will focus on ways to assist, especially in collaborative ways. Relaunching  this Blog site is part of that. Coronavirus fits in the Health & Wellbeing group. If you want to join in let us know. We will partner Tandridge TVA, Westway, The Caterham Barracks Community Trust, Health facilities, Tandridge DC, BID and any other groups to beat this threat. We are using online video technology to allow remote group meetings. ( Zoom or GoToMeeting) Anybody with expertise or a special interest there, or in any of the other areas please contact us too.

 Background

For the last 8 years ABC has been involved with the Caterham, Chaldon & Whyteleafe Neighbourhood Plan, lobbying for action on the old Rose & Young site, a Town Design Statement for future development, the transfer to the community of Douglas Brunton Centre ( Westway Hub) and successfully getting BT's Infinity broadband locally.

Before that projects included a Town Study, enabling grants of £250,000 to be spent on street improvements, lobbying for transfer of the Soper Hall to a community group and initial ideas for a Festival. This background also created a group of over 100 people who have remained engaged in different parts of these initiatives since, a large collection of evidence and many ideas for "A Better Caterham" that continue to this day.

Thanks to past chairs Geoff Duck, Julia Church and Andy Parr. Cherie Calender is the current Deputy Chair.

Local community information

Caterham, Chaldon and Whyteleafe Neighbourhood Plan(CCWNP)


This plan covers Caterham Hill, Caterham Valley, Chaldon and Whyteleafe parishes. ABC is a partner in this exercise and participates in Steering Group sessions. A side effect is membership of Locality nationally was offered to groups doing a Neighbourhood Plan. This resulted in significant professional planning help, together with funding for key parts of the exercise. It helped get the four parishes to work together over an area with approx 30,000 people. Locality also has a major "Keep It Local" campaign and we benefitted from that over Westway and most recently with Covid 19, so we are plugged into that stream of advice too. Currently the CCWNP is chaired by Jeremy Webster who is also chair of the biggest parish, being Caterham on the Hill.

The Neighbourhood Plan was "Examined" on March 10th 2020 at the Soper Hall, which over 60 people attended. We wait for feedback and depending on that and the Coronavirus situation, a referendum on the plan is anticipated from this winter onwards. Every voter will be able to cast a vote and if passed, it will provide a more localised flavour to planning policies, than Tandridge's existing plan or emerging Local Plan for the whole Tandridge District. Jeremy Edge a Govt Planning Inspector held the session, here talking with Jeremy Webster.

Is establised as a popular and large venue for local events, after the Soper Hall Community Centre Ltd bid succeeded with Tandridge District Council in 2011. Refurbishment has taken place to public areas and usage increased. The car park is controlled so that hirer's parking is available.  Follow the Soper Hall link for more detail and we continue to work with the team. Currently closed for normal purposes



Westway Hub

Closed for normal purposes. The large kitchens are proposed to be used together with a delivery service for Westway clients and perhaps a wider scheme? The Car park may be used for distribution services locally. Details soon via Caterham Hill Parish.



The ARC at the Village ( Caterham Community Trust)

The Arc ( Closed)





Cafe, two large indoor spaces ( Old Gyms), performing arts, visual arts, exercise and other local groups meet here.




Shared Offices & Meetings at The Officers Mess, Caterham on the Hill

Officers Mess Meetings & Shared Offices 
Another classic listed building retained by the Caterham Barracks Community Trust. Provides shared offices, conference and meeting facilities





Libraries, Museum, other halls

East Surrey Museum ( closed)


Regrettably postponed due to Coronavirus to the Autumn currently.


Planning


 Church Walk
A planning application for 174 flats, 705 car parking spaces, a 5 story building and loss of a large part of old Station Avenue buildings is proposed. ABC objected as did others and has asked the Secretary of State for Housing, to call in the proposal. A key issue is plans for drainage, as groundwater rises and falls an unknown amount under the buildings. Nobody wants to risk town centre flooding and this winter has demonstrated exceptional rainfall, with local Bournes rising to near surface levels at Woldingham and Whyteleafe nearby. The planning application 2019/145 remained open as this page closed for press. ( 06/04/2020)

Annes Walk, Caterham Hill
 planning application by Shanly Homes for 39 houses/flats with access via Annes Walk ( a cul de sac), density and drainage issues being raised by local residents and other groups. Planning application is 2018/2445/COND2. An alternative access exists via Whyteleafe Road. There are surface water issues with water flowing through the proposed site according to Govt EA surface water maps and local evidence. Objections by residents,  Caterham Hill Parish Council and FLAG. 




Caterham Business. The BID and other groups


Caterham Valley's main retail area became a BID (Business Improvement District), where local enterprises joined in a project focussed around improving the local economy.  Caterham BID is here. (Caterham Valley for you)

Their web site includes advice on Coronavirus for businesses

We seek to encourage a group or groups to cover the whole area of Valley, Hill, Chaldon & Whyteleafe.

Funding available for business is covered on the BID site above and others


NCVO(National Charities & Voluntary Organisations)

Our funding lead Paul Winyard has details of various initiatives to help voluntary organisations including the new National Emergencies Trust appeal and promises of support from 150 grantmakers.

Douglas Dowell from our policy team analyses the implications for charities of proposals including emergency volunteering leave, changes to social care standards and restrictions on gatherings.

Other NCVO Covid19 Links


Gigabit broadband

We are researching ways to improve local speeds. Contact us if you are interested. We may not be able to do anything in the very short term but the quicker we start to bring forward local or wider area schemes the sooner we can benefit. There are already multiple "Smart" start ups here where speed is a key factor.


Join ABC and be a part of this influential group for Caterham.

 Join us by sending an eMail with brief details to caterhamABC@mac.com  . A confirmation will be sent to you. Normally the fee is £5. We are waiving that for the rest of this year.


 Contact Us

 New projects always under review, plus general contact.If you have expertise or a particular interest do please make contact via  email: CaterhamABC@Mac.com

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook - CaterhamABC 


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