Community

Angry residents packed a church hall to discuss controversial plans to barricade a road to stop speeding motorists.

More than 70 residents filled St Paul's Church Hall, Egham Hythe, to hear more about plans by Surrey County Council to put a barrier in St Paul's Road to prevent it being used as a 'rat run' by speeding motorists, getting from Chertsey Lane to Thorpe Road and vice versa.

The feisty meeting, chaired by borough ward councillor, Gill Warner, involved residents both in favour of the barrier, many from St Paul's Road and the Wapshott and Bowes Road estate. And also numerous residents vehemently opposed to the proposals.

Residents have expressed continuing concerns over anti-social behaviour in the area at a recent meeting with neighbourhood police officers.

The panel meeting was held at the Hythe Centre, Thorpe Lea Road, last month where residents raised concerns to their local policing team about anti-social behaviour of youths in the area.

A Section 30 dispersal order was brought into effect in August last year to counter such incidents.

Do you think the Section 30 dispersal order has worked or is the level of anti-social behaviour around Pooley Green the same as always? Let us know your thoughts using the comments button below.

Adverse weather conditions across the borough forced the closure of many schools and created problems for public services.

Around six inches of snow fell across Runnymede overnight on Tuesday, January 5 but although the county council said it was prepared for cold snap and had stock piled grit and salt in anticipation of further bad weather, a national shortage has lead to limited usage.

A Christmas treat is instore for those who love both hearing and singing great Christmas carols.

A Community Songs of Praise for Harvest is taking place at the St John's Church on Tuesday, Devember 8 at 2pm.

Everyone is welcome to attend and enjoy the hymns and carols. Tea and cakes will be served afterwards.

For more details call the church office on 01784 430964 or email www.stjohnsegham.com

A Christmas themed craft workshop for children takes place at the St John's Church Centre, Manor Farm Lane on Saturday, December 5 from 3pm until 5pm.

Activities will range from candle-making to card making and glace icing biscuits.

Refreshments are available and Fair Trade Christmas cards and gifts will also be on sale. Entry is free, but donations towards costs are welcome.

A entrepreneur has won a prestigious award at a ceremony in London for his pharmaceutical business.

Navin Engineer, founder of Chemex Pharma on Egham Business Park, scooped the Healthcare & Education award at the 2009 Lloyds TSB Jewel Awards in London last week.
The awards recognise stars of the British Asian community.

With the threat of the Airtrack scheme increasing barrier down times at Egham's three level crossings many residents claimed the signal controllers were not working the barriers efficiently.

RUSSELL BUTT visited the Feltham signal box which controls the crossings, to witness the controllers at work first-hand and spoke to them about Egham's residents, crossing abuse and Airtrack.

It only takes the slightest of annoyances to make a bad day that much more intolerable.

For many residents or visitors to Egham, getting stuck at one of the town's three level crossings is just such an occurance and causes considerable aggravation.

When BAA's consultation document for the Airtrack scheme - a proposed express rail link from Waterloo to Heathrow Terminal 5 - revealed that the extra train services laid on could lead to level crossing barriers being down for up to 38 minutes in every hour, the population of Egham drew a collective gasp of disbelief.

Hundreds of poppy-wearers observed two-minutes silence at one of the most picturesque memorials in the county for Remembrance Day yesterday (Sunday, November 8).

At 11am, more than two hundred people made no peep as Reveille piped out and filled the grounds of the Royal Air Forces Memorial on Cooper's Hill, Englefield Green, where the names of 20,000 service men who lost their lives fighting for their country are etched on its walls.

by Tamara Hughes

RUNNYMEDE hosted its first ever Youth awards this month at a presentation evening in Egham.

Children can make the most of a day of Halloween fun with a free event at the Hythe Centre on Thursday, October 29.

The Spooky Halloween Party Games event is organised by ROAR, Runnymede Council's children's activity scheme and takes place from 1.30pm until 3.30pm in the Thorpe Road venue.

For more details contact Emma Parnell on 01932 425677 or email emma.parnell@runnymede.gov.uk