Silver for Nonsuch!

We are delighted to announce that Nonsuch Park has been awarded Silver in the South & South East in Bloom 2016 awards.

South & South East in Bloom is part of the Britain in Bloom campaign, where Councils, communities, residents, businesses can work together to improve their environment.

This year’s awards were formally announced earlier this month and a member of the Nonsuch Park team and a representative of the Nonsuch Voles collected a Silver award in the Large Parks category.

The Nonsuch Voles are a volunteer group that meet weekly to carry out practical woodland and gardening work, working closely with park staff from Epsom & Ewell Borough Council who manage the day-to-day running of the Park.

Nonsuch Park is situated between Cheam and Ewell Village and is managed jointly by the London Borough of Sutton and Epsom & Ewell Borough Council.

Sutton Councillor, Mary Burstow is the current Chairman of the Joint Management Committee and commented: “We are absolutely delighted to collect a Silver Award for Nonsuch Park.  This is our first entry into the South & South East in Bloom competition and this award is a true reflection of the hard work, dedication and enthusiasm of Council Staff and Nonsuch Park Volunteers.”

The site of the park was originally occupied by the village of Cuddington which was cleared away to make room for King Henry VIII’s Nonsuch Palace in 1538. The structure was perhaps substantially complete by 1541 but the decorations of the outside walls (which were to be the fame of Nonsuch) were still in progress five years later. When Henry VIII died in 1547, the palace was still unfinished. It was completed by Henry Fitzalan, Twelfth Earl of Arundel, after his purchase of the palace from the crown in 1556. Elizabeth I regained Nonsuch in 1592 and it remained in Royal hands (apart from the Commonwealth) until 1670 when Charles II gave it to his mistress, Barbara Villiers, who became Baroness Nonsuch, Duchess of Cleveland. She demolished the palace in 1682-3 and broke up the parks to sell to cover her gambling debts. Only small remnants of the Palace can be seen today.

It’s time to pick the nation’s ten favourite parks

Voting for the annual People's Choice award which gives the public a chance to vote for their favourite Green Flag award winning park or green space, is open. But there is a difference this year as it is the 20th year of the Green Flag Award. There won't be one overall winner, there will be a top ten voted by the public.

Within Epsom & Ewell, four of our green spaces were among the record breaking 1,686 parks and green spaces that received the prestigious Green Flag Award this year - the mark of a quality park or green space. They include:

• Epsom Common Local Nature Reserve has won the award for the tenth consecutive year. It is the largest local nature reserve in Surrey and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
• Ewell Court Park has won the award for the fifth year in a row. The park is the former gardens of the historical Ewell Court House.
• Alexandra Recreation Ground has also won the award for the fifth year in a row. It is a sports ground situated in Alexandra Road.
• Rosebery Park has won the award for the fourth time this year. It is a formal town centre park.

To vote simply go to www.greenflagaward.org select the South East region on the interactive map, find your favourite Green Flag Award winning park or green space, click on more details and click the 'Vote for this Site' button.

The vote will close at noon on Friday 30 September. The ten most popular parks and green spaces in the UK will be announced in October.

Councillor Barry Nash, Chairman of the Council's Community and Wellbeing Committee said, "Our award winning spaces are broadly representative of all of the Borough's fantastic parks and green spaces that we are very proud of and that we know mean so much to everyone.

Don't miss out! This is your chance to vote for four of the Borough's Green Flag Award winning spaces and help pick the nation's top ten favourite parks."

Paul Todd, Green Flag Award manager said: "We all have a favourite park, whether it's our local green space or a special park we'll travel miles to visit.

"Following another record-breaking year for the Green Flag Award, we are urging everyone to vote for their own favourite park, so we can put together a list of the ten most popular parks in the UK. It will be great to celebrate ten of the public's favourite parks and for them to become the People's Choice 2016."

All Green Flag Award-winning sites are entered into the annual People's Choice Award vote. Last year saw more than 30,000 votes from the public, with Victoria Park in London's Tower Hamlets crowned as the People's Choice.

For more information on the Green Flag Awards visit www.greenflagward.org

For more information on the Borough's parks and green spaces visit the Leisure section at www.epsom-ewell.gov.uk

On your hike!

Over 60 people took part in the recent Round the Borough Hike, with the ages of participants ranging from eight to eighty!

Now in its fifth year, the event offers participants the chance to explore Epsom & Ewell's green spaces via a 20 mile network of walking routes joining up the beautiful open spaces across Epsom & Ewell; including Epsom & Walton Downs, Epsom Common, Nonsuch Park, the Hogsmill, and Horton Country Park.

The route is permanently marked and maps are available to download from the Council website – so anyone can try all or part of the walk at any time.

Councillor Tony Axelrod, Vice Chairman of the Community and Wellbeing Committee, said: "Round the Borough Hike is probably the best way to experience Epsom & Ewell's plentiful and stunning open spaces with friends and family. You can complete the hike at your own pace or set yourself a challenge to achieve a milestone.

The Hike (taking place in September) and the sister Bike event in May are part of the legacy of the Council’s 75 anniversary and the London Olympics both of which occurred in 2012. Registration for Round the Borough Bike which takes place on Sunday 14 May 2017 is now open!

Boundary review

The UK Parliament has decided to reduce the number of constituencies, and therefore MPs, from 650 to 600. In England, the number of constituencies will reduce from 533 to 501.

The Boundary Commission for England is the independent and impartial body that is considering where the boundaries of the new constituencies should be. They must report to Parliament in September 2018. In doing so, they have to ensure that every new constituency has roughly the same number of electors: no fewer than 71,031 and no more than 78,507. While proposing a set of boundaries which are fairer and more equal, the Commission will also try to reflect geographic factors and local ties. The Commission will also look at the boundaries of existing constituencies and local government patterns in redrawing the map of parliamentary constituency boundaries across England.

No changes to the existing boundaries of the Epsom & Ewell Constituency are proposed in the initial report published by the Boundary Commission as part of it's consultation process.

The Commission is promoting use of a specifically-designed consultation website for this review as the primary tool for displaying its proposals, and receiving comments on them. This is available here. The public consultation period runs until 5 December 2016. Also, as requested by the Commission, the proposals and maps for all nine English regions are available at the Town Hall reception for the public to view if they so wish.

Have your say on Surrey’s Waste Local Plan

Surrey County Council has launched a consultation giving you the chance to have your say on the vision for the new Surrey Waste Local Plan.

It’s important that the waste Surrey produces is managed sustainably while working towards sending zero waste to landfill. The new plan will make sure enough land is available so that facilities can be built to manage the waste Surrey households and businesses produce in the most sustainable way.

What is the Surrey Waste Plan?

The new Surrey Waste Local Plan will identify sites or areas that are best suited for waste facilities, taking lots of factors into consideration, such as the environment and local communities. The plan will also set out policies that will guide decision making.

What kind of waste will the Surrey Waste Plan cover?

The new Surrey Waste Local Plan will plan for all types of waste to be managed sustainably including; household, commercial, construction and hazardous.

The consultation will run until 25 November and to find out more and have your say visit surreycc.gov.uk/newwasteplan.

Paper questionnaires are also available in Surrey libraries and local council offices, or you can request a copy by calling 0300 200 1003.

Surrey Tobacco consultation

The Surrey Tobacco Control Strategy 2016-21 sets out why and how we need to work together to reduce the harmful effects of tobacco in Surrey. 

Please view the strategy and respond to consultation survey here

The consultation is open until 2 November 2016.

Stoptober is back!

Based on research that if you stop smoking for 28-days you are five times more likely to quit for good, England’s seven million smokers are being encouraged to take part in this year’s Stoptober campaign, starting on 1 October.

Visit the Stoptober website to find out about a range of free and proven support available to help you start your quitting journey for 28 days and beyond.

From the app, email and social media support including Facebook Messenger, to more information about the expert face to face support that your local Stop Smoking Service (LSSS) can offer, as well as the different types of stop smoking aids available to you; including medicines and e-cigarettes – Stoptober is here to help you.

Everyone’s quitting journey is different, but you will not be alone. Nearly a million people have taken part since Stoptober began five years ago, so join in with the biggest stop smoking challenge of its kind, search Stoptober and find the right support for you.

For your local Surrey Stop Smoking Service, Quit 51 see http://www.healthysurrey.org.uk/your-health/smoking/

There’s a new number to call if you have a power cut

105 is a new number that you can call to report or get information about a power cut. It will put you through to your local electricity network operator – the company that manages the cables, wires and substations that bring electricity into homes and businesses in your area.

105 is a free service for people in England, Scotland and Wales, and you can call the number from most landlines and mobile phones. It doesn’t matter who you choose to buy your electricity from - anyone can call 105.

You can also call 105 if you spot damage to electricity power lines and substations that could put you, or someone else, in danger. If there’s a serious immediate risk, call the emergency services too.

Don’t be left in the dark. Call 105.

To find out more, visit www.powercut105.com