New plans to keep Surrey Heath 'safe and green'

Keeping Surrey Heath a safe and green place to live is at the heart of Surrey Heath Borough Council’s newly approved five-year strategy. 

It sets out the council’s ambitions for 2022 to 2027 in light of the climate emergency, Brexit, the covid pandemic and economic recession.

But it was protecting personal safety that came out top over the economy, in a  consultation this summer in which more than 700 surveys were completed.

Council leader Alan McClafferty said: “The residents felt strongly that everything that can be done should be done to keep the borough safe.

“I think it’s recognised that this is one of the lowest crime boroughs in the country. People appreciate that but of course they want to make sure we maintain that.

“I’m happy this plan is robust, deliverable, it stretches us and reflects what the majority of our residents want us to achieve.”

The latest police.uk figures show a total of 6,510 crimes in Surrey Heath reported between September 2020 and August 2021, a decrease of 331 offences compared with 2019.

This shows 73 crimes reported per 1,000 of the population, down from 77 in 2019, according to Office for National Statistics data estimating the borough’s population mid 2020 at 89,204.

About a quarter of the 493 crimes reported across the borough in August this year were classed as anti-social behaviour.

The council’s strategy plans to deliver at least 20 Joint Action Groups with the police over five years, to quickly respond to emerging crime and antisocial behaviour issues at a community level.

It also plans to replace the borough’s “ageing CCTV infrastructure” between 2024-27 and be able to quickly deploy mobile CCTV when it is needed.

Asked to rate the importance of 19 issues, ‘Keeping the borough a safe place to live’ was the issue the highest proportion of respondents said was very important – 81 per cent.

This was closely followed by ‘access to well maintained parks and open spaces’, and the council’s strategy says it should implement at least one project improving accessibility to green space every year.

Cllr McClafferty (Con, St Michaels) said it was no surprise that the environment was “a very close second”, including reduction of carbon emissions as well as protecting green spaces.

Two parks in Surrey Heath achieved Green Flag awards this month, setting the benchmark standard for managing green spaces – Frimley Lodge for the 21st consecutive year and Lightwater Country Park for the third time.

When respondents were asked what they would like Surrey Heath to be known for in the next five years – with no suggestions offered – countryside, green belt and green spaces was overwhelmingly the most popular answer, leaps and bounds ahead of anything else.

Next highest was low crime rate, followed by not being overdeveloped.

Cllr McClafferty gave assurance to Cllr Victoria Wheeler (Ind, Windlesham & Chobham) that they would lobby Government for a reduction in housing targets. He had written to the housing secretary’s predecessor but received no response.

The strategy pledges delivery of at least 300 affordable homes across the borough over the five years, of which 100 will be socially rented.

Ensuring that bus services deliver a sufficient service to support a reduction in car use was also added, on the suggestion of Cllr Graham Tapper (LD, Heatherside).

At last week’s executive meeting he said: “I was somewhat surprised to see absolutely no mention whatsoever in there and assuring that the bus services provide adequate service to the community. We are trying to persuade our residents of the need to desert their private cars.”

He said currently it was “fairly appalling. I do not consider a bus every hour to be an adequate service”.