Tandridge Buzz

Work has started on the new £100,000 Whyteleafe play area in Hillbury Road, Whyteleafe.

The existing site was installed in 1984 and was in urgent need of refurbishment.

The work is being undertaken by SMP Playgrounds and is due to be finished by the end of July.

SMP won the contract after its design finished top in a public poll of residents who got to vote on four designs.

The design merges the current separated toddler and junior play areas and will contain a variety of equipment for children aged between 2 and 16.

“In just a few weeks local residents will have an exciting new playground, which they have helped create,” said Councillor Tony Elias, chairman of the Community Services Committee.

Tandridge District Council is to fly a special flag to mark British Armed Forces Day on Monday 20 June.

Armed Forces Day is an opportunity for the nation to show its appreciation for the contribution made by all those who serve or have served in Her Majesty’s Armed Forces.

A wide range of community events are taking place across the country.

“We are very pleased to support this day which aims to show recognition and appreciation for all those remarkable men and women who have fought or are still fighting for our country,” said chairman of the Council, Councillor Brian Perkins.

A coffee morning hosted by Tandridge District Council chairman, Councillor Alan Jones, raised more than £1,000 for Macmillan Cancer Relief.

The event took place on Friday 24 September at the council offices in Oxted in support of the Macmillan’s annual fundraising event – the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning.

Last year, coffee mornings around the country raised £7.9 million. Money raised through Tandridge District Council’s coffee morning will help Macmillan Cancer Relief fund specialist nurses and doctors, buildings for cancer treatment and care, grants for patients in financial difficulties and information services, which make life easier for cancer patients and their families and reduce unnecessary levels of fear.

“I am delighted we managed to raise this much for Macmillan Cancer Relief through the coffee morning,” said Councillor Alan Jones.

“Thank you to everyone who came along, bought raffle tickets and made donations. I would also like to thank the local businesses which donated prizes for the raffle.”

The streets, parks and open spaces of Tandridge District are now 97% free of graffiti after a “dramatic’ reduction, the Council has said.

Tandridge District Council checks the quality of its street cleaning against national standards every four months and it says the state of our public areas has improved for the third year running.

Top of the list of improvements is the reduction in the level of graffiti — which the Council claims is down to its “proactive” approach in forming partnerships with the private sector, parish councils and local community groups, to get their help and support in removing it.

The Council’s street cleaning team can now also remove minor graffiti, rather than waiting for a specialist company to do it.

The last cleaning check in July revealed that 98% of the areas inspected were litter free, 94% were clear of debris, 97% graffiti free and 100% clear of unacceptable levels of flyposting.

Street cleaning teams use the information to identify problem areas and change their schedules accordingly to deal with litter “hot spots”.

“We are very pleased with our street cleaning performance and ask the community to help us make sure the district stays clean and tidy, by using the litter, dog and recycling bins and reporting any issues,” said councillor Tony Elias, chairman of the Community Services Committee.

Residents can find out how often their road is cleaned here.

To report a problem in your area call the Council on 01883 722000, or e-mail customerservices@tandridge.gov.uk.

Do you believe the Council is doing a good job on keeping parks and streets clean? Let us know by posting a comment below.