Article from Look Local February edition

Have you had your say?

If you have not, there is still time.  If you do not, your views will not count. 

Many of you have, but the pattern of responses suggests we haven’t heard from the complete mix of Bookham’s population.   There’s still a chance to give us your initial thoughts about Bookham and help us focus on the right areas for the village plan.  Complete the leaflet survey that came through your door and return it via one of the 6 “drop off” points. It is not too late. Responses to our survey so far have covered a wide range of topics, and patterns are beginning to emerge in some areas…  

Asked what you like about Bookham most respondents said the sense of community and village atmosphere, the range of independent shops, the variety of clubs and societies and the green spaces.  No surprise there. The list of things respondents don’t like gives us quite a bit to focus on, but I’ll bet not everything is covered yet – what’s your beef? 

Here are some of the things that have been raised so far … 

There were various traffic related issues:           

- The “Squareabout” at the bottom of the High Street seems pretty unpopular. But do we understand the benefits?            

- We’ve had quite a mix of responses on parking, some like the availability of parking spaces, whilst others think there aren’t enough and object to having to pay.  Where do you stand on this?           

- Traffic features a lot in the dislikes, from congestion to speeding and the number of lorries down the High Street and other roads en route to the industrial estate.  But where are the solutions?           

There have been concerns raised about various development issues:

- Many point to the number of “in-fill” or “back-garden” developments, increasing the population whilst the infrastructure grows at a slower rate

- On the other hand others are concerned about the lack of affordable / starter homes in the area.  Can we really have it both ways?

- We’ve had more responses against than in favour of a new supermarket development, but no ideas about how the Lower Shott area might be evolved to improve and give greater benefits to the village. 

When it comes to the local environment:

- The state of the roads and pavements gets a bashing, as does the flooding that happens every time there is a downpour.

- Opinion is divided on the subject of litter; some point to a litter problem in Bookham whilst others praise the tidiness of the village.  Which side of the fence are you on – the well swept side, or the one with the crisp packets and beer cans? 

Asked what you want to see in Bookham many have suggested fixes for the above, and a fair proportion want to see more visible policing, more for youths to do, and a restaurant or two.  But we have not yet seen many real long term thoughts about how Bookham evolves over the next 10 to 20 years.  

What will we do with this information?

There’s still a chance to give us your views, and they do count. We’ll take the key issues and use them to compile a more detailed inquiry in the form of a questionnaire to all Bookham households that will come out in late spring/ early summer.  The results of that will form the basis of our plan, leading to specific recommendations to the likes of the district and county councils, local business leaders etc. 

We are planning a road show in the second half of February when we’ll come to a location near you and provide an update on progress so far, as well as give you another chance to have your say.  Look out for notices.  To have your initial say NOW, return your survey leaflet via the drop-off points or leave a message on our website www.bookhamvision.org . And if you have lost your leaflet, please ask and we will get another one to you.  If we don’t know your views, we can’t help you. As ever, if you have any questions or would like to help, please feel free to email or call Trevor Sokell ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 01372 452052) or Nick Applegarth ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 01372 458456)