White Rose Lane
Footpath from White Rose Lane to St John the Baptist School and Old Woking
A number of residents have complained that the footpath running from White Rose Lane and the Hoe Stream to St John the Baptist School and Old Woking is in a bad state of repair, with trip hazards from overgrown branches and hedges and the poorly maintained fence. The route is difficult to navigate, particularly for elderly people, during the daytime and is unwelcoming in the dark.
My fellow ward councillor, Cllr David Bittleston, and I have taken this matter up with Serco and with the officer responsible for neighbourhood services to see if we can get some remedial action taken. We will update residents as soon as we have anything to report.
White Rose Lane Nature Reserve
This week I will be presenting a Notice of Motion to full council to try and secure a regular schedule of maintenance at the White Rose Lane Nature Reserve, which runs through the woodland beside the Hoe Stream and connects Woking Park to Hoe Bridge School.
The nature reserve is a site of interest to local walking and rambler groups and is home to a significant variety of wildlife including owls, bats, deer and various species of rare fungi and wild flowers. Over the last few years volunteers have been working to carry out scrub clearance and removal of the invasive Himalayan Baslam, which if left uncontrolled could spread across the site and overwhelm the native flowers and fauna.
My Notice of Motion calls on the council to recognise the potential of the White Rose Lane Nature Reserve to be an important amenity and local attraction in Woking. If the motion is approved, the council will identify options and allocate resources for landscaping and improvement so that the nature reserve can be enjoyed by both residens and visitors to the borough.
Roadworks at White Rose Lane
White Rose Lane will be closed for two weeks from today while Affinity Water replace some of the pipes underneath the road between Barrens Park and Wendella Close. Residents who live further along White Rose Lane towards Bylands and Rosewood will have to use an alternative route into town up Maybury Hill or Old Woking Road then along East Hill.
The disruption is inconvenient but necessary to allow Affinity Water to carry out these much needed repair works. I have been given reassurances that the work will be completed in good time. I will be monitoring reports of any noise or disruption to residents and will be happy to take up any complaints from residents directly with the company.
Overgrown foliage at the corner of Rosewood and White Rose Lane
Several residents have reported that the foliage at the entrance to Rosewood has become overgrown and is blocking the line of sight for vehicles attempting to exit onto White Rose Lane. There is concern that the lack of visibility could result in an accident involving either traffic going too fast along White Rose Lane or children and parents using Rosewood as a drop off and collection point for St John the Baptist School.
I have been in touch with Serco who tell me they have added this location to their priority work programme and will carry out the necessary maintenance and pruning back of the hedge in the next few days.