IDS

12/06/2008 Updated

BLOG - 2008

now open
SSJL FORUM
make your views known !

Send in your photos and memories of the Lye as well as your feeling on the proposal.

Where do you start ! Try Recent Feedback as this is current thoughts. For some history, try Your 1st Views. This gives details of feedback the last time the rebuilding of the Memorial Hall came up. For the current Issues, then look here this will give you a feel for the Arguments.

2008

23rd June 2008

SJVS Meeting 7.30, Memorial Hall

2nd June 2008

St John's village Society will be meeting again at the Memorial Hall on 23rd June 2008 7.30pm. We hope to have a firmer idea on an alternative proposal that is being worked on by two village residents that may demonstrate that the Lye is not the only solution.
At the same time, we will be discussing

Litter

Woodland Management

Streams and Ponds

Anti Social Behaviour

Heathland

Guerilla Gardening

Working Party

Membership

Everyone welcome, come prepared to join and join in !

11th May 2008

Well that was a lively and interesting meeting ! For those who didn't or weren't able to come, just under 50 people turned up to share their views about the state of the Village and the need for a Village Society to represent them. There was debate about many issues, but the central issue and the one that raised temperatures was the Hall development. There were some interesting views and ideas flying around and these will firm up in the coming weeks. Without exception, everyone wants to see a new Hall and most people felt the existing site was the place for this to happen. 2 immediate neighbours were in attendance and both said noise was not an issue but the state of the Hall was.
The Village Society was formally re-opened and a unanimous vote carried the evening. Officers were elected and the evening closed on a very positive note.
Membership is now open to all residents of St John's. Please email membership@stjohnsvillage.co.uk

7th May 2008

A Lye resident took part in the drive time morning radio show on Southern Counties Radio. He gave a very well reasoned view on why the building should not take place, based on 3 core reasons: Common Land, SNCI, and against many policies of the local authority. The show then interviewed Geoff Ward, Outdoor Amenities Manager at Woking Borough Council who gave the Borough view of maximising resources.
The date and time of the meeting to be held on Friday was publicised on that show too.

3rd May 2008

DIARY DATE
This coming FRIDAY 9th MAY 7.30 pm in the small Hall at the Memorial Hall
There will be a meeting to reform the St John's Village Society. Please come along and join in with your neighbours and local residents.

26th April 2008

It has been suggested that the St John's Village Society should be re-formed. We are looking at booking the Memorial Hall for a meeting to see who would be willing to take office and join up. Keep an eye on the website this week to see when that is.

19th April 2008

The temperature is rising ! More letters - check out Recent Feedback and Woking News and Mail website where there are letters regarding the Lye www.woking.co.uk. Click on Letters and look at 17th April and 10th April - a Mr Bowser seems to have rattled a few !

18th April 2008

Just had an interesting email from a Horsell resident. They had a similar issue over the Bowls Club and successfully fought it. Try Recent Feedback to see what is suggested.

Is this image likely - read more.... here

We have also had a picture sent in by a local resident of the Lye during the snow in the last few days. Just shows how beautiful it often looks. Check out Gallery

10th April 2008

Have a look at Memorial Hall there is an artists impression of the new Hall. Nice picture showing the building in the best possible light although it won't look that green all the time.
It would be interesting to see the artists impression with the shutters down and the grafitti on !

9th April 2008

Read the views of a local resident wanting to know how social trends will impact on the viability of the Hall - interesting viewpoint. Any comments ....?
And now a 14 year old - No 12

6th April 2008

See what a 10 year old had to say on Recent Feedback - no 11

3rd April 2008

If you want to email your local Councillor and grab their attention - look at the Objections page for an email link. It is only by lobbying that we will get the attention of the Councillors and they will get an understanding of local feeling. Try it - Graham Cundy and John Kingsbury are both hardworking Councillors with a genuine interrest in your concerns for the community. They will respond.

2nd April 2008

Here is our first image of the proposed Hall. The top picture is the Hall looking from the rear, ie in the woods opposite Carolyn Close. The Bottom picture is the Hall, looking at it from Festival Path, and the glazed are on the right hand side is the Club Room that will look over the cricket pitch.

CLICK on the Picture to go to the full set of Drawaings

1st April 2008 (This is not an April Fools Joke !)
Just received and email to say that this meeting is to take photographs - the article is already written !
WOKING NEWS & MAIL are coming to St John's Lye to meet residents and discuss the local feeling about the Memorial Hall Application. This is for a feature this week in the paper. Please come along to the Lye, at 5.00pm to meet the journalists and get your point of view over. The meeting spot will be the site of the previous pavilio, or the proposed site of the Hall.
We don't often get a chance to get our views across so please take this opportunity of letting the papers know.

28th March 08

We are hoping to get some electronic copies of the plans and "artists impressions" to put on here, so keep checking to see if they are here. It will be announced on this page first.

16th March 08

Meeting on 15th proved interesting. Many earlier visitors seemed to be in favour of the proposal, but few would have understood the implications for the residents, or the Lye. The later visitors were more inclined to protect the Lye.

New Views are starting to come in - see Recent Feedback for the last emails received.

March 10th 08

March 15th - Open Meeting at Memorial Hall to review the most recent plans for the re-development

These plans will show the Hall built on the PAVILION SITE on the Lye - So we lose the Important View noted in a recent survey of the Lye

This meeting is your chance to make your views known 2pm - 6pm on saturday 15th March

Please contact info@savestjohnslye.co.uk if you hear anything of interest to SSJL members, or alternatively visit our Forum and post a note to go out to everyone. This gets your views circulated and is a grest way to influence what is going on.

2007

Nothing happened !

2006

DO NOT BE UNDER ANY ILLUSIONS - WBC have plans for St Johns and we have a chance to influence them during this consultation period. If we do nothing - the plans will probably go ahead. If we object - we need to be prepared to go to a Public Enquiry - who will do it, and who will pay ? If we negotiate - we can influence the proposal and reach a compromise

SUMMARY of Position

Below is our starting position. We formed to object to a Proposal to build the Memorial Hall on precious Common Land. We still believe that everything should be done to Save St John's Lye. The issue now is how do we save it, and what do we save .

Click Here to read a report of the latest meeting with MHA and WBC. We make no apologies for the length of the page, as it is important that you understand the full implications of the decision we need to take collectively about how far we are prepared to go with an objection.

Once you have read the page please would you email us, info@savestjohnslye.co.uk with your views, and how far you are prepared to go to support them. By that we mean, are you willing to help raise awareness in your local area, lobby Councillors, write to the Chief Planning Officer or CEO of WBC, provide financial support for representation at a Public Enquiry, or even put your name on a register on this site so that it is no longer anonymous but acts as a petition.

You may also think that success is being able to influence the final proposal to better meet the needs of the local community. Accept that a building is going to go up on the site of the old pavilion (because something will) and make sure that the impact is minimised.

This website has been developed to put forward the case against rebuilding the Memorial Hall on St Johns Lye. Why ? ...
It is on Common Land
It is a Conservation Area
It is an SNCI - Site of Nature Conservation Importance
Contrary to Local Government Plan (NE2 REC3 REC4)
We will lose recreational Open Space
and a noted local visual amenity

No one can deny the Memorial Hall needs rebuilding . It has served the village and it's user groups since 1948 as a local hall. And it is time to rebuild it and secure the facility for the 50 years. But why use such a valuable amenity and the Lye for rebuilding when the Memorial Hall Association already owns the freehold of the existing site ? Surely a Hall could be built that meets the existing need on that site at a reasonable price ?