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This article is relevant to all West Surrey riders who want free access to our local countryside. John Oliver of the Save Newlands Corner Campaign Group has asked us to please consider passing the following information on to our members. If you would like to reply personally to John, please contact Mark Waters for John’s contact details.

Today, Surrey Live has launched a campaign to have parking charges removed from the countryside car parks for which Surrey County Council is responsible. This includes a petition.

The Surrey Live article is here: https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/petition-surrey-council-parking-charges-15241937

The petition link is at the bottom of the article – but for ease of reference it is here https://petitions.surreycc.gov.uk/Charges/

The article mentions another petition by a Chobham resident, which already has nearly 10,000 signatures. This is here: https://www.change.org/p/surrey-county-council-restore-public-access-to-surrey-commons

In addition, in case you are not aware, SCC has launched a ‘consultation’ about the Surrey countryside over the next 25 years. This is here: https://www.surreysays.co.uk/environment-and-infrastructure/caringforourcountryside/ However, in my opinion, the questions are skewed to give SCC the political answers they want. Question 3c is a disgrace. I have seen elsewhere that there are grave reservations about the integrity of the ‘consultation’ and even the legality of it. That said, Surrey residents cannot afford to let this pass without comment.

So, can I ask that you inform your members of the existence of the petitions and the consultation, so that they can decide whether to contribute to them.

I realise that your members need to arrive at their own decisions about these items. However, as regards the consultation, I would be grateful if they could ensure that they use the comments boxes to express their views about the future of the countryside, rather than be led by what SCC’s questions try to get us to say – question 3c doesn’t even allow respondents to comment.

If I can help in any way, please let me know.

Kind regards

John Oliver

Our AGM will be held on Saturday 27th October at the Jack Phillips Pub (Weatherspoons) in central Godalming. The meeting will start promptly at 10:00am.

Complimentary tea and coffee will be available from the bar prior to the meeting; please ensure you arrive in good time if you want one.

There is a vacancy for an additional member of the committee. Motions and nominations should be submitted by email to the Secretary, Nick Davison, by the 13th October. Nomination forms are available through the website.

The rides for Oct, Nov and Dec 2018 have now been published and can be downloaded from here.

If you have them on your smartphone calendar they should automatically update.

Please note that this will now start from The Snooty Fox, Shalford and will be led by Hilary Stephenson.  The TA ride to Winchester will now take place on 19 September.