Since my last update, I have requested the help of the Environment Secretary in moving the Environment Agency to remove illegal moorings from our riverbank. More on this below.
On our roads, National Highways have shared an important weekend closure update for the M25 junction 10 / A3 Wisley interchange works, affecting travel on Saturday 30 September - Sunday 01 October.
On our railways, I asked South Western Railway for a plan toalleviate ongoing disruption to, and overcrowding on, trains from stations in Esher and Walton constituency to London.
In the community, since my last update, I have met with school leadership from Walton Oak Primary School to welcome the new zebra crossing there, and caught up with Surrey Police to discuss measures to further tackle crime in our area.
And, in Westminster, I spoke in the House of Commons about the support available for small businesses with their energy bills, and on measures to improve the UK's food biosecurity. Earlier in September, I wrote an article for The Telegraph about the need for deeds - not words - in dealing with China. You can read this below.
As ever, if you are a constituent in need of my assistance, please get in touch using the contact details at the end of this email.
Yours sincerely,
Dominic
In this week's newsletter:
An update on illegal moorings in Elmbridge
Important A3 weekend closure information.
A local rail services update.
Catching up with Surrey Police.
Meeting Walton BID.
Campaign success - a new zebra crossing installed at Walton Oak Primary School.
Westminster Watch - A roundup of my recent contributions in the House of Commons.
State of the Nation - An overview of the national policy picture and recent government announcements.
Illegal moorings update
This week, I met with representatives from the Environment Agency, Elmbridge Borough Council, and river users' groups to discuss a permanent solution to illegal moorings.
I have since written to the Environment Secretary, requesting action on the apparent lack of enforcement against moorings on Environment Agency-owned land in Elmbridge, and for the urgent removal of the illegal moorings at Hurst Park in Molesey. See my letter below:
As part of the ongoing improvements on the M25 junction 10 / A3 Wisley interchange, National Highways will be installing the new Wisley Lane bridge beams. As part of these improvements, the date of the full weekend closure of the A3 has now changed.
The A3 will now be closed southbound from the M25 junction 10 to the A247 at Burntcommon for one night only from:
9pm on Saturday 30 September 2023 to 9am on Sunday 1 October 2023.
The A3 northbound will remain open but will be reduced to a single lane between the B225 / A247 exit at Ripley and the M25 junction 10.
The full weekend closure in our area will now take place in October from:
9pm on Friday 13 October to 5:30am on Monday 16 October.
Local rail services update
Recently, I wrote to South Western Railway (SWR) asking for an update on the ongoing disruption to local rail services across Esher and Walton constituency.
SWR have apologised for this patch of poor performance and have explained that there is no single shared cause amongst the issues. Some are linked to the availability of rolling stock and operational incidents, and some are linked to Network Rail infrastructure like signalling. Meanwhile the recent weekend closure at Walton, Hersham and Esher stations was due to major engineering works.
I will continue to closely monitor the situation to ensure local commuters see an improvement going forward.
Catching up with Surrey Police Borough Commander, Bert Dean
It was great to catch up with Bert Dean recently to discuss local reductions in anti-social behaviour and burglaries, as well as wider action on knife crime.
A big thanks to Bert and his team for all their hard-work and commitment to protecting our community.
Catching Up with Walton BID
Thank you to Tracey Blandford and Dave Sykes for taking the time to catch me up on all things Walton BID recently.
It was great to hear about their plans for Walton town centre, including new signs that will be going up around the station and river to signpost people to the high street.
The annual Walton Heritage Day took place last week, with family fun across Walton, including the excellent street fair on Bridge Street.
Thank you to the team at Love Walton for organising the festivities!
Campaign success: Zebra crossing installed outside Walton Oak Primary School
It was brilliant to join teachers and pupils, alongside Surrey County Councillors Rachael Lake and Kevin Deanus, on Ambleside Avenue to showcase the new zebra crossing secured outside the school.
It was a great team effort with teachers and parents to help secure the necessary road safety improvements, and I am glad families can now safely cross this busy road when travelling to and from school.
Westminster Watch
In Westminster Hall last week, during a debate on energy supply for small businesses, I emphasised the support the government can provide to local businesses to generate their own energy, through renewable means such as solar panels, to bring down their bills and even supply surplus energy to the local grid.
In Esher and Walton constituency, Esher Theatre – under the management of the excellent Charlie Swift – is seeking to do just this.
I also spoke in a debate on plant biosecurity, highlighting the role the new Border Target Operating Model in levelling the playing field for UK businesses - like Tozer Seeds in Cobham - to help export their products to a growing global market.
State of the Nation
Deeds not words are required in dealing with China. Read my column for The Telegraph below:
CPI inflation fell to 6.7% in August 2023, helping to ease some of the pressure on hardworking families. The government acknowledges there is further to go. The Prime Minister has pledged to halve inflation this year.
In a boost to the UK automotive sector, BMW are set to announce a multi-million-pound investment in their Oxford MINI plant, taking investment in the UK automotive sector to over £6 billion.
Earlier in September, I wrote an article for on how deeds not words are required in dealing with China. Read my column for The Telegraph below:
