Home

News archive

Format: 2024-04-25
Format: 2024-04-25

All change at Surbiton Station car park

admin: February 27, 2004 - 12:24pm

Proposed plans to change car parking at Surbiton Station are to be discussed with the public.

At 5.30pm on Monday March 15 at the Victoria Road YMCA, the public has been invited to comment on Kingston Borough's plans to improve the parking and develop housing in the South East corner.

The draft brief to be discussed, which can be downloaded from the council's website, proposes the following:

  • High density and affordable housing
  • Attractive and convenient station parking
  • Unified appearance with environment and enhance station's character
  • Environmentally sustainable features

With the possible reduced parking due to this proposed housing development, and another proposal to impose residential parking restrictions, it makes one wonder whether station car park users gain much benefit?

A word with SWT's head honcho

admin: February 9, 2004 - 11:32am

They kept it a bit quiet, but between 3pm and 5pm on Monday 9 February, www.e-motionmagazine.co.uk hosted a live online chat with Andrew Haines, South West Trains' Managing Director.

Honoured Surbitonians

admin: January 9, 2004 - 5:53pm

Several locals have received gongs in the latest New Year's Honours List.

Author Pamela Winfield will received the MBE for her work setting up the Transatlantic Children's Enterprise which is an organisation that reunites wartime GI fathers with there long lost children.

Jean Venables will receive on OBE for her work with the Thames regional flood defence committee and William Tonar McMahon, treasurer of the Royal Television Society will be awarded an MBE.

Read more in the Kingston Guardian...

Smurf drugs swoop

admin: December 15, 2003 - 4:59pm

Police raided a home in Ellerton Road on December 3rd seizing crack and heroin and arresting 13 people.

Police were alerted by neighbours who had grown suspicious by the large number of people and cars visiting the house.

After several weeks of a stake out operation the police named 'Operation Smurf' the raid netted 42 crack cocaine rocks and 24 heroin wraps. Two men were arrested under suspicion of dealing and eleven others. The two men were charged at Kingston Magistrates' Court the following day.

Read more in the Kingston Guardian...

A new street for Surbiton?

admin: December 3, 2003 - 3:40pm

A planning application has been submitted for the old Post Office building and Sorting Office. The plan includes a new pedestrianised street from Victoria Road to St. Mary's Road.

Cabbies not happy with station plans

admin: November 17, 2003 - 5:10pm

The recently annouced forecourt changes to Surbiton station have met with opposition by it's most frequent users, the taxi drivers.

The changes planned for the front and rear entrance roadways are intended to improve accessability, but the cabbies aren't happy with the £150,000 scheme as it will reduce the space available for parking their taxis. The current allocation of 30 places is to be replaced with just 22.

The Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association have lodged an objection to Transport for London and Kingston Council asking for alternative parking to be considered by the Surbiton neighbourhood commitee at their meeting in mid December.

Clean and friendly station?

admin: November 8, 2003 - 7:06pm

South West Trains has named Surbiton station as it's award winner for cleanliness and friendliness. Did they confuse it with another Surbiton somewhere?

The station gets a £1,000 prize and each staff member gets a £50 token. Shame they can't do anything about the service though.

It's an interesting comparison to it's other recent nomination for 'The Hans Christian Anderson award for most original excuse.'

Read the rest in the Kingston Guardian...

Vandal told to clean up

admin: November 7, 2003 - 11:23am

A graffiti vandal has been ordered to repair his damage after a tagging spree centred in Surbiton.

Tom Coles, a 21 year old student living at Knights Park, has been told to serve 160 hours special 'enhanced community punishment', after admitting 26 counts of criminal damage.

His distinctive NFC tag had been appearing throughout the Surbiton, Kingston and Berrylands area over a period of a few weeks.

He was finally caught after being captured on CCTV whilst spraying his tag on the Bar Eivissa in Kingston.

Read more in the Kingston Guardian...

Infested nurses

admin: October 27, 2003 - 11:55am

Apparently an anonymous nurse has told the papers that Newlands, the converted 20s Surbiton mansion house is in a dilapidated state.

It's reported that there are cockroaches in the kitchen, rising damp, rotting windows and one shower to share between 13 residents.

Let hope they wash their hands once they get to the hospital.

Read more grotty details in the Kingston Guardian...

Surbiton transport gets marketing after all

admin: October 20, 2003 - 11:45am

After the recent story about South West Trains exclusion of Surbiton from their Open Network initiative, it appears Transport for London will be piloting their own Travel Options marketing scheme in it's place.

With a £750,000 budget to spend on marketing, Surbiton will be the focus of the campaign along with Enfield, Southwark and Lambeth.

The intention is to convince people to give up their cars and use alternatives instead - including walking, cycling, buses and trains, though disheartened SWT passengers would probably argue that only the first three options are the only viable alternatives. This may be the reason SWT were reluctant to promote their service in Surbiton.