It was nearly standing room only at Holy Trinity Church on 9 November as more than 200 Claygate residents crowded in to share their thoughts on what makes Claygate special.
The discussion was the centrepiece of the Claygate Village Association AGM and, in an energetic session led by CVA trustee Steve Wells, residents from every corner of Claygate contributed their views. Crucially, this input from residents is the first building block for CVA’s new initiative “Claygate: The Way Forward” (CTWF) – as Steve framed it “We need to be aligned with residents’ views of what makes Claygate special, so we can fight to protect and preserve the things that matter to people”.
Fresh from persuading Elmbridge Borough Council to pull its plan for redeveloping the Torrington Lodge car park without any local consultation, CVA has been asked by Elmbridge to submit its thoughts not only on the car park redevelopment, but also to set those in the context of what kind of Claygate we want going forward. The CTWF initiative is the framework for our submission.
A number of consistent themes emerged from the AGM discussion
Claygate is uniquely well located for access to the surrounding areas and to London, but is a separate, distinct village with a strong internal character that allows Claygate people to face both out and in
The A3, rail line and bus services are the arteries connecting Claygate with the outside world…
…but the village is separate and distinct – or as one resident put it “As you come from London to the southwest, you leave the urban sprawl and Claygate is the first place you come to that has green land all around”
Claygate’s sense of identity is based on our superior wealth of physical focus points
The Parade of thriving, independent small shops and services
Holy Trinity Church, with its mass of outreach activities
The Rec – every village needs a great recreation ground and ours is one of the best, hosting the Flower Show, The Gig on the Rec, sports events and more
The Village Green at the heart of the old village
Claygate’s rich range of pubs, cafes and restaurants
… as well as its leafy residential streets and proximity to woodland and open countryside
This physical affiliation accompanies an emotional connection
Claygate is a welcoming, friendly place – as another resident said “As an incomer, friends where I lived before said I was foolish to retire so far away but within three months we were invited to meet all our neighbours. We know so many people, Saturday mornings are a treat, visiting the Parade, it is a tonic to meet people and a remedy to loneliness”
Claygate has a superb community life, with a myriad of clubs and associations for every age and interest - scouts, guides, cricket, tennis, the Claygate Royals, martial arts, dance classes, drama, music, WI and much more
Claygate is, as a resident said “An attitude as well as a place” – we are generally easy-going but can be roused to passionate protest if we see changes that threaten the special character of the village – especially if there has been no consultation
We want to know what you think
We need to capture as wide a pool of residents’ views as possible – if you agree with the thoughts expressed at the AGM, please tell us; if you disagree or want to add more, please tell us as well!
Either way, you can reach us either via the Contact form or by dropping us a line on claygateresidents@gmail.com