Knowle Hill Park footpath improvements fully Completed

The Knowle Hill Park footpath improvements that were undertaken last summer (2018) using CIL funding and have dramatically improved the quality of the footpath have now finally been completed (June 2019) with the installation of a radar gate at the bottom stile. This allows access for wheelchair users with a disability radar key. We thank Surrey County Council for their support with this project.

Knowle Hill Park Footpath Improvement Works Completed - Sept 2018

We are pleased to report that the resurfacing of the Knowle Hill Park footpath was completed in early September 2018 and the path has been re-opened.

The footpath work was enabled by a grant from Elmbridge Council's Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) fund and a contribution from Cobham Heritage. It has proved to be a great example of the local community working together with both Elmbridge and Surrey councils as the work was coordinated and managed by Surrey County Council's Countryside team who have done an excellent job.

The footpath will now allow local residents to use the path all year round as the new surface will ensure that the path remains usable in all weathers, it also allows local residents to walk side by side up the path - something that was not possible before due to the narrowness of the path and the vegetation overgrowth. Surrey County Council have also changed the stile at the top of the footpath to a kissing gate, making this more accessible for people of all ages and will be installing a Radar gate at the bottom of the path allowing disabled access - both of these have been funded by Surrey CC.

It should also be emphasised that cyclists are not permitted to use designated footpaths and so new signage has been installed to this effect. 

From this - Knowle Hill Park Footpath Winter 2017

To this - Knowle Hill Park Footpath Resurfaced Sept 2018

Three Footpath CIL Applications Agreed - Feb 2018

Following a presentation at the December 2017 Open Meeting and discussions and agreement at various Committee Meetings it was agreed that the Trust would submit applications for 3 footpath improvements to the Communities Infrastructure Levy funding committee (CIL). These had been identified by the Footpath working group and two projects proposed were for new footpaths and one for some significant improvement work. The 3 projects are:

• New footpath at the bottom of Leigh Hill Road, this will take advantage of the clearance work that Elmbridge Council completed for Leigh Hill Common and will result in a footpath being laid through the common area. The bottom of Leigh Hill Rd does not have a footpath so pedestrians have to walk on the verge or on the road
• New footpath on Downside Common - connecting the area near to the Cricketers Pub with Downside Common Rd. This will provide an easily accessible walking route all year long across the Common
• Footpath improvement works to the path alongside Knowle Hill Park and behind Lodge Close. This footpath has suffered from a lack of maintenance in recent years and in the winter becomes virtually impassable, very overgrown, muddy, narrow and slippery. With the support and advice of Surrey CC who are responsible for the ongoing maintenance this will be resurfaced with a loose, porous material in keeping with the rural nature of the path to a width of 1.5m.

We were delighted to be successful in all 3 applications at the end of February 2018 and were awarded a total of £49,725 of CIL funding by Elmbridge Council. Cobham Heitage will support this with a contribution of £8775. In line with the conditions of the Communities Infrastructure Levy all works need to be completed in the 2018-19 financial year.

We will be working with Elmbridge Council and Surrey CC who will be responsible for the specification, tendering and completion of the works.