Welcome to CranleighHighStreet.uk 

Thank you for visiting our website - CranleighHighStreet.uk are a group of local Cranleigh people. We want a village that is accessible, and which can be enjoyed by all, where local businesses, sports clubs, schools can thrive and prosper, and which is attractive to visitors and residents alike.  

As you may be aware Surrey County Council are proposing major changes to the High Street

November 2024 Update

New Proposals and Public Engagement

Surrey County Council have announced two engagement events on proposed changes to Cranleigh High Street. These are due to take place at Cranleigh Village Hall on: 

Monday 2^nd December (4.30pm – 8.00pm) and 

Wednesday 4^th December (11.30am – 3.00pm).

You can see a copy of SCC’s letter to residents about the engagement events below.

The proposals being presented by SCC have not been discussed in detail or agreed by the Stakeholder Group on which we are represented. We believe the proposals are a simple rehash of previous designs and lack any real logic. As a result, the Save the Heart of Cranleigh team does not support them.

However, at this stage, the most important thing, is that the residents and businesses of Cranleigh take part in the engagement – by viewing the proposals and giving their feedback on them.

We understand that paper questionnaires about the proposals will be handed out at the engagement events at the Village Hall – however we feel that providing feedback online via the Commonplace website is a better way of ensuring that your views are heard.

We have put together a list of issues that you might like to consider when giving your feedback, and also, a list of questions that we believe require answering by the SCC project team – both of which you can find below. At the bottom of this update, you will find a small number of questions that we have already put to the project team, along with their response. Our view, is that you cannot expect people to provide feedback on ideas such as narrowing the road, if you do not specify what the new road width will be!

In addition to the two engagement events, we understand that the designs will be on display in Cranleigh Library from Thursday 5^th December to Friday 13^th December, and we have been assured that they will also be available online at https://cranleighhighstreet.commonplace.is/.

Some people may tell you that if we do not accept these changes then we will lose the money allocated to Cranleigh by SCC. Our view, is that we would rather see the changes limited to Fountain Square, repairing the pavements, and dealing with any drainage issues - than accept proposals which will cause significant disruption to the High Street for no gain.

Issues you might want to consider 

• Do the potential benefits of each idea outweigh the impact of the disruption to the shops, cafes, other businesses, and residents of Cranleigh, while the work is carried out?
• Do the changes proposed represent effective use of available funds?
• Will the proposals improve or worsen congestion in Cranleigh?
• Will the proposals create a more attractive place for everyone to enjoy?
• Will the proposals make it easier or harder for people to walk, cycle or use public transport to get into the village?
• Will the proposals make visitors to Cranleigh stay for longer and benefit the community?
• Will the proposals support the local economy?
• Are these works really necessary?

Questions that we believe require answering by the SCC project team

Implementation – Timescales and Disruption

• If all the proposed changes were implemented - how many weeks/months of two-way traffic lights/road closures would Cranleigh be subjected to?
• If the proposals are agreed, when will the work start and finish, and will any of it happen at the same time as construction of the new leisure centre?
• If any work is carried out at night how would the noise impact people who live on or very near the High Street.

Knowle Lane Junction

• How far will the pavement be moved into the High Street at the Knowle Lane junction?
• Will the feeder lane to turn right into Knowle Lane from the High Street be retained, and, what will the width of the High Street be at this point?
• If the feeder lane is removed, how will this impact congestion - given that illegal parking outside the tyre fitters frequently restricts access into Knowle Lane?
• Large HGVs regularly turn down Knowle Lane to deliver to Sainsbury’s and Superdrug, how will they be able to turn safely if the High Street is narrowed at this junction?

Pedestrian Crossing Points

• Why is there a need for a new raised zebra crossing just 70 metres from a Pelican crossing?
• How will the expanded area of pavement outside M&S work with the zebra crossing?

On-street Parking

• How many on street parking spaces will be lost in the High Street?
• How many on-street disabled parking bays will be available if the proposals are carried out?

Bus Laybys

• If you reduce the size of the bus laybys, where will buses that are waiting to start their return journey park (for services such as the 42, 25 and 24 that serve the surrounding villages and Elmbridge Village)?

Other

• How will the proposals affect coaches turning into and out of Rowland Road?
• What size is the proposed loading bay outside WH Smith? Will it be large enough for lorries or is it just for vans?
• How will you ensure that businesses use the new loading bay instead of stopping elsewhere on the High Street?
• When a lorry is delivering to the butcher – how will traffic negotiate the parked lorry and the new zebra crossing?
• Why have you decided to remove the section of the High Street from Superdrug to Horseshoe Lane from your plans?
• Why aren’t you upgrading the Downs Link to improve traffic free pedestrian and cycling access to the Village?
• What happens to the money paid by developers for the benefit of Cranleigh if the residents of Cranleigh do not like most of your proposals? Why can’t it be used to upgrade the Downs Link?
• What are the next steps after this engagement? Will you present revised designs to the community?
• What are the final designs for Fountain Square, when will the community see them, when will the work start?

We have put many of these questions to SCC, but they have either refused to answer them or stated that at this stage they do not know the answer. We fail to understand how SCC can put proposed changes to the High Street before residents and businesses, when they cannot answer the most basic questions about the impact of them. Perhaps you will have better luck getting answers.

We will continue to post updates here, and we also suggest that you keep an eye on the project website: https://cranleighhighstreet.commonplace.is/ - where you can sign-up to receive updates on the project from Surrey County Council.