text of a letter from the Chairman of Leatherhead AHEAD 3 May 2004 to:

Mr Paul Coen
Chief Executive
Surrey County Council
County Hall
Kingston upon Thames
Surrey KT1 2DN

3 May 2004

Dear Mr Coen

Leatherhead Phase 2 works - Review Report - Your Response

Thank you for your reply dated 29 March 2004.

I appreciate that you do not agree with our opinion regarding the Phase 2 works, but would like you to read the attached document which invalidates the reply by Roger Archer-Reeves.

I also attach a copy of the letter we received from CABE which denies that it ‘expressed praise for the changes to Leatherhead High Street since the unfortunate television programme’, and highlights that ‘there is an awful lot to do’.

I would also correct your understanding that all is well in Leatherhead – the Leatherhead Town Centre Forum has set up various working groups with the aim of eg. correcting the lack of parking spaces and poor signage. These working groups would not need to exist unless SCC and MVDC were failing to return Leatherhead to the thriving town it used to be.

I see no point in meeting with Roger Archer-Reeves to go through our report, as we do not agree with his response. The situation is, to put it bluntly, that Surrey County Council have ‘screwed up’ over the Phase 2 works and owe it to the people of Leatherhead to make amends. For example, there are some remedies to some of the problems in Leatherhead that could be instigated if Surrey County Council had a will to do it.

I would like you to take a personal interest and meet with me (not the Councils) in Leatherhead so you can see for yourself what the policies of Surrey County Council have done to our beloved town.

I look forward to hearing from you again.

Yours sincerely
Paula Sabine
Chairman
Leatherhead AHEAD

cc Leatherhead Advertiser, Surrey Advertiser, Heather Kerswell (MVDC), Roger Archer-Reeves (SCC), Mole Valley Local Committee members, MVDC Councillors.