A planning application has recently been submitted for Horton Children’s Farm, Epsom (ref. 11/00511/FUL). Although the summary of the planning application appears innocuous (extension to barn etc.), the underlying detailed documentation rings a few alarm bells!
Comments need to be received by next Thursday September 1st.
The application has been submitted by potential new leaseholders Kidspace Ltd; they have an option until February to take over the farm’s lease.
Kidspace already run two large indoor play areas within retail parks. One is in Croydon (Purley Way) and one is in Romford. They are aimed at children 12 yrs and under.
The plus points?
The indoor and outdoor play equipment will be new and revamped, the tea shop will be better, new party room, outdoor play equipment moved further away from homes in McKenzie Way.
Concerns
1) Children's Amusement Park not Children's Farm?
In the application, Kidspace reference two sites which they compare themselves to. One is Willows Farm (St. Albans) and one is Old MacDonald's Farm (Brentwood). These sites are different in nature to the existing children’s farm. Instead they seem like mini theme parks and country fairs all rolled into one very noisy mix.
This is the web site for Willows www.willowsfarmvillage.com
If you click on number 19 (Willows Sheepstakes sheep racing) you can view a short clip. Note the loud hailer/tannoy commentary. This takes place twice a day in summer every day.
There are also other activities where loud hailers/ tannoys/ public address systems are used frequently. Eg "Tristan the runaway tractor - number 25. There is also a children’s disco.
In fact, there is an action packed programme of outdoor events/shows happening roughly every 15 minutes throughout the day.
The submitted plans include sheep racing. My concern is that Kidspace are perhaps aspiring towards the Willows Farm model of farm (with tannoys/music/shows and possibly fairground rides) rather than the existing traditional style farm we have which operates without any of those things.
2) Opening Hours
The opening hours proposed are much longer than the opening hours on the current site - 9am to 8pm weekends 9am to 7pm weekdays.
3) Size of the New Wooden Play Area
The proposed outdoor wooden play area will be centrally located and further away from homes on McKenzie Way. It will however stand at 9m tall at its highest. The tallest of the current play structures is 5.5m, so significantly taller.
Asking For Conditions on the Permission
The deadline for comments on this application is next Thursday September 1st.
You can have your say by this date.
Planning permission on a site can be restricted by planning conditions.
I intend to ask for the following conditions:
• No tannoys, loud hailers or any other public address system or any amplified music on the site at any time to protect residential amenities and wildlife in Horton Country Park.
• No fairground rides on the site as they are not compatible with the site’s usage in my opinion and could be very noisy. The site has D1 (non residential education and training centres) and not D2 (assembly and leisure). D2 would include amusement/theme parks. We have Chessington around the corner if you want all that.
• The opening hours to be in line with other similar facilities in the area and not the 9am – 7pm or 8pm proposed.
You can comment online:
http://eplanning.epsom-ewell.gov.uk/online...l=LPNTDEGY8H000
The idea of development in Epsom is great and very positive for the area, don't get me wrong, it just needs to be done in the right way in my opinion.
This blog is about my daily observations and experiences as a mum to two beautiful boys, as we enjoy the trials and tribulations of growing up, and of managing my eldest child's Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome. I have had a complete career change and am now working working as a teaching assistant. I have a passion for the Paralympic Games and I'm trying to find my way setting up a blog.
Friday, 26 August 2011
Monday, 22 August 2011
A Day Out at Brooklands Motor Museum
Sudden realisation that there are not many days of the summer holiday left spurred us into taking another day out, but fed up of the crowds at other attractions, we decided to head to Brooklands Motor Museum. We were there early but they let us in before the official opening time - a refreshing change from various theme parks which make you wait behind barriers until a couple of minutes after the official opening time, and an indication of the fantastic customer service we received from paid staff and volunteers alike.
With two children under 5 and a two for one adult ticket, (courtesy of our membership card for Painshill park), the entry cost us £11 (for one adult); bargain! We headed straight for the racing cars where the children were able to sit in a real racing car, and then the adults took turns in the driving simulator. No queues! It didn't go down too well when I beat hubby's time by 2 seconds! Apparently he had his foot on the brake.....
We then went to the discovery centre for children, and although this could do with a little attention the children enjoyed some hands on experiments. They loved winding the lever to make enough energy to power Toby the train around a track, and standing on a bridge they built out of wooden blocks. Experiments with telephones were some of the most popular, and although at 2 and 4 they weren't much interested in the theory, they enjoyed having a go. I've seen some of these displays elsewhere but the children never seem to tire of seeing a ball sitting on top of an air plume.
The children wanted to see some planes so we investigated the aircraft hanger. They had replicas of very early planes, and the children were able to sit in the cockpit of a jump-jet. The four year old then interrogated one of the volunteers about bouncing bombs and whether they were dropped on the heads of goodies or baddies...it later prompted a whole afternoon in the garden bouncing wet tennis balls up the path.
Throughout the holidays they have classic car rides on part of the original race track, the worlds first purpose built racing track. It took our breath away to drive so fast (we later found out it was about 40mph) at a huge angle. The eldest drew parallels to the Disney Cars when Doc Hudson puts on his racing wheels and races around the track and bank. Very happy boys; "again again" is all I could hear them shouting. These rides are just a £1 each on top of the entry fee.
We decided against the Concorde experience, but they loved looking at the plane with the pointy nose. They had great fun looking over the various planes, they've never flown, partly due to the eldest son's medical problems. All the planes had helpful volunteers to explain the details. The children loved seeing pictures of how Freddy Laker used to take his Rolls Royce on his plane!
The London Bus Museum was a complete bonus. It has recently moved there and has not officially been opened yet. Starting with horse drawn buses it has models right up to more recent times. The great excitement was seeing a 1953 bus from the very route my mother and uncle used to take to school; between Aylesbury via Tring and onto Hemel Hempstead. As a 1953 bus it would have been in service exactly when they were travelling to school on a daily basis, and in all liklihood she travelled on that very bus. Later, she was able to recall the number of the bus (301) without me showing her the photo. She is very excited and desperate to ride on it, she can remember the noise it made up and down the hills. We wished we'd known they had this but before she hired an ordinary Routemaster bus just weeks ago to celebrate her 70th birthday. Hey ho!
The final wonderful new addition for us was the soft play area in the cafe. It's large and safe and allowed the children to really let off steam whilst we were able to supervise them and enjoy a great lunch followed by cake! My one disappointment in the whole place was the absence of tea spoons! Dessert spoons are a bit tricky for a two year old to feed themselves, I've never before been to a restaurant which cannot find a tea spoon! Still, if that's the only criticism it all adds up to a great day out!
With two children under 5 and a two for one adult ticket, (courtesy of our membership card for Painshill park), the entry cost us £11 (for one adult); bargain! We headed straight for the racing cars where the children were able to sit in a real racing car, and then the adults took turns in the driving simulator. No queues! It didn't go down too well when I beat hubby's time by 2 seconds! Apparently he had his foot on the brake.....
We then went to the discovery centre for children, and although this could do with a little attention the children enjoyed some hands on experiments. They loved winding the lever to make enough energy to power Toby the train around a track, and standing on a bridge they built out of wooden blocks. Experiments with telephones were some of the most popular, and although at 2 and 4 they weren't much interested in the theory, they enjoyed having a go. I've seen some of these displays elsewhere but the children never seem to tire of seeing a ball sitting on top of an air plume.
The children wanted to see some planes so we investigated the aircraft hanger. They had replicas of very early planes, and the children were able to sit in the cockpit of a jump-jet. The four year old then interrogated one of the volunteers about bouncing bombs and whether they were dropped on the heads of goodies or baddies...it later prompted a whole afternoon in the garden bouncing wet tennis balls up the path.
Throughout the holidays they have classic car rides on part of the original race track, the worlds first purpose built racing track. It took our breath away to drive so fast (we later found out it was about 40mph) at a huge angle. The eldest drew parallels to the Disney Cars when Doc Hudson puts on his racing wheels and races around the track and bank. Very happy boys; "again again" is all I could hear them shouting. These rides are just a £1 each on top of the entry fee.
We decided against the Concorde experience, but they loved looking at the plane with the pointy nose. They had great fun looking over the various planes, they've never flown, partly due to the eldest son's medical problems. All the planes had helpful volunteers to explain the details. The children loved seeing pictures of how Freddy Laker used to take his Rolls Royce on his plane!
The London Bus Museum was a complete bonus. It has recently moved there and has not officially been opened yet. Starting with horse drawn buses it has models right up to more recent times. The great excitement was seeing a 1953 bus from the very route my mother and uncle used to take to school; between Aylesbury via Tring and onto Hemel Hempstead. As a 1953 bus it would have been in service exactly when they were travelling to school on a daily basis, and in all liklihood she travelled on that very bus. Later, she was able to recall the number of the bus (301) without me showing her the photo. She is very excited and desperate to ride on it, she can remember the noise it made up and down the hills. We wished we'd known they had this but before she hired an ordinary Routemaster bus just weeks ago to celebrate her 70th birthday. Hey ho!
The final wonderful new addition for us was the soft play area in the cafe. It's large and safe and allowed the children to really let off steam whilst we were able to supervise them and enjoy a great lunch followed by cake! My one disappointment in the whole place was the absence of tea spoons! Dessert spoons are a bit tricky for a two year old to feed themselves, I've never before been to a restaurant which cannot find a tea spoon! Still, if that's the only criticism it all adds up to a great day out!
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
Claremont Gardens, Esher, Surrey
Spent a lovely day with friends at Claremont Gardens, a National Trust property in Esher today. Visitors should ask for a map of Curiosities of Claremont. Trips here always start for us with a stop at the new and lovely playground, (duck feeding opportunities on the way). Perhaps more suitable for slightly older children my 2 year old still enjoys it, but parents must stay vigilant, as the "castle" has some big drops. My nearly five year old loves all the climbing options though. Naturally there is a sign which says it is suitable for children of 7+. We tried the mount today; not at all suitable for pushchairs! The children love running up the ditch (called a Ha Ha!). Last week they had crafts in the thatched cottage; for £1.50 you can pick a craft pack, such as a box, bag or sun-visor kit and sit and glue, colour and make to your hearts content. The kids love it. We normally continue up the hill past the crown tree, where the children count the crowns and find a picnic spot in the shade of the lollipop limes. The children can find the statues of the wild boar, bear and peacock, and then have a good run on hide and seek hill and giant's steps. There are funny trees, a kissing tree, tricky tree trunk, ninepin alley, a secret castle, and many other things to look out for as you walk. It's all very manageable for young children although we always take the push chair, there are some steep hills. A tea room with a lovely seating area and a small shop area is also available.
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
Back to School Chores
Well I decided not to leave things to the last minute this year; with three of us starting at three different schools this September I don't want a last minute panic. So the new school uniform is (mostly) ordered, Granny is already changing name tags from Child One to Child Two on the existing old school uniform, and dishwasher proof name labels are stuck in readiness on drinks bottles. The other items on the list are haircuts and new shoes. Haircuts would have to wait a little while, but shoes needed to be dealt with, not least because Child Two only has a pair of sandals which currently fit, and there has been enough rain lately to persuade me he needs a pair of decent strong shoes. So, we set off down to Clarks in Epsom to see what they had to offer. Child One's feet were duly measured on their special machine; he's gone up one size so I am persuaded by the helpful sales assistant that he needs new shoes to last until (at least) December.... and that of course means trainers too. Child Two is immediately in uproar as his feet have to measured by hand (apparently they are too small) and he wants to use the machine too! He is only going to be at pre-school three mornings a week but the uniform list specifies black shoes. One of the days is a Friday when they do PE - so he needs trainers too. He is measured at a 7.5, and I peep inside my bag to double check the old pair of Child One's shoes which I brought with me, and sure enough they are size 7.5. I want to ask the assistant to check the fit of his feet in the old shoes but can't; this would surely be frowned upon even if they were Clarks..... but actually they are Start Right!
Would it be OK for Child Two to use second hand shoes?
Every pair of shoes the assistant shows us I find myself thinking 'could we use Child One's old ones....?' but everyone knows little feet need to be taken care of with properly fitting shoes. And of course I need trainers too.....
My difficulty is solved (in a way) when Child Two states that EVERY pair of shoes he tries on is "not comfy". Every pair! The assistant assures me they fit well and I should buy them and take them home and all will all be fine, but how can I when he says they hurt his feet? So we come home with shoes for Child One only (£58) , and the saga will have to be continued on another day. Meanwhile I am just thankful to have made it out of the shop without them falling down the stairs as they ran around the shop testing their trainers.
Child One now has handy little name labels in orange for left and blue for right in his shoe, which also show the shape of the foot which goes in each shoe. This is to help the law of averages which should mean that eventually he is able to get the right shoe on the right foot, but it hasn't happened so far. Haircuts next!
Would it be OK for Child Two to use second hand shoes?
Every pair of shoes the assistant shows us I find myself thinking 'could we use Child One's old ones....?' but everyone knows little feet need to be taken care of with properly fitting shoes. And of course I need trainers too.....
My difficulty is solved (in a way) when Child Two states that EVERY pair of shoes he tries on is "not comfy". Every pair! The assistant assures me they fit well and I should buy them and take them home and all will all be fine, but how can I when he says they hurt his feet? So we come home with shoes for Child One only (£58) , and the saga will have to be continued on another day. Meanwhile I am just thankful to have made it out of the shop without them falling down the stairs as they ran around the shop testing their trainers.
Child One now has handy little name labels in orange for left and blue for right in his shoe, which also show the shape of the foot which goes in each shoe. This is to help the law of averages which should mean that eventually he is able to get the right shoe on the right foot, but it hasn't happened so far. Haircuts next!
Monday, 8 August 2011
Riots Close to Home
Sad Sad Sad.... I like many decent people will be greatly saddened to see the news tonight and what is happening on the streets of London, just miles from where I live. This is a free country, we have the right to free speech and the right to protest.....not this. These people do not deserve to live in a free society, because with freedom comes responsibility; responsibility to behave like a civilised human being. Responsibility to respect the homes, lives and businesses of innocent people. I admire the police, fire and ambulance workers heading into mob rule tonight, risking their lives. There will be many partners, parents, children of these emergency service workers wondering if their loved one will be returning home, and for what? Something has gone very wrong. I pray there are no fatalities or serious injuries tonight.
New To Blogging
This is the first entry on my blog, I'm not sure it's going to work as I am teaching myself, hoping I can surprise friends and family with my technological ability..... hmmmm! I'm wanting to write more but most of all I want to see if I can actually post a blog, so this may be short and sweet.
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