The first issue of The Cobham Magazine in association with The Cobham Chamber Of Commerce has been launched. The magazine has been produced with the help of many businesses on and off our High Street with articles throughout written by Cobham people and familiar faces for Cobham people about Cobham.

We have joined forces with some of our village's High Street experts covering everything and anything from health and beauty, financial advice to items that will enhance the beauty of your home all with one thing in common - you'll find them in Cobham.

Look out for the magazine when you visit Cobham or download an electronic copy by clicking on the front cover. Warning, this is a large download.

If you are on Facebook be sure to click and LIKE our page (@cobhamourvillage) to keep up to date with all the goings on in Cobham and keep visiting this website for some exclusive Cobham village card offers!

We hope you'll enjoy this quarterly magazine and look forward to many more issues in the future!

Summer 2017

We are delighted to see that work is commencing on Holly Parade at the centre of the High Street, which will bring welcome rejuvenation and added retail space.

Although the whole development is scheduled to complete by December 2018, we anticipate that the ground floor and the overall structure is likely to be established well within that period, with any significant disruption to the High Street largely completed within 2017.

7 empty shops in Holly Parade on the High Street have been empty since January 2016, you will have noticed the loss of parking spaces that were behind the shops.

We have received many questions about parking, closed shops, what is going on and the time taken to 'sort it out' - not necessarily in that order.

A flurry of publicity about proposals for the site and some local meetings to outline and potentally 'reshape' those proposals, may have answered those questions for you.

However, I would like to fill in some details, let you know what the Chamber of Commerce has been doing about the site and, most importantly, encourage you to express your own views to the planning authority - whether supportive of what has been proposed, or against the plans, or even just to make observations and comments.

The more local opinion that is put before Elmbridge BC Planners, the more likely the outcome will reflect local opinion.

Overview

Since January, the Chamber of Commerce has been talking to the freeholder's [Standard Life] representatives and the potential developers to confirm their plans for Holly Parade as an important part of our High Street.

There was potential for the site to be turned into only one or two retail units on the ground floor, replacing the existing 7 smaller units, which would be attractive to a 'national' and M&S was mentioned - as was Tesco's ['Metro']; also, larger non food shops might be interested.

Many people might support this type of develoment for Cobham, but the loss of smaller units that are usually local independent shops, would mean a different feel for Cobham, with less diversity and looser connection to the Cobham community. In times of economic difficulty, local independent shops are more likely to be resilient and less likely to 'cut and run' leaving empty stores.

Also, for community local events, we get good support from independent shops and businesses for Christmas Lights and celebration flags [Remembrance Day, Heritage Day, etc.], Butvery few 'nationals' or larger stores offer any financial support or contribution to local events. In fact, in most cases we cant even identify the right person to contact at national chains.

We believe it is fortunate that a local firm of developers - Levanter - developed proposals for Holly Parade. We have had several meetings with the two principal owners of Levanter, who themselves have lived in the Cobham area for over 50 years between them.
This is an important point, since we are not facing proposals from distant financiers who have no personal 'stake' in our local environment, although it does not necessarily mean that everyone will agree with what they propose or how it appears! Nonetheless, their proposals are attached and we were equally pleased to note that they took community views and interests 'on board' and include 5 retail units rahter than 1 or 2.

Please look at their proposals in detail and consider your own view on them - and make this known to Elmbridge. The formal date for expressing your views was 9th September 2016, but this is likely to go to the Planning Committee, in which case all expressions submitted before the committee date will be included.

The detailed plans can be found at www.elmbridge.gov.uk/planning/find-application/ under planning ref: 2016/2185 or use this link to go direct to the planning application http://bit.ly/2bDlJxm 

You can email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or write to The Planning Officer, Elmbridge Borough Council, Civic Centre, High Street, Esher, KT10 9SD quoting the planning reference shown above and most importantly your Name and Address.

Separately, we were keen for the developers to make use of the premises in the run up to re-development and the units are now being made available for 'pop up' shops to use for 3 months or so over the christmas period - there are already discussions with various shops to take up the opportunity, which will be a welcome sight for a few months to see the shops re-opening.

In the period before demolition work we are also discussing the option to use the car parking spaces, on a temporary basis, and when we have more news on this we will be pleased to let you know.

In the meantime, have a great autumn!

Alistair Mann
Chairman
Cobham Chamnber of Commerce

As you may be aware the Holly Parade shops between Lloyds Pharmacy and Boots the Chemist are being redeveloped and those busineses have relocated. We are glad to say, with the exception of Inside Out, all the businesses have found alternative premises in Cobham. Do go and visit them to show your support.

• Jeremy Hobbs is now next to the HSBC Bank at 3 Oakdene Parade, Cobham KT11 2LR.
• Jeffrey's Carpets is now at 51 High Street , Cobham, Surrey KT11 3DP, next to Questa.
• Evie Loves Toast is now at 6 Anyards Road, Cobham, KT11 2JZ between Boyce Thornton and the Travellers Boutique.
• Farrants Office Shop is now incorporated within their new store at 15-19 High Street, Cobham, Surrey, KT11 3DH.
• The American Dry Cleaning Company are now situated at 19 Oakdene Parade, Cobham, KT11 2LR near Cobham Cameras.
• Inside Out have moved to their existing store at 138 Oatlands Dr, Oatlands Village, Weybridge KT13 9HJ.

It's not clear at this stage when the Holly Parade site will be redeveloped but we hope it will be soon. When we have further details we will post it here.

Cobham at Christmas returns again this year on Friday 27th November 2015 at 4pm.

All all the usual stalls will be there and the shops will stay open late so you can get a head start on your Christmas shopping.

The annual light parade will make its way from St Andrews School starting at 6:30pm and make its way through Lockhart Road, Canada Road, Freelands Road, Anyards Road and into the High Street at 7pm to herald the lights being switched on. The Parade will then turn into Church Street where it will end and parade members can return to enjoy the Cobham at Christmas lights and event.

There will be a "rolling road closure" as the parade progresses but expect road closures to limit access in the area from 6:30pm until about 7:15pm.

More information will appear here soon. You can also keep in touch via our Facebook page www.facebook.com/cobhamatchristmas

Have a look at our video from 2012 by clicking this link

Festive Greetings from all Cobham Chamber of Commerce business members, We look forward to seeing you on Friday 27th November.