By Sophie Martin, clerk of Limpsfield Parish Council
On 5 October, despite the rather ominous sky, the sun came out for the launch of Tandridge Access Group‘s new mobility gates. These now enable wheelchair and mobility scooter users to cross the Glebe Fields that link Granville Road to Detillens Lane.
The gates have been funded by Surrey County Councillor Cameron McIntosh, through Your Fund Surrey. Limpsfield Parish Council provided additional funding to upgrade the pathway surfacing in the run up to the gates at both ends and across the Brook Field on the previously muddy lower part of the path.
There was a cheerful gathering, including members of Surrey County Council’s Your Fund Surrey team, chairman of Tandridge District Council Chris Botten, who cut the ribbon at the Granville Road gate, District Councillor Jackie Wren and Cllr Tom Briggs and Ann Osborn of Limpsfield Parish Council. Also present was Andy Wright of Conservation and Access, who installed the gates and did the path improvement, chairman of Tandridge Access Group Andy Buchan and other members including two mobility scooter users, Sandra Essex and Julie Ludbrook.
Cllr Cameron McIntosh officially opened the gate at Detillens Lane.
Ann Osborn, who facilitated and submitted the funding application on behalf of Tandridge Access Group, said:
“I’m grateful for Cameron’s support and that the new mobility gates were a great addition to the footpath network across Limpsfield.”
The parish council has been upgrading this with new gates, stiles and surface works over the last four years, and the newly accessible path now gives access to the Limpsfield Way walk, which was also funded by Your Fund Surrey.
Cameron said that the gates were unique in this area of Surrey and a huge achievement for the parties involved. As the link between Oxted and Limpsfield, it is really important that this path should be accessible. He praised Limpsfield Parish Council for their work on all the footpaths in the area and said that improving footpaths and making as many key paths accessible for all was very important, and something he supported wholeheartedly. He hoped this would be continued into the future and across a wider area.
Sandra Essex, who has lived in the area for years, said it was wonderful to see the Glebe Fields (a designated Local Green Space), as she had never been able to access them before: a perfect illustration of why these accessible footpaths are so important.
