Author: Andrew Taylor

THE Town Council is to discuss the future of St Margaret’s Loop at a meeting of the Amenities and Tourism committee tonight.

The loop is a piece of former railway line which was left redundant when the present commuter line to London replaced the former High and Low lines in the sixties.

St Margaret’s Loop goes off to the right in this picture

Reaching in a loop from behind the station up as far as Martell’s Charlwoods Road site it is badly overgrown, and lined with unsafe trees.

The area has become home to many bird, mammal and plant species – as well as a dumping ground for unwanted rubbish.

The land is jointly owned by Sustrans, the Town Council and Martells.

Its future is on tonight’s agenda because Sustrans have told the Council that if they can’t come up with a joint plan to upgrade and restore the loop Sustrans will look at developing their section alone.

“There has been some misconception in the Neighbourhood Plan consultation that ‘resolving the issue of St Margaret’s Loop’ meant selling it for housing. This has not been suggested by the Town Council which has always wanted to retain the Loop for public use as an area of recreation,” said Town Clerk Julie Holden.

“Other options include filling it in, and selling or leasing it to the gardens that back on to the cutting.

“A bike or walkway would retain the green avenue, but it may still be raised and some of the trees and vegetation removed.

“We would not like to see it developed for housing – but that begs the question ‘what could it be used for?’

“It is very, very early days. The Town Council very much wants to have a say in what happens to the loop, but we own only a small part of the land and if we fail to come to a mutual agreement, the other landowners could just do their own thing.

“But nothing is going to happen soon, and tonight’s meeting will simply open the discussion.

“Environmental and planning issues would take an enormous amount of work and effort to resolve, so we need at least to start thinking.”

One dilemma faced by the Town Council is that while there is no public access to their land, members of the public injured in the cutting could hold the Council liable, even though they were trespassing.

Another option the Council could consider would be to partially infill the area to create a gradual slope suitable for walkers and cyclists between Green Hedges and the station – if Sustrans or Martells would give permission for public access.

The cost would be ‘significant’ but could be offset by the revenue attracted by offering the site for hard core.

THE Town Council’s tourist team – Simon Kerr and Dawn Spalding – joined forces with East Grinstead’s biggest tourist attraction at the Ardingly Show this year.

The resulting collaboration was not only “good fun”, said Simon afterwards, but it gave both of them a new insight into the many events and activities which the Bluebell runs in the course of a year.

Simon was slightly surprised to hear the words Santa Specials bandied about quite so often under the hot June sun as people claimed their early bird discounts during the Ardingly event.

But he had nothing but praise for the Bluebell’s catering.

“We were looked after very well by the Bluebell crew who supplied us with tea and coffee throughout the day. In fact the service was so good we felt that we just had to present them with two of our very own new East Grinstead mugs by way of a thank you. It’s good to think that our mugs will now follow the Bluebell’s crew as they go from show to show through the year.”

SIR Archibald McIndoe’s tribute statue has been in place on the McIndoe Lawn for less than a week but he is already proving himself at home and making friends.

Cllr John O’Brien caught this group taking in our new neighbour, but they were just some of the many visitors who popped along on Saturday to say hello and welcome…

McIndoe Statue in #EastGrinstead is proving a real magnet for visitors this morning. @McIndoeMemorial pic.twitter.com/RL9hujymNl

— John O'Brien (@objohnny) June 14, 2014

WHEN four-year-old, four-inch-long tortoise Galaxy was rounded up by immigration staff at Heathrow he faced a bleak future, until he was adopted by the staff at East Grinstead library and offered a new home.

He’s been named Galaxy – because like the library computer of the same name he can be a bit slow – and according to Town Promotions Officer Simon Kerr, who photographed him, he is the perfect library pet.

“He’s quiet and he doesn’t rush around,” laughed Simon, describing his new library colleague.

FOLLOWING the unveiling of the McIndoe statue on Monday, Jacquie Russell – one of the organsiers of the town’s first-ever food swap – asked if she could switch venues for the event from outside The Market Square to the site of the statue.

And she was delighted when the Town Council gave its wholehearted consent.

‘We are the licensees, and we do have to give permission for events to take place on the McIndoe Lawn,’ said Town Clerk Julie Holden. ‘But provided the event is appropriate, and people clean up properly afterwards, it will be lovely to see the area become a new hub for community activities.’

And Jacquie wasn’t alone in being quick off the mark. The Lions have also asked if they can use the Lawn for next year’s May Fair.

But Julie did have one word of warning.

‘We have had complaints in the past about the quality of the grass in the area. The problem is that there are two huge trees which take up all the water and so the grass has always been poor.

‘We will be reseeding shortly it but the long term difficulty will always be getting anything to grow.

‘As the on-going custodians of the area, the Town Council certainly doesn’t want to discourage people from using the area with permission. But we would just say that if it is over-used the grass will suffer. You can’t have it both ways and that is something we would like people to be aware of.’

But Julie fully expects – and welcomes – the idea that the new focal point at the far end of the High Street will become a place where people will gather to chat – and to remember.

* The Food Swap will take place on 21 June from 10.45am for an 11am start.

A must for foodies, it offers the chance to exchange goods and ideas with people who share a love of cooking.

Find out more about the Food Swap go to: https://www.facebook.com/groups/507391619371696/?fref=ts

TOWN Clerk Julie Holden has asked visitors to the McIndoe statue to donate money to the Appeal fund rather than spending it on flowers which will be removed at the end of each day.

Just 24 hours after the unveiling, two floral tributes had been left at the statue by visitors from Basingstoke and Brighton.

But while she was touched by their stories, Julie said the money would have been better spent paying off the more than £50,000 which still needs to be raised to pay for the statue.

‘The statue is a public memorial, not a private one,’ said Julie, ‘and no-one wants it to look like one of those roadside shrines full of dead flowers.

‘I fully understand why people feel they have a very strong connection to the statue, and I was touched to speak to the Brighton visitor who came in memory of her father. But we will be clearing flowers away at the end of each day. So I would urge anyone who comes not to spend a fiver on flowers, but to donate it to the Appeal fund instead – that way they will be part of the statue forever.’

THIS was the moment when Princess Anne was handed a posy of flowers which had been picked and arranged earlier by Town Council gardener Jenny Watson.

Jenny selected seasonal flowers including roses, lavender and ivy from the East Court gardens for an informal arrangement tied with raffia.