Sewage spills hit record 3.6m hours last year
#35: Kingston Council approves plans for redevelopment of Murray House in North Kingston, Chancellor announces welfare cuts and hopes to grow economy through housebuilding, Kingston University to host public consultation for a new state-of-the-art building, Kingston’s Efficient Homes Show returns for a third year, Mother’s Day in Kingston & London, Jeff Goldblum at Pryzm, Mayor of Kingston’s Gala Ball, month of tennis for just £5, free England tickets for volunteering, free Square 1 Café in Chessington, New Malden and Kingston, Lindt Gold Bunny Hunt at Hampton Court Palace, Tate Modern turns 25, Oxford Literary Festival, Hay Festival, and more.
START WITH A SMILE: Stuff to cheer us up
🌳 Pioneering drone seeding initiative in south-west England could ‘revolutionise’ expansion of rainforests: The UK’s largest woodland conservation charity is enlisting technology’s help to plant thousands of trees. The Woodland Trust has deployed high-tech drones to scatter 75,000 seeds across the Bodmin landscape in Cornwall including previously inaccessible areas where planting of trees by hand isn’t feasible. Joining forces with the South West Rainforest Alliance, the Woodland Trust aims to use the technique to triple the land area of temperate rainforest across Cornwall and Devon from 8% to 24% by 2050.
LOCAL STORIES: Stuff you need to know
🌊 Sewage spills hit record 3.6m hours last year: Water companies released raw sewage into England's rivers and seas for a record 3.61 million hours last year, a slight increase on 2023, reports BBC. For once, there is better news for Thames Water – the company that supplies water to Kingston had the fewest number of sewage spills of all England water companies. However, Water UK, the industry body, said sewage spills are a "disgrace". Kingston MP Ed Davey said the scale of spilling showed that the sector regulator, Ofwat, was not up to the task.
🏗️ Kingston Council approves plans for redevelopment of Murray House to provide specialist accommodation: At a Planning Committee meeting on Wednesday 26 March, the council voted by a majority to approve plans to demolish and redevelop Murray House to provide specialist accommodation. Located on Acre Road, North Kingston, a residential street with mainly two-story historic terraced and semi-detached properties, the proposed new development will stand 4 storeys tall. It proposes a total of 45 residential units, 33 for housing for older people, and 12 for supported housing for adults with learning disabilities.
Since their initial submission in August 2024, the proposed plans have faced significant opposition from local residents and owners of the much loved century old pub, The Wych Elm, that backs on to the proposed new development.
At the meeting, a representative of the North Kingston community including 555 respondents who have raised objections to the proposed development, stated that while the community fully supports the need for redeveloping the site to house older people and adults with learning disabilities, they believe the current proposals fail to address key concerns that would negatively impact the community’s wellbeing. The representative went on to outline that the proposed plans fail to comply with local, national and GLA planning policies. However, these were refuted by the council’s officer.
The meeting also heard that the proposed new development would significantly impact The Wych Elm pub, adversely affecting the amount of light across its garden, posing an existential threat to the pub’s commercial viability.
All councillors who spoke at the meeting recognised the need for the proposed type of housing, echoing residents’ views. However, many also lacked enthusiasm for the design and acknowledged the new building could have a dominant presence on the road that mainly features two-storey historic homes. Despite this, the council approved the proposed plans by a majority vote. Local residents in attendance were visibly upset. Full details of the proposed development are available here. A recording of the meeting can be viewed here.
💷 Chancellor Rachel Reeves announces welfare cuts and hopes to grow economy through housebuilding: Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her Spring Statement on 26 March 2025, outlining significant welfare cuts, including freezing key Universal Credit payments. Critically, the government is pinning hope for economic growth on its planning reforms that the Office for Budget Responsibility has concluded will bring housebuilding to its highest level in 40 years and closer to its 1.5m homes target by 2030. However, OBR has revised the UK’s 2025 economic growth forecast down to 1%, but upgraded it for next four years. Critics have accused the government of 'balancing books on backs of poor'. Here are some key highlights of the Spring Statement – BBC has full details.
Further cuts to Universal Credit payments
Public spending down £6.1bn in 2029/30
Economic growth halved to 1% in 2025
Growth upgraded from 2026 onwards
Extra £2.2bn defence spending
Additional £2bn for affordable homes
£600m to train more construction workers
🏗️ Kingston University to host second round of public consultation for a new state-of-the-art building: Kingston University is seeking feedback on its updated design concepts for a proposed state-of-the-art building at Middle Mill, the site of some of its current halls of residence. Following the initial round of public consultation at the end of last year, the university is hosting a second round of public consultation between Thursday 20 March and Tuesday 6 May. Taking place at Knights Park Campus, these in-person events will give students, staff, stakeholders and the local community a further opportunity to share feedback on the updated design proposals, available to view here. Dates and timings for the in-person events and feedback forms are available here.
🏠 Kingston’s Efficient Homes Show returns for a third year: Created in partnership with the Kingston Green Business Community, Kingston Chamber of Commerce and the council, Kingston’s Efficient Homes Show returns for a third year on Saturday 10 May 2025 at Hollyfield School in Surbiton. This free to attend event offers residents an opportunity to discover ways to lower their energy bills while making their homes more comfortable and protecting the environment. Attendees will be able to consult experts about the costs and benefits of using products like solar panels, insulation, heat pumps and a range of other technologies as well as meet local people to hear about their experiences of using these products in their own homes. Discover more and book your free place here.
LOCAL DEMOCRACY: Stuff that affects your neighbourhood
🗳️ Council meeting to elect the mayor plus planning rules, Local Plan, third runway at Heathrow: With the Easter school break, April is a quiet month for council meetings. However, Tuesday 1 April sees the Council meeting with an agenda that includes election of the mayor 2025/26 and a number of motions including government changes to planning rules and Kingston's proposed new Local Plan, social media use and third runway at Heathrow. More details and how to attend the meeting are available here.
COMMUNITY, CULTURE & EVENTS: Stuff to do, experience and enjoy
💐 Mother’s Day in London: Last week, we brought you suggestions for Mother’s Day in Kingston. But if you wish to venture out to the big smoke this Sunday, how about afternoon tea at Fortnum and Mason? The Standard also has a list of London’s finest afternoon teas for Mother's Day, from the Ritz to Brown’s Hotel. Time Out brings you the best things to do in London including natural perfume making workshop and Kitty Yoga. And if you still want more options, Visit London has 57 suggestions to choose from including The View from The Shard and an unforgettable helicopter tour of London. Happy Mother’s Day!
🎾 Enjoy a month of tennis for just £5: As the clocks go forward and spring officially kicks into gear, Ember Sports Club in Esher is offering a month of tennis for just £5 in April. Whether you're picking up a racket for the first time or looking to refine your serve and volley, you’ll have access to seven courts to flex your forehand. The offer is open to new members – there seems to be no catch!
🎸 Another great lineup from Banquet Records for April: While even the additional show featuring Mumford & Sons sold out within minutes, there’s still plenty of big name acts to enjoy in April. Here are just two of them – Chesney Hawkes on Tuesday 1 April, and Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra on Wednesday 23 April. Enjoy!
⚽ Free England tickets for volunteering from England Football: Get free England tickets, discount vouchers and unforgettable experiences by simply joining The England Football Family. Available to anyone who volunteers across grassroots football in any role.
🎉 Mayor of Kingston’s Gala Ball: 2025 marks the 1100th anniversary of the crowning in Kingston of King Athelstan, the first king of a unified England. To mark the occasion, the Mayor’s Gala Ball, to be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton on Friday 4 April, will be themed “Kingston through the Ages”. A three course meal, especially designed for the event by the hotel’s head chef, will take guests through the ages, with authentic dishes themed around different periods in Kingston’s history. With all profits going to support the Mayor’s Charitable Trust, the evening also features music from DJ Neil Long and entertainment honouring Kingston’s rich history. Book your place here.
☕ Free Square 1 Café in Chessington, New Malden and Kingston: If you’re looking for a relaxed social environment and an opportunity to meet new people, pop along to a Square 1 Café. New Era Community Projects hosts weekly Square 1 Café across the borough offering free and inclusive sessions, with refreshments and activities, as well as advice on local support services. You’ll find a Square 1 Café at Chessington Sports Centre, Weir Archer, Kingsmeadow and North Kingston YMCA Hawker Centre.
🖌️ Looking to keep the kids busy and entertained this Easter? From 7 through to 17 April, Y Kidz Playscheme at YMCA Hawker in North Kingston are offering fun-filled days packed with games, arts and crafts, sports, and more for primary school age children. Open from 10am to 6pm including early drop-offs.
🐇 The Lindt Gold Bunny Hunt at Hampton Court Palace: Starting this weekend 29 March and throughout the Easter holiday period, the Lindt Gold Bunny Hunt is making a hopping return to Hampton Court Palace. The Lindt Bunny Hunt is included in the entry ticket price – more details are available here.
SPORTS DAY: Stuff about enjoying your local teams
⚽ Chelsea Women FC: After the sting of their first defeat of the season in the first leg of the UEFA Women's Champions League on Wednesday 19 March, the Blues headed up to Manchester on Sunday again for their third consecutive meeting with City. Normal service restored. Chelsea came from behind to win 1-2 with a convincing second half performance, restoring an eight-point lead at the top of WSL. Thursday 27 March was the crunch second leg of the Champions League with Chelsea trailing by 2 goals. Blues would need to be at their best if they were to progress to the last four. We needn’t worry. The tie was turned in the first half with goals from Sandy Baltimore, Nathalie Bjorn and Mayra Ramirez with the Blues eventually winning 3-2 on aggregate to face Barcelona in the semi-final of the Champions League. Quadruple prospects firmly restored, Chelsea host West Ham United Women on Sunday 30 March.
⚽ Kingstonian FC: Kingstonian’s early season form seems a distant memory with two more defeats this week and the possibility of slipping out of the play-off zone becoming a distinct reality. 0-1 defeat against promotion rivals Hanworth Villa on Saturday was followed by 0-3 loss on Tuesday against possible play-off contenders Raynes Park Vale. The Ks have to find some inspiration as they visit eighth-place Leatherhead this Saturday 29 March.
LONDON CALLING: Stuff to do, experience and enjoy in the big smoke
🎨 Tate Modern’s 25th Birthday Weekender, 9-12 May: Tate Modern unveils details of its upcoming Birthday Weekender, a free celebration of art, music, making and performance to mark the gallery’s 25th anniversary. Running from Friday 9 to Monday 12 May, the Birthday Weekender is a chance for everyone to enjoy a long weekend of the very best modern and contemporary art. Alongside the gallery’s world-renowned free displays, visitors can expect live music and DJs, talks, workshops, tours and a host of free experiences and more.
WHAT ELSE? Stuff we couldn’t quite fit anywhere else but still like
📚 Oxford Literary Festival 2025: In our readers’ survey which many of you have kindly taken part in, among other fantastic things you enjoy, you told us you love books. So, this week, we bring you news of two great annual literary events. Kicking off this Saturday 29 March is the Oxford Literary Festival, “a place where intellectual curiosity is nurtured and standards are set”. Full programme and tickets are available here.
📚 Hay Festival 2025: Firmly established as one of the British cultural events, Hay Festival returns on 22 May with a star-studded lineup and over 600 events. Kingston’s very own Jacqueline Wilson is among the headliners. Full programme and tickets are available here.
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