News

This year, Her Majesty The Queen will become the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, seventy years of service. Throughout the year, Her Majesty and members of the Royal Family will travel around the country to undertake a variety of engagements culminating with the focal point of the Platinum Jubilee weekend in June.

Leigh Parish Council is organising an initial meeting in January to see how we can mark the special occasion in Leigh. We are happy to facilitate a discussion to see what plans may already be in place, or what other ideas there may be to take forward. We would welcome anyone who may be interested in participating in the discussions and potentially playing a part in running the celebrations (no contribution is too big or small). We are fortunate to have several committed and creative residents, local clubs, businesses, and groups who are encouraged to come along to share ideas and explore opportunities.

Due to current Covid restrictions, we will be holding the meeting online via zoom on Thursday 20th January from 7.30pm.  Please contact me to register your interest and I will give you the details for the call.  We look forward to hearing from you.

Leigh Parish Council (Surrey)
Notice of conclusion of audit
Annual Governance & Accountability Return for the year ended 31 March 2021
Sections 20(2) and 25 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014
Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/234)

1. The audit of accounts for Leigh Parish Council (Surrey) for the year ended 31 March 2021 has been completed and the accounts have been published.

2. The Annual Governance & Accountability Return is available for inspection by any local government elector of the area of Leigh Parish Council (Surrey) on application to:
Mrs Laura Mann (Clerk/RFO)

7 Yew Tree Road, Charlwood, RH6 0DE

leighparishcouncil@gmail.com

(b) Monday to Friday between 10am and 6pm

3. Copies will be provided to any person on payment of £1 for each copy of the Annual Governance & Accountability Return.

Announcement made by: Laura Mann
Date of announcement: 30th September 2021

You can access these documents on the website here:

https://leigh-surrey.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/SU0048-AGAR.pdf 

https://leigh-surrey.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/SU0048-S3.pdf

Unfortunately due to the fuel shortages locally, the Autumn litter pick was postponed from early October. The Parish Council will rearrange and publish the new date as soon as possible.

Thank you to those who were planning to join us!

The annual WI Jumble Sale publicised in the Leigh Post for the 16th October is now not taking place, because of uncertainty around COVID at that time.

Order a copy of this newly published history hot off the press!
A History of Leigh tells the story of Leigh from the bronze age to the present day and gives a sense of the ways in which life in this area has changed over time.

It is true that there are no dramatic events in Leigh of the sort that excite the national news or make the grander history books, but this is a story of people surviving and making a living while struggling with poor land, patchy seigneurial support, and poverty. A community that survived to become self-sufficient and to create lasting, sustaining institutions.

A History of Leigh is written by Harriet Hall using information gathered as part of her MA in local history and collected by a number of local residents. Harriet lived in Leigh for twelve years, sitting on Leigh Parish Council for seven of them. She now lives near family in South Wales.
To order a copy for £8 please email your details to leighhistory@gmail.com

With colour illustrations
Published by Leigh History Group with grateful thanks for funding from Leigh Parish Council

An ancient orchard in the village of Leigh (Surrey) is the subject of a special bequest to the village by a family who have lived in the village and supported the community for more than 100 years. When John Sidney Howard Handley Motion, who lived in Clayhill Road, passed away on 21 st April 2020 at the age of 84, he bequested that the 1-acre orchard dating back to circa 1850 that formed part of his estate, be gifted to the village for the benefit of the community. He specified that the future use be limited to an orchard or private paddock being a place for improving orchard and hedgerow management, to include an educational programme for teaching such skills as enhancing fruit production and optimum pruning techniques and to create a Wilding theme that can embrace and support wildlife and contribute to fruit yields.

At a ceremony on 30 th July, three members of John’s family handed over the Deeds of the orchard to the Leigh Parish Council who will act as Stakeholders in perpetuo. Mark Motion (son) and his two sisters Dr Sara Motion and Catherine Niessen (nee Motion) were jointly involved in the handover and joined a special lunch in their honour at the cricket pavilion to celebrate the generous bequest made by their father.

Leigh Parish Council Chair, Joanne Cambra, thanked Mark, Sara and Catherine for the amazing gift and explain how the terms and conditions will be met. “Our Council has been pleased to grant an exclusive Licence to the registered
Community Company ‘Leigh Apple Press Group’ (LAPG) to ensure that the very specific conditions that attach to this very generous gift are achieved. The LAPG is recognised for the management of the annual Leigh Food Festival, but more importantly they have a 6-year specialist record in apples and pressing which will be invaluable as they develop the vision and wider purpose for the John Motion Orchard” she said. During the ceremonials at the orchard, a sapling apple tree was planted by the three Motion family members , the first new planting there in more than 60 years. The process was assisted by Jo Cambra and Charlotte Kinloch.

The forebears of the Motion family came to live in the village in 1919, soon after the cessation of WWI. As a great grandfather to the current generation, Sidney Motion acquired the Leigh Place Estate including several cottages and some land. John Motion was born in The Priest House when it was owned by his father Graham. Soon after his marriage to Anne, John took up residence at Cleavers in Clayhill Road. Mark Motion said that the John Motion Orchard, as it will in future now be known, will provide a strong link with the community of Leigh as the residency of the family in the
village comes to an end after 102 years.

– ENDS –

Picture caption (left to right): Dr Sara Motion, Charlotte Kinloch, Mark Motion, Joanne Cambra and Catherine Niessen.

Issued by the LAPG. Media contact: Simon Ames – M: 07785 745857

Unfortunately there are new OPM nest sites reported in the village. Please keep dogs and children away from the sites:

• The spinney next to the recreation ground
• The footpath up from the gravel layby on Bunce Common Rd.

We have booked contractors to remove the nests and this will be done in the next fortnight. There may be other so please take care. The hairs on the caterpillars can cause nasty reactions.

Leigh OPM locations