OXTED residents say they are prepared to fight Morrisons' plans to expand its supermarket in the town.
The scheme would involve the current 22,000 sq ft shop expanding over its service yard and a portion of the existing car park, creating a total shopping space of 35,000 sq ft.
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spreading out: Morrisons
The car park could be extended closer to the A25 and possibly involve the felling of up to three trees from a section of the surrounding woodland. This would create 24 new parking spaces.
Representatives from the supermarket, as well as planning and transport consultants, were on hand last week at the store to answer questions from the public.
But some residents are concerned the expansion, particularly the extension of the car park, will dominate the view from their homes and become an eyesore.
Hilary Ryan, 47, a civil servant of East Hill in Oxted, said if the proposed plans go through then the new car park would stand about 3 ft away from her garden fence and stretch more than 100 ft across the skyline blocking out any views, and leaving her and her neighbours staring at a brick wall.
She said: "It's local residents that are concerned about it and what we're doing at the minute is finding our feet for a campaign. There's no application at the moment and Morrisons seem to be doing their campaigning before the plan goes to the council."
She added that many customers who were in favour of the plans were not local residents and wouldn't have to deal with having the larger store in their back garden.
Shoppers were given the chance to make official comments on the proposed plans, with questionnaires and comment sheets being handed out last Wednesday and Thursday.
Mark Fox, a Morrisons spokesman, said it was important the store got the opinion of customers and the extra room was much needed.
He said: "We're looking to improve the whole customer experience and with the extra room we can expand our fresh food format at the shop, which will be better for customers. At the minute staff are very busy and by increasing the size it will help people get around better."
Mr Fox added the new building project would cause minimum disruption to the town as Morrisons already owns all the land it is proposing to build on, and he said once the new layout is in place it will reduce noise from the store.
Source: www.thisissurreytoday.co.uk
Sussex officials debate state, federal fair-housing laws - Delaware Wave
GEORGETOWN -- Sussex County officials reacted with skepticism to a briefing on the lengths to which landlords must go to accommodate disabled tenants under state and federal fair-housing laws.
"We're not going to like hearing what you're saying. Just tell us all these things and maybe we can keep our mouths shut," Sussex County Councilman George Cole told representatives from the Delaware State Housing Authority and the Division of Human Relations. "It makes us all madder and madder that we're living under these terms."
Ines Hungria, a Division of Human Relations investigator, walked officials from the County Council, the zoning board and the Board of Adjustment through the strictures of fair housing laws this week.
Most of the questions dealt with animals. The law is clear: Landlords who don't want pets in their rental apartments must still allow people with service or companion animals to rent from them, Hungria said. And landlords can't say no to a companion animal like a pit bull merely because people feel threatened by it, she said, invoking a hypothetical pit bull, Zeke, a companion animal to a tenant suffering from depression, and a neighbor girl, Sarah. Unless Zeke were to bite Sarah, Hungria said, the dog can't be kicked out.
"So I can't prevent someone from renting with a pit bull if their spouse says they need a pit bull to combat depression?" Sussex County Councilman Vance Phillips said. That's correct, Hungria said, although she said it's usually a doctor's note that justifies the dog. "What if Sarah's doctor certified that the dog is causing her to be depressed?" Phillips retorted.
It was one of several times officials played devil's advocate to illustrate strange conclusions fair-housing laws could lead them to draw.
"Everybody should run to the doctor, and everybody in the whole place should have a dog," Councilman Sam Wilson suggested.
Others at the meeting wondered if the law meant their zoning laws couldn't limit where group homes for the disabled could be built.
"If you deny it, have very good reasons," was Hungria's advice.
Fair and affordable housing advocates in Delaware have complained that some Sussex municipalities have discouraged poor people from renting apartments. A 2002 report from the Sussex Housing Group complained about a "tightening of code enforcement on housing occupied by minority groups, especially Latinos," in Selbyville and Georgetown.
Today, Hungria said, she and her colleagues get 50-60 complaints of housing discrimination a year, and they have formal investigations opened on about 15 of them at any one time.
Robert Wheatley, chairman of the county's Planning & Zoning Commission, said the training was important to make sure government officials and landlords knew the ins and outs of the law. He said he asked questions about the rules to make sure "there is some safeguard against people who might try to game the system."
Source: www.delmarvanow.com
Sussex tear Surrey apart - ECB
Watch the highlights of day one at Horsham as Sussex dismiss Surrey for just 124
Sussex took complete control of their LV= County Championship clash with Surrey after bowling out the visitors for 124 on the first day of the Division One match at Horsham.
Australian Steve Magoffin took 4-27 after bowling through the morning session unchanged and was well supported by James Anyon, who claimed 4-63, as the Sussex seamers fully vindicated skipper Michael Yardy's decision to bowl first.
Sussex responded impressively and were 81 for two when rain and bad light forced an early end with the recalled Luke Wells 33 not out.
Magoffin's stay as Sussex's overseas player is due to end after this game but he is in negotiations with Queensland about extending it and the county must be hoping he can after a skilful burst with the new ball left Surrey reeling on 52 for six.
There was some lateral movement to assist the seamers and Magoffin made the most of it, starting with wickets in successive overs as Jason Roy drove wastefully to mid-on before Mark Ramprakash was caught behind.
Seamer James Anyon celebrates one of his four victims as Sussex dismiss Surrey for a paltry 124 on the opening day at Horsham
Ramprakash had been recalled after three weeks out of the side to form Surrey's fourth different opening partnership of the season - but the 42-year-old could do little about a ball which swung and left him off the pitch.
Steven Davies - called up as cover for the third Investec Test against West Indies - was Magoffin's third victim, courtesy of an excellent catch at third slip by Wells.
Anyon offered excellent support, removing Zander de Bruyn and former Sussex player Rory Hamilton-Brown with successive balls.
He claimed his third wicket before lunch when an aggressive counter-attacking innings by Tom Maynard ended with a push to slip.
Gareth Batty and Jon Lewis showed what was possible with application as they added 44 for the seventh wicket before both fell in successive overs after lunch to Naveed Arif Gondal as the batsmen slashed at away-swingers and both were held at second slip.
Magoffin returned to the attack in the 40th over to claim his fourth wicket with his third ball back when he defeated Stuart Meaker's defensive prod before Anyon finished the innings when he yorked Jade Dernbach.
It was Sussex's best bowling performance of the season so far and one their batsmen seemed determined not to squander - even though Joyce went early when Davies dived in front of slip in the third over to reward an excellent opening spell by Lewis.
But Nash and Wells steadied Sussex and began to prosper on what is a quick-scoring ground.
They added 69 for the second wicket either side of tea before Nash, attempting to hit Murali Kartik over midwicket, instead gave the left-arm spinner his first championship wicket as a Surrey player courtesy of Roy's catch at point off a leading edge.
Source: www.ecb.co.uk
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