The Kingston and North Kingston Neighbourhood Committee approved funding for two community grant applications, with one application being refused. The committee also approved the extension of a Public Spaces Protection Order for Eagle Brewery Wharf and agreed to the highway maintenance estimates for the Coombe Estate.

Community Grants Programme

The committee considered applications for Neighbourhood Community Grants (NCGs). The application from the Friends of Anstee Bridge for £3,000 for their Mapping Minds project was approved. This project will run a series of workshops for young people aged 14-18 who have disengaged from mainstream education, using local green spaces and storytelling to promote positive mental health. The workshops will culminate in the co-design and release of postcards highlighting walking routes in Kingston town centre.

However, the application from CKC Cares CIC for £2,500 for their Shaping Safer Digital Spaces for Kingston Youth project was refused. This project aimed to provide an E-AMP Leadership Certification and Coaching Pods for 20 young people aged 18-26. While the committee acknowledged the importance of addressing digital fatigue and online risks, concerns were raised about the lack of information on the organisation's website and the budget allocated for the number of participants. Councillors Rowena Bass, Emily Davey, Ian George, Patrick Hall, Roger Hayes, James Manthel, Nicola Nardelli, Anne Owen, Farshid Sadr-Hashemi, Susan Skipwith, and John Sweeney voted against approving this application.

Coombe Lane West - Local Consultation Results

The committee approved the implementation of a zebra crossing on Coombe Lane West, outside house numbers 54/56. This decision followed a local consultation where 60% of respondents supported the introduction of the crossing. The scheme aims to improve safety for pedestrians, particularly children walking to school, and to help calm traffic speeds on the road, where six collisions have occurred in the past five years. The committee noted that detailed legal advice had been received clarifying that while stopping on zig-zag lines for parking is an offence, residents have a right of access to their property, and pausing to safely enter or exit a driveway is considered a legal manoeuvre. Councillors Ian George, Patrick Hall, Roger Hayes, Nicola Nardelli, Anne Owen, Farshid Sadr-Hashemi, and Olly Wehring voted in favour of the scheme. Councillors Rowena Bass, Emily Davey, James Manthel, and Susan Skipwith voted against it, while Councillor John Sweeney abstained.

Proposed Extension of the Public Spaces Protection Order for Eagle Brewery Wharf

The committee unanimously approved the extension of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (Eagle Brewery Wharf) Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) 2020 for a further three years, effective from 7 September 2026. The PSPO was initially introduced in 2020 in response to significant public concerns about anti-social behaviour (ASB) in the Eagle Brewery Wharf area. A consultation on the extension received strong support, with 87% of respondents favouring a further three-year extension. The order prohibits activities such as noise from loudspeakers, public consumption of alcohol and psychoactive substances, unauthorised obstruction, urination, and defecation within the restricted area. A local resident spoke in support of the extension, highlighting the positive impact the PSPO had on controlling behaviour and improving the quality of life for residents.

Coombe Estate Highway Maintenance Estimates 2026/27

The committee unanimously approved the maintenance estimates for the Coombe Estate Roads for 2026/27. This decision complies with the Maldens and Coombe Urban District Council Act 1933, which requires the council to maintain these roads and recover costs from property owners. The estimates cover routine works, ad hoc repairs, planned maintenance, and access management, with an additional sum for a reserve fund. The estimates have been shared with representatives of the Malden and Coombe Residents' Association (MCRA).