Agenda item

Mr Peter Milton, Surrey County Council’s Head of Culture, will present this information report on plans to celebrate the 2015 anniversary of the sealing of the Magna Carta at Runnymede.

Mr Peter Milton (Head of Culture at Surrey County Council) introduced Mr Geri Silverstone, the new jointly appointed director for Magna Carta 2015 for Surrey and the National Trust. A Powerpoint presentation followed, in which it was noted that public consultation in 2013 had highlighted the importance of encouraging more visitors to Egham as well as to the historic Meadows. Mr Milton highlighted the new signage and guided walks programme, together with the mobile phone application being developed by Royal Holloway College, as aspects of this. Mr Silverstone said that the consultants’ report (received in 2013) had proposed two key hubs for the visitor: the Lodges at the Old Windsor end of the site, and the Runnymede Pleasure Ground nearer to Egham and the Runnymede roundabout. He noted that, during the winter floods, the Brunel Boathouse had flooded but the Lodges were sufficiently raised to remain dry even when the adjacent road was flooded.

Mr Milton confirmed that the county council had allocated £700k towards a new art Commission in the Landscape (to be unveiled in 2015) as a national monument to Magna Carta, and that the project would be going out to designers shortly with further public consultation later in the year.

Mr Silverstone outlined the programme of events for summer 2015, including school debates, a concert with choirs from across Surrey at the Royal Albert Hall in May 2015, a Fair and “Liberteas” (debates and picnic) at Royal Holloway, an event at Runnymede Pleasure Ground, arts projects in Egham High Street, and the event with royal patronage on Monday 15 June for which a project board (chaired by Dame Helen Ghosht and including the borough and county chief executives and Sir Bob Worcester) was convened.

Mr Malcolm Loveday (Bells adviser to the Guildford Diocese and tower captain at St Peter’s Chertsey) was invited by the chairman to update members on bell ringing activities for the Magna Carta anniversary. He invited members to view articles in the Ringing World, and on the Magna Carta 800 website which described new commemorative ringing methods including Magna Carta Delight Major for eight bells. He noted that Sunday 14 June 2015 would be the focus for ringing celebrations nationally, and advised that he would attend a ringing roadshow on 5 September 2014 to promote this.

Members asked about the contingency plan in case of further severe flooding in the approach to June 2015, and the budget plan for roads improvements to be undertaken within the coming year.

Mr Milton advised that the RAF Memorial at Coopers Hill and Royal Holloway College offered alternative locations on high ground, should the worst happen.

Mr Furey, Cabinet Member for Highways, assured members that the finance for improvements to the A308 as proposed would not come from the local highways budget and that, having discussed this with the Leader, he expected budgetary questions to be resolved by the end of March and crossing improvements to be finalised – the chairman asked Mr Silverstone to follow up and ensure that the Area Highways Manager was advised on the detail.