Infrastructure Delivery Plan (Feb 2013) - Runnymede Borough Council

Chapter 13. Emergency Services
Introduction
13.1 This chapter considers emergency services provision in the Borough, specifically
looking at:
• existing provision and capacity/resources;
• what the impacts on existing provision and capacity/resources are likely to be
over the plan period;
• role of local plan;
• identification of where future provision will be required; and,
• costs and sources of funding for any identified projects;
13.2 The Police, Ambulance and Fire and Rescue Services will be considered individually.
The chapter will also consider flooding and flood defences in the Borough given the
significant threat of flooding in Runnymede and the impact of flooding events on the
emergency services.
Police
Existing conditions
13.3 Surrey Police are responsible for policing the county of Surrey. In Surrey there are a
total of 46 police offices and stations in addition to the HQ in Guildford. 37 In Runnymede
itself there are two police stations: Runnymede Divisional Headquarters in Addlestone
and a police post at Egham.
13.4 Surrey has one of the lowest levels of serious crime in the country and the Surrey
Policing Report 2011-2014 states that local people have amongst the highest levels of
confidence nationally in the service. In Runnymede itself, crime continues to run at
comparatively low levels, and public confidence in the Police remains strong as
evidenced through the Surrey Police customer survey data and the Geoff Berry
Community Safety Survey (2010 and 2012 respectively).
13.5 The Geoff Berry Associates Community Safety Survey 2012 found that where there are
concerns, these tend to relate to quality of life type problems rather than. The highest
levels of concern continue to be in relation to traffic-related issues (including speeding)
and road safety. This ties in with the findings of the Runnymede Community Safety
Strategy 2011-2014 which identifies that antisocial use of motor vehicles is one of the
public’s main concerns (traffic congestion and speeding are the two highest rated
problems in the Surrey Police Customer Review Survey).
13.6 There are “hotspots” where perceived problems are greater than the Borough average
(see Figure 23 below). The wards of Chertsey St. Ann’s, Egham Hythe and Englefield
Green West appeared most often for various problems (speeding vehicles, parking on
pavements, litter, disorder in public places etc) in the Geoff Berry survey, indicating that
the level of concern is greatest in these areas. A lower level of concern was reported
for Chertsey South & Rowtown, Chertsey Meads, Foxhills, Virginia Water and Egham
Town. This is an indication of the lower levels of concern in these wards from residents.
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Surrey Infrastructure Capacity Project Phase 1 Final Report, June 2009
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Runnymede IDP DRAFT – February 2013