PEOPLE power in Grayshott has achieved what many thought was a “mission impossible”, when residents started to campaign in earnest three years ago for £80,000 to fix the dangerous access to their village surgery.

Residents are now celebrating the good news that disabled Grayshott Surgery patients and ambulances will soon be able to drive down Boundary Road to its doors, when permanent resurfacing and drainage works starting next Monday are completed.

The potholes got so bad at one stage, wheelchair and mobility scooter users had to park at nearby Grayshott Village Hall and make their own way to the surgery, because the road was too hazardous for low-slung wheelchair-access vehicles.

Ambulances were also forced to park there and patients had to be wheeled down the road to them.

The busy surgery has eight GPs and 12,500 patients but despite mounting concerns the state of the road was a risk to public safety, it has taken three years to raise the funding required to provide a permanent ‘fix’ for the unadopted bridleway.

All parties agreed that Boundary Road Residents’ Association, which has primary responsibility for it as an unadopted road, could not be expected to foot the bill.

This week, delighted residents’ association chairman Julia Tarento, who has campaigned tirelessly to raise the £80,000 required, said: “I can’t believe it but after three years of discussions, planning, disappointments, negotiations, fundraising, and a couple of major setbacks, Boundary Road really is about to be repaired.

“Work will be starting on the section of bridleway, from Headley Road to Grayshott Surgery on Monday, led by Tim Beaven, of Beaven Contractors.

“They will be completely replacing the existing Tarmac and sub-structure with a new base and surface that will last for decades.

“French drains will be installed in order to take away the surface water and hopefully we will be able to continue these down the total length of the bridleway in an attempt to stop the flood waters washing all the loose rubble down into Crossways Road every time there is a downpour.

“Tim is going to try and create as little disruption as possible by keeping half the bridleway open most of the time.

“It is likely to take about six weeks to complete but this could vary quite considerably depending on how disruptive the volume of traffic is.

“When we first started this project we were absolutely staggered at the cost of replacing the relatively small section of bridleway but since then we have been even more astounded by the generosity of residents of Grayshott and the surrounding area.

“Thanks must go to councillor Ferris Cowper without whose help and guidance none of this would be happening, and to East Hampshire District Council and Hampshire County Council for their major portion of the funding.

“Grayshott Parish Council and Haslemere Town Council have both also donated very generously.

“Phil Bates and the Grayshott Pottery started the fundraising ball rolling, hotly followed by Will Benson, from Applegarth, and Peter Hatch at the village website grayshott.com – all giving substantial contributions.

“The shops in Grayshott have rallied round for the sake of the community, at a time when they are not exactly bursting with profits, and generally everyone seems to be getting involved with this village project.

“The surgery then swung into action and all the patients have been very supportive of what we are trying to do. We have had donations of £1, no doubt from people who really cannot afford anything at all, to a cheque for £2,000 from one individual.

“In total nearly 300 individuals have contributed to the fund. One of the biggest votes of thanks has to go to Jeremy Barnes and his wife Susan for setting up and running the crowd-funding site that raised £6,000.

“Jeremy and his friends in the Boundary Road Action Group (BRAG) managed to raise the profile of what we were doing in a matter of weeks, which was something I had not done in the previous two years.

“The work is obviously going to be extremely inconvenient for a lot of people. Let’s keep positive, keep our eyes on the finish line and put up with the inconvenience as best we can.

“It’s a very exciting time and it will all be worth it in the long run.”

Mr Barnes, who is disabled and uses a mobility scooter, formed BRAG in July 2015 together with fellow surgery patients with mobility problems, to raise wider awareness of the “shameful, dangerous state” of the access road.

The group circulated 5,000 leaflets urging more residents to add their voices to the “outraged throng” and join its action campaign.

“As far as BRAG is concerned, our mission has been fulfilled,” he said.

He said it was time for BRAG to disappear and the remaining funds to be passed to BRRA. Ours was an interesting example of effective community action.”

Thanking Mrs Tarento, Mr Bates said: “At the end of the day without Julia leading her team the Boundary Road improvement scheme would not be happening at this time, so the biggest thanks should be going to her for her tenacity over pulling the community together for this very successful outcome.”