Your Monthly update from your LibDem Borough Councillors - for February 2022

Dear friends, like you, our thoughts are with all those in Ukraine fighting the unprovoked invasion by Russia. In times like these other matters pale into insignificance. But we wanted to keep our monthly updates going and so have just set out a very few Borough points for your information.

Borough updates:

• As we flagged last month, the Council approved the Council Tax for 2022/23 at its meeting on 15 February. The Borough component was increased by the maximum allowable without a referendum of £4.95pa for a Band D property from £208.26 to £213.21. Combined with the much larger increases from Surrey County Council and the Police & Crime Commissioner this takes the total charge for a Band D property to £2,135,17, up from £2,042.91.
• We made several comments on the overall budget and projections. You can read David's speech on our website here.
• Julie also pointed out some of the gaps in the detailed objectives and actions for the coming year, including zero budget and lamentable lack of detail on climate change and tree planting.
• The Planning Committee on 17 February rejected the proposed block of flats on Stoneleigh's Station Approach. But it once again failed to reach a decision on the proposed flats on the corner of East Street and Kiln Lane, this time due to confusion over the access road.
• Still on Planning, the new senior members of staff do seem to be making headway with the backlog of applications, and have terminated the contract with the outsourcing company that did not appear to be delivering.
• At a Surrey County Council Planning Committee meeting on 23 February the hugely controversial planning application for the increased activity at the Chalk Pit site was approved by 6 votes to 4. Some of the County Councillors are clearly out of touch with reality as one of them equated living next to the Chalk Pit industrial site to his living next to a bus stop! The many valid points raised by local residents pointing out the defects with the officer's report and recommendation were not, in our opinion, adequately addressed with the overall impression being that both the officers and the majority of the Councillors just wanted to approve the application and put this whole sad story behind them. We now hope the Secretary of State will step in.
• Some of you may have enjoyed the new surface of Rifle Butts Alley. We secured funding for this through what is called the Community Infrastructure Levy. The next round of grant applications opens in April and we would welcome your ideas - perhaps some improvement to Elizabeth Welchman Gardens? It doesn't have to be in our Ward. If you have an idea, please contact one of us. The details of the scheme are set out on the Council's website here.

Julie and David

Friday 25 February 2022

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