Local resident Julia Kirkland, who lives in Clarendon Park, addressed the council's Environment Committee on Wednesday 21st January, armed with photographs of derelict buildings in her neighbourhood.
Lib Dem Elaine Britten has decided that for reasons of ill-health she can no longer continue as councillor for Court ward. A by-election to fill the vacancy will be held on 26th February.
When the County Council was asked to provide a sign "Unsuitable for Long Vehicles", Cllr Julie Morris was told that double-articulated lorries have every right to use a residential road and that it was parked vehicles, which include those of residents, which were causing the obstruction and at fault.
Transport for London (TfL) have announced that on Monday 9th February 2009 they intend to start modernising the traffic light equipment at the intersection of Leatherhead Road with Rushett Lane and Fairoak Lane.
Although the Council's target for new affordable homes completed in 2008/2009 is expected to be met, the number of new starts expected on site has fallen alarmingly.
At a recent Council meeting, Cllr Alison Kelly asked for confirmation of the Council's position in relation to the licensing of lap-dancing establishments, without prejudice to the Council's duty and obligation to consider any current application according to current rules.
Surrey County Council has been downgraded from 3 stars to 1 by the Audit Commission, the Government body that assesses the performance of local authorities. They have concluded from the most recent inspections carried out last year that Surrey services are performing inadequately and failing its most vulnerable residents.
The Liberal Democrats have opposed Surrey County Council's budget as "fundamentally flawed". Surrey council tax payers will continue to receive poor services over the next year, after the ruling Conservative administration adopted a budget that cuts bus services, pot hole repairs, gritting and road gully cleaning.
Arising from a challenge by Capel Parish Council to the Surrey Waste Plan, a High Court judge has stated that he will quash SCC's recent planning permission for the Capel Incinerator. A similar thing happened to the previous planning consent given in 2001, though that was on a challenge by the Capel Action Group to the SCC officers' report to the Planning & Regulatory Committee.
Speaking during the debate at this week's meeting of Surrey County Council, Lib Dem opposition leader Hazel Watson said that the Conservative administration must stop wasting council taxpayers' money.
QUESTION: What does Surrey have in common with Haringey, Milton Keynes and Doncaster? (and nowhere else?). ANSWER: Surrey's Children's Services have been rated 'inadequate' by Ofsted, with a rating for 2008 of just 1 out of 4.
This time last year Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council campaigned, with some success, against a sudden and counter-productive freeze of recruitment to the Youth Development Service. Now the county's (Conservative) Executive have imposed a fresh one.
