Following a lengthy debate, punctuated by interjections from a packed public gallery, Epsom & Ewell's planning committee have voted to reject the controversial proposal for a large supermarket in the Upper High Street on a majority decision. As for all planning applications, this proposal had to be determined purely on planning grounds, despite immense public interest and pressure. Council planning officers had recommended approval, but most members felt that the size of the planned store would create more additional traffic than that part of the town could cope with.
The size of the Tory group on Epsom & Ewell Borough Council slipped to just one member last night as the RA regained the Stoneleigh seat in yesterday's by-election. Jim Dapre the Lib Dem candidate came third.
A decision was finally reached tonight to exclude telecomms masts from parks in Epsom & Ewell. This followed the motion proposed in September 2005 by Cllr Colin Taylor and seconded by Cllr Jonathan Lees, calling for masts not to be allowed in the Borough's parks and open spaces.
News that the future of the Library at Ewell Court House is secure was welcomed today by Cllr Nigel Pavey, who is treasurer of the Friends of Ewell Court Library. He said: "Those who worked so hard arranging a meeting with the Libraries chief and organising the petition against closure are to be congratulated. Everyone who uses the library will feel so relieved to know that this important community facility has been reprieved."
The threat to the YoYo Drop-in Centre for young people in Epsom Town centre was discussed at the recent meeting of SCC's Epsom & Ewell Local Committee. They unanimously passed a motion proposed by Cllr Colin Taylor calling upon SCC's Executive to re-consider their BDR review's proposal in the light of possible alterations to the facilities at the Lintons Youth Centre.
As well as Libraries and Youth Clubs, other Surrey County Council services threatened by the Tory BDR proposals include the Surrey History Centre, where the reduction in funding may seriously affect the quality of the service, and Surrey County Arts, which currently provides 278,000 music lessons annually. Proposals include increased tuition fees, even though tuition fees in Surrey are already 30% higher than the national average whereas some 42% of local authorities do not charge any tuition fees.
Surrey County Council Conservatives' claims that extra funding has been put into education, social services and road maintenance by sweeping cuts in administration and bureaucracy could be described politely as misleading or perhaps more accurately as downright lies, according to Councillor Janet Maines, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council. Most of the extra funding in the budget has come either from the government or from prudential borrowing says Mrs Maines.
Councillor Janet Maines, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council, commenting on the County Council budget said, "I welcome the single figure increase in the Council tax for Surrey residents, which is good news for people on fixed incomes including pensioners. But I have opposed the budget because the Conservative administration at County Hall has not gone far enough to reduce bureaucracy and inefficiency within the Council. The base budget has not been examined in detail as was agreed by the Council one year ago. A number of multi-million pound contracts are not being adequately controlled by the Council. Although the Council is now making a welcome start to introduce cost-saving preventative measures such as key worker housing and energy efficiency promoted by the Liberal Democrats, it has been slow to do so."
Liberal Democrats are urging Surrey County Council to keep a commitment to invest in preventative services that will save money in the long term. For example, increasing allowances could encourage more people to become foster parents in Surrey and would save money currently spent on very expensive agency placements outside the County. This approach would take the County Council away from the current culture of crisis management and save taxpayers money at the same time.
The efforts of Lib Dems on Surrey County Council to save council tax payers' money, while protecting Council services, have resulted in the adoption of a scheme to support the County Council's key workers wishing to access housing within the County, that will save thousands of pounds in future years.
The hard work of Lib Dems on Surrey County Council to save council tax payers' money, while protecting Council services, is paying off. A Lib Dem initiative has been adopted by the County Council that will save Surrey council tax payers thousands of pounds in future years.
The Lib Dems at Surrey County Council have persuaded the Tory administration to set up an in depth review into the way that the County's contracts are set up and monitored. The County Council is contracting out more and more of its services including such things as school transport but it was revealed last week that the council has inadequate information regarding the performance of that and other contracts.
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