Following the successful year in existence of the Fairtrade Forum for Epsom & Ewell, Cllr Jonathan Lees proposed at last Tuesday's meeting of the Borough Council that the Council should now support it.
It's back to the drawing board for Langley Vale Road traffic calming. Councillors from all parties representing this Epsom Downs village (including Woodcote ward by-election winner Lionel Blackman) have jointly agreed to ask SCC highways engineers to re-consider their plans.
The battle for places on the new 80-seat County Council goes into top gear as nominations close later this week. This is expected to be the last set of councillors to hold their meetings at the historic County Hall in Kingston upon Thames, which is nowadays outside the administrative county of Surrey. The new building in Woking is intended to come into use before the end of 2007.
The Lib Dems were returned to represent Woodcote ward on Epsom & Ewell Borough Council tonight, after an absence of less than two years. The polling results were:
Over 650 residents have petitioned in support of the proposal that Epsom & Ewell should become a Fairtrade town. The Epsom and Ewell Fairtrade Forum set up by Councillor Jonathan Lees is actively working towards obtaining this status for the Borough. A "Fairtrade Town" can include any community that has made a commitment to supporting Fair Trade, consequently supporting disadvantaged farmers and workers in developing countries. There are now over 100 Fairtrade Towns in the U.K. The Epsom and Ewell Fairtrade Forum represents all those residents who would like to join them in meeting a few achievable targets.
Regeneration of the Upper High Street shopping area in Epsom is being aimed at by council planners. A recent proposal from developers to build on part of the car park, as well as the adjoining Allam's garage and Iceland store, was approved by a government inspector after being rejected by Epsom & Ewell's planning committee. This could not go ahead, because the car park is owned by the Borough Council. However to try and attract more shoppers into the town centre, the planners are now considering an alternative development as a supermarket, by new site owners Helical Bar.
The Conservative Executive of Surrey County Council have decided to withdraw large numbers of evening and weekend bus services right across Surrey with effect from September 2003. This was agreed at their meeting on the 10th of June.
Surrey County Council has increased its share of council tax for 2003-2004 by 17.9%. Cllr. Janet Maines, Lib Dem group leader said: "This Tory-run County Council has got to move away from crisis management, with its ever spiralling costs, by investing in preventative measures that are good value for money and that better meet the needs of Surrey residents".
