4 Feb 2012
News
Epsom and Ewell News
Council Agrees £200K investment in Barrier-controlled Car Parks
The Borough Council's capital programme for 2012-13 will include a £200,000 investment in barrier-controlled car parks. Car parks at Depot Road, Upper High Street, Hook Road, Hope Lodge and the Town Hall will be converted to barrier-controlled with drivers paying on exit.
7 Feb 2012
Council Agrees Action Plan for Alcohol-Related Crime in Epsom Town Centre (but still agrees later licensing hours)
The ludicrousness of Borough Council decisions associated with Licensing and Planning matters was exposed at a meeting of its Environment Committee on 23rd January. The meeting agreed that Epsom Town Centre should become the focus of a Community Safety Action Plan for one year, yet only a week earlier an Epsom-based club gained permission to extend its licensing hours from 2am. Even more surprising is that the Police and the council's own Planning Department had objected to the extension - the Police on the grounds of potential disturbance to residents and the Planning Department because it had already refused permission for the same establishment to extend its hours of operation. Epsom Town centre ranks amongst the highest areas for alcohol related disorder in the county. It regularly stands in the top 16% in the country for incidences of crime per 1000 of population. The premises which was granted the extension is not, in itself, known to cause crime or disorder issues but an ever-increasing population of
30 Jan 2012
Ten Days Left for Upper High Street Consultation
The borough council's consultation on the Upper High Street "development" site ends on 3rd February. Most important is that residents tell the council if they favour a foodstore fronting Upper High Street, in the centre of the site or fronting Church Street.
24 Jan 2012
Light at the End of the Tunnel
Epsom councillors are hopeful that the opening of the Stones Road tunnel isn't far away.
23 Jan 2012
No Rent Increase for Allotments
With the council's budget preparation well underway for 2012/13, allotment rents are recommended for a 0% increase. The current charge of 30p per square metre p.a. has held firm for the past two years.
18 Jan 2012
Surrey County Council News
REVEALED: Tory Council suppressed damaging financial report for months
Conservative-run Surrey County Council has been forced to release a damaging financial report which warned in December 2016 that a 15% council tax referendum was "highly likely to fail". The report, produced by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy (CIPFA), cost nearly £25,000 and was commissioned in December but was only released to councillors on March 21st 2017, six weeks after the Council's budget meeting. The report states "In CIPFA's view a referendum is highly likely to fail" and goes on to note that the Council's financial position is "extremely worrying" and "the absence of a credible cost-reduction plan", and that "The council's financial plans are not robust and it is at risk of becoming financially unsustainable". It concludes that the council's financial resilience is "dependant on winning a referendum process, high levels of unidentified savings and rapidly declining reserves - not a good place!". Cllr Hazel Watson, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council,
23 Mar 2017
Lib Dem success as Surrey agrees to oppose school cuts but headteacher warns of 4-day week
Liberal Democrat Councillors have successfully called for Surrey County Council to oppose the Government's funding proposals which could leave schools in Surrey with a £37m hole in their budgets by 2019/20. It follows the release of a letter from a Surrey Headteacher warning his local Conservative MP that schools in Surrey may be forced to implement a 4-day week. Cllr Will Forster, who moved the motion at a Council meeting yesterday, said:
22 Mar 2017
STATEMENT BY CLLR HAZEL WATSON ON MOTION OF NO CONFIDENCE
Cllr Hazel Watson said today:
21 Mar 2017
People power saves 465 bus!
Liberal Democrat councillors and residents have welcomed the news that the well-used 465 bus service from Kingston to Dorking, via Leatherhead, has been guaranteed for the next five years. Cllr Stephen Cooksey, Liberal Democrat County Councillor for Dorking South and the Holmwoods, said today:
21 Mar 2017
Surrey Lib Dems launch petition to stop local schools losing £37 MILLION by 2020
Liberal Democrat county councillors have launched a petition to fight against school funding cuts in Surrey. Recent figures from the National Union of Teachers show that schools in Surrey will lose £37 MILLION in real terms by 2020. New government estimates obtained by the National Audit Office show that schools in England will have to make cuts of £3 billion by 2020 in order to cope with increased costs. The Government wants over half of these cuts to come from schools' teaching budgets. Cllr Will Forster, Liberal Democrat county councillor for Woking South, said: "Current levels of funding in Surrey are not enough if schools are to manage new cost pressures such as increases in National Insurance and a new tax to pay for apprenticeships. In addition, the County Council is being squeezed by the Conservative Government's 75% cut in the funding it uses to support school improvements and provide local schools with music lessons, ICT equipment and accounting advice" "Schools across the county are considering dra
14 Mar 2017
LIBERAL DEMOCRATS CALL FOR LEADER OF SURREY COUNTY COUNCIL TO QUIT
Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council have called for the Leader of the Council, Councillor David Hodge, to resign or face a Motion of No Confidence following the release of emails last night which revealed he had written to the Prime Minister asking for more cash "so that Surrey will continue to be a heartland for the Conservatives". In another email he bemoaned the fact that the Conservative Government "ties my hands and fails to support...(the)...largest Conservative Group in UK".
9 Mar 2017