Norman Baker, the Liberal Democrats' shadow Secretary of State for Transport, spoke at a public meeting in Epsom recently, hosted by local Liberal Democrats, about the need for renewal of our transport networks. Mr Baker told the meeting about the Liberal Democrats' common-sense policies for improved public transport.
Plans for the future of Epsom Hospital were revealed when Samantha Jones, chief executive of the Epsom St Helier hospital trust outlined their proposals at a public meeting at the Town Hall last week. She confirmed that £70 million should be available for redevelopment on the Epsom site, independently of the work agreed at St Helier.
The replacement of the Stones Road footbridge, at one time promised by June 2009, has been held up yet again to avoid disturbing Great Crested Newts from the nearby Stones Road Pond SSSI during their annual hibernation period.
Following a Lib Dem initiative at the October meeting of the Environment Committee, a reduced flat rate Christmas car parking charge of £1 will apply in Council owned car parks in Epsom for two Sundays in the run up to Christmas.
Lib Dem councillors who have been campaigning alongside local residents to get the borough council to act on the future of Horton Chapel have welcomed a decision made at a meeting of the council's Strategy & Resources Committee in November.
Epsom & Ewell Borough Council is advising residents to be on their guard following reports of possible fraudulent activity in the Borough. According to information received by the Council, telephone calls are being made to residents advising them their Council Tax banding has been changed and they are to receive rebates backdated to 1 April 1993.
The Conservative administration at County Hall has today announced cuts to the County Council's budget. Responding to the allocation of the cuts, the Leader of the Liberal Democrat main opposition group, Cllr Hazel Watson said: "I disagree with the allocation of the cuts by the Conservative administration. The £3.9m cut to front-line services for Children and Young people is excessive. This will be very damaging to services for vulnerable children and young people in Surrey. It was only about two years ago that children's services were rated inadequate by Government and these cuts will not help to improve the service."
On May 5th 2011, as well as elections for Borough and District Councils, there will be a National Referendum on whether to adopt the Alternative Vote - a fairer voting system where voters can rank the candidates 1, 2, 3 etc instead of marking just one with an X.
A recent survey has revealed that more Surrey residents are dissatisfied with the County Council and its services in 2010 than in 2009. The results of public satisfaction from January to the end of March 2010 were contained in the Joint Neighbourhood Survey, which was commissioned and managed by the Council in partnership with Surrey Police.
Last week Jane Kulka, Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson for Reigate, attended Surrey County Council's consultation meeting for the School Special Bus review. The county council are looking for savings in all areas that they fund. "SCC Officers presented their case for cutting some services, she said, "However there were some serious and obvious flaws and omissions in their presentation".
After months of worry over the uncertainty of the future of Surrey's bus services, there was some surprising good news recently for residents of Reigate, Woking and Spelthorne following the first phase of a county wide bus review triggered by a decision last year to slash millions from the transport budget.
Despite a call by Lib Dem county councillor Colin Taylor for a quick decision in principle, SCC Tories have voted to defer any decision on the Lib Dem proposal to return to the more democratic Committee System. Instead the proposal will be referred to a Select Committee.
