Surrey County Council's local committee for Epsom & Ewell received a report that an overspend of £75,000 was incurred on a range of highways projects undertaken in the borough within the last financial year, so the funds available for the current year have been reduced accordingly. Questioning from the committee revealed that the 21% excess of costs over budget arose because prices quoted for projects are based on estimated costs. The contract agreed by Conservative-led Surrey County Council does not require the contractor to be held to this estimate and allows the contractor to charge whatever the work actually costs.
Lib Dem councillors put a "motion" to Epsom & Ewell Borough Council in July which called for 2010 to become The Year of the Bike. They claim that schemes in neighbouring boroughs involving "green vouchers" promote cycling as a form of travel, say both Epsom and Ewell need more cycle racks and the cycleways around the borough have gaps in them.
A meeting of Epsom & Ewell Borough Council on Tuesday 21st July discussed the future of Epsom Hospital. Having announced a mere four weeks ago that it favoured the "divestment" option, meaning Epsom would split from St Helier but forge links with another hospital, instead the ruling RA group has now supported the "demerger" option, which would mean Epsom Hospital standing alone alongside other larger general and critical care hospitals in the area.
When planning permission was given for a student accommodation block in the centre of Epsom, some of the "developer contribution" to the council has been earmarked to help the parking problems of residents living nearby.
Epsom and Ewell's "tip" in Blenheim Road is still being used to process far more waste from other boroughs than from within Epsom and Ewell, over two years after complaints were made to both Surrey County Council (the waste disposal authority) and SITA which manages the waste disposal contract.
Following the problems caused by the severe weather last winter, which left residents stranded at home and many parts of the County isolated, Liberal Democrat County Councillors called upon Surrey County Council to prepare adequately to cope with ice and snow next winter. However despite their proposals receiving support from two cross-party scrutiny committees, the Conservative administration has rejected them.
Lib Dem MEP Sharon Bowles, Chair of the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, joined Sue Doughty, Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Guildford, to meet victims of the Equitable Life scandal in Guildford and pledge their support for the campaign to compensate those affected.
With the recession people are hurting. 1 in 4 of Surrey's residents are living in financial stress and 30,000 are financially excluded - as they don't have bank accounts, savings or insurance. Without them people turn to loan sharks, some even for basic things like when their washing machine breaks down.
This coming Monday 29 March will see the first of the televised election 2010 debates. Vince Cable will face Alistair Darling and George Osborne at 8pm on Channel 4. Following the Budget, this will be the time to see the mettle of the three Chancellors head-to-head. Don't miss it!
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