Epsom & Ewell Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrat county councillors have expressed their concern after it was revealed that Surrey County Council has not spent any of the income derived from its £298 million commercial property portfolio on council services. Previously, the Conservative Cabinet Member for Property & Business Services stated that: "We also have an additional need to generate an income from our strategy if we are to have any hope of raising enough money to fund the services our residents need."

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Liberal Democrat county councillors in Surrey have expressed concern that proposed changes to the arrangements for drug and alcohol detoxification will make it more difficult for those trying to beat addiction.

Surrey County Council is currently consulting on proposals that include the closure of the in-patient facility at Windmill House in Chertsey, leaving only one in-patient bed for the whole of the county - which will be located outside of Surrey. Other patients will be required to attend day centres in either Guildford or Redhill, and will have to return to their homes in the evenings and at weekends in a programme called "ambulatory detoxification."

Liberal Democrat county councillors in Surrey have called for a review of the County Council's admitted failings in the Parsons Green bomb incident. Ahmed Hassan, 18, was convicted of attempted murder on 16th March 2018. He had been placed in foster care in Sunbury by Surrey County Council since the summer of 2016.

Liberal Democrat county councillors in Surrey have revealed that it would take over three quarters of a billion pounds to repair the county's roads and footways to an "as new" standard. At the current rate of spending, it would take the Conservative-run County Council almost 50 years to complete this work. The information was revealed following questioning from Liberal Democrat county councillors this week.

Liberal Democrat county councillors are celebrating after a package of measures to support care leavers was adopted by Surrey County Council. As part of a new Charter unanimously agreed by the County Council, young care leavers will be exempted from council tax, as well as given support with continuing education, managing a household and work skills.

Liberal Democrat county councillors have called on Surrey County Council to accept the Conservative government's view that charges for residents disposing of DIY waste should be dropped. A vote on whether to drop the charges will be held at a meeting of all councillors on Tuesday 20th March. The unpopular charges were introduced at Community Recycling Centres across the county by the Conservative Cabinet in September 2016, and included charges for the diposal of tyres, as well as home and garden waste.

Cllr Stephen Cooksey, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for the Environment, said today:

"The Conservative government have quite rightly signalled their opposition to these unfair charges, and have announced that they will legislate if councils like Surrey continue to impose them. Conservative councillors now have a chance to back their own government's policy by doing the right thing and ending these charges immediately.

"I am calling for all county councillors to back the Liberal Democrat motion to be discussed at Council on Tuesday, so that we can look our residents in the eye and know that we are making it as easy as possible for them to recycle and dispose of their waste responsibly, rather than putting barriers in their path".


The wording of Cllr Cooksey's motion can be found here, under Item 8(i):
https://mycouncil.surreycc.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=121&MId=5840&Ver=4

Liberal Democrat county councillors have called for care leavers in Surrey to be exempted from paying council tax until they are 25. The campaign was initiated by highly respected charity The Children's Society and will be discussed at County Hall on March 20th.

Cllr Will Forster, who brought forward the motion to be discussed, said today:

Liberal Democrat county councillors have raised concern over the future of Children's Centres in Surrey. Currently there are 58 centres across the county, providing services such as childcare, play and learning sessions, parenting courses, employment support and information and guidance for low-income families. Surrey County Council is currently consulting on a new model for delivering its "Early Help" services, with the aim of saving at least £9.7m.

Responding to Cllr Andrew Povey's comments on BBC Radio Surrey this morning, Cllr Hazel Watson, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, said today:

"I am pleased that Cllr Povey agrees with what the Liberal Democrats and I have been saying about Surrey County Council's finances over the last 18 months. He is right to draw attention to the criticisms of the County Council contained within CIPFA's report "Financial Resilience Review - Surrey County Council". This report was commissioned by the current Leader of the Council and was kept hidden from county councillors for months.