Surrey Police have cut costs and red tape, to put more PCs back on the streets. However their government grant is less than half the national average, so despite cutting 144 administrative jobs, they needed to raise their share of council tax by 4.9%. The Labour government has threatened to "cap" them, which would entail the loss of another 80 staff, including front line PCs.
The persistence of the European Liberal Democrat MEPs has paid off. They have secured a pledge that the EU will seek to harmonise mobile chargers. The aim is to reduce costs for European consumers currently obliged to replace chargers which still work, and to cut the enormous quantity of waste generated.
At a recent meeting of the Strategy & Resources Committee the borough council's annual Audit Commission letter for 2007/8 was found to contain factual inaccuracies but at least it was acknowledged that on recycling the council has "moved out of the worst 25% of councils"!
The importance of a coordinated cross border strategy against overseas credit card fraud has been highlighted by Sharon Bowles MEP following the recent rise in credit card and debit card data being sold overseas.
Cllr Colin Taylor has confirmed that 39 new allotments were let by the borough council last week after a Lib Dem campaign to publicise the long waiting list and the shortage of sites.
Demolition of the derelict Sefton Arms public house on the Longmead estate is due to get under way within days and will take about four weeks.
Surrey Highways are currently not repairing street lights except in the most urgent cases. A new PFI street lighting contract is expected to start early next year, which will involve replacing 80% of the existing lamp columns, so they are not spending money on repairing columns that will be replaced.
The Conservative Cabinet at County Hall have refused to reconsider their decision to axe the Pegasus school buses as from July 2010. The Tory administration is reneging on a decision made only last December 2008 to continue the service for at least two more years until July 2011. The Conservatives do one thing before the election and another thing after.
Due to the pressure and the thorough examination of Liberal Democrat councillor David Goodwin, Surrey County Council Transport Select Committee have forced the Council's Cabinet to reconsider their decision to axe the popular Pegasus school bus service and to proceed instead with a proper investigation to find out how it can be maintained in future for the benefit of Guildford children and parents.
Dave Hodgson (Lib Dem) has won the public vote to become the new directly-elected mayor of Bedford.
The Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council have called for urgent action to resolve the problems identified in the report of the former Interim Chief Executive Mr. Michael Frater. This report described the Council's problems as a 'whole system failure'.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Peter Lambell (Reigate Central) has condemned the recent refusal by Surrey County Council's Conservative administration to sign up to the national 10:10 climate change campaign. This high profile initiative is supported by all the main national party leaders. It seeks to achieve a 10% cut in carbon emissions in 2010.