Following the success of our petition in Epsom High Street, our local campaigners took it to Stoneleigh Broadway last month. Again the response was magnificent. Even though not so busy as Epsom High Street, the vast majority of passers by were supportive and keen to sign.
The official opening ceremony of Southfield Park Primary School in Long Grove Road, Epsom will be performed on 30th April 2004 by the chairman of Surrey County Council, Mrs Sheila Gruselle. Because so many new houses are planned to be built on the former hospital sites nearby, this new school is being built now to help provide sufficient places for Primary age children, rather than waiting until a shortage develops, as has happened at Secondary age.
At the Borough Council meeting on Tuesday 24th February, Cllr Jonathan Lees proposed that Epsom and Ewell should seek to become a "Fair Trade Town".
Epsom & Ewell Borough Council have increased their expenditure by 6% in their budget for 2004/2005 and their share of the Council Tax by 4.75%. The RA party rejected a Lib Dem amendment proposing a smaller 4% rise.
Epsom & Ewell Liberal Democrats discovered on 29th January 2004 that a Developer was marketing plots of land in Banstead Road, East Ewell, on the Internet. They were advertised as suitable for house building, despite the fact that the site lies in the metropolitan Green Belt.
In an unprecedented move, leaders of all four political groups on Epsom & Ewell Borough Council have jointly written demanding that Government cash is delivered as promised. In response to Local Government Minister Nick Raynesford's announcement that all 'shire' Districts would receive 3% extra grant to help with next year's budget, councillors united to write asking for this to be delivered.
After much pressure from the Lib Dems, the Tory chairman of the council's Transportation Select Committee agreed to call a special meeting on 19th September to comment on the proposed reduction of Sunday and evening services, due to be re-considered by the Executive on 30th September.
In December 2001, Surrey County Council's Planning and Regulatory Committee met to decide on three of the most controversial Planning Applications for many years - the 3 so-called "Energy from Waste" Incinerators in Redhill, Guildford and Capel, south of Dorking. The large attendance by the public was catered for by a video link to the sports hall.
Despite strong opposition from the Liberal Democrat group, the Conservative majority on Surrey County Council has forced through a sell off of Surrey school support services to warship makers Vosper Thornycroft.
The Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council have successfully forced the Conservative administration to reconsider their decision to cut bus services from September, even though they refused to debate a Lib Dem motion before the summer holidays.
The Conservative Executive of Surrey County Council have decided to withdraw large numbers of evening and weekend bus services right across Surrey with effect from September 2003. This was agreed at their meeting on the 10th of June.
Surrey County Council has increased its share of council tax for 2003-2004 by 17.9%. Cllr. Janet Maines, Lib Dem group leader said: "This Tory-run County Council has got to move away from crisis management, with its ever spiralling costs, by investing in preventative measures that are good value for money and that better meet the needs of Surrey residents".