Last year, Conservative dreams of seeing Surrey declared an 'excellent' County Council were shattered by Ofsted's shocking findings in the Joint Area Review. Vulnerable children were not safe in Surrey. By the Autumn the Secretary of State had given Surrey notice that it must carry out a demanding two-year improvement programme, meeting a rigorous series of targets, or risk having its services taken over.
Local authorities with responsibility for parking enforcement will be able to issue penalty charges to drivers who double park or block dropped kerbs from next month.
In this year's budget the Tories included bus service cuts as one of the ways of paying for a lower council tax increase than in previous years. More than 10% of the subsidy will be cut next year.
Surrey County Council's most popular move, since the introduction of "Local Committees" to oversee Highways works, has been the provision of "Community Gangs" working in consultation with local county councillors, to deal with potholes, loose kerb stones and paving slabs, over-hanging vegetation, minor repairs and repainting etc. However, in their budget, the Conservatives had announced that they would be cutting the time these gangs can spend in each area - and last week the axe fell.
"We Will NEVER Consult Residents ..." - so said an RA committee chairman at a borough council meeting in response to a question from the Liberal Democrats about the government-backed "Over 60s Swimming" scheme which had not been taken up in Epsom & Ewell, unlike some other neighbouring boroughs.
Epsom's Tory councillors were subjected to attack from all sides at a council meeting held on 28th April.
The President of the European Parliament has used new powers to dock the allowances of UKIP MEP Nigel Farage, who refused to apologise for gratuitously insulting the new President of the European Council, thanks to an initiative taken in the last parliament by Lib Dem MEP Graham Watson to ensure that such powers existed.
"Ken Clarke's legendary hush puppies made no sound this week as they padded their way to EU Commission President Barroso's office. The Daily Telegraph got wind of the story, but there was no further media comment, no photographic evidence and not so much as a press release to mark the Shadow Business Secretary's visit", writes Lib Dem MEP for the South East, Catherine Bearder.
The Surrey Police Authority is to hold a widespread public consultation on their plans to expand their force by about 200 new constables over the next 3 years, paid for by cutting about 50 senior officers and relocating Police Stations to council offices and supermarkets. About 100 of the new officers would join the neighbourhood police teams of "Bobbies on the Beat". This initiative has been supported by the Lib Dem members of the Surrey Police Authority.
The new Conservative administration, following David Cameron's lead, has now proudly proclaimed a conversion to "localism" (the devolution of decision making to the lowest level) which is a complete reversal of the policies of the last Conservative government. However the first test of the new approach revealed that not much had changed.
Throughout Surrey there was a failure to fill and top-up grit bins during the periods of heavy snow in December and January resulting in many justified complaints from residents. Just how chaotic the situation was has been revealed following questions from County Cllr Stephen Cooksey.
The Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council have voted against the Tory administration's budget for 2010/11 at County Hall. Leader of the Liberal Democrats Cllr Hazel Watson said: "I support the 2.5% level of Council Tax increase proposed for the Council. Many Surrey residents are struggling to pay their bills during the economic downturn and therefore the Council Tax needs to be set as low as possible whilst allowing for adequate funding for services. I oppose, however, the content of the budget proposed by the Conservative administration as it does the opposite of what Surrey residents want."