The Lib Dems have warned that Jonathan Lord, Conservative MP for Woking, is risking a "new Windrush-style scandal" after he voted to refuse to offer EU citizens proof of their right to stay in the UK.

On Monday 19th October, Tory MPs overturned a Lib Dem amendment to the Immigration Bill, which passed in the House of Lords just weeks ago. The amendment would require the Home Office to give EU nationals physical proof of Settled and Pre-Settled Status, rather than the digital-only system the Home Office is currently pursuing.

Is your neighbour's dog driving you barking mad? What about their trees invading your freshly-pruned garden? Dale Roberts, an established community mediator, shares his advice for preventing and resolving neighbourly disputes. We discuss how politicians should talk less and listen more to transform the effectiveness of government.

Woking Borough Council has unanimously agreed a Lib Dem motion to oppose the Government's planning reforms which will reduce local people's say on development and centralise control of the planning system.

The Lib Dems have warned that the Government's planning proposals will disempower local authorities like Woking Borough Council and allow developers to run roughshod over local communities' wishes. Local authorities would be required to zone areas for growth and any development in these areas will be given automatic initial planning permission.

Surrey County Council has agreed to move its headquarters to the former Canon HQ in Woodhatch, in spite of objections raised by the cross-party group of Councillors responsible for scrutinising the move.

Last year, the County Council stated it wanted to move its HQ from Kingston-Upon-Thames to a location in Surrey. The Council had originally hoped to move to Midas House in Woking, but those plans were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

During this week's Surrey County Council meeting the Leader of the Council, Tim Oliver, ensured his Conservative Group voted against a Lib Dem motion calling for a much-needed reconciliation with the Borough and District Councils with whom a relationship of trust had completely broken down.

In his speech the Lib Dem Leader Group Leader, Chris Botten, outlined how the recent perceived power grab by the County Council, by unilaterally pursuing its ambition of a single unitary authority, had severely damaged relations with the eleven Borough and District Councils of all political colours, who had been side-lined by their action.

Following a motion by the Lib Dems Surrey County Council unanimously agreed to introduce "school streets" in Surrey with the aim of encouraging active travel, improving air quality and promoting road safety.

A school street is where the road outside a school is closed to vehicles during school drop-off and pick-up times except for those residents living in that street.

Cllr Ann-Marie Barker is calling on the Council to support her in protecting our say on what is built locally. Woking's Liberal Democrat Leader wants the Council raise concerns with the Government and Member of Parliament on the White Paper 'Planning for the Future'.

The White Paper plans to:

• Take away local control - Westminster would decide where developers can build in our area and local people would have less say on planning applications
• Allow developers to build even fewer affordable homes
• Take money for roads and schools and give it straight to the government

Ahead of a crunch vote in the House of Commons next week the Lib Dems have teamed up with pubs, restaurants and community clubs across the country to launch a "Keep the lights on" campaign in protest at the 10pm curfew.

Lib Dem spokesperson Will Forster has warned that no evidence has been published that Boris Johnson's enforced curfew is good for public health and with "jobs on the line" they have called on Woking's MP to vote against the curfew.

The Lib Dems have warned malicious calls to the ambulance service are putting lives at risk as they reveal 1,448 hoax calls have been made across the South East Coast Ambulance Service area over the last three years.

With the UK in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic Lib Dem Health Spokesperson Munira Wilson has warned Ministers must ensure ambulance services have "the resources they need to educate people over the dangers that malicious calls pose."

Following a question from the Lib Dems, Surrey County Council has confirmed that the cost of its failed bid to become a unitary authority was just under £250,000.

In anticipation of a Government White Paper on local government devolution, the Conservatives running the County Council decided to pursue plans to become a unitary authority. This power grab would have involved abolishing the Surrey's 11 Borough and District Councils, and centralising power in one unitary authority serving 1.2 million people. However, the Surrey Tories' plans have been stopped by the Government.