It may be that the recent 'block' voting by the Tory members in Woking Borough Council is a way in which to keep the length of the Council sessions to a reasonable time? However this means that we have many important decisions being compressed into one meeting, some of them involving millions of pounds of investment, possibly without balanced debate and consideration.
Ashford and St Peter's paying EU staff fees should never have happenend.
Will Forster and the Lib Dems have welcomed the news that Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will pay the fees for European Union (EU) citizens wishing to apply for 'settled status' post-Brexit, but has slammed the Conservative Government for putting EU nationals' rights and NHS staffing in Surrey and Woking at risk.
Liberal Democrats on Woking Council have welcomed plans for greater transparency in the operation of the wholly owned Council companies in the Thameswey Group
Following the summer shock of Thameswey Developments' plans for a skyscraper behind Barclays Bank in Woking town centre, Liberal Democrats have welcomed plans for greater transparency in the operation of all Thameswey Group companies.
£5 million to cinema too much for public purse says Lib Dem Leader
Liberal Democrat Leader on Woking Council Ann-Marie Barker has criticised Woking Conservative plans to spend £5 million on cinema complex run by major international theatre group ATG.
Cllr Ann-Marie Barker, Liberal Democrat Leader on Woking Council, has criticised Woking Conservatives for plans to spend £5 million to refurbish the Woking cinema complex. The Council plans to borrow £5 million pounds to update the tired and ageing cinema, which was recently revealed to have a rodent problem, whilst ATG contributes just £1 million to the upgrade.
Liberal Democrats slam Council and join the 'scream for ice cream' in Woking Park
Liberal Democrats slam Woking Council on learning of treatment of long-standing ice cream business and call for answers on situation
Liberal Democrats on Woking Council were shocked to learn how 'Carlos' ice cream van was treated when being refused a pitch in Woking Park following the opening of a refreshment kiosk.
Skyscrapers are not the answer to local housing need say Liberal Democrats
Speaking at the latest 'Woking Debates' on Saturday 24 November Leader of Woking Council Liberal Democrats Cllr Ann-Marie Barker clearly stated that skyscrapers are not the answer to meet Woking's housing need. They are not council policy, will not meet local housing need and are not needed to achieve nationally set building targets.
Cllr Barker pointed out that
- Current Council policy merely allows for 'taller' buildings in the centre of town, it does not call for skyscrapers
- Town centre flats are not the affordable homes that are in such demand and they are likely to generate more need for larger homes when residents start relationships or families
- Skyscrapers are not needed to meet the target of having 50% of the 292 homes required in Woking each year in the town centre. Harrington House, on the site of the old St Dunstans, reaches 11 storeys at its highest point and will provide 147 flats, a years town centre supply. Victoria Square will provide 429 flats which is almost 3 years supply. An application has just gone into convert an office block in Chertsey Road. The flats planned would meet at least two thirds of a year's supply.
There are already very tall buildings with planning permission and others at various stages of planning. Between 10 or more skyscrapers have been mentioned for Woking town centre.
"A line needs to be drawn" said Cllr Barker.
"Now is the time for residents who don't want the character of their town to be changed forever to stand up and have their say" stated Cllr Barker. "I urge residents to respond to the latest Local Plan consultation and say 15 storeys is tall enough in the town centre."
Lib Dems welcome Railway and Victoria Arch funding
The local Lib Dems have welcomed news that Network Rail has secured a budget from the Government of more than £2 billion to improve the South Western rail network that runs through Surrey and the surrounding areas.
The money will be spent between 2019 and 2024 across the route, which runs out of London's Waterloo station, and represents more than a 20% increase on the existing five-year budget. The funding will be focused on renewing and maintaining existing infrastructure to stop it failing, giving people more reliable train journeys in the future.
Lib Dems urge Surrey local authorities to take young care leavers out of Council Tax
Earlier this year, Lib Dem County Councillor Will Forster persuaded Woking Borough Council to exempt young people who have recently left the care system from paying Council Tax until their 25th birthday. Surrey County Council also agreed a package of measures to support care leavers, including plans to take young care leavers out of Council Tax, at the start of the year as well.
Lib Dems urge residents to respond to Surrey County Council's Five consultations on cuts
On the same day as the Conservative Chancellor said that austerity is coming to an end, Tory-run Surrey County Council announced that it will consult the public on plans to cut bus passes, Children's Centres, Community Recycling Centres, libraries and services for people with special education needs and disabilities.
The local Lib Dems have stated they are 'exasperated' by the regular failings on the South Western Railway network that serves Woking, following Monday's overrunning engineering works.
Lib Dem County Councillor for Woking South, Will Forster, said:
"Commuters are rightly angry and exasperated that after 18 months of appalling services, Woking Train Station was completely closed on Monday morning due to overrunning engineering works. The Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, Network Rail and South Western Railway need to take responsibility for not just the mismanagement of the engineering work, but the chaos that followed. They cannot expect passengers to keep putting up with such a poor service."
