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Full and frank consultation needed before Tories force our primary schools to become academies

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Full and frank consultation needed before Tories force our primary schools to become academies

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Surbiton Newsletter – Review of 2015 and what to expect in 2016

by lizgreen on 23 December, 2015

Our review of 2015

  • 2015 seems to have been the year of the planning application! Major applications across the borough have been consulted on, submitted, withdrawn, re-submitted, refused, amended, re-consulted and re-submitted in a seemingly endless saga!
  • Back in February, we tried to get height limits put into the planning brief for Kingston Town Centre, but were voted down by the administration, so we have seen applications for 21 storey buildings in our historic town centre.
  • Surbiton Wildlife Group was formed this year and has gone from strength to strength. Claremont Gardens is looking wonderful and has become a haven for wildlife with the new bug hotel and birdboxes. Thanks to everyone involved.
  • Of course, we had the general election and we were very disappointed that Edward Davey lost his seat as MP for Kingston and Surbiton. This was closely followed by the Grove by-election (following the tragic death of Councillor Chrissie Hitchcock) which saw Liberal Democrat Jon Tolley get over 60% of the vote.
  • As usual, Surbiton saw more madcap stuff from the Friends of Seething Wells, as well as the biggest and best Surbiton Festival and Turn it on, Surbiton events, as well as our regular farmers market and Made in Surbiton events. Firm favourites in many people’s calendar, bringing out the best of our wonderful community.
  • We also saw the launch of the Kingston Pound electronic trial, keeping money in the local economny and helping our independent traders.
  • This month work has finally started on the new segregated cycle lane along Portsmouth Road, over 18 months since the money was awarded to Kingston Council from the Mayor of London.

So what will 2016 bring?

  • More planning with Dairy crest site planning application still be decided, as are The Old Post Office (TOPO) and Eden Walk applications in Kingston Town Centre and the Tolworth Tower and the old Tesco site applications in Tolworth and the Filter beds site is likely to re-emerge.
  • There will finally be opportunity to revisit 20mph in Surbiton Town Centre residential and shopping roads after a wait of over a year.
  • There will also be a new household recycling service from February, reducing collections to fortnightly of everything except food and a second wheelie bin to store.
  • Kingston Council will see a reduction in it’s funding from central Government again. Will this mean cuts to front line services? In January, the Conservative Administration will outline their budget for the year.
  • More cycling infrastructure as Kingston Council steps up the pace on the mini-holland projects to play catch up.
  • A set of 3 elections for Mayor of London and Greater London Assembly constituency and list members plus possibly an EU referendum.

So what will our borough look like in the future? So much depends so much on these planning applications, how we get the new affordable homes we need but without turning us into another Croydon.

Whatever 2016 throws at us all, as your St Mark’s Ward Liberal Democrat Councillors we will be trying to keep you up to date through our regular emails, website, social media, leaflets and surveying.

We hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and we look forward to working together in 2016.

Regards

Liz, Diane and Yogan