Transcript

Good evening everybody and welcome to the 2024-25 Annual Council meeting. New Councillors will be formally welcomed by the new Chair when she is elected and before we begin I need to remind everybody that the meeting is being recorded and streamed live on the internet and that anyone present accepts that they may be filmed and/or recorded. Could colleagues please ensure that their mobile phones are turned off and could I also please remind members that it is appropriate to stand when addressing full council. The first item on the agenda this evening is apologies for absence and we have received apologies from Councillors Case, Langton and O'Riordan. The second item on the agenda is declarations of interest and are there any colleagues in the room who have any interest to declare? No? Okay, so before I proceed with the election of a new Chair for 2024-25 I invite Councillor Gray to speak under item 3. Thank you very much Chair and it gives me great pleasure to move a vote of thanks, I have written here to Chris Botton but of course we addressed the Chair so I should say it gives me great pleasure to move a vote of thanks to you as your year in the Chair comes to an end and your year has been marked by all the qualities that we would have expected in your year. We would have expected clarity, understanding and courtesy but with just that admixture of robustness. I was looking around for Councillor Cooper but he's not here so I can't rub that in. And the end of a distinguished year in that role coincides with the end, as we know, to a long and distinguished career as a District Councillor in the service of the community. I know because I've looked it up that you became Councillor for Portley in 1996, did I find the right figure? In the days of the lab administration of this Council, those were the days, that's when things were done properly, were they not? My colleague, my former colleague David Lee, he used to specialise in votes of thanks, you'll recall. He had a particular formula which was to spend about four and a half minutes slagging the person off and then 30 seconds at the end in which he'd locate one redeeming feature. So I was trying to think of things I could accuse Chris of, which was a bit difficult but I don't give up easily. One thing you definitely couldn't accuse Chris of is manic presenteeism. Chris has an allergy to meetings which in his judgement have been called just to waste his time. It may be that we are more aware of that than you are, because I think it probably comes out more in party meetings than it does in government business. And Chris has a particular way of declining to attend such meetings. We all have our verbal tics, don't we? And with Chris you'd get this email and it would inevitably begin in exactly the same way. You could almost hear the world's weary sigh and it would be followed by 'Alas!' and then the declining to attend whatever boring Executive Committee meeting it might be. So is Chris coming? Did you get an alas? Yeah I got an alas. And here's the thing, Chris knows what is important and I might say, I know this from my own personal experience through thick and thin, that Chris's knowledge of what is important extends through both professional and personal matters. And if it's important he is there with his customary understanding and his pithy wisdom. We've got lots of new members in the Chamber, I've got five new members in my group whose enthusiasm is exciting and also quite exhausting. So my comment is, work out what's important like Chris. I mean you can turn up to more party meetings than Chris did if you want, but work out what's important. So Chris and Lucy are now in Hampshire and as I understand it they're spending a lot of time looking after grandchildren, which sounds like hell. Okay, maybe not. I'm sure it won't be long before he and Lucy are involved with their new local community. Chris, thank you for your distinguished year in the Chair and for your long and immensely distinguished career as a District Councillor. Thank you very much. Thank you, Jeffrey, that's very kind. I suppose you did quite astutely pick up on a weakness of mine. When Kaitram Hill Parish Council was first formed there was a succession I think my colleagues, if there's anyone there who remembers, but there were a number of colleagues who weren't very good Chairs and I have to say that I did used to get up after two hours whatever happened and leave the meeting, even if that made it uncool rate, because I always have a belief, and I believed it when I was Chair of Governors of many, many schools, that an effective meeting lasts two hours. And if it goes on any longer it generally degenerates into something less successful, and our Chief Executive here will attest to the fact that I frequently turn to him and say this meeting can't go on longer than two hours. And if you look back over the videos I don't think you'll find a Council meeting in my year that did go on longer than two hours, which I think is something, though of course the other thing to be said about my civic year is it has been my honour to Chair these meetings for three reasons I think. Firstly, because I think this Council is very well governed. I think this is a good Council and I think the checks and balances and the level of challenge and the level of questioning is astute. Well supported by people, I think it has been a disproportionately large number of people who come to their public service here with a considerable degree of intellect and intelligence and integrity. And it's been a pleasure to Chair meetings with debates of high quality, people listening to one another and people genuinely working for the interests of the community. The second reason why it's been a pleasure is that the standing orders which have been worked on over the years successively, led in many ways by Mr Sharp and Councillor Pursehouse, have produced a rule book, if you like, for our behaviour, which I think is second to none. I think the work that's been done over the years to hone them and perfect them has really paid dividends and I think standing orders work very well to conduct meetings in the right spirit and in the right way. And the third reason why it's been a pleasure to Chair the meetings is the quality of our office of cadre and their dedication to the residents of Tandridge and the way in which officers and members work, in my experience, work well together and work in the interests of our residents. And a number of the civic events I have attended have demonstrated that the Council is well regarded by people in the community. People have always welcomed me as a representative of the Council and people have always said how pleased they were to have me there and I know that Sue will have that too. One of the weaknesses I have which Councillor Gray did not refer to, thankfully, is that I have capacity at times to be very lacrimose and in fact the last Executive meeting of my local party I wept for about ten minutes while trying to speak. The KC at the Horizon inquiry today, when Paula Venals kept crying and told her to stop trying to speak, which was good advice, but I'm afraid I do tend to be lacrimose at times. I have avoided it, thank goodness, this evening. Thank goodness for you and thank goodness for me. I'd like to thank the officers who supported me during my civic year. Alex and Josh have been particularly helpful. Barry has been brilliant. Vince has been wonderful and all the events, all the things that I've done have been very well supported by Council officers and I'm very grateful to the work that they've done. I've thoroughly enjoyed working with David Ford, our Chief Executive. I've thoroughly enjoyed working in a different capacity with Councillor Sayer who is a colleague I shall treasure and remember forever. I think she's made a brilliant mark on this Council and I will always remember working with her very fondly indeed. It now comes to me to do various things which are quite difficult. I've got to thank my wife. It's only difficult because she hates the limelight, but she deserves it because she's been a terrific support to me during my civic year. Lucy, if you'd be kind enough to come here. If you could take that off. I don't present you with this wonderful purple ribbon. I actually get to keep this one. Which you get to keep. And it's the colour of Victoria Cross. You need to take that. Here are these two. There's one other thank you I need to say and that is that one colleague unremunerated and often under thanked has been with me throughout every event of my civic year, Graham Tapley who is the editor of CR3 and all the other magazines locally, but as a photographer has turned up to every event and taken photographs, he may be watching on the video. If he is, I think the Council owes him a huge debt of thanks because he's a very loyal and superb supporter of Tandridge's events. So my thanks to Graham Tapley. And this leaves me with my final task as your chair, which is to conduct the election of my successor. Are there any nominations for the election of Chair of Council for the municipal year 24/25? I'm delighted to propose Councillor Soo-Pha to be the chair of the Council for 2024/25. Does any member wish to second Councillor Pha's appointment? Yes, I'd be delighted to second that. Thank you, Councillor Crane. Are there any other nominations? There being no other nominations, I declare Councillor Soo-Pha elected as the new chair of the Council. Councillor Pha now signs the declaration of office. She removes her gold, her green medallion. She bows slightly at the knee to permit me to do this because it looks very elegant. Oh, it's my wife's day. Well, we only broke it. There we go. Mended. Thank you. And that's it. Oh, I received my past chairman's badge from you, apparently. Stand up shall we? It's not being put together. Would you like me to do it in the back? Put it over my head. There we go. They're easy just over your head, aren't they? Thank you very much. Thank you. May I wish you every success in your year. I know you'll be brilliant if you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed mine. Congratulations. I shall now depart. Well, I've missed my bit of speech. Thank you. And this is what I was meant to say to you. Thank you Chris. See you soon. Bye. You've got a box here. Oh, dear. Can you sit in this chair? Yes. Sorry. Bye. He was too quick for me. Sorry. Let's just get these. So vice chair. OK. I'm there. We now move on to item five of the agenda and the election of the vice chair of the council for the new municipal year. I would like to propose Claire Blackwell. Does any member wish to. Oh, sorry. I would like to propose. I would like to propose Claire Blackwell. Does any member wish to second the appointment of Councillor Blackwell? Yes, Chair. I'd like to second the appointment of Councillor Blackwell. Are there any other nominations? There being no other nominations, I declare Councillor Blackwell elected as the vice chair of the council. Councillor Blackwell would like to come up. Yes, she's put it there. Do it now. Claire was first elected in 2019 as war counsellor for Limpsfield and then again in 2023 and 2024. Claire moved to Tandridge at the age of five and grew up in Dormansland. Claire moved to Limpsfield in 1992, where she had settled ever since. Claire is a keen walker, which has led her to her passion for wildlife and preservation of the countryside. Claire has particularly enjoyed her roles on the council's outside bodies for the National Trust and the local committee for Limpsfield Common. And also being the substitute on the Surrey ANOB board. I look forward to working closely with Claire as I've seen how knowledgeable and professional she is in all aspects of her council work. I now move on to my announcements under Agenda 6. New Councillors, I am pleased to welcome 15 new members to the council following the all district elections on 2nd of May. As I call your name, please stand so that I may introduce you. We have Councillor Chris Bassett, Oxford North. Councillor Ashley Bolton, Birstow, Horn and Outwood. Councillor Louise Case, Blettingley and Nutfield has had to send her apologies for this evening. Councillor Dino Klein, Whiteleaf. Councillor Julie Duggan, Lingfield and Crowhurst. Councillor Richard Fowler, Blettingley and Nutfield. Councillor Ben Horne, Portley and Queen's Park. Councillor Peter Killick, Lingfield and Crowhurst. Councillor Liz Lockwood, Lingfield and Crowhurst. Councillor Richard Mark, Portley and Queen's Park. Councillor James Rougebally, Westway. Councillor Ankita Sharma, Westway. Councillor Deborah Sherry, Woldingham. Councillor Sarah Sawamba, Westway. Councillor Robin Spencer, Harestone. Welcome to the Council and I look forward to working with you. I now move on to gender seven item seven and the minutes of the council meeting held on the 16th of April 2024. These are set out on pages five to seven of the council book. May I sign them as a correct record? Agenda item eight is to receive and consider reports of the committees. Audit and scrutiny committee, 11th of April 2024. Would Councillor Booth, invite Councillor Booth to move the reception of the report? I'm pleased to move the reception of the minutes of the audit and security meeting held. On the 11th of April 2024, it's set out on pages 11 to 18. Thank you. I invite Councillor Allen to second. Please to second, Madam Chairman. Thank you. Is the report received? Planning Committee, 16th of April 2024. Will Councillor Blackwell to move the reception of the report? Thank you, Chair. I'm pleased to move the reception of the minutes held on the 16th of April on pages 19 to 21. I'm pleased to second the report. Is it received? Agenda item nine, allocation of committee seats for 2024/25. Item nine concerns the proposed appointment of the council's committees for 2024/25. A report of the matter is set out on pages 23 to 29 of the council book. Do I have a proposer for the recommendation page on page 23 of the council book, please? Thank you, Chair. Yes, I would like to propose the recommendation on page 23 of the council book. Thank you. Is there a seconder? Pleased to second, Chair. Would any members like to speak on this item? Is the recommendation agreed? Agreed. Please can I ask the council to note the committee memberships on pages three to six of the supplementary agenda? Agenda item 10, appointments to outside bodies for 2024/25. Agenda item 10 concerns outside body appointments for 2024/25. A list of nominations has been tabled on pages 11 to 15 of the supplementary agenda. Members will see that a vote is required in respect of several organisations. We'll begin with the Gatwick Airport outside bodies numbers 8 to 11. As the nominees are the same for each outside body, I would like to take this vote en blanc with one vote for all four outside bodies. There is one vacancy and one substitute vacancy. We have two nominations. The independent group have nominated Councillor Liz Lockwood as the principal member and Councillor Martin Allen as the substitute. The residents alliance has nominated Councillor Sir Nicholas White as the principal member and Councillor Richard Smith as the substitute. I would invite each principal member to speak for up to three minutes to present their case before the vote. I will begin with Councillor Lockwood. Thank you, chair, for this opportunity to make my case. Let me just quote some Peter Frampton lyrics. I'm back like Schwarzenegger in Terminator. On this side, I would like firstly to state my huge respect for Councillor Sir Nicholas White and all that he has done in relation to this Council's contribution to all matters relating to Gatwick. I would, however, in the spirit of working positively for the whole Council, like to put myself forward for the positions on all the Gatwick related bodies where Tandridge has a seat. When I was selected by this Council to represent you all on the GATCOM seat before, it was not without very good justification. My background and very strong personal interest in all matters pertaining to Gatwick's various transformations from the changes in the flight paths in 2014 are well recorded and the airport's desire to be selected by the Government as an additional airport capacity in the South East. Throughout all of these changes and challenges, I have been constantly active and willing and able to speak out in public on behalf of our wider community. Once I was on GATCOM, I was chosen - it's not a right, you are chosen - for the NatMag seat and was subsequently honoured to be accepted onto the Noise Management Board Executive Committee, a position given to me entirely on merit based on my knowledge, attention to detail, ability to submit well researched evidence and argue on behalf of our community. I was able to do this in a professional and well researched manner and without wishing to get too boastful, I was always well respected by everyone else on the boards because of how hard I worked and how well informed I was. I was also able to - I'm going to leave that bit - I was also asked to work with other professionals on the noise envelope for the development consent order for Gatwick Airport. I've contributed to the public meetings as part of the DCO on behalf of my parish councils and continue to keep up to date with all the past changes in the very fast paced changes in this DCO process. I will remind the administration it's not been a verse to accepting a nomination from another group to a Gatwick body when they approved a conservative substitute when I was the GATCOM representative. To my credit, he was never needed because I never missed any meetings and I was prepared to attend many more besides on behalf of this council and I'm happy to put myself forward to the vote. Thank you. May I now ask Councillor Sir Nicholas White, please. Chair, thank you. I was appointed as a substitute for GATCOM back in 2018 in place of, as and when necessary, the late Councillor Ken Harwood. He was a wonderful person and he taught me quite a lot about what was going on at Gatwick. I attended on many occasions as I lived within, according to Gatwick, 0.7 nautical miles of the flight path. And the noise, continuity of flights coming in to land at Gatwick, 70% of them fly over this area. And therefore, I'm very much involved with the flight path and the effect that it has on all the residents from Dormansland, Lingfield, on in to the airport. And likewise, the effect that it has on the other end. I was there for two years with GATCOM and then I became a member of CAGNI. CAGNI is the Campaign Against Gatwick Noise and Emissions. And after one year, I became the president of CAGNI for two years and I stood down just over a year ago. And CAGNI is a most incredible organisation. They have over 5,000 members and they are particularly detailed in what is going on at Gatwick and with this DCO processes going forward, they are very, very active and I keep very much involved with them as to what are the changes required. Now, I would be very honoured to represent Tandridge again as we need to ensure, particularly, night flights are reduced and our natural landscape is properly protected. This infers upon the high wheel and Surrey Hills because all the flights overfly these areas and we need to ensure that the wildlife is protected. Also, we need to ensure that Gatwick really takes a proper interest on the emissions and small particulates that come from aircraft and indeed all the emissions from vehicles as well because that gets lost and left behind by Gatwick. And therefore, we also need to ensure that the traffic is properly controlled. Thank you. Those in favour of Councillor Lockwood as the principal member and Councillor Allen as a substitute, please raise your hand. Those in favour of Councillor Sir Nicholas White as the principal member and Councillor Smith as a substitute, please raise your hand. I confirm that Councillor Sir Nicholas White will be our representative on the Gatwick outside bodies and Councillor Richard Smith will be the substitute. We now move on to number 26 on the list, the Tandridge Health and Wellbeing Board. There are two vacancies. We have three nominations, Councillor Case, Councillor Klein and Councillor Evans. So a vote is needed to decide which two will be our representatives. Councillor Klein and Councillor Lara Evans, I will invite you to speak for up to three minutes to present your case before the vote. Councillor Case has given her apologies for this evening, so Councillor Crane will present her case for up to three minutes. Councillor Klein, would you like to start your speech? Yes, thank you, Chair. I have put myself forward to serve as a representative for this Council on the Tandridge Health and Wellbeing Board because I care passionately about ensuring we look after the most vulnerable people in our society. This passion is why I helped in my community help create the Whiteleaf Community Hub, which feeds people in my community of Whiteleaf. It is why I help people who move into Whiteleaf for the first time find their feet. It is why I have also set up a befriending service for the lonely and vulnerable in Whiteleaf. Having two close family members with autism, I have also seen firsthand the challenges and the rewards that it can bring and I have supported like minded people moving into our communities. So members can see the experience and insight I can bring to the Health and Wellbeing Board and I hope to have your support to serve on this very important outside body. Thank you. Thank you Madam Chair. I've been very pleased to be able to serve on the Tandridge Health and Wellbeing Board for the last year. I took over from Chris Botten when his duties got a little bit too hectic. I have been amazed by the amount of work that people do on that and the breadth of coverage which I've found tremendously useful. I've worked with Westway Community Centre for more years than I care to remember now as a volunteer and also more recently I helped them with helping people with IT issues and getting them used to Wi-Fi and things like that. And I also sit on the trustee meetings as a member from the parish council. So I've found that I can both convey to the Health and Wellbeing Board the experiences that I've gained from the Westway Community Centre and vice versa. I can also communicate with the Westway all the different things that Tandridge are doing so that I find really, really useful. On a personal level I have an age where I have a very, very large family due to all sorts of step children and all sorts of other issues so I'm looking after 97 year old mums and very, very young grandchildren and there are various issues within the family that I won't go into now. But that experience helps me understand the issues that a wide variety of people go through and I think that sort of empathy helps tremendously when dealing with all the different sorts of people that the Health and Wellbeing Board help. So I would like to continue my association with the Health and Wellbeing Board and that's it really, thank you very much. As there are two vacancies to appoint I will invite Democratic Services. Thank you Chair. Councillor Case I know wanted to be here tonight but she's away on a commitment that was made over a year ago so she's prepared this paper for me to read out. My reasons and interests for being selected for this role on the Tandridge Health and Wellbeing Board are having been a state registered nurse, district nursing sister, a community matron and a family carer for over 40 years before I retired, I possess a wealth of knowledge regarding health and wellbeing in the community. This has included working with people in their own homes, residential care homes, sheltered accommodation, traveller sites and shared accommodation. Working with these people proved to be very fulfilling and rewarding but also challenging on occasions. I was required to explore people's backgrounds, follow extensive research and work with many different personalities and cultures to achieve a positive outcome. Getting involved, problem solving and taking on a challenge is what I am best at in the community as shown by my extended years of work in that area. Alongside my working career I have always been involved with other community groups in the area such as being a trustee for a group in the community and a church warden for 10 years. My role within these groups was that of being their wellbeing officer which necessitated one to one interviews and joint discussion times to reach solutions and ensure the best support possible had been provided. Working with other agencies and constantly updating my knowledge and resources is ongoing, interesting and exciting. However, the most important part of wellbeing is to keep talking and listening to all those involved. Thank you. Thank you councillors. As there are two vacancies to appoint I would invite democratic services to conduct the vote. Thank you chair. Just to explain the voting process, particularly to our new members, I will read out each member's name in alphabetical order and ask them to select the two candidates that they would like to vote for, up to two. At the end of the vote I will inform the chair of the result. It will be displayed on the screen and the chair will announce who the representative are. I'll begin with councillor Allen. Klein and Evans please. Councillor Bassett. Councillor Case and Councillor Evans please. Thank you councillor Black. Councillors Case and Evans please. Councillor Blackwell. Councillor Case and I'd like to abstain on the rest, thank you. Councillor Bloor. Councillors Klein and Evans. Councillor Bolton. Councillors Case and Evans. Councillor Booth. Councillors Case and Evans. Councillor Chodai. Councillor Case and Councillor Evans. Councillor Klein. Councillor Klein, Councillor Evans. Councillor Cooper. Councillor Klein and Councillor Evans. Councillor Crain. Councillor Case and Evans. Councillor Domenic. Councillor Case and Councillor Evans. Councillor Duggan. Councillor Case and Councillor Evans. Councillor Evans. Councillor Case and Councillor Evans, please. Councillor Case and Councillor Evans. Councillor Soothar. Councillor Case and Councillor Evans. Councillor Fowler. Councillor Evans and abstain. Councillor Gaffney. Councillor Case and Councillor Evans. Councillor Gray. Councillor Evans and abstain. Councillor Horne. Councillor Case and Councillor Evans. Councillor Jones. Councillor Case and Councillor Evans. Councillor Killick. Councillor Case and Councillor Evans. Councillor Lockwood. Councillor Klein and Councillor Evans. Councillor Mark. Councillor Klein and Councillor Evans. Councillor Patel. Councillor Case and Councillor Evans. Councillor Proulx. Councillor Klein and Councillor Evans. Councillor Perthouse. Councillors Klein and Evans. Councillor Ruchbarli. Councillor Case and Councillor Evans. Councillor Sayer. Councillor Case and Councillor Evans. Councillor Sharma. Councillor Case and Councillor Evans. Thank you. Councillor Case and Councillor Evans. Thank you, Councillor Shaw. Councillor Klein and Abstain. Councillor Sherrie. Councillor Case and Councillor Evans. Councillor Shiner. Councillor Case and Evans. Councillor Smith. Councillor Case and Councillor Evans. Councillor Sawamba. Councillor Case and Councillor Evans. Councillor Spencer. Councillor Case and Councillor Evans. Councillor Steeds. Councillor Klein and Abstain. Councillor Colin White. Councillor Case and Councillor Evans. Councillor Sir Nicholas White. Councillor Evans and Councillor Case. Councillor Windsor. Councillor Klein and Case. Thank you, I'll show the results now. Is that okay to go? So you announced that those two are nominated. I confirm that Councillor Case and Councillor Evans will be our representatives on the Tandridge Health and Wellbeing Board. Are the remaining nominations on pages 11 to 15 of the supplementary agenda agreed? We now move to agenda item 11 and I invite Councillor Sayer to make a policy statement covering the next municipal year on behalf of the Administration in accordance with Standing Order 6.2. Councillor Sayer, please make your statement. Thank you, Chair. As we move into the fourth year of our Administration, our key aims are what they've always been. We want residents first and above party politics and to engage with, listen to and act upon residents' concerns. We want to press on with doing our absolute best to make serving the community the overriding priority in everything that this Council does. We want to continue to build an organisation that delivers high quality responsive services to residents and businesses and we want to be open and transparent about how we do it. Most importantly, we will keep a continued focus on remaining financially robust and resilient. With our strong results from the all-out election, our team of Councillors will work in the best interests of all of the District and will press on to deliver our vision for a sustainable and thriving Tandridge. We set out that vision and our priorities and actions in the new corporate plan, which has been developed in consultation with residents, local businesses, all Councillors, Council employees and other partners. And I was very pleased to see that the plan has now achieved an overall 88% approval rate from respondents. Responses which strongly agreed or agreed with each priority were 89% for a safe, healthy and caring community, supporting those most in need, 88% for protecting and enhancing our environment, 87% for putting residents at the heart of what we do, 87% for a thriving economy, 86% for financial prudence and sustainability and 78% for delivering affordable housing for local people. Of necessity for us, our first priority is to build on the work done during the last three years to put the Council back on a stable financial footing. To achieve the level of savings needed, our administration has had to embark on a programme to develop and implement a series of changes, enabling a significant reduction in the Council's operating costs. This is called the Future Tandridge programme, which hinges on attaining a leaner, more efficient Council. We're continuing with the programme for another year because we have to, but going forward we do realise it can't all be about savings. We've made a lot of savings and we realise that that is stretching the Council and we now need to investigate opportunities to sell the Council's expertise in particular areas and to make some money. These are very difficult times for local government, as I'm sure all of you know, when a growing number of local authorities are facing major financial problems if not effective bankruptcy, when there are unprecedented economic pressures stemming largely from limited and uncertain central government funding and when demand for services is increasing and Councils are expected to do more. During the last three years we've faced major challenges and the financial pressure has been intense and it continues to be intense, and so to be able to stand here again for the third year running and say that we're in surplus is a great thing. The foundations for continuing improvement I think are now firmly in place and it's clear we're on the right track. Our confidence level remains high for the successful completion of the transformation programme. None of this would have been possible without the buy-in from the Council's employees. We recognise that this has been and continues to be a very demanding time for Council staff and I would like to thank everyone for their patience, flexibility and support over the last three years as we have implemented the future Tandridge programme. Next I would like to talk about planning. A service crucially important to residents. Residents tell us they're worried about the development pressures on the district and the seemingly relentless threats to the local environment. They want to retain the district's local character and to protect nature and open spaces. They tell us they're concerned about the large infrastructure deficit and they want new infrastructure to be secured before new housing is built. They want to ensure new development is properly planned and sustainable and benefits the district's communities. They tell us there's a lack of affordable housing and that more affordable housing needs to be provided in housing developments. They tell us they want planning breaches to be dealt with promptly and firmly. Now key to delivering many of these things is a new local plan and it is imperative we develop one as soon as possible because without one the district is at much higher risk of inappropriate development as I'm sure you all know. Without a plan we risk losing control over development and facing a perpetual and costly battle against speculative applications on the green belt everywhere and if we lose too many of those battles we will fail the government's performance standards for quality of decision making and then the government will take away our planning powers. I would imagine that will be true whatever government we have after July the 4th. We need to deliver a new local plan within a very tight budget and we can't have the millions that were spent on the last one. It's got to be a very tight budget and it's got to focus on bringing forward infrastructure while also providing affordable and key worker housing. The process has already begun but it's not going to be easy because we want to balance delivering new housing with protecting the district's character and beautiful landscapes. Regarding development management, that's the determination of individual planning applications, we're faced with a really aggressive and highly competitive market as we work to recruit planning staff. The competition is cutthroat with good experienced planners in tremendous demand from local councils across the country. Despite this we have been working hard on building a robust planning department and we now have a solid team in place and I want to emphasise what an achievement it has been to recruit and retain talented planning officers because they're in such demand both from other councils and from the private sector. However, we recognise the need to reduce our reliance on filling gaps in the planning structure with interim planning staff and in order to keep ahead of the game I believe we have to change our approach to recruitment. We're currently in the process of doing that and I hope you will see that in an advertisement that will go out later this week, well tomorrow I hope. Tandridge district is a fantastic place to work, it's superbly located and the council can offer staff a wide range of benefits. We're financially stable now, we're forward looking authority, committed to staff development, reward and progression and we need to start making all that clear in future. And I don't believe we have done in the past and we need to do it now and we need to properly emphasise the many attractions that there are in working here in Tandridge. Another priority for us is council house building and providing affordable homes. We want to build more council houses and so far have plans to build 200 more to add to the existing housing stock of 2580 council houses. We're also working with housing associations, developers and landowners to build affordable homes which include rented and shared ownership homes. We cannot solve all the districts housing issues and I'm not going to stand here and say we can but we can work in partnership to influence new housing delivery, to deliver our own building programme, to maximise the amount of affordable housing in new developments and importantly to have an ongoing conversation with local people to try to ensure we deliver the right homes in the future. Another priority is open spaces and public toilets. We're investing in the district's parks, open spaces and children's play areas and when many councils have closed public toilets as I'm sure you've read to save money, we've actually allocated £859,000 to refurbish them and you'll gradually see that that programme is going to take place starting I think with the lovely Godstone toilets which hopefully will be renewed very shortly. We're supporting local businesses. We're keen to do our best to support local businesses in high streets and work to attract new businesses and encourage regeneration. With that in mind we've kept two and three hour parking in the council's car parks around the district. I would also like to draw everyone's attention to the announcement last week of the first Tandridge Business Awards. These are designed to raise the profile of Tandridge businesses as well as celebrating the remarkable diversity and achievements of businesses in the district. We've done them before. We didn't want to really be part of the Surrey Business Awards. We wanted specifically to have some Tandridge Business Awards so please do encourage any local businesses in your area to enter. The closing date for entries is Sunday the 4th of August and the winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Thursday 3rd of October at the Lingfield Park Marriott Hotel and Country Club. I want to emphasise also our commitment to pushing forward with our drive to increase cooperation and the sharing of services with other local authorities and in particular with our neighbours in East Surrey. There's been good progress on that recently but we want to go further and faster. With the continuing reduction in core funding from central government to local government and the need to reduce duplication and become more efficient, this must surely be one of the major opportunities to deliver high quality services to residents. We've focused on modernising and improving how the council delivers services to residents. A key priority in the corporate plan is to put residents at the heart of what we do. Now that sounds like the usual platitude, I know, but actually we're very keen to try and deliver it and one aspect of that is customer services. We want to improve how the council engages with residents to make it as easy as possible for you as a resident to find information to do whatever you need to do without delay. The way people engage with their local council is changing with more people wanting to use digital methods but we are very aware that we need to make sure that services are accessible to all. So as well as investing in technology, we do need to keep those people who don't want to use it or can't use it able to access equally well. In closing, because I think I'm running out of time, I would like to summarise by saying that we have been through difficult times at Tanja District Council. Things are still tight, no point in saying they aren't, but there are increasing signs of improvement and a sustainable way forward. And I would like to thank once again the council staff and also many members of other groups for all their hard work and commitment through this challenging period and to give my undertaking to try to be a positive and supportive leadership as we go forward. Thank you. Thank you, Councillor Sayer. I would now like to invite other group leaders to respond. Councillor Gray, do you wish to respond on behalf of the Liberal Democrats? Yes, please. And welcome to your role, Chair. Well, for many of us, here we are again and for others it's all new, of course, and I do hope that new councillors have been made to feel welcome. And I hope that all will feel that they can contribute to the governance of our district. We have a committee system of governance here that is worth defending. It means that everyone can contribute to the decisions that are made. We're all, of course, circumscribed by the sizes of our groups and the number of people around us that are like-minded, and that obviously is within the gift of the electorate, which is as it should be. But conceptually, the committee system that we run is a good one, and I hope all, including all the new people, will find it to be so. Congratulations to Catherine and to the Residence Alliance for returning as the largest group again. I stand as a member of the second party, the Liberal Democrats. I'm immensely proud of the team we have assembled for the next two years. And I'm proud of our label, by the way, Liberal Democrat. It grew out of a merger, and we reflect that. Many of the people around me proudly identify as liberals. The Democrat bit is a contraction of Social Democrat, and personally, I identify as a Social Democrat, so that bit is important to me. And when I talk of like-minded people, I know that there are some things I can take for granted about the people around me because they are Liberal Democrats. Not all things, but many things. And conservative means something. It's a marker of a philosophy, one that I happen to be opposed to, but it's an identifiable philosophy. Residence Alliance, I'm not so sure. I'm not so sure that I know what that means. And that's not a personal comment. There are lots of members of that group whom I hold in very high regard. But I have an issue with the name and the concept, because I think it's based on a conceit that is fundamentally wrong. And Catherine referenced this in her speech, that they eschew politics to focus on the concerns of the residents. That's not a conceit that I like. No one in this chamber has a monopoly on concern for the wellbeing of the residents. And standing for election to political office on the slogan We are not political has been, is, and always will be nonsense. Everything is political. And the enduring strength of our position, and people will see that it is enduring, is that our politics is upfront and coherent, and we can apply it collectively to issues that arise. I think this moment now is the high watermark for the Residence Alliance. And that is my hope, because I think we're at a watershed in Townridge. The country is at a watershed, and so are we. The Residence Alliance rose to prominence because of the local plan. That's the last local plan, the failed local plan, the one that's now history. And now we focus on the consequences of not having an up-to-date plan. And Catherine referenced this, and she's dead right to reference the dangers of not having an up-to-date plan. And those of their supporters that thought that no plan meant no development might now get a very rude awakening indeed in the unplanned environment in which we now live. And secondly, we focus now on the new plan, the one we're about to embark on. There's much uncertainty, of course, about the framework that will be set under, perhaps under a new government, a new and different government. But we must proceed. And the first thing to say about the new plan is that it needs very consciously to be a plan for the whole district. Already we have seen arguments degenerate into geographical slagging matches, as in the final meeting of last year. It's deplorable. We all care about the areas we represent, but a local plan that does not seek to serve the whole district equitably is ultimately a plan that fails the whole district and every part of that district. And if the residence alliance is not bound by a political philosophy, it is bound, in my judgment, by a brittle geographical prejudice, one that could easily come apart if the local plan process develops into a battle between different areas. I would say that recent decisions affecting Caterham's environment have revealed geographical prejudices in this chamber. And we should know that we play that game at our peril because geographical alliances can come apart and the district is only truly deserved, only truly served by decisions that seek to serve the whole district. And talking of our environment, the other conceit I would want to accuse the residence alliance of is that they claim a greater concern for the environment than others. We care passionately about the environment. Sometimes care for the environment can degenerate in all of us into an attitude that says if we can just stop them building that thing in that bit of the countryside, then that will show that we care about the environment. But I think we should all know really the subject is much broader than that. It is about caring for every aspect of the environment, urban and rural, about its beauty and its livability, about its capacity to support business and enterprise and to enable people to stay, move in affordably and to thrive and to move about from place to place efficiently and easily. And with infrastructure, which Catherine referenced, again, I think the perception of what is meant by infrastructure is too narrow in some quarters. And the understanding of what infrastructure inadequacy means within an urban environment is faulty, where, for example, housing densification in our urban centres simply isn't possible without an improved sewer network. But let's be clear, we should be aiming to improve our infrastructure and not just to use shoddy infrastructure, holding it up and proudly brandishing it as a mechanism for avoiding development. As I have heard done in this chamber, I don't care if the problems at Junction 6 are never resolved. I have heard that. Is that a wish that our communities share? I believe that our communities aspire to have a better infrastructure that supports the quality of life in our district, that better supports the quality of life in our district. And I think that a passionate and broader advocacy for our environment in all its aspects should inform the new local plan. And on services that this council delivers, there has been an excuse about historic failures to strategise, plan, invest and procure effectively. With every passing month, that excuse gets weaker and weaker for the residents' alliance. As an opposition party, we have a duty to represent our residents' concerns about shoddy street cleaning, closed public toilets and the degradation of public space, and we will. We recognise the difficulties, but no effort should be spared. We were developing an argument last year about the wisdom of service capacity funds and reserves that go beyond what is prudent. That doesn't look like confident strategic planning for the best possible service. It looks like holding money back to sling at things, ad hoc, that threaten the administration's reputation. And on housing, and I welcome to what Catherine said about housing, we need to pursue the goal of council house building, which we have always championed. Pursue it beyond the low hanging fruit into the harder to reach harvest. Council housing is the best affordable option. Carbon neutral council houses that help the environment and save those in need huge amounts in energy costs. Genuine social rent through other schemes, like the one that's being delivered soon in Bletchingly, are a second best, but nevertheless an important part of the mix. And when all else fails, we have to be as resourceful as possible in helping people into other types of accommodation. The waiting lists containing people in desperate need of re-housing continue to shame us as a country. Catherine read out some approval stats. Oh, have I come to the end? I won't say what I was additionally going to say. I will just say that I think I'm about to hand over to the Conservatives. And it's a pity it's not raining actually, because if it were, we could all go outside and watch Robin deliver his speech in the pouring rain. But I'll hand over to him. Thank you very much. Yes, Councillor Ball. Thank you, Chairman. Thank you for your introduction. Very good. This election is a significant milestone for Tandridge, with all here newly elected following the Boundary Commission changes. I should like to welcome all 15 first time new members and look forward to a stimulating and creative contribution from all. However, we are still a no overall control council. I shall repeat my comments from the last two years, expressing the expectation that we can all work sensibly and constructively together. Any decisions should be for the good of all and not made at the expense of different sections or communities in Tandridge. We should all work for the benefit of all our residents, regardless of how they might have voted or if they voted at all. Our group has three areas of focus for the coming year. Firstly, the need to reduce costs once again. As we know, we've already heard the future Tandridge programme has successfully delivered savings in the past, with barely noticeable impact on services to our residents. We are very concerned that this year's planned savings of approximately three quarters of a million will be noticed by our residents. And furthermore, the current administration forecasts that next year, 25/26, we will promise the fruits and benefits of this with a projected neutral budget figure of 12 million, the same as 2023/4. We believe that we should no longer be seeing any service adversely affected going forward. And I would point out one example of that which is concerned to us. Street cleaning services. We know there is a discussion to replace a vehicle or not. This must go ahead. There is no way that we could maintain the current level of service with one less vehicle. In a similar manner, now that the refurbishment of our district wide public conveniences, which we've already heard about and playgrounds is starting after very many years of delay, this must be sacrosanct. The budget must not be cut back. Now it's underway. Secondly, the emerging local plan 2033 is dead. And until a new plan is developed, we must rely on our now dated 2008 policies to manage development in the district. We therefore look forward to hearing how we are planning to go about creating a new local plan. We expect that a new local plan can be developed quickly, one that is fair and equitable across all the communities in Tandridge. In the meantime, and in the absence of wider strategic plan, we must ensure that large developments brought forward under interim policies for housing delivery are assessed collectively for infrastructure requirements and come with a plan to deliver the sustainable development that addresses the needs of local communities. Furthermore, those remaining sites that were allocated in the now defunct local plan must not be permitted to increase beyond their assessed densities. We therefore require that a new local plan sites are only approved if there are clear mitigations in respect of new improved infrastructure, that is highways, transport services, doctors, surgeries and school places. I'd also add in what we've heard before, sewage arrangements. Also from bitter experience in Wallingham, 600 dwellings may be constructed without any of these facilities being improved. Whilst talking about planning, there must be a serious boost to the resources within our planning department. For most, if not all, councillors will be hearing tales of woe from residents about planning applications and enforcement. I'm sure we can do better. I would urge urgent, positive, remedial action. The Conservative group is 100% behind the planning team and we know they work very diligently and hard, but they do need more resources and more funding. Thirdly, and finally, we need a new radical solution to our housing crisis in Tandridge. There are 1,821 households on our housing list, with the two most in need categories totalising 461. That's over 25% of the total. That is in fact greater than this time last year. Our group proposes and supports a housing working group to look at radical, innovative solutions to address this matter. Finally, I would add that our Conservative group looks forward to this municipal year and the challenges it will bring and will support sensible policies, but will contest issues that we perceive as divisive. Thank you, Chairman. Thank you, Councillor Blore. Councillor Allen, do you wish to respond on behalf of the independent group? Yes, I do. Thank you, Madam Chair. Firstly, may I wish you good luck for this year, Madam Chairman, and welcome to the new Councillors and I hope to have lots of loud and noisy arguments with you as we go along. I'm a little bit lost here, Madam Chairman. I thought we were supposed to be making policy statements and I haven't written anything down bad about anyone, so I apologise for that. We in the independent here, we will be pleased to work with and support the administration as we've done every year on the points that matter to us and our residents. We'd like the inclusion of dealing with fraud, crime and ASB in the district. That got forgotten this time. But also dealing with what we hope is a new and reenergised planning and especially enforcement department, which we all know and Councillor Sauer acknowledged is the most divisive issues that blight our district and our Greenbelt. There has been some progress with this, but there has to be a clear strategy going forward. We must offer a greater protection to the Greenbelt by using all the brownfield sites that may be considered suitable both for residential and business premises and for building on the Greenbelt only where it can be proven that the requirements for its classification have not been met. We need to make sure that the council services are run more efficiently and cost effectively for the benefit of the residents as well. We need a house building programme that ramps up our performance that is better than we have achieved in the previous years and to find ways to ensure that the correct percentage of affordable housing on all sites are met. We need to progress more efficiency and streamline systems to reduce the financial burden on the rate players of the district and ensure we operate within the budget and achieve the savings that have been detailed for this year. Otherwise we will return to the darker days of yonder. We must ensure that the increased complement of staff that seem to cost unearthly amounts do actually save us money through the projected savings indicated and I look forward to hearing that as the programme progresses. We need to progress the Tandyas District Local Plan as speedily as possible without bankrupting the council as we do it. We need as everyone agrees to look after the environment. Again the country lanes are being blighted by fly tipping and I would really like to see the new Chairman Councillor Scheiner bring something to the community services please that explains to us how it works and what we need to do if it's not working. We need to get cameras out there and we need to prosecute people. We have not done that very well in the past. The fact that we again remain a no overall control council is surely the time that we should start to work together and I hope that all councillors and staff working together can be at the forefront of all our thinking instead of leaving this counselling conflict across the year ahead. My hope and I have written especially for our Chief Executive, now the settled Chief Executive and senior staff can stabilise matters even more across the council so we hope he and his management team continue to work towards a new efficient and productive council. I hope all councillors make sure by their scrutiny of papers, words and numbers that we continue to be financially viable and risk aware. A meeting that I was at the other night regarding risk management again threw lots of things at me that I didn't know and I think it's important everyone in this chamber looks at what Jessupina sent around. Please look at it, it's all about management risk. We are the ones that are controlling that. We are the ones that have got to say no or yes. So whether you're a chairman or vice chair or a committee member please make sure your prudence and good governance through the committee stages keeps us on track. Personally I believe we still have to have a frank and pragmatic assessment of the services this council is expected to supply and those that we may not have to supply as we just cannot increase our council tax summarily each year. It is unsustainable and just cannot continue. We have to drive costs down and if we are to spend on new IT, telephone systems, laptops and phones then surely we and our residents have a right to expect that efficiencies follow. It's not written down but at this point I acknowledge Councillor Sayer's efforts to try and get an increased income, that will do just as well. Sorry this is my feisty bit, not quite as feisty as Councillor Gray but the administration has now been the lead party for three years and they can no longer blame the previous happenings however one feels about the past. But it is the past and the administration must now make a new history for this council which I hope by the end of my term will have seen something everyone in this chamber can be proud of. And the last thing I wrote down for Councillor Baroof and I hope we can resolve the outstanding audits quicker than we were able to do before now. Thank you. Thank you. My thanks to all the speakers. Just moving on, we seem to have completely missed my acceptance speech which I know you all really missed. So I'm just cutting it down. I would like to just say the following. I look forward to representing the council as chairman for the next year and have events already in the chair's diary. I'm just hoping that not all of them are as wet as the day we opened the pathway at Blanchman's Nature's Reserve. Those of you who were there will know that garden shears are not designed to cut ribbon and that is why I plan to carry scissors in my bag to any such future events. I'm particularly looking forward to the Tandridge Business Awards. You've all got these now to celebrate the achievements of our local businesses and I would urge you all to recommend to any businesses that you know that they should apply. I look to raise money for two very deserving charities which are the Air Ambulance charity for Kent, Surrey and Sussex which are our local air ambulance service who are a team of skilled experts who respond to over 3300 incidents annually across Kent, Surrey and Sussex. The helicopters are flying emergency rooms and attend whether they are needed on road, beach or park. Without our support they can't keep flying and saving lives and for this reason I have chosen them as one of my charities. The Rainbow Trust Children's charity is a local charity that provides bespoke emotional and practical support for families who have a child with a life threatening or terminal illness. They offer vital support and respite to the whole family from initial diagnosis through to treatment and if indeed throughout bereavement. I think many of us have at some time in our lives known somebody in this sad situation. Finally I thank you all for this honour to serve as chairman of the Tandridge District Council for 2024-25 and I pledge to represent the council and you with all my heart and to the best of my ability. And I would like to present my consort with his badge. It is urgent business so I will close the annual council meeting at 8.48pm. Right. We will now move on to the committee meetings. The purpose of these short meetings is to enable the committee to appoint their chairs and vice chairs, subcommittees and working groups. May I invite all members of the community services to stand. Okay. I'm getting there. Are there any nominations for the chair and vice chair? I would like to propose Councillor Shiner for chair of the community services committee. Chair please second. Vice chair. Sorry. Thank you chair. I would like to propose Councillor Brian Black as vice chair of community services. Chair please second. It is agreed. Is the community grants working group shown on page 7 of the supplementary agenda agreed? Thank you. Please take your seats. That threw me in the way it was worded. Housing committee. May I invite all members of the housing committee to stand. Are there any nominations for the chair? I would like to propose Councillor Jeremy Perkshouse as chair of the housing committee. And to second. Please the second chair. Thank you. And please have we got any nominations for the vice chair? I would like to nominate Councillor Damacyk. Thank you. And to second. Happy to second. Thank you. Is this agreed? Thank you. Please take your seats. Planning policy committee. May I invite all members of the planning policy committee to stand. Is it you as well? Me as well. Are there any nominations for the chair and vice chair? Thank you. Please to nominate Councillor Sayer as chair. And to second. Please to second. Thank you. Thank you. And for the vice chair. I would like to nominate Councillor Chris Farr to be the vice chair. And to second. Happy to second. Thank you. Is this agreed? Agreed. Is the still working group and the planning policy work group shown on pages 7 and 8 of the supplementary agenda agreed? Thank you. Please take your seats. Strategy and resources committee. May I invite all members of the strategy and resources committee to stand. Are there any nominations for the chair and vice chair? I would like to nominate Councillor Chris Langton as chair. And to second. I will second Councillor Langton. Thank you. And for the vice chair. I would like to nominate Councillor Crane as vice chair. And the seconder. I will second Councillor Crane. Is this agreed? Agreed. Is the chief officer subcommittee, the investment subcommittee and the climate change working group shown on pages 8 and 9 of the supplementary agenda agreed? Agreed. Thank you. Please take your seats. Licensing committee. May I invite all members of the licensing committee to stand. Are there any nominations for chair and vice chair? Thank you chair. I would like to nominate Councillor Colin White as chair of licensing. And to second. I would like to second that chair. And for vice chair. I would like to oppose Councillor Shiner as vice chair. And to second. I would like to second that chair, sorry. Is this agreed? Agreed. Is the licensing subcommittee shown on page 7 of the supplementary agenda agreed? Agreed. Thank you. Please take your seats. Planning committee. May I invite all members of the planning committee to stand. Are there any nominations for chair and vice chair? Oh, am I? Oh, I would like to nominate Councillor Blackwell as chair. Pleased to second. Thank you. And for vice chair. I would like to nominate Councillor Sufar as vice chair. Thank you. And to second. I'm pleased to second that. Thank you. Is this agreed? Agreed. Thank you. Please take your seats. Oh dear. Standards committee. May I invite all members of the standards committee to stand. Are there any nominations for the chair and vice chair? Yes, I would like to nominate Councillor Nicholas White as the chair. Thank you. I will second. Thank you. Thank you. Is this agreed? Vice chair. Well, have I not done the vice chair? And the vice chair. I would be very pleased to nominate Councillor Sarah as vice chair. And I'm happy to second. Thank you. Is this agreed? Agreed. Thank you. Please take your seats. Audit and Scrutiny committee. May I invite all members of the audit and scrutiny committee to stand. Are there any nominations for the chair and vice chair? I would like to nominate Councillor Ian as the chair. Thank you. And to second? I would like to second. Thank you. And for vice chair, we nominate you? I would like to nominate Councillor Crainer as vice chair. Thank you. And to second? I would be very pleased to second. Is this agreed? Thank you. Please take your seats. That concludes the meeting this evening. Thank you for your attendance. [BLANK_AUDIO]