Richard Tear

Council - Tuesday, 19 March 2024 10.00 am

At this meeting of Surrey County Council, a motion was passed calling on the next government to reform local government finance, and the Council agreed to set up a Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee with Hampshire County Council and Bracknell Forest Council to scrutinise the plans for the rebuilding of Frimley Park Hospital.

Audit and Governance Committee - Wednesday, 13 March 2024 10.00 am

The Committee approved the Internal Audit Strategy and Annual Plan 2024/25, the Treasury Management Strategy and noted the Ethical Standards Annual Review 2023-24 and the latest update on risk management. It also noted the process for appointing a new Independent Member.

Planning and Regulatory Committee - Wednesday, 28 February 2024 10.30 am

Surrey County Council's Planning and Regulatory Committee met on 28 February 2024 and resolved to refuse planning permission for the redevelopment of the Silvermere Haven Pet Cemetery on Byfleet Road, Cobham. The application was refused on the grounds that the proposed building was too large, representing inappropriate development in the Metropolitan Green Belt.

Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee - Wednesday, 7 February 2024 10.00 am

The committee expressed their support for Surrey County Council's new road safety strategy and 20 mph speed limit policy, while also expressing concern over whether the current levels of funding would be sufficient to meet the likely demand. The committee asked for this to be reviewed once the outcome of the public consultation was known. Councillor Buddhi Weerasinghe volunteered to join the Greener Futures Reference Group. The committee agreed to hold an informal visit to Ringway's depot to discuss the performance of the highways contract before deciding whether to hold a public scrutiny session.

Budget Meeting, Council - Tuesday, 6 February 2024 10.00 am

The Council approved the final budget for 2024/25 and the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for 2028/29. An amendment to the budget, which would have created a voluntary contribution fund for residents in more affluent areas, was rejected. The Council also approved the appointment of Leigh Whitehouse as interim Chief Executive and Anna D’Alessandro as the interim Section 151 officer, as well as changes to Members’ allowances.