Robert Hughes

the Surrey Pension Fund Committee of Surrey Council

The meeting of the Surrey Pension Fund Committee was scheduled to include discussions about the Government’s Pension Review, updates from the Local Pension Board and an overview of the performance of the Surrey Pension Team in quarter two of 2024/25.

Council - Tuesday, 10 December 2024 10.00 am

The Council voted to approve the scheme for admitting students to schools in 2026. It also agreed to close the Bagshot Community Recycling Centre, and to extend the opening hours of the Camberley Community Recycling Centre. It voted to adopt the reports from the Cabinet meetings that took place on 29 October and 26 November 2024, approved a motion on climate change and net zero targets, and referred motions on inheritance tax, farming and the rural economy, and the preventative approach to children's services to the Cabinet. A motion to allow parents to attend SEND panels was also referred to the Cabinet.

Resources and Performance Select Committee - Friday, 6 December 2024 10.00 am

The committee noted the Cabinet response to its recommendations and approved, with minor amendments, seven recommendations arising from its scrutiny of the draft budget for 2025-26 and the medium-term financial strategy.

Children, Families, Lifelong Learning and Culture Select Committee - Tuesday, 3 December 2024 10.00 am

The committee discussed Surrey County Council’s response to their recommendations from previous meetings regarding children not in school, and its draft budget for 2025-26. The committee agreed a recommendation that frontline roles should be protected from planned staffing cuts. They also agreed to defer a decision on the Voluntary Sector budget until more information was available. The committee heard evidence about the Council's ambitious programme of library modernisation. Finally, they considered an update on alternative provision, and agreed to revise two of their four draft recommendations on the topic.

the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee of Surrey Council

The Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee voted by 7 to 4 to refer the decision not to proceed with the A3100 Burpham to Boxgrove Roundabout Active Travel Scheme back to the Cabinet for reconsideration. The Select Committee felt that the decision should be reconsidered because the original decision was not fully supported by the evidence presented and because it did not take into account alternative options, active travel's contribution to health and well-being, and the council's commitment to achieving net zero by 2050.