To receive any announcements from the Leader.
Minutes:
The Leader and the Deputy Leader made the following announcements:
The Leader
Spelthorne Council has been awarded £994,883 by the Government and Sport England to decarbonise Sunbury Leisure Centre by adding solar panels to the roof and replace the old gas boilers with heat pumps. Gas usage at the centre will be reduced to zero as a result of the work, helping meet the Council's carbon reduction targets. The award for Spelthorne Council represents the highest grant of any authority in the South East. This, combined with the progress of Eclipse Leisure Centre next door to the Council Offices means we will have facilities for our residents that we can be truly proud of.
Last Wednesday I had the privilege of attending the Civic Trust Awards where 16 volunteers were honoured for their service in the Borough. This year's winners have given more than 200 years of service to the Borough and represent the best of our communities and their work is truly inspiring. During the evening, the Civic Trust presented this authority with a special plaque to recognise its 50th anniversary which you can see at the back of this chamber to the left of public gallery.
The achievements of 47 very special young people, aged 5 - 19, were celebrated with an awards ceremony held at Kempton Park Racecourse on Friday 19 April. The bi-annual Spelthorne Youth Awards recognises the outstanding talents and achievements of local young people and the contributions they make to their communities. I would like to congratulate all the young people who were nominated for a Spelthorne Youth Award and wish them every success in the future.
The Deputy Leader
We welcome the progress of the Shepperton Studios expansion programme with Amazon MGM Studios and Netflix taking residence within Shepperton's world class facilities. Generating thousands of jobs, the new expanded studios provide a fantastic opportunity to inspire and nurture local talent in the film and TV industry that will ensure the continued success of our UK film industry. Shepperton without doubt helps put our Borough on the world stage and will stimulate further investment into Spelthorne.
The Police and Crime Commissioner election takes place on Thursday 2 May 2024. It is important that all residents have a voice and vote. There are different ways to vote - by post, or in person – polling stations open at 7am and close at 10pm. Electors will need to provide photo ID at polling stations There are some national changes in place when handing in postal votes. If you are hand delivering a postal vote either at the Council Offices or at your polling station, you will need to fill in a form.
We have launched this year’s Spelthorne in Bloom competition which celebrates the work of Spelthorne's green-fingered residents and businesses who are helping make the Borough a brighter, cleaner, greener place to live. If you are interested in sponsoring flower baskets in Spelthorne this summer which will be maintained, cared for and watered throughout the summer months, adding colour to our Borough, please get in touch.