The following are the latest service updates
from various Council departments:
- This Borough, along with the rest of
England has just endured a second period of lockdown and I know
this continues to be a very difficult time for many of our
residents and business in Spelthorne. From Wednesday 2 December,
Spelthorne Borough and the rest of Surrey will sit within Tier 2
Covid restrictions. The Council has
sought to reassure residents that we are still there to support
them through our Support4Spelthorne offering and through available
grants to many local businesses who
face new guidelines and restrictions as we continue to face this
pandemic. The new rules for Spelthorne have been communicated to
residents and businesses through all our channels.
- The winter edition of the Bulletin
is being distributed to residents this week containing 28 pages of
Council news, local information, community messages, leisure
updates and environmental stories from around the Borough. You can
also read an online version by visiting our website. This edition
includes a centre spread to highlight the services this Council
offers and contact details for services and Councillors.
- Spelthorne Borough Council has
launched a Covid Champion scheme - the
first of its kind in Surrey. The Council will be updating over 30
Champions weekly with the latest information and guidance about the
Coronavirus pandemic for them to share within their own
networks.
- Over the October half-term, the
Council responded swiftly and efficiently, through
Support4Spelthorne and supported vulnerable families by providing
food parcels, which consist of either hot/cold meals or a sandwich
through our community centres.
- As we head into a winter that none
of us have experienced before, it is more important than ever to
look after your own health and home. As a result, we issued our
'Winter Prep' newsletter for information on flooding, driving, snow
risks, mental health and the latest Covid advice.
- The Chair of Spelthorne's Overview
& Scrutiny Meeting has agreed to hold an Extraordinary meeting
to discuss the mounting number of complaints from residents worried
about unacceptable noise levels and air pollution from the Eco
Park.
- Following a thorough procurement
process, Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH) have won a
five-year contract to provide an intensive housing management and
resident support service at two of the Council's residential
developments. The White House and Harper House, both in Ashford are
due to open for new residents in May 2021.
- The Council also announced that we
intend to revise the housing needs figure for the new Local Plan.
The decision to use a lower figure has come from a recent
Government consultation that proposes a revised method for
calculating housing need that would see Spelthorne's need figure
reduced from 606 homes per year to 489. Whilst there are no
guarantees that this new methodology will be adopted once the
Government has concluded the consultation, it represents the most
likely figure at this stage and enables further work to continue on
the Local Plan rather than waiting months for a decision to be
made.
- The Council have also completed an
improvement biodiversity project on the River Ash, next to
Bronzefield Prison. The project helped
naturalise the river using berms in locations to increase water
flow and create a gentle meandering river.
- Finally, the Council’s litter
campaign continues to gather pace and we have now named over 50
young litter heroes in the Borough who have been awarded
certificates by the Mayor. The neighbourhood services team are
continuing to work with volunteers across the Borough to make
Spelthorne a cleaner and greener place to live.