To receive any announcements from the Leader.
Minutes:
The Leader made the following announcements:
“Last week this Council hosted representatives from the Surrey Community Safety Partnership to discuss the co-ordinated approach to the investigations an ongoing community engagement following the racially aggravated assault which place near Thomas Knyvett School in Ashford on 06 February 2023. The Partnership strongly agrees that there is no place for racism in Surrey and the incident must be met by a unified response from key partners that support all communities in the Borough. We understand that challenges lie ahead. By working together, racism, discrimination and intolerance can be reduced by bringing together communities through improved cohesion and education. We know that a number of children were involved in this incident and our priority as a partnership is to ensure that they are all appropriately supported and safeguarded.
In January we launched cashless parking in all council owned car parks. The launch of RingoGo offers motorists the option to pay for parking on their smartphone. The current payment options of cash, contactless and chip and pin are still available.
The Council has submitted a planning application to redevelop the Oast House site on Kingston Road in Staines-upon-Thames. As part of the Council’s commitment to deliver more affordable homes, the development plans include 184 affordable one and two-bedroom homes. The plans also include proposals for a new health and wellbeing centre and the refurbishment of the Oast House for community use.
Revised plans have also been submitted for an application to build 105 one and two-bedroomed apartments for private rent at Thameside House on South Street in Staines-upon-Thames. The scheme also includes over 36,000 square feet of energy efficient office space which the Council plans to lease. Several changes were made to the plans in response to feedback received during the consultation phase, including a reduction in the height of the development from 15 storeys to 11.
The Mayor of Spelthorne, on behalf of this authority and leaders of all political parties in the Borough, has written to Transport for London and The Mayor of London regarding the implications for our residents and businesses in Spelthorne of the extended London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). Whilst we are supportive of the need to improve air quality, we cannot support the extended ULEZ in its current form and we are asking for much stronger engagement from TFL and that the consequences for our community are fully assessed.
The Coronation of His Majesty the King will take place on Saturday 06 May 2023. If you are thinking of organising a street party, you will need to apply for a temporary road closure and the deadline to apply is 17 March 2023. You might be eligible for a small Better Neighbourhood Grant for your street party and the deadline to apply is 28 April 2023. Please speak to your Ward Councillor for further information. There will be many events across the borough celebrating the Coronation and we have a dedicated web page which is regularly updated. The Council will be hosting a picnic in the park for residents at Lammas Park in Staines-upon-Thames on Saturday 06 May from 11am-4pm with music and children’s entertainment. Our Community Centres will also be open for residents to enjoy the Coronation for a right old Royal knees to celebrate this momentous occasion”