To receive any announcements from the Leader and Deputy Leader.
Minutes:
The Leader made the following announcements:
“Earlier today The Mayor of Spelthorne and I attended the unveiling of the Five Swimmers statute. After looking at all the options, it was agreed that the sculpture’s new home would be in the public community gardens at in Eden Grove in Staines upon Thames. It was so wonderful to see it back to its former glory and speaking to residents tonight at the ceremony I know so many are happy to have it out for storage and in a location where the community can enjoy.
We are dedicated to safeguarding the wellbeing of our residents and are consulting on a proposed Public Space Protection Order to curb antisocial behaviour. The survey is open until 15 December, please take part and share your views.
We can formally announce that public hearing dates for the Local Plan examination have been set. The hearings, which will take place in January and February here in this chamber, represent a positive step toward the adoption of the Local Plan. We know the Local Plan will bring many benefits and protections to Spelthorne and we look forward to having it adopted so we can move onto the ‘delivery phase’ of the Plan to the benefit of our communities.
Six Acer trees have been planted in the Borough as part of this year’s celebrations for the Council’s 50th anniversary. They are beautiful eye-catching trees, and their golden colour is very appropriate for our 50th year. I am sure they will bring a lot of pleasure to residents for decades to come.
We are delighted that responsibility for grass verge maintenance will return to Spelthorne from Surrey County Council from spring next year. We have been lobbying to get back responsibility for this area as many residents have been unhappy with the service levels under Surrey, and we’re thrilled that, from next spring, we'll be able to reinstate the service that residents expect and deserve.
Earlier this year a competition was held with local schools to design new posters to promote keeping this Borough clean and safe. Over 100 entrants were received and we featured many of the drawings in the sprint Bulletin. I am really pleased to say these have now been turned into banners and signs which are being installed in our parks, streets and hotspots to help us tackle issues including graffiti, dog fouling, speeding and littering. I would like to express my thanks to all the school children who participated in this initiative, and I am sure you will all agree that they look great!
I am very proud of everything that we have achieved together in 2024 and would also like to thank all the staff and councillors at Spelthorne for their hard work and commitment this year. And finally, if I can take this opportunity to thank our residents for all their support, particularly the volunteers who have given their time to help others and create the community spirit which Spelthorne is known for. I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a prosperous and healthy 2025.
The Deputy Leader made the following announcements:
I’m proud to highlight two local groups honoured with The King’s Award for Voluntary Service. Spelthorne Litter Pickers, with their hundreds of dedicated volunteers, who keep our borough clean and vibrant, and the Revelaires who bring musical joy to care homes and day centres across Surrey, providing a lifeline to those unable to enjoy live performances. Congratulations and heartfelt thanks to both groups for their outstanding contributions.
We have launched a consultation on our approach to housing, homelessness, and rough sleeping in Spelthorne, focusing on access to affordable homes, preventing homelessness, and strengthening support services. This consultation runs until 19 January, and we encourage everyone to have their say.
Applications are open for Community Infrastructure Levy funding to support local development projects. Past grants have funded playgrounds, community building upgrades, and CCTV investments. The deadline to apply is the end of March 2024.
At the Audit Committee at the start of the month we welcomed measures from the Government and National Audit Office to address the backlog of local authority external audits. These reforms will help ease the strain on councils and auditors”.