To receive any announcements from the Leader.
Minutes:
The following are the latest service updates from various Council departments:
Shepperton has been named as the most courteous town in the UK by officials from the National Campaign for Courtesy which scours the country for towns which demonstrate good manners, respect for others and rejection of anti-social behaviour. The award will be presented to Cllr Sider at a ceremony in October.
Sunbury Walled Garden and Sunbury Park have been awarded Green Flag status. This international award, now into its third decade, recognises public spaces which are beautifully maintained, have excellent visitor facilities and demonstrate the highest environmental standards.
The Council’s Licensing Team took part in a joint exercise with the Gambling Commission on 14 August, visiting betting shops and gaming machine arcades to check compliance and offer advice.
A new Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy with a Surrey-wide convictions policy was adopted in August following consultation.
The Council secured the conviction of a man who dumped rubbish and illegally traded waste and scrap metal. Guildford Magistrates Court heard that Stanwell resident Ashley Brooks had been responsible for the build-up of fly-tipped rubbish and a dumped flatbed lorry near Ashdale Close in Stanwell. Brooks pleaded not guilty to all offences including the breach of a Community Protection Notice at an initial hearing. He then pleaded guilty at the short trial hearing in relation to the scrap metal and waste offences and was found guilty of breaching the Community Protection Notice after maintaining a not guilty plea. He was ordered to pay £10,373 in compensation and costs.
Sia Singh, age 7 and from Riverbridge Primary School, was the winner of a recent art competition which invited local school children to draw pictures using the theme ‘why it is important to recycle’. Sia received a WH Smith voucher, book and certificate.
In August the Council announced the purchase of a commercial property in Stockley Park (Uxbridge) which is occupied by two tenants. This was followed in September with the purchase of two other office developments - ‘World Business Centre 4’ at Heathrow from the Arora Group for £47.25m and Benwell House in Sunbury for £9m, which will be converted into housing.
Improvements have been made to Edinburgh Drive in Staines-upon-Thames as part of a £200K project to upgrade four local shopping areas in Spelthorne. The enhancements which cost £13K and include re-laid paving stones and fresh paintwork for the concrete columns outside the shops were jointly funded by Spelthorne Council and Surrey County Council as part of a wider project to improve secondary shopping areas in the Borough.
The Mayor of Spelthorne is holding a special event to commemorate the 1917 Battle of Passchendaele. ‘Spelthorne Remembers Passchendaele’ is being held at 7pm on Wednesday 18 October at the Riverside Arts Festival in Sunbury-on-Thames with historian Nick Pollard and local actor Carole Boyd telling the stories of the local men and women affected by the infamous battle and the impact the war had on life in Spelthorne. Tickets cost £12.50 and all proceeds go to the Mayor’s charity fund.
The Council has secured the conviction of a man who accepted cash donations without a charity collection consent and sold trinkets without a street trader’s consent. Staines Magistrates Court heard that Licensing officers observed Hounslow resident Saleem Syed approaching members of the public on three occasions. When challenged, Syed produced a Pedlar’s Certificate issued by his local police force under laws dating back to 1871. These certificates do not permit charity collections or street trading and are only intended for people to trade while they travel on foot. The Magistrate found that he was not acting within its terms and Syed was ordered to pay £1,615 in compensation and costs.
This year’s Junior Citizen took place at Walton Fire Station from 11 – 26 September. Over 1000 year 6 pupils attended the event which teaches children about staying safe and being good citizens. Topics covered included fire safety, first aid, online security, stranger danger and contacting the emergency services.
Spelthorne Borough Council will be holding its second annual Living Well Week from 25 September – 1 October. Designed for the over 50s, this seven-day event promotes the activities and services available to help older people improve their health. As part of the event, the Community Centres are giving away goody bags and offering new visitors the chance to try a free activity.
The Council showed an excellent team effort when called upon to help out with a terrorism related incident in Sunbury-on-Thames on 16 September. A number of staff were deployed to the scene to assist the Police and support residents who had been asked to leave their homes. A jointly branded leaflet (from Surrey Police, Metropolitan Police and Spelthorne Council) has been delivered to residents who were affected by the cordon to thank them for their patience and co-operation.