The Leader, or his nominee, to answer any questions raised by members of the public in accordance with Standing Order 14.
Note: the deadline for questions to be considered at this meeting is 12 noon on Thursday 12 July 2018.
Two questions have been received to date from Caroline Nichols of Sunbury.
Question 1. Plastic waste in the local environment
I walk regularly along the narrow ‘green lung’ in Lower Sunbury that links Harfield Road at the Kempton end of the route to Squires Garden Centre in Halliford. Plastic waste of all shapes and sizes is strewn along the entire length; it is particularly troubling to see the quantity of plastic trapped in the hedgerows around Sivyers Lake and Vicarage Farm. It is also worrying to witness tiny pieces of plastic material dropping into the drains around the local roads – presumably to end up in the Thames and the North Sea.
The problem of plastic waste in the environment is now so serious that UK citizens are reacting to the disturbing ocean scenes in David Attenborough’s Blue Planet 2 series on BBC 1 which reportedly reached 37m viewers.
Is it now time for the Council to engage with its residents and co-ordinate a mass participation clean-up programme in the Borough?
How is the Council responding to the initiatives in the BBC’s national Plastics Watch campaign?
Question 2. Sunbury Adult Education Centre
It is being mooted that Surrey’s Adult Education Centre in Sunbury, the last of its type in the Borough, will be sacrificed in the bid to meet housing targets.
What is Spelthorne Borough Council’s position on this proposal? Is Spelthorne Council aware that the centre provides an essential function as a source of relaxation, wellbeing and self-improvement for different social groups, including the increasing number of carers who are looking after young, disabled or elderly relatives for whom engagement in classes represents a valuable respite activity? What does Spelthorne Council see as its role in respect to users of the centre and will it be lobbying on their behalf for the Centre’s retention?
Minutes:
The Mayor reported that, under Standing Order 14, two questions had been received from Mrs Caroline Nicholls.
Question 1:
“I walk regularly along the narrow ‘green lung’ in Lower Sunbury that links Harfield Road at the Kempton end of the route to Squires Garden Centre in Halliford. Plastic waste of all shapes and sizes is strewn along the entire length; it is particularly troubling to see the quantity of plastic trapped in the hedgerows around Sivyers Lake and Vicarage Farm. It is also worrying to witness tiny pieces of plastic material dropping into the drains around the local roads – presumably to end up in the Thames and the North Sea.
The problem of plastic waste in the environment is now so serious that UK citizens are reacting to the disturbing ocean scenes in David Attenborough’s Blue Planet 2 series on BBC 1 which reportedly reached 37m viewers.
Is it now time for the Council to engage with its residents and co-ordinate a mass participation clean-up programme in the Borough?
How is the Council responding to the initiatives in the BBC’s national Plastics Watch campaign?”
Response from the Leader, Councillor I.T.E. Harvey:
“Neighbourhood Services officers have already engaged in a number of community and staff litter picks in response to this campaign. In addition to this the Surrey waste partnership, of which we are a member is sponsoring a cross-authority task group aiming to reduce the use of single-use plastics. It is envisaged that this task group will enable sharing of best practice regarding plastic reduction on authorities’ estates, as well as come up with a way forward on how best to engage with residents and other stakeholders.”
Question 2:
“It is being mooted that Surrey’s Adult Education Centre in Sunbury, the last of its type in the Borough, will be sacrificed in the bid to meet housing targets.
What is Spelthorne Borough Council’s position on this proposal? Is Spelthorne Council aware that the centre provides an essential function as a source of relaxation, wellbeing and self-improvement for different social groups, including the increasing number of carers who are looking after young, disabled or elderly relatives for whom engagement in classes represents a valuable respite activity? What does Spelthorne Council see as its role in respect to users of the centre and will it be lobbying on their behalf for the centre’s retention?”
Response from the Portfolio Holder for Community Wellbeing, Councillor M. Attewell:
“Thank you for your question Mrs Nichols. The site at Sunbury Adult Education Centre is included in the Council’s Strategic Land Availability Assessment (SLAA). This is the document that identifies land in the urban area that could be developed for housing, employment or other uses. Surrey County Council identified this site, together with many other SCC sites in the borough, as part of their service review, and it was put forward to the Strategic Planning team at the Council as ‘developable in the next 6-10 years’. However, the SLAA makes it clear that the site is only developable on the basis that the existing use is re-provided, either on-site as a mixed use scheme, or elsewhere nearby, as the loss of a social/community use would be contrary to planning policy. It should also be noted that the SLAA does not allocate sites for development nor does it grant planning permission. It is simply an evidence base of land availability that will be used to inform the preparation of our new Local Plan.
As a former Surrey County Councillor as well as a Spelthorne Borough Councillor, Mrs Nichols will understand that Spelthorne Borough Council has very little control over the use of this site, as well as understanding the difficult financial pressures imposed upon Surrey County Council by re-distribution of Local Government funding via the so-called ‘Fairer Funding’ formula.”